38/357 bullets air cool or water quench ?

[RU shooter]

Today I'm planning on trying out my 158 GC SWC mould I got from a memeber last weekend , I have my standard hunting bullet alloy in my pot now (50/50) ww/soft . My plan was to mainly shoot these without the checks at target vel 850-900fps if I want to try faster I'll check some . Soooooo with that alloy mix should I just drop and air cool or water quench ? Or harden up the alloy ?

Tim

[Rcmaveric]

I just air cool them.

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[Dusty Bannister]

You have not stated if you intend to let them age harden a week or more, or not. You might just consider adding the quench process about half way through the casting run so you can see which will work best. I suggest the air cooled bullet first since you will be throwing culls back into the pot to cast again. And if the mold is balky, you will not have a wild hardness range due to temperature variables that would create.

Then if you decide to go ahead and gas check them, you already have the air cooled and the quenched bullets ready to go. Be sure to size and lube the quenched bullets soon after the quench to avoid overly hard bullets. Four conditions from one casting session sounds like a pretty efficient way to try out that new mold. Good luck. Dusty

[mdi]

I got started with wheel weight alloy about 25 years ago. I have found that I can shoot my WW alloy (and my 11 BHN Mystery Metal) to magnum velocities without leading the barrels if the bullets fit my guns. I don't do any water quenching nor do I pay much attention to "age hardening", I just haven't had a need...

[Tatume]

Air cooling works well for me too.

[tazman]

I water quench everything as a matter of convenience and habit. I really don't need to because my usage doesn't require it.
I make sure everything fits and have never had a leading problem.

[gnostic]

I water drop everything, it's easier to deal with. My alloy isn't the best, linotype and wheel weights are rare, so my bullets are largely soft range scrap. I drive my bullets at high speed out of handguns and a model 94 30-30 without leading...

[Wheelguns 1961]

I use 50/50 air cooled in my 38’s and 357’s. I have driven the 357’s over 1250fps with no leading. They are powder coated though.

[RU shooter]

Thanks all I ended up just sweeting the alloy up with some harder WW ingots probably was still a 75/25 mix and air cooled them . Good thing I think as that mould dropped them bullets pretty big at .363 I sized to .358

[lightman]

I got started with wheel weight alloy about 25 years ago. I have found that I can shoot my WW alloy (and my 11 BHN Mystery Metal) to magnum velocities without leading the barrels if the bullets fit my guns. I don't do any water quenching nor do I pay much attention to "age hardening", I just haven't had a need...

This is pretty much where I am at. I have been lucky I guess, having access to clip on wheel weights for my whole casting career. Although I have experimented with heat treating and/or water dropping I have never seen the need. Air cooled straight clip on weights do it all for me. I do use gas checks on the few rifles that I cast for.

[plainsman456]

I just air cool them.

[winelover]

Air cool everything but rifle bullets, which I heat treat.

Winelover

[WHITETAIL]

I air cool all pistol boolits.
The only ones I water quench is rifle.:brokenima

[WRideout]

I have shot 38 spl WC and SWC from straight wheel weight air-cooled for years. All I have ever done, never had a problem.
Wayne

[Forrest r]

A chronograph will tell you if it matters or not.

Sizing a bullet down 5/1000th's is a lot. Watch for distorted bullet noses or bases depending on what you use to size them.

FWIW:
Too hard of an alloy has created more problems then a soft alloy ever has. 99% of my casting/shooting has been done with nothing more than range scrap/berm lead for decades. Typical range scrap is 8/9bhn air cooled & 11/12bhn water dropped.

[Dieselhorses]

Looks like "Forrest r" read my mind! When I first starting casting I was dead set on trying to make the hardest bullet possible- especially with my magnums, namely my 500 S&W. Consequently, after I thought I had the perfect recipe I instead ended up with a recipe for a lead lined barrel! Even after powder coating, my bullets said "NO" to obturation. Back to the drawing board, and over time I discovered a "range" of BHN I could apply to both rifle/pistol. And more importantly with HP's, you want a significant amount of expansion- so that's another range. So yes, I water cool my ammo (via habit), have each jar labeled (caliber, sized or not, BHN). There is a chemical process that goes on when lead bullets age I've read about (LACS.US) but I've also read that over time some alloys could actually "lose" hardness. To me, casting and loading that "perfect bullet" for a particular gun/application is like trying to romance a woman, LOL.

[ioon44]

I water dropped bullets years ago and found it to be a waste of my time, hard bullets can do more leading if not sized to fit the barrel. I tested some bullets that I water dropped back in the 1990's that were 22 BHN and now they test in the 15 BHN range which is what the alloy would be if air cooled.
Now I use COWW with some tin added (11-12 BHN) and coated with Hi-Tek, the barrels are the cleanest I have ever seen. I have not had to deal with any leading for around 2 years now.

[MT Gianni]

Air cool everything under 1600 fps and water drop above that if groups require it.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm in the camp with Forrest r. Hard bullets cause more trouble than soft ones.

[RU shooter]

A chronograph will tell you if it matters or not.

Sizing a bullet down 5/1000th's is a lot. Watch for distorted bullet noses or bases depending on what you use to size them.

FWIW:
Too hard of an alloy has created more problems then a soft alloy ever has. 99% of my casting/shooting has been done with nothing more than range scrap/berm lead for decades. Typical range scrap is 8/9bhn air cooled & 11/12bhn water dropped.

I thought that sizing them that much would cause some issues also but not the case with these . Gave them a quick swirl in some thinned aloxand sized them that same day I cast them , sized right down In the Lee push through GC shank stayed the same dia so all is good . Just waiting for the weekend to load some up and give it a try .

[gwpercle]

Air Cool and if accuracy isn't up to snuff , apply the gas check.
After 50 years doing this I check any bullet that has a place for one and buy a plain base mould if I don't want to fool with gas checks. It's been my experience , that in rifle's the gas check designs are easier to get accurate loads...in general .
Gary