Heat treat,water quench, or air cooled

[Daves1]

For hunting bullets,what are the different characteristics of each method? Heat treating, water quenching and air cooled.:lovebooli

[runfiverun]

ssuming ww alloy.
air cooled will have a through and through composition of alloy and hardness. [10-12 bhn]
water dropping 50-50 with pure will give you a harder external shell, but a more malleable alloy. [15-18 bhn]
straight water dropped ww's will give 18-24 bhn.
the difference has to do with diameter of boolit the alloy particulars, the mold temp, and the boolit temp when it hits the water.
and heat treating will harden the boolit all the way through. [24-35 bhn] dependent on how high your treating temp and how long you hold it there. this can also be tempered back some to about 22 bhn.
a more maleable alloy then linotype but about the same bhn.

[Daves1]

I'am talking W.W. If I want my bullet to expand somewhat then is air cooled the way to go?

[madsenshooter]

For hunting, you don't want too hard a boolit, they'll act like full metal jackets, no expansion at all. Air cooled would be best. Here's a good place to find the info you need, pretty much all in one place: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm