Air cooled bullets

[johnnyjr]

So tell me,what is the waiting period for checking the bhn of air cooled bullets. .how long should you wait before lubing and sizing,etc. Thank you..

 

[RBHarter]

The convention is to size either within a day or before loading over 2 weeks later or more .
Depending on alloys it can matter a lot of not .

 

[RicinYakima]

I normally size and lube just a couple of days before I load or shoot them. But I live in the desert and don't want my lube to dry out, but stay consistent.

 

[JonB]

If I know how the alloy reacts, I size and load accordingly.
If I am investigating a "new to me" alloy, I wait a month...but I usually measure hardness the same day, then second day, then weekly...to learn how it reacts.

 

[johnnyjr]

Really?? Thanks

 

[Brad]

I tend to cast in bulk then store. I PC when I have time and size then.
I will admit to tending towards a reasonably soft alloy, around BHN 10-11. For most of my shooting.
I also size with a Lee type push thru sizer on my press so the extra force required on slightly hardened bullets isn’t going to damage anything.

 

[JWFilips]

If I cast I size as soon as cool Easier on the alloy! If you store for a few months and want to use: check size ! Sometimes it grows a bit! Size again and load! Very simple

 

[Missionary]

We started investing in press mounted sizers after I broke the handle on a 4500. Never had an issue wit a Lyman JR or the Rock Cruncher.

 

[358156 hp]

I had to press a high antimony 535 gr 458 out of a Star die once. I made a series of pushers from bolts with their heads cut off that were smaller in diameter than the bore of the die and pushed it back out. I heard the bullet creak partway through and stopped immediately. I couldn't remember if Star dies were hardened or not, so I didn't simply throw the die with the bullet stuck inside into the lead pot. In retrospect, even if I had annealed it in the pot I could have just oil dropped it I suppose. I bent a couple of Star handles before finally deciding to go to push-throughs.

 

[Rick]

I had to press a high antimony 535 gr 458 out of a Star die once. I made a series of pushers from bolts with their heads cut off that were smaller in diameter than the bore of the die and pushed it back out. I heard the bullet creak partway through and stopped immediately. I couldn't remember if Star dies were hardened or not, so I didn't simply throw the die with the bullet stuck inside into the lead pot. In retrospect, even if I had annealed it in the pot I could have just oil dropped it I suppose. I bent a couple of Star handles before finally deciding to go to push-throughs.

Star is a push thru.

When sizing bare bullets, I keep a bit of this on my fingertips, takes vary little, just picking up the bullets to place in the die is all it takes. Haven't bent a Star handle in 40 years now.

 

[Winelover]

I'll size, whenever I get around to it. Maybe a day, maybe a month. However, when I do size, I'm not sizing very much. Almost all of my firearms require larger than nominal size bullets. Never bent the handle on my Star, either. There is such a thing as sizing in steps, if need be.

 

[Thumbcocker]

I tend to do casting and loading in phases. Phase one cast a bunch. Phase two lube a bunch. Phase three load a bunch. The casting phase can last a while so it may be weeks before sizing and loading.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I generally cast coat and size in same day. If long day I do it in two days. Almost never, any longer.

I try ta wait a month for shooting. But always at least a few weeks.

CW