Curious about hardness of some lead I recently was gifted plus some other lead I already had, I purchased a Lee Hardness tester.
https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PRECISION-Lead-Hardness-Test/dp/B004Y6YH3W
I found the test on my ingots and some previous batches of lead cast bullets was pretty consistent. If I filed a nice flat spot, the measurements were typically within .1 BNH of each other. Not even filing flats on my cup cake pan ingots, #'s were within .2 of each other typically when from the same batch.
Testing some of my ingots I melted down from dive weights, they came in anywhere from 9.0-12
What was told to me was "pure soft" lead plus a big 14lb bar recently gifted to me were all around 5.0 BNH
Here is another article that also shows an expanded scale of the Lee Tester
http://www.texas-mac.com/Evaluations_and_Recommendations_for_Lead-Alloy_Hardness_Testers.html
FYI, Here is another older thread on Harness with alternative ideas on testing.
https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?189999&p=4238180#post4238180
I am currently casting the following items for this spring/summer shooting/Fishing
BP round balls (want soft lead)
BP Minie Ball & LEE REAL (want soft lead)
9mm (?)
45 (?)
Fishing Bank sinkers (2oz-6ox) What ever I have left over. Don't even care much about consistency.
The 9mm and 45 I will alox lube. Not sure if what I want to use are the harder metal or soft (or should not care)
https://www.amazon.com/LEE-PRECISION-Lead-Hardness-Test/dp/B004Y6YH3W
I found the test on my ingots and some previous batches of lead cast bullets was pretty consistent. If I filed a nice flat spot, the measurements were typically within .1 BNH of each other. Not even filing flats on my cup cake pan ingots, #'s were within .2 of each other typically when from the same batch.
Testing some of my ingots I melted down from dive weights, they came in anywhere from 9.0-12
What was told to me was "pure soft" lead plus a big 14lb bar recently gifted to me were all around 5.0 BNH
Here is another article that also shows an expanded scale of the Lee Tester
http://www.texas-mac.com/Evaluations_and_Recommendations_for_Lead-Alloy_Hardness_Testers.html
FYI, Here is another older thread on Harness with alternative ideas on testing.
https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?189999&p=4238180#post4238180
I am currently casting the following items for this spring/summer shooting/Fishing
BP round balls (want soft lead)
BP Minie Ball & LEE REAL (want soft lead)
9mm (?)
45 (?)
Fishing Bank sinkers (2oz-6ox) What ever I have left over. Don't even care much about consistency.
The 9mm and 45 I will alox lube. Not sure if what I want to use are the harder metal or soft (or should not care)
