Will I loose my water quenching lead hardness after oven baking powder coating on cast bullets?

Dultimatpredator

Dultimatpredator

Well-known member
I am excited to start casting bullets for the first time! I have a ton of lead wheel weights ( have ran tire and auto centers for 25 years). I have been researching my brains out on water quenching immediately after casting to increase hardness. Once this is done I Picked up red powder coating from harbor freight to coat with. My plan is to heat the bullets up in the oven to about a 150 degrees, drop in a covered Tupperware container, shake till covered and then bake for about 20 min at 400 degrees and drop the bullets immediately in ice water. I've been reading that when I heat the bullets for a second time back up in the oven it basically brings the lead back down to the softness state before the original water quenching was done immediately after casting....is this true? If so is there a bring the hardness levels back up after powder coating? I'm using 100 percent pound on wheel weights in a .430 310g lee die for my 44 mag rifles, Andaconda, and 329. I picked up a lee sizer and gas checks. I also read that sizing will soften the lead as well?
 
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I have made buzzer baits and spinnerbaits on and off since 1982 and I can tell you the old unfinished baits a have laying around that the lead has hardened over time. They were never quenched since I didn't know anything about the process or fluxing the lead as well at the time.
 
Yes, black bear and whitetail. From what I've read the flat point causes tremendous shock and smashes through shoulders or what ever comes in contact with and keeps going.
 
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Go over to cast boolit site those guys should be able to answer your question. I run that same lee bullet out of my super redhawk for deer here you'll like it. Mine are lubed with randy rat tac 1 lube. 20.5 grains h110 and fed primer.
J
 
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After you have done the baking with the PC quench them in Ice Water. They will harden back up. You may need to resize the PCed Bullets. I know that I did and several others have had to. I used a Lee sizing die, screwed into the Rockchucker. I took the PCed Bullets and sprayed them with Hornady case Lube. Pam cooking spray would have probably worked,,,, This makes them size easier. Do this after the bullets have cooled some, and do not wait 3 or more days. The bullets will get harder and it becomes more difficult to size them.
The PCed bullets have been more accurate than the lubed lead cast. Good luck with the hunting. Hope to read a good report.
 
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