What is the Bhn # of bullets cast from zink?
What is the Bhn # of bullets cast from zink?
Mr. Bill2
Probably depends on the zinc alloy being used. If you are worried about barrel damage don't. Zinc is softer than copper. The US Navy uses zinc slugs for proof testing. I doubt they would if it was damaging and their barrels cost a lot more than mine.,
pure zinc approx 30hb
Charter Member #148
Remember Zn density is about 7 opposed to Pb at 11.5 so all your Zn cast bullets will weigh only 60% of Pb
Same thing, HB= hardness brinell
Charter Member #148
OK The reason I ask is this . Last mounth I cast some bullets from wheelweights and some from 50/50. Fifty wheelweights/ fifty Linotype. All the same bullet and all were air cooled. The ones cast from 50/50 shot better than the WW out of my 308. So I thought I heat treat some of the wheelweights to make then harder. Put then in the over for 45 min. @445*. Tested Bhn 34 with my Saeco tester. I didn't think you could heat treat WW to be harder than Zinc. I was thinking zinc must be somewhere above 50 Bhn.
Mr. Bill2
I've OHT coww to 25-26 hb, my 7:3 alloy (7 isotope container-3 lino) to 34-35hb, so 34 does sound high for OHT COWW? From what I have read(not here) gilding metal jackets test about 50-52 and zinc 30hb.
Charter Member #148
I have an alloy that is pretty much the % contents of "hardball" and if I water drop those, the harness can get up to over 110 on my Cabine which is off the scale at around 32+Bhn.
That goes down as the boolits age. I have some now that 3 months ago were that hard and now are around 26.
I don't worry about hardness anymore. I PC everything I cast which is around 9-10.
Zinc is definitely hard......and light.....as compared with our old friend lead!
banger
In the old NRA Handloading Handbook someone did an article many years ago on casting & reloading zinc bullets. Apparently the same bullet was fired into a log, recovered intact and reloaded 5 times in a row without deformation. Of course it was lighter in weight, but its safe to say that it was pretty hard. The NRA may still have a viewable/downloadable file on the article. LLS
Thanks fellows. I am not going to start to try casting bullets from zinc. I was just surprised that the wheelweights got that hard heat treated. Just to see what would happen I clamped one in the vice gave it a little tap with a hammer, broke right in half.
If this weather ever warms up so that I can get to the range I'll give those heat treated bullet a try.
Mr. Bill2
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |