What hardness for rifle loads ?

I have searched but didn't find an answer.
I'm loading 185gr. GC boolit for the 30-06 going around 1700 - 1800 fps.
What would be the hardness range I'm looking for ?
I have been casting WW/water dropping and WW/air cooling, what might be the hardness difference between the two.
I know there are variables but where do I start, is there a table somewhere ?

1700 to 1800 fps I have had good luck with alloy at 13 to 15 bhn. The velocity is not as criticle as the pressure. You can get that velocity at a wide pressure range depending on the powder burn rate you use. The lower the pressure the softer the alloy can be to still get good accuracy
WW now generally run about 10 air cooled. WW quenched if they are hot enough and you use ice water I have gotten them to over 20 bhn.

1700 to 1800 fps I have had good luck with alloy at 13 to 15 bhn. The velocity is not as criticle as the pressure. You can get that velocity at a wide pressure range depending on the powder burn rate you use. The lower the pressure the softer the alloy can be to still get good accuracy
WW now generally run about 10 air cooled. WW quenched if they are hot enough and you use ice water I have gotten them to over 20 bhn.Thanks,
I have been water dropping into room temp water.
Also using 18gr. 2400

Mike Venturino one of the writers of Handloader magazine uses linotype (22 bhn) in his military surplus rifles. He also uses the soft SPG lube. You can read his latest artical concerning this in April 2013 issue on news stands now.

Linotype is veryeasy to cast with. Usually around 600-650 degrees. Makes purdy boollits

I obsessed with hardness for a while. Due to some insights gained here regarding boolit fit and lower-pressure powder use, i have basically forgotten about it. In my recent attempts to get past 2200 fps or so in my 30-30 and 30-06 i have some water dropped curing. Its been a few weeks so they are prob up to 20-25 bhn. I should check tonight.

Same alloy (pretty much COWW) was shot above 2k with no problems related to boolit hardness. Im definitely not a rifle loading expert but it seems that too much focus is given to hardness.

Besides, you will get better boolit expansion with a little softer alloy. The gas check and boolit obturation are keeping the lead fouling away, for me anyway

i'm sure what you are doing is working.
I use the exact same formula for most of my rifle loads.
18 grs of 2400 and a water dropped boolit.

I haven't met a piece of paper, rock, ground squirrel, grouse, or deer that hasn't been handled by this combination yet.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

I heat treat my boolits when I want them to go fast and usually end up 24-28 bhn. There's them as holds that fit is king and a good enough fittin' boolit will do just fine, no matter how soft. I agree that fit is most important, but I find that once you get much beyond the 1800 fps mark, accuracy suffers and leading starts unless your boolits are harder than the typical WW air cooled. I do not water drop because it is easier to size soft boolits than hard ones. I size and seat gas checks, then heat treat using Dennis Marshall's technique. Since all the boolits hit the ice water at the same time, they all tend to be about the same hardness.

_________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

Boolit Master Join DateJan 2012LocationSaskatchewan CanadaPosts252

I also use the same velocity but cast my boolits a bit softer than yours. I have cast and shot many 50/50 WW and pure lead boolits to 1700+ (air cooled gas checked). I have no idea what the BHN of that alloy is but it does work well in my rifles and leaves virtually spotless bores with speed green. I have also cast with Lyman #2 which is much harder, and honestly I do not see much if any improvement in accuracy at those velocities, in my rifles. The boolits cast better and look better with lino or #2 and do cast slightly bigger.

IMHO, go ahead and use the straight air cooled WW alloy. It will give good results at those velocities.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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