Commercial RB hardness?

[westrayer]

I have a few hand cast round balls that came with a rifle. My commercial cast Hornady balls seem harder. Has anyone actually tested them?

 

[Boomerang]

Hornady should be pure lead.

 

[wiscoaster]

Watch out for the term "hard cast" which means a lead alloy and a harder bullet or round ball. I'm no metallurgist, but certain terms mean certain things and that's a term that's an accepted term to describe a bullet or round ball that's harder than pure lead, and depending on your firearm, may not be a suitable projectile.

 

[westrayer]

I am very familiar with bullet alloys. I used to cast a lot of pistol bullets in #2 alloy. The end of old style wheel weights brought that to an end. Now, any casting is 20-1 for original TD carbine and Sharps carbine. I have run them as low as 40-1. The little bit of tin added to the pure lead is only there to help the molten material fill out the grooves. Brinell hardness of pure lead is "5". The 20-1 mix is approximately "10".

 

[SDSmlf]

I have a few hand cast round balls that came with a rifle. My commercial cast Hornady balls seem harder. Has anyone actually tested them?

Believe the only lead round balls I have seen from Hornady and Speer were swaged rather than cast, and remember getting a BHN of 5 or so when I tested them.

 

[renegadehunter]

I can't speak for Hornady, but can say that Speer RB's are for sure swaged using pure, soft lead.