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Testing the hardness of your lead balls

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woodse guy

40 Cal.
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I have been looking for a lead hardness test. Who makes a good one that won't cost a arm and a leg?
 
God. He gave us finger nails specifically to scratch the balls and that way we can tell if they are soft enough to hunt with. If you can scratch em they good for the deer blind, if not shoot em at targets n such.
 
azmntman said:
God. He gave us finger nails specifically to scratch the balls

Exactly, with soft lead you will be able to shift a bit of metal just by scratching it, with an alloy you will not.

Toomuch
............
Shoot Flint
 
Here is a way that is accurate and free.
You have to work on your math a bit though.
I use two 50 cal REALS instead of bottle caps and align everything in a Styrofoam sleeve in the vice.

I found I could get accuracy to 1 BHN by doing 5 samplings and then averaging my results.

The instructions are from the Corbin website.

Here is a simple way to test the Bhn number of unknown lead samples: all you need is a caliper, two bottle caps, a vise, a 5mm diameter (aprox. size) ball bearing, and a known pure sample of lead (Corbin can furnish pure lead of 99.995% Pb with trace silver).
Melt enough lead to fill one bottle cap with unknown sample, and the other with known pure lead. Make sure the surface is smooth and flat when the lead hardens and cools.
When the lead is cold, put the ball bearing between the two lead surfaces and squeeze this "sandwich" in the vise until the ball is driven partly into both surfaces (just enough to make a fair sized dent, but not past the middle of the ball).
Remove the sandwich and measure the two dent diameters. First measure the known pure lead dent and write down this number. Then measure the dent diameter in the unknown lead sample and write it down. Square both numbers (multiply times themselves). Then divide the resulting square of the unknown lead dent diameter into the square of the known pure lead dent diameter. This could be written as (L times L) divided by (X times X) where L is the pure Lead dent diameter, and X is the unknown lead dent diameter.
The answer should be a number of 1 or greater. If it is a fraction, or less than 1 in value, you have inverted the two dents and divided the wrong way. In that case, try again. When you get an answer that is 1 or greater, multiply it by 5. This is the actual Brinnell Hardness Number of the unknown sample.


Here is the formula:

H = 5 * (D1^2)/(D2^2)

...where H is the hardness of the unknown sample in Bhn number, D1 is the diameter of the indentation formed in the known pure lead sample, and D2 is the diameter of the indentation in the unknown hardness sample.
 
If you decide you want a lead hardness tester, Lee Products make one that is available thru Midsouth Shooters Supply for about 60 bucks that will measure the exact Brinnell hardness number. Good for testing any lead you may pick up if you feel you need something more precise than the fingernail test.
 
Saeco makes a good unit, about 2X the money of the Lee unit mentioned above.

Seems to be out of stock most places, a testament of the quality ?
 
I have seen these and I think I'm leaning that way. The Lee is by far cheaper but I would like something that I can carry in my hand to test lead.
 
I have both the Lee and LBT tester and the Lee is probably the most accurate.
I have trouble using the microscope that comes with the testing kit so use a dial caliper to measure the test divot.
Makes it easy and fast for me.
Scratching with a finger nail does not tell you very much and nothing about alloy make up.
Truth is I can scratch any lead alloy with my finger nail and all I can tell is one is softer than an other but not how much and this you need to know for any kind of consistency as each alloy has a different shrinkage rate which determines weight, diameter and patch thickness needed. Mike D.
 
I have the saeco and am most pleased with it, they don't mate up well with a round ball as shipped but that is easily overcome with a small plug.

They are accurate and work well for my purpose.
 
Since what you are after is really a comparison test you can make a simple one your self out of any spring loaded center punch readily available from a hardware store. Then use a know pure lead sample to give you a reference point. :idunno:
 
I take all lead I can find, how soft it is depends on what purpose it will serve.

This makes it important to have a dedicated tester in the field when looking at lead samples for sale, there are many out there selling lead as "soft" that really have no idea what soft lead really is.
 
The fingernail test is a good one. Except I have flimsy nails an tend to cut them very short.

I have found that a good ol' channel lock pliers will tell me what I need to know. I tested a few roundballs cast from what I knew was plumbers lead. With mild effort I can squeese the pliers a smoosh the ball entirely out of round. It behaves like a stiff putty under the mechanical advantage of a pliers. Harder lead alloys will remain round or mostly round. Wheelweight alloys I can only get the plier teeth to bite but it holds its shape.
 
I have seen a lot of lead sell that was "pure". I have bought some of it. The fact is if you buyu lead that will not serve your purpose your wasting money. I was taken for 100 dollars on some lead that was 18 BHN. Keep in mind that pure lead is 5 BHN. I got tired of it and got a Cabine Tree tester. I can carry it to a store or an auction.I can test lead that is up to 2" thick and any shape. Most testers need a loading press and others need a bullet. This one can do it all. it is a little over 100 dollars but it is worth it to me. I customize my lead to the hardness that my rifle likes. The Cabine Tree is with out a doubt the best tester on the market. Now if you think a thumb nail is going to tell you hardness think about this. I can scratch 18 BHN hard lead with my thumb. 18 BHN lead is not worth my time in a ML rifle. This is what mine looks like. I have tested a lot of lead for people that want their lead tested. Ron

Cabbintreetester1.jpg
 
Thanks Ron. I found a 12 lb lead boat anchor at wally world a few days ago. It was priced too high to melt for Balls. (24.00$) But wonder how soft it would be.? Larry
 
I will say again to all this forum. If anyone has lead that they want tested they can send me a couple bullets or balls and I will test it for them. I have done it for several people. Ron
 
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