Good question yukon. Yes, baking does affect the hardness - it will negate the affects of any quenching out of the mold. The solution is easy though: if you want to quench for hardness, do it after baking. The bullets are hot at that point, like when they come out of the mold, and can be quenched for hardness. Just pour cold water over the pan of hot bullets; I usually use a full juice pitcher of water on each pan of bullets.
Important! Don't try to dump the hot baked bullets into water; you'll tear the coating, pour water on the bullets instead.Once the coating has cooled, it takes a set and remains hard at high temperatures (it is what's called a "thermoset plastic", meaning it doesn't melt once cured), but right after that initial baking when it's still hot, it's soft and easily damaged.
I suggest skipping the water quench out of the mold (it doesn't hurt anything, but doesn't help either) and just quench after baking. This has worked well for me for use in high pressure handgun and rifle loads.
Hope that helps.
Last edited by Yondering; 04/27/20.
