The half-value breadth off-ray diffraction profile line is generally used for a factor in nondestructive hardness measuring method of steel. In this paper, the problem in using the half-value breadth for the hardness measuring method is evaluated in strain hardened steel. And new hardness measuring method using residual stress is proposed X-ray diffraction test after rolling contact fatigue test of ball bearing with inner race of various hardness are carried out to measure the distribution of residual stress and half-value breadth from surface. The result of this study shows that there is little correlation between half-value breadth and hardness in the higher strength region and in the region increasing the hardness by strain hardening. But the magnitude of residual stress on/under race after rolling contact fatigue test becomes clearly to be correlative with hardness. Thus, it is concluded that the hardness of strain hardened steel can be estimated by this relationship between residual stress and hardness.