Hard cast and other questions about lead.

[Furncliff]

I am assuming that when a maker talks about hard cast that they have added something to the pure lead. Will the hard cast bullets foul the barrel less?

Please educate me on lead bullets.

I'd appreciate any input.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Gary Frost]

Furncliff, antimony is added to the lead to make it harder. You guessed correctly, hard cast bullets don't foul the barrel much.

 

[GP100man]

soft lead for low pressure loads &
hard lead for hi pressure loads.
non interchangeable, thats about all i got till i get more info ,caliber & load????
i do know i wasted a lot of alloy makin boolits harder to shoot bunny poot loads LOL


GP100man

 

[Walkalong]

Lots more to it than "hard cast" or not. (Addition of Tin and/or Antimony)The alloy, or hardness, needs to match the application. Too soft, or too hard, an alloy, can lead a bore.

It is not as hard as some folks make out, nor is it simple. It is fairly easy though, with some research, to make lead free loads for your favorite shootin' iron.

Castboolits is a great place to learn about it. It was not around in the day when I started casting. I had to learn it the old fashioned way, from BOOKS!

 

[38 Super Auto]

The most important factors are:

1) proper bullet sizing diameter - most casters size 1-2mils larger than groove diameter - you'll need to slug your barrel and measure the diameter of slug

2) matching alloy hardness to velocity/pressure. You want the base of the bullet to expand (obturate) to seal the bore. Higher pressure loads need harder bullets. Bullets that are too soft for the application pressure will deform and create accuracy and potentially other issues. Bullets that are too hard for the application pressure will not obturate and you'll get a spatter type of leading, just past the chamber.

 

[Furncliff]

A fountain of knowledge.... I sure appreciate the info, it's a good start for me. But since I'm a newbie reloader I'll continue to use plated and jacketed til I smartin up some more.

Thanks

Tom

 

[evan price]

Once you go Pb you never go back...

 

[qajaq59]

But since I'm a newbie reloader I'll continue to use plated and jacketed til I smartin up some more.

Don't give up on loading the cast bullets too easily.
Loading cast isn't any harder then jacketed. You'l just use less powder and cheaper projectiles. And so long as you use the proper "cast" loads you wont have a problem with leading. Look at a few of them in your loading manual and you'll see that they are simply loads that keep the velocities slower. Read up on it a bit and I think you might like using cast.

 

[redneck2]

Actually, sometimes harder bullets will lead more than softer ones. If the bullets don't "slug out" and fill the bore, gases cut past the sides. This melts the lead which wipes off. With gas checks you can push lead to pretty high speeds.

Lyman has a Cast Bullets Handbook that you should probably look at getting.

 

[Wiljen]

Two things to remember when loading cast bullets:

1. Get a Lyman M die or one of the lee cast bullet expanding dies. If you seat cast bullets as you would jacketed, you often shave the base of the bullet with the case creating an undersized shank that wont fit the bore properly and will contribute to leading.

2. Don't try for Maximum loads first. Cast bullet loads often perform best at moderate velocities. Start low and shoot groups at each increment. You usually find that groups start poor (at low vel) and end poor (at Max), but somewhere in the middle they do well.

Wiljen

 

[Griz44]

I just got a copy of Richard Lee's new Modern Reloading (Second Edition)
He has accumulated some very impressive data on cast bullets hardness and the relation to pressure in the case. The hardness of the bullet to prevent leading and a good seal is a careful balancing act. He has a chart in the book that does a wonderful job of comparing max pressures with acceptable lead hardness. Too hard is just as bad as too soft. A bullet should deform to provide a tight seal on the barrel, but not deform enough to stay deformed once it leaves the barrel (elasticity). That would be too soft. A bullet that is too hard will not deform or seal properly, allowing hot gas to pass the bullet and cause lead melt that will deposit in the barrel. I will ask Lee if it is OK to reproduce the page and display it here, or you can get the book from Lee or order the anniversary special from Midway. The special from Midway gets you the book, and a free C press for 25 bucks plus shipping. What a deal. I mounted the press (small but very useful) on the end of my bench and put my Hornady bullet puller in it. I now have a dedicated puller station. Lee includes a lot more than you could ever need on proper cast bullet usage.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Typically, lead fouling is caused in two ways:

1.) undersized bullets

2.) lead that is too hard

Correct sizing means a bullet that is .001 larger than the bore size, ie. .358 bullets in a .357 bore. This is the correct size and should not allow gasses to pass and therefore melt the bullet, leaving lead in the bore.

Super hard lead can not obdurate and doesn't achieve a proper seal, again letting hot gasses pass the bullet melting it and leaving lead fouling.

I cast from straight wheel weights and the hardness appears to be just right for my applications. I shoot from .38spl to .454 Casull, I don't back off on the power level and I actually get more fps out of a lead bullet than a copper jacketed bullet for a given powder charge due to the inherent properties of lead and the additional lubrication from the lube applied during the sizing operation.
I shoot both gas check and plain base and I can honestly say that I don't get leading.

I even have a full power 180g cast GC 30-06 load - 2700fps.

 

[Walkalong]

Typically, lead fouling is caused in two ways:

1.) undersized bullets

2.) lead that is too hard

3. Lead that is too soft.

4. Not enough lube.

In revolvers size the bullet to the cylinder. Hopefully it will be good for the bore size.

 

[BWB]

Add to that bevel based bullets (that are too hard or under groove diameter), and the hard blue lube that commercial casters use that is completely ineffective but ships well and keeps the bullets clean.