I think I'm about done with lead projectiles

T

Typetwelve

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2019
Messages
644
I think I'm throwing in the towel.

I did this with 44 magnum a few years back. No matter what I tried, I always had leading issues with my Super Redhawk. 12 hardness, 18...didn't matter. Hi-Tek coated, traditional lube, even Alox...push the hard, push them soft...still had leading somewhere, be it on the forcing cone, or running down the barrel. Finally, I gave up and started shooting Zero bullets full time.

I'm fighting the same battle with 38 spcl. I've tried all kinds of lead projectiles, from all kinds of makers and no matter what I do, they lead. The only lead projectiles that I've shot, that haven't leaded are some super old Speer DEWC's that someone gave to me, I bet they're older than I am. With factory projectiles, light load, lead up the forcing cone, give them more pepper, they lead down the barrel. (Using a S&W 627 Pro, BTW). I can't win.

Am I missing something here, or are factory offerings just too hard? Those old Speer WC's are significantly softer than even the 12 hardness projectiles I've bought. That I'm seeing online, no one seems to make anything softer.

Any advice would help, but I've been fighting this for pushing 4 years now, and it's getting old.
 
There are folks that have success running magnum velocities with cast bullets. They do a fair amount of testing with bullet hardness, gas checks, and powder charge optimization. More power to them for their efforts.

I find leading is minimized at around 1000-1100 fps with average bullets.

So, if I want magnum, full power loads, I use jacketed bullets for expediency. For plinking, I have less than full power loads that scratch my burnt gun powder itch, average cast bullets work just fine.
 
Not sure if you've checked this but, cast bullets need to be sized to the gun. There's a lot of good advice over on the cast Boolets forum. Check the stickies over there they will tell you in depth how to go about doing it.
 
If your shooting factory cast, your not in control of what is happening. If your determined to win, find a bullet you can get in different sizes and get test packs of each size. In 43 mag .431 seems very popular. The specs go higher in the carbine so you shouldn't have an issue finding bigger bullets. I've never had to go above bhn 12 so efforts focused there should be just fine. One situation that may never allow a solution is unregulated cylinders.
 
Typetwelve said:
12 hardness, 18...didn't matter. Hi-Tek coated, traditional lube, even Alox…
Click to expand...

If you pull a bullet from a loaded round, is it a smaller diameter than one that has not been seated in a case yet?

I would look hard at the process if nothing has ever worked for you. Or perhaps the firearm if it’s only one, where the problem occurs.
 
Last edited:
Chamber mouths too tight? Bullets too small for the bore? Either of these will cause leading issues. For those who may not know: Pin gauges will show the chamber mouth diameters and pushing a soft lead ball through the bore and measuring the slug with a micrometer will give bore diameter.

It’s a bummer that your gun is a lead monster, I like the variety of coated-plated lead bullets available, and shoot gobs of them every year with minimal leading.

Hopefully you find your guns’ sweet spot and can keep shooting them!

Stay safe.
 
I would be lost without cast bullets. I shoot them almost exclusively in 9mm, 38/357, 41, 44 and 45. I cast mostly with clip-on wheelweight alloy which is a softer alloy than most commercial casters use.

Fit is more important than hardness. Reading the stickies over on the Cast Boolits site is a good suggestion.
 
I had trouble with a 357 revolver and leading. Hard or soft, coated or not, always got leading.
Adding liquid alox was about the only thing that worked.

That gun had tight throats and a loose bore, so it was destined for trouble..

I went to plated bullets and no more trouble. Even the thin skinned plated bullets worked well and are very accurate in a revolver and a carbine.
 
Typetwelve said:
I'm fighting the same battle with 38 spcl. I've tried all kinds of lead projectiles, from all kinds of makers and no matter what I do, they lead.
Click to expand...
In order to figure out what your problem might be, some pictures of leaded barrels and forcing cones or other areas like cylinders, chambers, etc. and your recipes would help a lot. Then, any info on make, model, barrel length, and cal. of particular gun you are shooting may has some interest too. I've been loading cast .38 Special and 9mm for over 10 years and only in the beginning did I have a few times leading was a problem in either caliber.
 
I no longer shoot bare lead with traditional lubrication. If I am shooting lead for cost savings it is always coated let. The coated lead has pretty much solved all my previous leading issues. That said I do shoot jacket bullets in my 44 Magnums. Shot a fair about of lead when I first go my M92 and M29 and no major leading issues but jacket bullets do make that a non-issue and I don't shoot enough 44 Mag to need the cost savings they way I do 38.
 
Fit is very important !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slug you barrel and bullet diameter should be around 0.002" larger. I cast my own and am shooting 0.431" diameter gas checked bullets with no leading. Hardness is around 18 or 19! Rebarreled my Marlin with a 0.429" dia. barrel which matched my Redhawk. I am pushing the 300 gr. gc. hot ones 1350 fps out of the Redhawk and 1750 fps out of the Marlin. No leading what so ever!!! It can be done quite well if all the factors are covered! I have heard of people pushing around the other side of 2000 fps. with the proper cast bullet. Oh yeah forgot, I am using 2400 for the hot loads and WST for the cat sneeze loads of about 750 fps. again no leading with those either.
Anyway, good luck and have fun :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
Speed is also a culprit. I size my bullet to the gun that is going to shoot it by slugging the bore and also checking the cylinder of revolvers. Most of my shooting now is with light loads. Using powder coating I have no problem with pretty soft lead.
 
I shoot LSWC 45ACP since I have 6,920 (yep, last inventory). When the leading cannot be easily cleaned with a brass brush, I use my Lewis Lead Remover device.
If I ever need to start stockpiling again, I would buy coated LSWCs.
 
There are several issues that can lead to leading in the barrel. Is there a constriction in the barrel? If so you may need to fire lap it out. Slug the barrel diameter. Cylinder diameter needs to be at least .001" larger. You may need to ream the cylinders. As long as the cylinders are the correct size, the diameter of the bullets needs to be the same as the cylinders. An additional trick that I use is to tumble lube the bullets with Ed's Red #2 formula. If you do these things, the bullet hardness or velocity is rarely an issue. I almost never have leading at any velocity or pressure or BHN. But you do have to address the issues I have mentioned.
 
Bronco72 said:
Fit is very important !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slug you barrel and bullet diameter should be around 0.002" larger. . . . . .
Click to expand...
I was going to post this myself

I might have missed it, but I didn't
see anywhere where the OP made
a post about lead slug measurement
after slugging
One I labored over needed a 433 to
work right even though a 431-432
was recommended
Slugging is the only way to tell the
story. There's no shortcut
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
leading with Miss Hi-Tek 44 Elmer K projectiles
Replies
22
Views
1K
.38 Special
.38 Special
T
  • Locked
...a little help with my foolish projectile purchases.
Replies
17
Views
1K
Hooda Thunkit
Hooda Thunkit
greyling22
  • Locked
leading
2 3 4
Replies
79
Views
4K
floydster
F
P
  • Locked
Extreme hard cast bullets and leading
Replies
10
Views
631
Walkalong
Walkalong
L
  • Locked
Have I not really tried "lead" bullets?
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
layusn1
L
Back
Top