Lead bullets

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candt

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Hi guys. Im looking for a good place to buy lead bullets from. I have never loaded lead before.....how is the procedure different from loading FMJ? I am considering casting my own bullets, but first would like to see if loading lead is for me. Thanks for any help.
 
What caliber?

I consider casting bullets to be a real chore and do it only for obscure calibers or special applications I cannot buy bullets for.
Right now that is only a heavy .38-55 for BPCR MS.
 
About the only real difference in reloading procedure with lead is that you have to flare the case mouth to accept the lead bullet and not shave lead off the bullet as it is seated in the case. Powder charges are a lower for lead, since lead has a much lower coefficient of friction than copper-nickel jacket metal.

I suggest you buy some lead bullets from your local gun shop. Many gunshops will carry cast lead bullets, in boxes of 300 to 500 bullets. I have found cast lead bullets work well when pushed at velocities of around 800 feet per second up to around 1200 feet per second, depending upon the hardness of the lead and the lubricating wax that was applied to the bullet.

You can also get swaged lead bullets. These are softer than cast lead, but work well as long as they are not driven faster than about 800 feet per second.
 
Depending on where you live, why not try a gunshow everyone I have been to seems to have someone who makes or sells lead bullets. Usually if they want to make a sale they will sell small amounts for you to try. You can save money in shipping if you are near a gunshow and you support someone local ( if his stuff is any good). Lead is heavy and shipping can be high so think about that if the local has his bullets at a few $ more / hundred or thousand as FEDX OR UPS will get you for more ,with a possible HAZMAT SURCHARGE FOR THE LEAD. What I am saying is " buy local if possible". GOOD LUCK.
 
$1 a pound bullets

I have a survival stash of Competition Quality Saeco .38 and .45 lead bullets for a dollar a pound unlubed for someone to pick them up. They are stored in .30 & .50 caliber GI cans and are from my Bulletmaster machines and of Linotype alloy.

Spray or dip lubing would be fine.

Inquiries invited.

Retired Saeco Distributor
 
Oops, forgot to mention the caliber. Its .45 ACP. What is the difference between cast and swaged? I see that zero makes a swaged lead bullet in .45 acp. $50 for 1000 of them. It appears from the picture that they have a lube already applied in the ring. Will most lead bullets you buy already have lube on them? Is the purpose of this lead to prevent leading in the barrel? Somebody had mentioned I have to flare the case mouth before seating with lead...I do this anyway with jacketed bullets. Do you mean I have to flare the case mouth more than I would with jacketed? Anybody have any other comments about casting? Im still not 100% sure I will take the plunge. Thanks again.
 
Swaged bullets are cold formed from lead wire by high hydraulic pressure. Most are of softer alloy than the usual commercial cast bullet. They are ok for light to moderate target loads.

Yes, commercial lead bullets come with lube in the groove or coated overall. All you have to do is load and shoot. Lube is largely to prevent leading. I like the coated cast bullets from Precision.
www.precisionbullets.com

The usual lead bullet is about .001" larger than the usual jacketed bullet, and not as smooth and regular. So you need some more flare on the case mouth for seating without scraping lead.

I would not make bullets for a nickel apiece or to save a nickel each.
 
I have heard nothing but good things about the precision bullets. I will be buying these in 9mm when they have them back in stock. I can find lead bullets cheaper without the coating. The zero bullets are cheaper, so I'll try them out and see if I like them. Do lead bullets make the dies messy? Im trying to figure out why more people dont use lead bullets.
 
Yes, you will have to clean the lube out of your seating die every once in a while. The main complaints against lead bullets are smoke and fouling. They shoot accurately and cheaper than jacketed.
 
Thanks Jim. I suppose I will try them out and see what I think. It certainly beats paying ~$80 for 1000 .45 cal FMJ Winchester bullets. I would think that with the lube, the fouling wouldnt be all too bad.
 
I don't know anybody who uses jacketed bullets. Too expensive. Gun shows are a good place to buy cast lead. Another place is http://www.nationalbullet.com/
They'll send you some samples too. A 230 grain FP is particularly good at $44/thousand plus shipping. Try a gun show first.
 
Thanks for the link Sunray. Those look like some good prices. I notice that the zero bullets are swaged, and the national bullets are hard cast. Will I notice more leading with the swaged bullets, as compared to the hard cast? My guess is yes, and maybe for the extra $6.50 for the national bullets, it is worth it.
 
Generally speaking, swaged lead bullets lead very little as long as they are not driven over about 850 feet per second. Beyond that, cast lead tends to work better. But there are other factors. A cast lead bullet that is 0.001 to 0.002" over the groove diameter of the barrel will usually lead very little, even when driven at lower velocities.

9mm is not known as a slow caliber, so cast lead is likely to be better. I have tried cast bullets in one of my 9's, but it was horrible. Some 9mm's just don't shoot lead bullets well and this was one of them.
 
I use commercial lead bullets for 9mm and .380acp with great results. I like the Lazer-cast bullets. Much cheaper than cast bullets.

I also tried the 165 Laser-Cast bullets in my .308 rifle, with TERRIBLE results. Lots of leading, and POI was way different from cast bullets. I downloaded them to about 2,000 fps, but I hear that's still too fast. Need to keep them to 1,500 or less to avoid leading (?)

I should clarify, the POI from the lead bullets was way different from jacketed bullets at the same velocity.
 
You have got to pull the velocity of those commercial cast bullets WAY down. Their alloy, lube, and bevel base design is ok for pistol bullets but is marginal for a rifle. My .30-06 sporter shoots those Laser Cast quite well at 1000 - 1200 fps but the target model is not good enough for even plinking. I will order IT some Sierras today.

Wish Fitz was near enough I could buy his bullets at a dollar a pound.
 
I think I am going to give the zero swaged lead .45 acp 230 gr RN a try. At $49.50 shipped per thousand, its hard to beat.
 
I received the order of Zero swaged lead bullets in .45 230 gr today. They are a sticky bullet, with lube all over the bullet. Should be interesting to load. I will also experiment with other brands of lead bullets.....I think I will try meister next. Something with lube just in the groove, so its not sticky would be nice.
 
Sticky bullets

Line up your bullets on a tray not touching each other and place in the fridge or freezer to stiffen the lube before reloading. Regularly check your bullet seating depth at least every 50 rounds and clean out your seating die with a curved wire or or "Q" tip dipped in paint thinner.

Some reloader seating dies have a hollow seating die top punch so that a thin shaft can be inserted to push the solid lube buildup out.

Fitz
 
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