Smokey!

[SlayerOfBunnies]

I'm hand-loading .38spcl with 3.5 grains of bullseye behind a 158 grn lswc. Not cleaning the brass or anything. Shooting them out of a 4" S&W or a 6.5" Blackhawk.

These dudes are relatively smokey. Is it the dirty brass, you think or the powder or something else causing the cloud o' smoke?

 

[dave from mesa]

Lube from the bullets?

 

[SlayerOfBunnies]

Perhaps - they are cast lead with that blue waxy stuff on them.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Lead bullets smoke a lot, whether they have alox or some wax lube formula, they smoke a lot.

If you buy coated or plated bullets their is no smoke. My lead bullets with alox leave a smoke cloud the size of a small car whether the brass is clean or what powder I use.

 

[earlthegoat2]

The 38s I loaded a few years back with LSWC bullets smoked a bit too. I think was using Universal or W231.

 

[mdi]

Lube and powder cause smoke, with lube more so. Since you need both to load ammo, kinda hard to do without either, but all lubes I've ever used smoke to some degree, some more than others. I don't see normal smoky ammo as a problem so I haven't compared "smokiness" of different lubes, but I believe those with a higher portion of petroleum products smoke more...

 

[Kosh75287]

If your 3.5/Bullseye/158 load isn't max, you might try bumping the load up by 0.1 or 0.2 grains. It might create enough more flame and pressure to more completely consume what's turning into smoke. I've also noticed that going from a light crimp to a heavier one tends to reduce smokiness, presumably by letting the powder deflagrate in the case for a few microseconds longer before the projectile departs. There may be powders on which heavier crimps won't alter how smokey they perform, I know at least it does with Unique and Herco, and AA #5. I would expect similar, though perhaps less pronounced results with Bullseye. I would be interested in hearing of your results if you try what I suggest.

 

[Steve C]

I would estimate that the bullet lube on lead bullets contribute 80% or more to the smoke you get from using them.

Powders do have some smokiness, how much seems to depend mostly upon the load pressure. After all its called smokeless powder a description applied when they replaced black powder as a propellant, not smokefree.

 

[ironworkerwill]

I suspect the lead particles may contribute to the smoke as well. It would be interesting to see if lube on a plated bullet smokes( not that anyone would).

 

[ljnowell]

Bullet lube. I love those smoke clouds. It's all part of the experience.

 

[gonoles_1980]

I use both Speer LWSCHP and xtreme LSWC. The Speer has a clear lube, they have very little smoke. The xtreme have a blue lube ring, they smoke like the old cowboy guns.

 

[Gadawg88]

As others have said, it's the lube, not the powder. If you shoot lead your gonna get smoke.

 

[SlayerOfBunnies]

Lol - fair enough. Thanks for all the replies. It doesn't bug me but it had made me curious.

 

[rfwobbly]

There is a relatively new coating for lead bullets by Hi-Tek which ends barrel leading and the need for bullet lube. Eliminating the bullet lube will eliminate most of the smoke you're encountering.

These new "coated" lead bullets are available from...
• Bayou Bullets LA
• Black Bullets International TN
• Black and Blue Bullets CA
• Missouri Bullet Co. MO
• SNS Casting
• Unique Precision

 

[Jim Watson]

As said, bullet lube is the main source of smoke from cast bullets.
There may be a little "nitroglycerine haze" in there from the Bullseye, which you could see with jacketed bullets, but it is a minor component with cast. Titegroup is considered to be a smoky powder apart from bullet choice.

And to add to rfwobbly's list Falcon Bullets and Blue Bullets have bright colored coatings they say are their own formulation not imported from Hi Tek in Australia.
Plus the DIYs and their powder coated lead bullets.

 

[35 Whelen]

I don't understand the issue with smoke from lead bullets. I shoot them almost daily and NEVER notice smoke. In fact I just walked in the house from shooting one of my 45 Colts and I couldn't tell you if there was smoke or not. I use all kinds of lube from hard that must be heated to that flows easily at room temperature (I have three lubrisizers set up at all times).

35W

 

[Jim Watson]

I did not understand the issue with smoke from cast bullets, either, until I improved my IDPA shooting to the point that rapid fire with the sun high in the sky made the targets hard to see through a smoke screen.
I am using my remaining supply of cast pistol bullets on a range where the match schedule and range layout minimize that effect. Other places get coated or plated bullets and I think resupply will be almost all coated.