Switch to Lead Bullets - What do I need to know?

[Sunray]

"...5.5 grains of Unique..." Bit hot but 5.8 is max for a cast 230 RN. Been using 4.5 grains of Bullseye with 230 grain cast RN's or FP's for eons myself. Nice, gentle, scary accurate target load out of my Colt.
"...Any load that is safe with jacketed bullets is safe with lead..." Safe sure, but drive a cast bullet at jacketed velocities and you'll get leading.
"...just fire a mag of jacketed bullets..." Old wives tale. A jacketed bullet will just smooth the leading. They won't clean it out.

 

[MEHavey]

Buy some copper Chore Boys.

Yup! Better than shooting a jacketed bullet thru a partically obstructed bore.

I assume by this you approve of scrubbing the barrel out w/ the chore boy (?)

(We used you scrub our N-SSA weapons out with the green Scotch-Brite pads... but I understand tha's no longer in vogue)

 

[GLOOB]

Scotch Brite type pads may contain some hard abrasives. I'd test it on tool steel if I had any doubts.

 

[popper]

Aren't those green pads plastic? Why not use them?

 

[35 Whelen]

If you have to use anything to clean lead out of your barrel, you need to go back to the loading bench to solve the problem.
35W

 

[LiveLife]

Aren't those green pads plastic? Why not use them?

Some of the green pads (especially the ones from the dollar store) are impregnated with abrasives and have scratched my stainless steel pots/pans. Be sure to buy the ones that are clearly labeled "scratch free/won't scratch" on the label.

I have used several different materials to remove leading/fouling and by far, old copper/bronze bore brushes wrapped with copper scrubber strands have worked the best. 3-4 strokes back and forth and the barrel comes out clean and shiny.

 

[Slamfire]

I would change nothing. I got the velocities I wanted with 5.5 grains Unique LRN. Two different lots of Unique gave me upper 800's with 6.0 grains and a 230 L, I don't see a need to push them that fast, so 5.5 grains is a good load in my M1911's.

These loads also functioned well in my SIG P220

[SIZE="3"][B]Kimber Custom Classic[/B]
230 LRN Valiant 5.5 grs Unique lot UN331 1989 Mixed brass WLP (brass)
16-May-09	 high 83  °F		OAL 1.250" taper crimped 0.469"
Ave Vel =	827.4				
Std Dev =	17.63	 	 		 
ES =	85.68				
High = 	871.6				
Low =	785.9				
N =	31				
					
230 LRN Valiant 6.0 grs Unique lot UN387 6/21/93 Mixed brass WLP 	
18-Mar-07	T = 62 °F		OAL 1.250" taper crimped 0.469"
Ave Vel =	898				
Std Dev =	21.44				 
ES =	75.58				
High = 	944.3				
Low =	868.7				
N =	25				
					
	about 4" high	accurate	lots recoil	15' foot ejection
					
230 LRN Valiant 6.0 grs Unique lot 6/21/1998 Mixed brass WLP (nickle)	
16-May-09	 high 83  °F		OAL 1.250" taper crimped 0.469"
Ave Vel =	885				
Std Dev =	16.79	 	 		 
ES =	67.26				
High = 	917.8				
Low =	850.5				
N =	30				
		strong recoil   15' foot ejection

[B] SIG SAUER P220 	[/B]
230 LRN  5.5 grs Unique  Lot UN331 mixed brass WLP OAL 1.25"  taper crimp 0.469"	
23-Apr-11	T = 75 °F
Ave Vel =	790.6
Std Dev =	17.14
ES =	57.3
High =  = 	815.6
Low =	758.3
N =	10

230 LRN  6.0 grs Unique  Lot 6/21/1998 mixed brass WLP OAL 1.25" taper crimp 0.469"	
23-Apr-11	T = 75 °F
Ave Vel =	852.6
Std Dev =	19.54
ES =	65.93
High =  = 	892
Low =	826.1
N =	15			[/SIZE]

 

[popper]

BDS
I started to have leading problems with MBC 180 in 40 SW when using really light loads. I tried the chore boy trick, results weren't very successful. I'll check with MBC to see if they still have lower BHN in stock.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Respectfully beg to disagree...

35 Whelan--You said,

If you have to use anything to clean lead out of your barrel, you need to go back to the loading bench to solve the problem.
35W

My experience is different. Had one revolver, brand new, and the bore must have been sorta rough. It leaded like CRAZY--after a single league target session, I'd bring it home and have to actually pick Pb out of the lands, and the porting, using a nut-pick or similar--actual elongated hunks of lead!! Accuracy was unaffected, so I kept at it, although not without some degree of frustration at the tough cleaning job.

Now, after perhaps 1500 rounds, or mebbe 2k, the leading noticeably diminished, and shortly thereafter it went away completely--The revolver was easy to clean; just powder, carbon, and bullet lube.

My guess is that it took that many lead bullets to smooth out the rough bore so's the lead didn't catch.

Anyhow, the problem had nothing to do with the load--Used the same load throughout (and continue to use it) and as long as I had that revolver leading was never again an issue.