codefour, this is "my take" so far (as I am continually learning this "reloading" hobby) to load lead bullets that minimize leading (since you didn't mention pistol/caliber, I'll use 45ACP as an example):
1. First,
slug your barrel to determine the groove diameter of the barrel (not the bore diameter that's measured land-to-land).
2. If your 45ACP barrel diameter is .451", you want to order lead bullet diameter that is .001" over (.452") to provide proper bullet-to-barrel fit. If your barrel is .452", you may want to order .453" diameter bullets. If your barrel is larger than .452"-.453", you can also order softer 12 BHN bullets that will deform/expand easier to seal to the larger barrel diameter.
3. Most commercial lead bullets will come with lube unless you order without it.
4. What bullet hardness? I used to shoot 21-24 BHN bullets and found that I needed to push them hard (high to near max load data) to minimize leading. With 18 BHN bullets, I can use mid to high range load data and with 12 BHN bullets, I can use start to high range load data and minimize leading.
5. What OAL? Longer OAL will allow the bearing surface of the bullet to engage the rifling sooner and produce more consistent chamber pressures. More consistent chamber pressures will result in more consistent shot groups/accuracy.
6. You want to first
determine the Max OAL of your pistol using your barrel out of the pistol and dropping a dummy round (no powder/primer) into the chamber until the bullet nose don't scrape the rifling (I usually start at SAAMI max).
7. Then you want to determine the Ideal OAL that will feed/chamber reliably from the magazine when the slide is manually released. If the Max OAL don't feed/chamber reliably, incrementally decrease the OAL (say by .005") until it does. The Ideal OAL is the longest OAL that will function well in YOUR pistol to allow the bearing surface of the bullet to engage the rifling sooner.
8. Powder selection. There are many good powders to use for 45 ACP. My favorite is W231/HP-38 (same powder). For 200 gr SWC bullet, I use 5.0 gr, which is mid range as current published load data by Hodgdon is 4.4 gr - 5.6 gr. This powder charge produces mild recoil target loads that are accurate with minimal to no leading, depending on the pistol/barrel used. Depending on the pistol barrel length, recoil spring rate, etc.; you may need to use 5.2 gr - 5.5 gr to reliably cycle the slide.
9. Removing leading. When you are doing load development with lead bullets, you will experience some leading in your barrel. Since switching to 18/12 BHN Missouri Bullet, I either get no leading or very minimal fouling/lead smearing at the chamber end of the barrel. I use old copper bore brush wrapped with copper scrubber strands like Chore boy to remove any leading that I get. Usually, 3-4 strokes back and forth will result in clean and shiny barrel (and God bless whoever came up with this idea!!!).
10. Taper crimp. I am currently working on this. Traditionally, most reloaders used .469"-.470" taper crimp for .452" diameter lead bullets. Since I use Lee dies with combination seating and taper crimp die, this amount of taper crimp sometimes results in shaving the bullet sides. Also, I am finding that not all case wall thickness is precisely at .010" and often vary up to .012"-.013". Due to these reasons, I have started using .472" taper crimp (or .020" added to the diameter of other caliber lead bullets - my 9mm/40S&W loads with .376" and .421" taper crimped rounds still fall freely into the tight chambers of Lone Wolf barrels).
Any less, I am finding that I am post-sizing my lead bullets, especially with thicker walled cases.
11. Lee Factory Crimp Die for pistol. Although I am a fan of Lee products, I do not endorse the FCD for lead bullets due to the reason discussed in #10. If FCD reduces the diameter of the bullet, it will lessen the bullet-to-barrel fit and result in gas-cutting and leading. I want my case neck to expand to the chamber and bullet's bearing surface to engage the rifling as soon as possible to generate consistent chamber pressures with the least amount of high pressure gas leak. I see FCD counter productive in this regard (for push-through resizing of bulged cases in 40/45, they are great!).
I hope this helped.
