Top speed for lead?

[Blakenzy]

How fast can you expect to push a soft alloy(wheel weights) WITH a gas check before leading becomes an issue?

 

[Beelzy]

Soft alloy and Gas checks is somewhat self defeating.

Cast them harder and drive them faster, IMO

 

[rcmodel]

Faster then you can push it in a handgun.

Probably 1,800 or so in a carbine, maybe more.

rc

 

[Blakenzy]

Soft alloy and Gas checks is somewhat self defeating.

So you mean that at higher speeds the soft alloy will still lead badly even though it is protected from gas cutting?

 

[rcmodel]

Regardless, the gas checks serve some function in scraping any leading that occurs out every shot.

I still contend that they will go faster without leading then you can get them to go out of a handgun, as long as they are properly sized and a good bullet lube used.

rc

 

[ReloaderFred]

In my .45-120 Sharps, with a healthy dose of IMR-4895, I'm pushing a 420 grain cast, gas check, bullet of wheelweight alloy at over 2,200 fps, with no leading whatsoever. My load chronographs right at 2,210 fps, but this load hits hard on both ends of the rifle...........

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[The Bushmaster]

I thought you were getting too old for that "Here mule. Kick me in the shoulder" guns...

 

[Walkalong]

He may be getting old, but he's still tough.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Aw, it's not so bad, especially with a Sobathane recoil pad, and a shooting glove on the trigger hand that's padded on the back of the fingers to keep them from getting beat up from the trigger guard. Now, if I could just keep the tang sight from going forward from the recoil, I'd have it made........ And actually, the tang sight isn't moving, the rifle is, and the sight doesn't move as fast.

I once fired 5 rounds of .458 Winchester Magnum, loaded with 500 grain bullets, through a 7 pound bolt action English rifle that kicked harder. That one wasn't fun at all.

Fred

 

[fourdollarbill]

I use a 50/50 soft lead / wheel weight mix with a smidge of tin for a 357 mag 165 gr gas checked bullet. I shoot it full power out of a 3", 6" and an 1894c with no leading. I would assume with a full house of H110 that 1894c is pushing 1600 or better. Never had a lead problem out of any gun with that lead mix.

 

[ranger335v]

"How fast can you expect to push a soft alloy(wheel weights) WITH a gas check before leading becomes an issue?"

That will require dealing with at least a dozen varibles which none of us can predict. Cast and load as the Lyman or RCBS Cast Bullet manuals suggest and you will be fine.

 

[qajaq59]

I've found that the fit of the bullet to the barrel seems to have more effect on leading then the BHN of the alloy, within reason of course. I've had real hard bullets lead when they were too small. And fairly soft ones not lead at all when I slugged the barrel and sized them correctly. I use a 50/50 alloy in my 30-30 at 1800 fps with no leading problems. They're accurate and the mushroom nicely. But Ranger is right. There are a lot of variables, so you have to experiiment to see what will work best in your guns. But that's the fun part anyway!

 

[StrawHat]

Bullet size, bore condition, type of lube, hardness of bullet, all of these have an impact on whether a load will lead a barrel. As a general rule, the answer will depend on what you are shooting. Some guys are getting jacketed velocities with no leading. Others are getting leading when shooting target loads. I find that for my shooting I can get around 1000 f/s with a 45 Long Colt with no leading. I don't try to load hotter than that.

 

[Fatelvis]

With bullets sized .001-.002" over groove diameter, and using gas checks, they can be driven quite fast. I am currently shooting my 7mm BR with RCBS's 145 grn bullet, at 2050-2100 fps. My alloy is wheelweights with just a little 95/5 solder added, (fairly soft).

 

[Quoheleth]

this load hits hard on both ends of the rifle...........

Thank you, sir. May I have another?
Thank you, sir. May I have another?
Thank you, sir. May I have another?

 

[Walkalong]

Animal House of course. I made that a Q for bonus points in another thread and no one got it.