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Old 12-25-2015, 03:11 AM
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jaymoore jaymoore is offline
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I shot my IHMSA .44 mag Model 29 all year using Speer swaged bullets and did not have to remove lead from the bore once. A bit over 1000 rounds between competition and practice. And probably won't clean it next year, either. It takes a while to get the revolver to "settle down" and shoot as well after a good cleaning. (Fortunately, this year I cleaned in early January but first match wasn't until Feb. It didn't need it, but did it anyway and regretted having cleaned the first range trip following!)

Anyway, it's not so much velocity as pressure that is the limiting factor for lead bullets. So typically a smaller caliber round can't be driven as fast as larger given the same hardness bullet. (Less area on the base of a small bullet means less net force for the same pressure)

Powder burn rate has a big affect as well, but, oddly, faster powders often produce better accuracy even though they are more prone to "gas cut" the lower portion of the bullet's sides.

As noted above, bullet fit is also a big factor.

And lube. Hard bullets with hard lube often lead when driven too slowly! (I.e., pressure too low.) I have had terrible leading when using hardcast projectiles combined with "normal" WW231 charges that work great with swaged tumble-lubed bullets. But the same hardcast bullets are fine over a max load of H110!

Last edited by jaymoore; 12-25-2015 at 03:15 AM.
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