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Old 08-21-2011, 06:00 AM
nsl nsl is offline
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Default Do you shoot lead ammo?

Just wondering if you shoot lead. I am trying to stick to jacketed ammo, but some lead is cheaper. Lead just seems to be a pain to clean up after. I have copper fouling remover, but never heard of lead remover other than scrubbing with chunks of brass kitchen pad.
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Old 08-21-2011, 06:17 AM
RGPM1A RGPM1A is offline
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I used to shoot hard cast lead bullets in my revolvers but recently switched to copper plated bullets - my guns stay a lot cleaner now. Never had any leading problems but the guns would get fouled with bullet lube and shooting indoors they would be very smokey. Before the switch I used Shooter Choice lead remover. Stuff worked great.
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Old 08-21-2011, 06:23 AM
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Go to Brownell's and buy their Double Tuff bore brushes. Couldn't be easier. The bristles are twice as big in diameter and many times more stiff.
Keith
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Old 08-21-2011, 07:04 AM
snubbiefan snubbiefan is offline
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I shoot wheel-weight cast bullets.....because they are free. I have a neighbor that tosses a few hundred every week and I simply go over and horn-in on the action and walk away with a gob of free slugs. Now....if he had free jacketed bullets, that's what I would be shooting.
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Old 08-21-2011, 07:06 AM
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I have only shot lead in my revolvers for the past 40 years. I don't load that hot and leading is not a problem.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:20 AM
Pisgah Pisgah is offline
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Properly sized, lubed, and loaded, lead bullets are no harder to clean up after than jacketed. A few strokes with a dry bore brush will do the job.

And by the way, at handgun velocities copper solvent is pretty much a waste. You just don't get much of anything in the way of copper fouling.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:28 AM
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99% of my pistol shooting is done with hard-cast lead bullets. As was stated above , a properly alloyed , sized and lubed cast bullet will not lead up a bore , even when driven to high velocities.

Now most factory loads use rather soft swaged lead bullets. They do lead up a bore rather quickly.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:29 AM
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I cast my own bullets and load on the low side so I have not had too many problems with leading. I use a Lewis lead remover when cleaning and it works great. It's available through Brownells, if your shooting a stainless steel gun you can also use Kleen-Bore lead away wipes or the Tipton wipe these work really well and will save a lot of scrubbing time. Stay away from the Hoppe's no. 9 lead wipe it's worthless.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:37 AM
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I shoot 100% lead. never had a problem cleaning. I have it down to a science It takes about 30-40 minutes to clean two guns. I'm kinda weird,I enjoy cleaning my guns.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:43 AM
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The new Lead wipes,( I buy remington brand at walmart $3.00), for Stainless steel guns work great. Cut your patches , wrap on a brush, and wipe away. Still work when very nasty. great on powder burn also. CAUTION do not wipe on BLUE or Nickel, it will cause damage. It will also pretty up brass but I am not sure if it is causing any damage.
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Old 08-21-2011, 09:01 AM
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Lewis lead remover.
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Old 08-21-2011, 09:17 AM
Jerry944T Jerry944T is offline
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I always shoot lead bullets. Copper fouling is a lot more difficult to remove than lead and copper jackets are 10 times more abrasive than lead.

For cleaning I use copper Chore Boy pads wrapped around a old bore brush. It's much faster and way more efficient than the Lewis Lead remover. Also only costs $3 for a lifetime of cleaning.

Goggle "Penn Bullets" they have a wealth of information on lead bullet cleaning and fouling prevention. Make a good product as well. Worth the read if you are considering shooting lead.
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Old 08-21-2011, 09:25 AM
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I shoot almost exclusively lead bullets in my 66s, 686s and 629s for punching paper.

In .38 Special cases, I prefer hollow-base wadcutters and the only brand I can find right now is Hornady. The bullseye boys still regard Remington HBWCs as the most accurate but they are on back-order until November everywhere. The Hornady dry lube is messy on the hands if you handle a lot of them (I loaded 250 yesterday) but leading is minimal and they are accurate enough. In .357 cases, I load Precision Cast 158-grain LSWCs and they are much cleaner to handle as are the .240-grain LSWCs of the same brand that I use in my .44s.

I load the wadcutters to 700fps, the 158 LSWCs to about 800fps and the .44s to 900. I have one 686 that will accumulate a little lead just forward of the forcing cone but it cleans right out.

I used to load jacketed bullets but for the few rounds shot while hunting, it's just easier to use factory fodder. I use Hornady ammo in both the .357s and the .44s because their XTP bullets are considered the class of the handgun hunting bullet field right now.

Being a recent returnee to handgun shooting, I initially used the powders that were popular 35 years ago, Bullseye and Unique. I quickly found that by today's powder cleanliness standards, both are filthy-burning and Unique gave me erratic chronograph readings in the .44 and .45ACP. In a quest to find one powder that will work in .38, .357, .44 and .45ACP target loads, I settled on Hodgdon's Universal and so far, so good.

Ed
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Old 08-21-2011, 09:36 AM
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Accurate Powder's Solo 1000 is also a good choice......at least it works for me.......
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Old 08-21-2011, 10:02 AM
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I certainly do. With my .357s I used hard cast for practice loads and jacketed for full power.

For my .500s, I used lead almost exclusively. Softer hard cast for lower velocity and true hard cast for heavy loads. No leading issues and it certainly keeps the costs under control. Don
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Old 08-21-2011, 10:06 AM
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hard cast lead wadcutters..................i like em.
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Old 08-21-2011, 10:09 AM
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It's more than just shooting lead. The hardness of the lead, proper diameter, the right velocity all control the amount of leading. I shoot lead almost exclusively in all of my handguns now, and what little leading I do get is cleaned up pretty easily. You don't need super hard bullets and you don't want them too soft. If shooting say a decent .357 load, water quenched wheel weight bullets at around 1,300 don't give me any problems.
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Old 08-21-2011, 10:25 AM
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I clean the lead out of my 625 competition revolver once a year, whether it needs it or not. I can do this because the proper adjustment of bullet hardness with chamber pressure produces almost no leading whatsoever. I'm shooting 200 grain RNFP at 850 fps to make major power factor. BHN is about 10-12. Total rounds is about 6000/year.

Every year I tear the revolver down to basic parts for a thorough cleaning. In between, it gets an exterior wipedown and a few patches with CorrosionX down the bore and chambers every couple of weeks. You can wear one of these things out quicker cleaning it than shooting it.

Buck
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Old 08-21-2011, 10:34 AM
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You're not going to hurt anything shooting lead through most handguns, provided you are not shooting very hot magnum loads. Because the lead alloys are still softer than copper, you will in many ways, preserve barrel life with the softer bullets. High speed rounds need the copper. Most handgun loads do not.
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Old 08-21-2011, 10:48 AM
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I shoot lead bullets 95% of the time in all my revovlers and yes sometimes you do get some lead bild up, never seems to get too bad unless using some really soft bullets....but it's not that hard to clean out. Try to stay with 10-12 hardness and you shouldn't have a problem.
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Old 08-21-2011, 01:55 PM
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99% home cast hard lead. Rarely is lead clean-up a problem. Lewis Lead remover (or clone) if there is a problem.
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Old 08-21-2011, 07:04 PM
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Yes, but then I shoot anything. I like cleaning my guns, too. I do not find clean up any more difficult using lead. I do not shoot hundreds of rounds, rapidly in a session.
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Old 08-22-2011, 12:35 AM
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I have been shooting lead bullets exclusively in all my handguns for over 6 years now and I have yet to get any leading that required anything more than the normal cleaning I always do after shooting. (actually, not only handguns, even in my 30-30 Marlin Carbine)
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45acp, brownells, bullseye, carbine, chamber pressure, chronograph, fouling, hornady, model 625, remington, solvent, universal

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