At the indoor range last week an employee told me that I shouldn't be shooting unjacketed lead bullets (my own reloads) because they cause a lot of extra smoke. He was nice about it and didn't make me stop shooting, he just told me for future reference at that range, so I didn't argue.

My thoughts are that he's completely wrong. My rounds were really smoky, but I think it was due to the powder I was using (Longshot, a shotgun powder but works well in 44mag, what I shoot). I am a mechanical engineering student, and I can't think of a logical reason for what the employee said. However, I don't claim to know very much about this as I'm somewhat new to guns. So what do you guys think?

Actually, the smoke is probably caused by the bullet lube more than anything else. Are you really using Longshot for .38 Special loads? IMO that's a slow powder for that application unless you're making +P loads with a heavy bullet.

The reason most ranges don't want you shooting lead bullets is the smoke they produce. It can overwhelm their air circulation system. Some ranges are also worried about the possibility of airborne lead.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Ok that makes a little more sense. Luckily the place I was at had really good circulation. The smoke went away really fast. And no, I don't shoot .38 special. I used Longshot for .44 magnum reloads. It actually works really well. The starting loads recoiled just slightly less than factory ammo, and I was trying to stay as close to factory as possible. It did leave my gun really dirty, but no more than H110, the only other powder I have tried so far.

The lubricant or powder, but not the lead itself. I don't think aerosolized lead can be seen.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

He was completely right. Bullet lube is the most likely culprit.

For what its worth I've definitely noticed a lot more smoke shooting lead bullet reloads side by side with plated bullets, all other variables (powder etc) being the same. It is kinda distracting at an indoor range. I didn't know it was the lube...so I learned something!

For the longest time I thought the smoke at the indoor range was from the old dirty smokey Unique powder I reloaded cast bullets with. One day I stopped using 50 / 50 alox beeswax lube and started using a lube that was new on the market , TEN - X Lube, reccomended by shooting supply owner . No smoke...it wasn't the powder at all. Seems like beeswax and alox were the problem. If you cast your own bullets just try some of the newer lubes untill you find one that smokes less. I don't shoot indoors anymore so I don't worry about it.
I don't think Ten-X is still in business.

gary.

When I use 158 grain SWC Oregon Laser Cast bullets in my .38 specials I get lots of smoke. These bullets have a deep lube groove that is packed with a green waxy lube. It doesn't matter whether I use Unique (which is pretty dirty) or Power Pistol (which is a pretty clean-shooting ball powder). I just get lots of smoke with a sooty residue all over the cylinder, barrel and frame.

I have tried the latest speer cast bullets which have a dry lube that coats the entire swaged bullet. I get very little smoke with those Speer bullets. I used to have a bit of a leading issue (I don't know why because these are low velocity target loads) with the cast Speers but they have changed their lube recently and the leading has been greatly reduced.

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Andy

I can't recall the caster's brand name but when using his bullets, I swear I could TASTE the lube.

There are several companies that produce cast bullets that dont smoke. Most have a polymer or moly coating. www.bayoubullets.net https://blackbulletsinternational.com/. I shoot with the guy that runs black bullets and can tell you he makes a quality product.

Any swaged lead and soft lube seems to give lots of smoke. I've shot some in low velocity cartridges that were so smokey , it seemed like I was using black powder.

The hard cast , hard lube bullets do not.

My experience has been different from yours. The Oregon hard cast bullets in my post above have been very smokey for me. I don't know why ...but they are.

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Andy

Yep. I like the Oregon Trail Laser Cast bullets mostly because
they offer slightly over sized 44 SWCs that better fit the over
sized chamber throats of my mid to late 1980s revolvers.
They sure do smoke though.

Starline nickel 44 Mag cases
CCI 300 LP
10 grains of Unique
200 grain Hornady XTP: no noticeable smoke
240 grain O.T. Lasercast "silver" SWC: smokes like a chimney

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Nemo

My 38 target load of 3.0 gr. 231 behind a Hornady 148 gr. HBWC (which has a graphite like lube) is not smoky. But it is accurate.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I believe Lyman still makes a black lube, if so it might be the old graphite based lube they made for years . Yes it is and it's called Ideal, original formula ... this does not smoke as much as alox and beeswax lube. You might try a lithium based lube and see how that works . I have some old sticks of lithium based lube and don't remember it being too smokey.

The graphite might just be the thing...try it

Gary

I think powder is the primary cause of smoke. Lube is secondary. As for lead, if that's what we're seeing drifting around the range when shooting, we'd all be dead, or just crazy... er, crazier. It could be that different combinations of powder/lube are a factor as well but... I was at the range the past Saturday with my 657. Took along 3 different loadings using the same commercial cast bullet but with different powders, 4227, 2400, and Unique. All three were near max loads. The bullets had a blue colored lube. The Unique smoked the place up terribly, and this was an outdoor range!
I think the employee was well intentioned but misinformed as to the cause of the smoke. I've no doubt that certain lubes can cause more smoke than others but the best way to reduce smoke is to go with a cleaner burning powder. Oldsguy, next time you go back to that range , take some ammo loaded up with some good old FFFg and see what they say!
John

Funny, my local range said no unjacketed due to their recycling.

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Bob

That's downright strange. At my private pistol club, we recycle all of the lead we can get when we clean out the pit behind the target butts. In fact, the only type bullet that the club prefers us NOT to use are the frangible and hollow point jacketed types, as in Hornaday's HP & FP XTP. We have a backstop curtain made from lengths of old gravel pit conveyor belting and the HPs tear it up pretty good, shortening it's useful life.
John

I too find that the powder and the lube contribute MOST of the smoke, NOT the bullet (assuming it is a quality made hard cast bullet).

Chief38