It seems to me that the prices of cast bullets have escalated much greater than jacketed. Other than the economy of casting your own bullets, what is your experience with comparative accuracy and advantages/disadvantages of each in revolvers.

I realize that we have extended barrel life with lead, but then I sometimes have longer cleaning time when I have leading.

Just wondering about other members experience and preferences. It seems like I see more cast bullet loads posted, but maybe this is because casters post more and can afford to experiment more.

Thanks,

Lafayne

It has to be remembered that jacketed bullets are a fairly recent development in handguns. Had S&W and the shooting public insisted on something harder than the swaged bullets utilized in .357 and .44 Mag, we might still only have lead bullets as an option.

Since all jacketed bullets don't necessarily shoot good in a particular handgun, it isn't unreasonable to experience the same when using lead bullets. However, it is easier to properly fit lead bullets you make yourself than it is to fit jacketed bullets.

Economy, bullet fit and the shape/design are the major factors that convinced me to cast.

I have done my share of bullet casting but now it's tough finding the time to do it. It's vitally important to NOT have to depend on factory ammo. With the exception of my .223 I no longer buy guns that won't shoot cast bullets. There are aftermarket barrels available for Glocks, but I'd never want a revolver that has polygonal rifling.

Dave Sinko

+1 to what has been said before.

It is a poor cast bullet round that leaves lead in the barrel. Once fit and properly powered there is nothing better for a revolver. For semi-autos, getting the proper fit and pressure is complicated by the need for proper bullet design for feeding and fit in the magazine. As David noted, other factors such as rifling can make it difficult too BUT aftermarket barrels are available for most semi-autos that have the wrong kind.


Achieving near jacketed cleanliness is the goal when I cast. I have been successful in many straight walled pistol cartridges even when shot in handgun caliber rifles to 1800fps. Never needing to buy bullets again is a big advantage. Especially as politicians start leaning to the left.

I find myself gravitating more towards lead bullets. Now that I'm getting more of a grasp on the sizing issues that pertain to my revolver I get minimal leadding and can drive bullets just as fast, if not faster than jacketed ammo.

For most of Commifornia, the lead vs jacketed argument is a moot point for hunting. South of San Jose, most of the state is copper bullet only due to the California Condor...er...um buzzards the eco-nazis are "trying to protect".

Truth be told, the copper Chore Boy wrapped around a bore brush is an outstanding and effective lead removal tool.

I've got 2 pistols that always show trace leading, not much but it's there. A few passes with a Chore Boy wrapped brush and it's clean as a whistle.

With magnum handgun loads, I use Linotype metal exclusively in cast bullet loads without a gas check. Those loads are normally in the 1300-1500 fps range. I also use it in rifles where it easily reaches 2,000-2,200 fps without leading but that is using a gas check.

Lead bullets shoot a lot dirtier than jacketed. Minor deposits in the barrel are the smallest part of cleanup. On the other hand, I save $2000+ a year shooting lead, so I'm willing to invest a little elbow grease. Additionally I consider handgun bullet expansion to be somewhere between Santa Claus and the tooth fairy on the believable scale, but completely trust cast bullets to make a hole of reliable size and predictable depth.

quote:

between Santa Claus and the tooth fairy on the believable scale

pinky,
Are you trying to tell me there is no Santa and the tooth fairy isn't real? I'm going to need psychiatric help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


As a total thread shift, just the other day I was talking about this with someone we go to church with. He was telling me all about how cute some Santa thing was and how their little grandson was going to sit on his lap and all this year. I just looked at him and told him; "We never lied to our kids about that kind of stuff, and never made a big fuss about it either. Now when I tell them something they believe me!"

Trust is something easily lost and almost never regained.

I guess I was a little hard on Santa and Bigtooth. I think I was right about bullet expansion, though.

I too have always felt that a properly sized and lubed hard-cast bullet of the proper alloy (not just 'hard') and of good design (true 'Keith' style SWC) just can't be beat.

Ya gotta have a good gun too , with cylinder throats about .0005 greater than the groove diameter of the barrel.

Bullets you cast yourself are incredibly cheap. It's easy and fun to do.

Friend bill bought a case of 5,000 jacketed and wore the lands right out of his colt 1911. Some guns have documented 300,000 rounds of cast through them with no noticeable bore wear.

Cast lead, due to less resistance in the bore, will give you up to 100fps more velocity with the same powder charge.

As a commercial bullet caster, I bought some arsenical lead (lead + arsenic) to make heat-treated bullets. I asked the guy if I needed any special precautions. "Yeah" he said "Don't eat it".

All this talk of "Lead Poisoning" comes from uneducated fear. And little kids eating lots of old peeling lead paint from unmaintained slum property. And emotionally retarded "Activists" who need a cause more than the cause needs them.

(Note sometimes lead bullets are left in people because it is too dangerous a surgery to remove them, and these people do not get poisoned.)

KeithCarter, the "Barrel-Of-Bullets" guy.
NRA Life

I shot again Sunday - .45 ACP,.45AR,.41 mag and .44 mag. I fired both cast and jacketed. It was really and eye opener when I cleaned the guns.

There was virtually no leading with any loads, but before shooting I had REALLY cleaned all barrels. I mean with solvent, Blue Wonder, ammonia, Kroil, brushes and bronze wool. I could find no trace of metal fouling in the barrels before shooting. I believe that a couple of the revolvers probably had a trace of copper still in the barrels from previous owners although I thought I had them clean.

I prefer to always shoot cast and I remember the days when we shot half jacket swaged bullets which were highly touted, but would run pressures out the roof. Now I know I can buy good cast bullets and shoot them with virtually no leading if they are large enough for the bore and the barrel is CLEAN.