Help..Lead swc ?

bearhitman · #1 06-23-2010, 11:15 AM

I have a box of Hornady lead swc bullets for my 44 magnum,do i needto lube these or do they have a dry lube already on them?
This is my first time loading lead bullets like this....also do i still crimp?Thanks for any help..at 950fps..do i have to worry about leading my barrel?

max · #2 06-23-2010, 11:31 AM

All of the Hornadys I have seen are swaged and don't need to be lubed.

OKFC05 · #3 06-23-2010, 11:36 AM

Frontier®/Lead™
Hornady lead bullets are pre-lubricated and cold-swaged for total uniformity and balance. Our exclusive knurling system retains lubricant over the entire bearing surface to reduce leading in your barrel

http://www.hornady.com/bullets

Jellybean · #4 06-23-2010, 01:36 PM

Yes, you still need to crimp.

Dale53 · #5 06-23-2010, 01:50 PM

Keep the velocity low to avoid leading. Hornady will suggest an upper limit. The swaged bullets will NOT take the velocity of proper cast bullets but at about "standard" revolver velocities will typically shoot quite well (not magnum velocities).

Dale53

LAH · #6 06-23-2010, 02:17 PM

Those bullets should shoot great. They are wonderful with lite to medium loads. Check the Hornady Manual for loading suggestions.

TSQUARED · #7 06-23-2010, 04:02 PM

The Hornady lead bullets I have used all have had a dry moly type lube applied to them.

ArchAngelCD · #8 06-24-2010, 03:01 AM

You should be fine at 950 fps but you might want to drop it to 900 fps because those bullets are soft.

Pisgah · #9 06-24-2010, 07:57 AM

I use the Hornady bullets in .357 and .44 mag. loads at velocities up to 1200 fps with no leading -- but only after additional lubing with liquid ALOX. As they come, they are fine for loads in the 900 fps range without added lube.

bearhitman · #10 06-24-2010, 08:46 AM

Thanks everyone for all the help,I loaded and shot about 50 at the max load from Hornady manual @950-1000fps range and scrubbed the barrel with a copper brush and cleaned it all up,do i have to worry about leading just from those few rounds?
I'am gonna drop down to around the 900fps.mid-range and shoot the soft lead on the rest of my reloads just to be safe,iam just not familer with leading& worry about it alittle ...we leaded up a old colt SAA 38.special barrel when i was a kid and all i remember the barrel was caked in lead...i have tried to use jacketed bullets ever since...i think the old colt was just never cleaned /scrubbed with a bore brush and the boxs & boxs& boxs of soft lead ammo we ran thru it may have been the problem of the build up so bad?

OKFC05 · #11 06-24-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

...i think the old colt was just never cleaned /scrubbed with a bore brush and the boxs & boxs& boxs of soft lead ammo we ran thru it may have been the problem of the build up so bad?

If you use good lead loads and clean out the barrel when switching between lead and jacketed, there should be no problems.

Lead sticks like crazy to copper and vice versa. Ever solder a copper plumbing pipe?

Jellybean · #12 06-24-2010, 10:17 AM

Since you have the Hornady manual, you can use any load they list. If you do get leading it's a problem with your gun and not their bullets.

ArchAngelCD · #13 06-24-2010, 06:11 PM

Don't worry too much about leading. If you get a lot of leading it can compromise accuracy but if it's only a little leading it will clean up normally when you clean your gun after the range trip. Only sever leading is difficult to remove. Light leading is no big deal and neither will damage your gun.