I've been using Red Dot to load 158 grain SWC from Missouri Bullets. These are lead bullets. I'm just about out of the Red Dot and although it's been fine, it doesn't meter well so I'm not going to buy any more. I have a pound of HP38 that I have heard meters well. The Hodgson website shows a recipe for that powder with Cast LSWC 158 grain bullets. That is the same as SWC lead bullets, right?

The "L" in LSWC stands for lead, so you are basically correct. LWSC also describes swaged LSWC bullets which are a bit softer, so the data may be just a bit different for cast SWC.

Not an issue with less than max loads, but the swaged bullets will lead more with max loads.

A good cast bullet of proper size right alloy and lube will not lead or very little leading. A swage bullet like the ones Hornady sells should not be pushed over 900fps. Michigan Scott is correct in SWC - LSWC. Some commercial casters make good bullets if you go this route. Haven't used HP38 but friends have and is similar to Winchester 231.

Thanks. I like the Missouri bullet SWC in 158 grain. Doesn't lead the barrel much at all and it's what I'm used to so I'm sticking with it. Just wanted to make sure the cast LSWC used in the Hodgson recipe was the same as the SWC I have.

If it's a swaged bullet it's guaranteed to be very soft because of the process requirements of pressing cold lead into a die. A hard cast SWC can range from dead soft to really hard and all between.

Speer, Hornady and a few other brands make plain lead. swaged bullets (about 5 Brinell while those from casting outfits generally start around 10-12 Brinell and go up from there.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

They are the same powder nowadays.

I bought a pound when I couldn't find Unique. In several cartridges it, and CFE-P, are pretty close to Unique in grs. vs fps for a given weight bullet.

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Waiting for the break of day

There are jacketed & plated swc. Just sayin.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

+1 on post #5 ..........

on plated and jacket bullets it is all about the makeup of the jacket material.
It can be very soft or go all the way to extra heavy coatings for dangerous game for maximum penetration and NO expansion !!

Cast are usually better for the weapons that can get a lead bullet above 1,000 fps with less leading for the pistol loaders or those that use them in rifles.

Another oft used but nearly meaningless term used with lead bullets is "hard " cast. I believe this term started a few years ago when discussing cast lead vs. soft swaged bullets. Hard is relative to one's own opinion and was used just to differentiate between cast and swaged bullets. Plus today many think "harder is better" and that there is a definite threshold for fps when shooting lead bullets (usually "reported" to be anywhere from 900 fps to 1,200 fps max.). These go in the "Ye Olde Wive's Tales" category.

If you want to learn about casting/shooting lead bullets I'd suggest you get a Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, there are others but this text/manual is the most popular. Go over to Castboolits.com and read some of the many stickies and follow some threads on nearly every aspect of casting/lubing/shooting lead bullets...Cast Boolits

kbm6893,

Your Missouri bullets are cast bullets, so no worries.

Don

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NRA Cert. Reloading Instructor

SWC does NOT NECESSARILY have to be a LEAD SWC bullet. They do make them in Copper Jacketed as well. The Lead ones are usually referred to as LSWC while SWC might NOT be Lead - but can be jacketed or plated bullets.