40 cal lead or copper jacket?

alphabrace · Feb 6, 2010

Hello,
I am in the need for some 40 cal bullets. I have bought 9 and 38 in hard cast lead and have only loaded a few 38 so far. The cast bullets I bought seem to be of good quality, they are consistent in weight and no noticeable deformations. They have a blue waxy stripe around the perimiter near the base of the bullet. Anyway other that being cheaper than the copper jackets, what are the +/- of using lead vs copper?
Thanks for helping out this rookie!

Calaveras Slim · Feb 6, 2010

I wonder why so many of us cast our own lead bullets????

Could it be cuz it is so much cheaper and fun to shoot cast? HHHUUMMMMM!!!!!
That shud answer your questions. Yep it's cheaper to shoot cast, they do just as well as jacketed and I have even hunted and scored with cast.

However, one must remember to keep the loads slow enuf to avoid leading and with hard cast, (from major casters) that is not as important. Most of us who cast use wheel weights and that is softer than some of the big boys, so leading is of more concern.

Buy a load manual that lists cast bullets, follow the load suggestions and have some fun.

handgunner356 · Feb 6, 2010

There are only a few reasons not to use lead bullets. Guns with porting or comps will get lead buildup in them, polygoncal(sp) rifling such as in Glocks will shave lead in the barrel and are a pain to clean, guns with gas assist systems like P7s' and Desert Eagles can get plugged up shooting lead, trying to push magnum velocities will usually end up leading the barrel. Other than that they are cheaper and easier on the gun than jacketed bullets.

fredj338 · Feb 7, 2010

handgunner356 said:
There are only a few reasons not to use lead bullets. Guns with porting or comps will get lead buildup in them, polygoncal(sp) rifling such as in Glocks will shave lead in the barrel and are a pain to clean, guns with gas assist systems like P7s' and Desert Eagles can get plugged up shooting lead, trying to push magnum velocities will usually end up leading the barrel. Other than that they are cheaper and easier on the gun than jacketed bullets.

All true. I would bet 95% of mys handgun shooting is doen w/ lead bullets. Even my heavy hunting loads in 44mag are lead HP. There is little reason to shoot plated or jacketed except as noted above.

Missionary · Feb 7, 2010

Good morning
I have been around casting since I was 4. My dad & his Navy buddy were to poor to BUY ammo.
I was just up in the U.S. for 8 months and NEVER once fired a jacket bullet out of any revolver or semi-auto pistol.
You can buy a good quality Lee mold for $15 ( I prefer the 200 grain in cal .40). A bucket of wheel weights, an old coleman stove (yard sale $5) and an old cast iron pot and an old spoon and you CAN make your own. Yea it takes a little time BUT you safe all your initail cost with the first 100 rounds. You can lube using your fingers or just get the Lee Lube kit for another $12. COMES with enough lube to shoot all year. There it is !

alphabrace · Feb 7, 2010

Thanks for all the replys, I'm going to stick with the hard cast lead for my 40 cal also. Suggested bullet weight for the 40? (one vote for 200 grain already). I just target shoot by the way.

45cal · Feb 7, 2010

alphabrace said:
Thanks for all the replys, I'm going to stick with the hard cast lead for my 40 cal also. Suggested bullet weight for the 40? (one vote for 200 grain already). I just target shoot by the way.

I have re started about a year age with casting,did it back in the sixties ,had to buy all new molds and stuff but have found it real enjoyable.
The fact is I shoot every week and the cast stuff does as well as any of the jackets I used to buy from Rose dist.
Zero bullets are great but when they went out of stock I had to do something else.
I'm hooked ,probably want be buying for my hand gun shooting .

Rule3 · Feb 7, 2010

I shoot both jacketed and lead bullets. Mostly lead and save the jacketed for my HK which has poly rifling.

As for bullet weight I use either 165 or 180. I load them light as i am only punching holes in paper. I carry 165 Gold Dots for self defense use.

Beans · Feb 7, 2010

I am shooting a G35 in .40 S&W in our local IDPA matches.
180 grains Cast lead bullet ( cast from wheel weights), 2.9 grains of Clays, mixed range brass, WSP primers. This gives me a power factor of 135 (averages 750 FPS). Muzzle flip is almost negligible, brass falls within a 3 ft radius. Very soft shooting load
It also knocks down the steel targets we use. The big bore pig and chicken silhouette targets.

I started casting in 1970 and over 95% of my shooting since then has been with cast bullets. If I had to guess I have shot over 700,000 cast bullets in that time frame. (PPC, Action pistol, SASS, IDPA ETC)

LoboGunLeather · Feb 8, 2010

My regular practice load for .40 S&W is a 180 grain truncated cone flat point cast bullet, 4.8 grains Bullseye, CCI standard primers, moderate taper crimp. Cycles well in my Kahr P40, shoots to point of aim at 25 feet, groups as well as factory ammo. This load has done well in a friend's S&W M&P 40C also.

roundgunner · Feb 8, 2010

I shoot cast in all my M&Ps 99% of the time. For the 40 I like the 175gr truncated.

For IDPA bunnyfart loads I use 3.2gr of Titegroup. Gives me 755 FPS and cycles. It is a great load for beginners too.

For the more stout loads I use 4.5 of Titegroup the most, it gives me 965 in the full size, but I have used Bullseye, Power Pistol, 231, Blue Dot & others. I find Titegroup best and I use less. I have gone thru about 20 pounds in the last few years and like it for most easy going handgun rounds.

40 cal lead or copper jacket?

alphabrace

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Calaveras Slim

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handgunner356

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fredj338

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Missionary

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alphabrace

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45cal

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Rule3

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Beans

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LoboGunLeather

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roundgunner

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