Alox

[jbouwens]

I was talking to a friend of mine about reloading the other day and he asked me about ALoxing bullets and the question was, how much faster can you push the bullet with the Alox; than without, He was talking 44 mag and I told him I thought it would get him another 100 of 150 fps more without the leading problem. I think he bought some soft lead bullets from a place and was experiencing bad leading with the load he had. I gave him my 240 grain 9 grains of Win 231 load that I have used for many years with hardcast bullets with no leading problems, but the difference in lead made a diffence with him. I think the Alox will help his problem.

What do you folks think, Did I "shoot him straight"?

 

[Skip Sackett]

Too much pressure for too soft of lead.

My opinion is this: His bullets may be fine with a slower powder than W231/HP-38.

Those faster powders are going to take a toll on a soft bullet much earlier than a slow powder will. There is a breaking point for the slower powders too but it is caused by velocity not pressure. The two are not synonymous.

Yes, you did steer him right but maybe I can help just a touch more. Have him go with a powder in the Unique to AA#9/2400 area (at the low end) and see how things go.

You didn't mention what he was shooting these out of so I am assuming it is a handgun and not a carbine.

 

[fredj338]

It may & may not. Bullet fit is just as important as lube. If the bullets are undersized, you can't put enough Alox on them to keep them from leading IMO.

 

[jbouwens]

Sorry it was so long to get back with you, oldest kid was working on my ulcer.

Will has a model 29 6 or 6 1/2 in barrel that he shoots. He got some lead cast bullets from a local guy that I believe it is wheel weights (mainly). He explained that the 9 grains of 231 was leading buy the forcing cone pretty bad and he was trying to get the other problem worked out. After talking to him, here is what he said in a nut shell: the model 29 shoots high, he has no more adjustment in the rear sight, (down all the way), he is trying to shoot a flatter load. So he figured he would load my 9 grain load; that is fine in my 29 and 41 mag (about the same velocity), but my bullets are harder, and hence I use Alox as a lead preventer in the cleaning of the gun area. He is trying to push it faster/flatter with a softer lead. I shoot my lead loads and always follow up with a few jacketed bullets to flush the lead out, always worked pretty good so I never have too much leading, my deal might be skewed because I shoot a few jacketed bullets through before cleaning. I also load a 8.2 Win 231 load to plink with and it has never given my problems.

I said to Will that a lighter bullet might me the fix for the gun and to bring it this weekend to shot it out of a rest and for me to see how someone elso shoots it before he goes to crazy playing with loads for it, I will look it over to make sure that the revolver is mechanically fine (I found a bent to the right 586--factory fixed it for 100 bucks--shoots straight now).

Anyway, I think the facts are in now, so Alox might be a bit premature, Thoughts on any of this. Thanks,

I have reloaded for a long time and my powders and loads are old school.