Just wondering if you shoot lead. I am trying to stick to jacketed ammo, but some lead is cheaper. Lead just seems to be a pain to clean up after. I have copper fouling remover, but never heard of lead remover other than scrubbing with chunks of brass kitchen pad.
Do you shoot lead ammo?
- Thread starter nsl
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I used to shoot hard cast lead bullets in my revolvers but recently switched to copper plated bullets - my guns stay a lot cleaner now. Never had any leading problems but the guns would get fouled with bullet lube and shooting indoors they would be very smokey. Before the switch I used Shooter Choice lead remover. Stuff worked great.
keithherrington
Member
Go to Brownell's and buy their Double Tuff bore brushes. Couldn't be easier. The bristles are twice as big in diameter and many times more stiff.
Keith
Keith
snubbiefan
Member
I shoot wheel-weight cast bullets.....because they are free. I have a neighbor that tosses a few hundred every week and I simply go over and horn-in on the action and walk away with a gob of free slugs. Now....if he had free jacketed bullets, that's what I would be shooting.
I have only shot lead in my revolvers for the past 40 years. I don't load that hot and leading is not a problem.
Pisgah
Member
Properly sized, lubed, and loaded, lead bullets are no harder to clean up after than jacketed. A few strokes with a dry bore brush will do the job.
And by the way, at handgun velocities copper solvent is pretty much a waste. You just don't get much of anything in the way of copper fouling.
And by the way, at handgun velocities copper solvent is pretty much a waste. You just don't get much of anything in the way of copper fouling.
mkk41
US Veteran
99% of my pistol shooting is done with hard-cast lead bullets. As was stated above , a properly alloyed , sized and lubed cast bullet will not lead up a bore , even when driven to high velocities.
Now most factory loads use rather soft swaged lead bullets. They do lead up a bore rather quickly.
Now most factory loads use rather soft swaged lead bullets. They do lead up a bore rather quickly.
I cast my own bullets and load on the low side so I have not had too many problems with leading. I use a Lewis lead remover when cleaning and it works great. It's available through Brownells, if your shooting a stainless steel gun you can also use Kleen-Bore lead away wipes or the Tipton wipe these work really well and will save a lot of scrubbing time. Stay away from the Hoppe's no. 9 lead wipe it's worthless.
indiandave
Member
I shoot 100% lead. never had a problem cleaning. I have it down to a science It takes about 30-40 minutes to clean two guns. I'm kinda weird,I enjoy cleaning my guns.
tomuchiron
US Veteran
The new Lead wipes,( I buy remington brand at walmart $3.00), for Stainless steel guns work great. Cut your patches , wrap on a brush, and wipe away. Still work when very nasty. great on powder burn also. CAUTION do not wipe on BLUE or Nickel, it will cause damage. It will also pretty up brass but I am not sure if it is causing any damage.
Titegroups
Member
Lewis lead remover.
I always shoot lead bullets. Copper fouling is a lot more difficult to remove than lead and copper jackets are 10 times more abrasive than lead.
For cleaning I use copper Chore Boy pads wrapped around a old bore brush. It's much faster and way more efficient than the Lewis Lead remover. Also only costs $3 for a lifetime of cleaning.
Goggle "Penn Bullets" they have a wealth of information on lead bullet cleaning and fouling prevention. Make a good product as well. Worth the read if you are considering shooting lead.
For cleaning I use copper Chore Boy pads wrapped around a old bore brush. It's much faster and way more efficient than the Lewis Lead remover. Also only costs $3 for a lifetime of cleaning.
Goggle "Penn Bullets" they have a wealth of information on lead bullet cleaning and fouling prevention. Make a good product as well. Worth the read if you are considering shooting lead.
AveragEd
Member
I shoot almost exclusively lead bullets in my 66s, 686s and 629s for punching paper.
In .38 Special cases, I prefer hollow-base wadcutters and the only brand I can find right now is Hornady. The bullseye boys still regard Remington HBWCs as the most accurate but they are on back-order until November everywhere. The Hornady dry lube is messy on the hands if you handle a lot of them (I loaded 250 yesterday) but leading is minimal and they are accurate enough. In .357 cases, I load Precision Cast 158-grain LSWCs and they are much cleaner to handle as are the .240-grain LSWCs of the same brand that I use in my .44s.
I load the wadcutters to 700fps, the 158 LSWCs to about 800fps and the .44s to 900. I have one 686 that will accumulate a little lead just forward of the forcing cone but it cleans right out.
I used to load jacketed bullets but for the few rounds shot while hunting, it's just easier to use factory fodder. I use Hornady ammo in both the .357s and the .44s because their XTP bullets are considered the class of the handgun hunting bullet field right now.
Being a recent returnee to handgun shooting, I initially used the powders that were popular 35 years ago, Bullseye and Unique. I quickly found that by today's powder cleanliness standards, both are filthy-burning and Unique gave me erratic chronograph readings in the .44 and .45ACP. In a quest to find one powder that will work in .38, .357, .44 and .45ACP target loads, I settled on Hodgdon's Universal and so far, so good.
Ed
In .38 Special cases, I prefer hollow-base wadcutters and the only brand I can find right now is Hornady. The bullseye boys still regard Remington HBWCs as the most accurate but they are on back-order until November everywhere. The Hornady dry lube is messy on the hands if you handle a lot of them (I loaded 250 yesterday) but leading is minimal and they are accurate enough. In .357 cases, I load Precision Cast 158-grain LSWCs and they are much cleaner to handle as are the .240-grain LSWCs of the same brand that I use in my .44s.
I load the wadcutters to 700fps, the 158 LSWCs to about 800fps and the .44s to 900. I have one 686 that will accumulate a little lead just forward of the forcing cone but it cleans right out.
I used to load jacketed bullets but for the few rounds shot while hunting, it's just easier to use factory fodder. I use Hornady ammo in both the .357s and the .44s because their XTP bullets are considered the class of the handgun hunting bullet field right now.
Being a recent returnee to handgun shooting, I initially used the powders that were popular 35 years ago, Bullseye and Unique. I quickly found that by today's powder cleanliness standards, both are filthy-burning and Unique gave me erratic chronograph readings in the .44 and .45ACP. In a quest to find one powder that will work in .38, .357, .44 and .45ACP target loads, I settled on Hodgdon's Universal and so far, so good.
Ed
DonD
Member
I certainly do. With my .357s I used hard cast for practice loads and jacketed for full power.
For my .500s, I used lead almost exclusively. Softer hard cast for lower velocity and true hard cast for heavy loads. No leading issues and it certainly keeps the costs under control. Don
For my .500s, I used lead almost exclusively. Softer hard cast for lower velocity and true hard cast for heavy loads. No leading issues and it certainly keeps the costs under control. Don
David LaPell
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It's more than just shooting lead. The hardness of the lead, proper diameter, the right velocity all control the amount of leading. I shoot lead almost exclusively in all of my handguns now, and what little leading I do get is cleaned up pretty easily. You don't need super hard bullets and you don't want them too soft. If shooting say a decent .357 load, water quenched wheel weight bullets at around 1,300 don't give me any problems.
I clean the lead out of my 625 competition revolver once a year, whether it needs it or not. I can do this because the proper adjustment of bullet hardness with chamber pressure produces almost no leading whatsoever. I'm shooting 200 grain RNFP at 850 fps to make major power factor. BHN is about 10-12. Total rounds is about 6000/year.
Every year I tear the revolver down to basic parts for a thorough cleaning. In between, it gets an exterior wipedown and a few patches with CorrosionX down the bore and chambers every couple of weeks. You can wear one of these things out quicker cleaning it than shooting it.
Buck
I can do this because the proper adjustment of bullet hardness with chamber pressure produces almost no leading whatsoever. I'm shooting 200 grain RNFP at 850 fps to make major power factor. BHN is about 10-12. Total rounds is about 6000/year.Every year I tear the revolver down to basic parts for a thorough cleaning. In between, it gets an exterior wipedown and a few patches with CorrosionX down the bore and chambers every couple of weeks. You can wear one of these things out quicker cleaning it than shooting it.
Buck
FloridaFlier
Member
You're not going to hurt anything shooting lead through most handguns, provided you are not shooting very hot magnum loads. Because the lead alloys are still softer than copper, you will in many ways, preserve barrel life with the softer bullets. High speed rounds need the copper. Most handgun loads do not.
sps282
Member
I shoot lead bullets 95% of the time in all my revovlers and yes sometimes you do get some lead bild up, never seems to get too bad unless using some really soft bullets....but it's not that hard to clean out. Try to stay with 10-12 hardness and you shouldn't have a problem.
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