Lead bullets

[oldman45]

Does anyone here feel as I do about lead bullets? I do not like the effects lead has on a gun. Cleaning a gun after shooting lead bullets is a real pain when done right.

Granted, I may be a purist when it comes to guns but the full metal jacket may cost more but to me it is worth it.

 

[M29since14]

Depends on the gun. I have some that lead and are a pain, and some that look like new after a box of cast bullets.

My .45 autos shoot lead almost exclusively. 357 and 44 revolvers are generally the problem children, for me. I try to mitigate it by keeping after the lead and not shooting too many rounds before getting the barrel clean right down to bare metal.

I hate paying for jacketed bullets. Every time the gun goes bang, there goes a quarter.

 

[oldman45]

I hate paying for jacketed bullets. Every time the gun goes bang, there goes a quarter.

It is only money. None I know have had an armored car following their hearse. Spending money on things you enjoy is always a good thing.

 

[Hunt200]

If you use the correct size bullet and load them to the proper velocity with a good lube, you should not have a leading problem.

 

[cp1969]

I shoot almost exclusively lead. Easier on the barrel and much cheaper to boot.

 

[flop-shank]

I should get into casting and shoot lead. Shame on the flopster for not doing so. I shoot jacketed some, but most of my range ammo is copper plated.

 

[DEM]

Jacketed or semi-jacketed hollow points for me.

 

[Dragon88]

A true purist would shoot cast bullets exclusively. Jacketed bullets came later.

Cast bullets loaded properly have less effects on a gun than jacketed. My plinking loads leave no leading and cast causes almost no wear on the rifling. Cast is also more fun to me, I like a little smoke and the smell of good lube. Cast bullets are cheaper.

 

[Alk8944]

Most commercial cast bullets are too hard, too small in diameter and are lubricated with products which are designed more for pretty and shipping characteristics, all of which prevent the bullet from bumping up and resulting in obturation, the sealing of the bore. The other side of the coin is factory produced swaged Lead bullets which are too soft and inadequately lubricated, with the same result. Don't believe the wags in the magazines who propound on the harder the bullet the better to prevent Leading, it isn't so.

Lead bullets have to have the right hardness and proper lubricant or you will get Leading. The only company I know that allows you to specify hardness and diameter is Beartooth Bullets, although there may be more. Try some of theirs, no harder than 12-16 Brinnell and at least .002" larger than nominal diameter for your gun (.359 for .38/.357, .431 for .44s, and I will bet you have a completely different opinion of cast bullets.

 

[jag312]

I had terrible leading in one of my guns when I shot lead bullets. I switched to copper plated bullets. Now there is no more problem. I just bought another thousand of those bullets.

 

[PDL]

From what I understand, copper fouling from jacketed bullets can be even more of a pain.
Like someone said, if the round is correctly sized, lubed, and adaquately loaded, it shouldn't cause you that much trouble. But, I clean my guns after each shoot and it doesn't take anymore time with lead than it does with jacketed.

 

[semperfi71]

Soft lead bullets shot below 900 fps should not lead if the bore is not rough. I suspect, I cannot prove it yet, that some powders cause more leading than others.

Hard cast bullets may lead at velocities below 900 fps because the gases are not present in enough force to obdurate the bullet to seal the bore.

Supposedly the problem with leading, besides a rough bore, is that the bullet does not seal the bore, the gases rush past the base and melt the sides of the bullet to the bore.

So whether it is soft lead or hard, if the bore is not rough, if the velocities are enought to obdurate the bullet and seal the bore, leading "should" not occur.

At least this is how it has been explained to me. I suggest a visit to the website for Desperado Bullets [http://www.cowboybullets.com/] and you can read their suggestions.

Also supposedly flat-based bullets are better at sealing than bevel-base.

You also could try a wad on top of the powder and below the bullet base as black powder cartridge shooters do. It serves as a gas check. But it is another reloading step and in the case of handgun cartridges it might be a pain.

I have currently been shooting hard and soft cast bullets out of M10s and M19s and am getting no leading at velocities running from 850 fps to 1200 fps. The higher velocities in the .357 magnums only!

As a last resort, the easiest, and it is easy, way to clean out leading is to go buy some copper "Chore Boy" scrub pads at the store. Pull out as many strands as necessary and wrap around to "fatten up" your proper caliber brass bore brush. Scrub the bore with this rig and almost all of the leading will be gone in quick time. Then use a lead away patch to clean out the rest. It works better than the "Lead Out" tool kit. It is easy and quick.

Lead bullets are cheaper than jacketed, they are found more readily, they will kill [I only know about game animals] as well as jacketed, and are easy to use once they are "figured" out.

I hope this helps.

 

[LuddhaBuddha]

The only thing I really shoot lead in is .38 special and sometimes .44 mag, not much leading in the .38 quite a bit in the .44 though. Wrapping a strand from a copper chore boy around the bore brush seems to cut the lead out pretty fast so leading is not really an issue to me. Copper fouling is pretty easily removed also if you have some butches bore shine around.

 

[Justin251]

Cleaning wouldn't be that big of a pain if you would shoot a clip/cylinder or two of some jacketed at the end of you shooting session.

 

[TSQUARED]

I do use lead bullets for mild loads in 38 Special, 44 special and 45 ACP. With mild loads I do not expereince any stubborn leading. In 9mm and 40 S&W I prefer either the plated or jacketed bullets.

 

[ACP230]

I have loaded many thousands of lead bullets in .38 Special, .41 Magnum, and .45 ACP. When I shot bowling pins at the late, lamented, Second Chance Bowling Pin Shoot I used 230 grain RNL bullets driven at around 900 fps. I got some leading but copper Chore Boy-like strands pushed through the bore got it out quickly, as mentioned above.

I have had very little leading in the other calibers.

I bought thousands of 230 grain .45 caliber FMJs some years ago. I liked loading them because I got less lead and lube on my hands. They didn't shoot any better than the RNL bullets, however.

 

[zainyD]

I use hard cast lead bullets exclusively in .38spl. The only jacketed bullets I've loaded so far are .357magnum, but that gets expensive at $0.15ea. I have not experienced or noticed any severe to moderate leading.

 

[kennyb]

Cleaning wouldn't be that big of a pain if you would shoot a clip/cylinder or two of some jacketed at the end of you shooting session.

that will only add to the fouling...the jacketed does not remove anything

 

[kennyb]

i shoot lead in 38,357,41mag,44mag.with no problems at all...

 

[ExplorerOne]

To each his own. I cast my own bullets, the bullet alloy (i.e. hardness) is a BIG factor, as well as the use of gas checks (or not). HI have driven modestly hard bullets with gas checks at over 1700 fps with no leading problems. Smooth bores help also.

You make your choices and you pay the bills. Do as you and your gun wish.