Please help me with some dumb projectiles I've purchased...

[Fishinfool]

Measure the diameter of your revolvers throats. Try dropping the problem bullets thru the chambers of your revolvers. See if they drop thru easily. They shouldn't. I believe your problem is bullets that are slightly under throat size, allowing gas to cut the bullet bases upon firing, hence the leading. They are probably too hard to obturate and seal the bore at the velocities you are shooting. Hard cast work great when they fit properly, but are a leading nightmare when they don't. I cast most of my revolver bullets at around BNH 10 - 12, and they work fine at 1200 fps or more, and just as well at lower velocities. I size them about .001 larger than throat dia. By the way, leading at the beginning of the forcing cone / barrel is usually poor throat fit, causing gas cutting. Leading at the end of the barrel is usually a lubrication fail.

Larry

 

[bluetopper]

You mentioned your 44, 240gr bullets. With a hardness of 18 you should be able to load these at full tilt 44 Mag loads with no leading.

 

[mikld]

LOL...yup, I posted that one there as well. Trying to get info and opinions anywhere that I can...


I'll admit that I don't want to overthink this, I'm just trying to save some $$ that I've already spent.

A vast majority of sites that I've found selling cast bullets only offer 38 in either .357" or .358" and 44 in .430". I'm sure there are other's that would offer them in a range of +/- 1 thousandth increments, but I'm not really willing to go that deep and I'm sure the $$ would be much higher. Because of that, I'm not going to take the time to measure my bore if my choices are pretty set anyway.

I'm going to switch to coated rounds moving forward, I'm just trying to find out the best thing to do with the $200 worth of projectiles I have sitting around.

Asking on more than one forum is well accepted. Forums have a tendency to have their own distinct "personalities" and info will differ.

Properly sized bullets are available from several different casters, at comparable prices, just shop around and don't give up. When I want to try a bullet before buying a mold I go to Beartooth bullets. They offer different diameters per caliber, have sane BHN, and good lubes.

Basically, shooting lead bullets without knowledge is often just a WAG, and you can get lucky and your gun measure what they are "supposed to" measure, but I much prefer to know as much about my guns as I can and slugging is really easy (I've heard an old saying about a blind hog...). Kinda like buying britches, you can try on several different sizes until you get one to fit, or you can know what size you wear and get the good fitting jeans now...

 

[mikld]

LOL...yup, I posted that one there as well. Trying to get info and opinions anywhere that I can...


I'll admit that I don't want to overthink this, I'm just trying to save some $$ that I've already spent.

A vast majority of sites that I've found selling cast bullets only offer 38 in either .357" or .358" and 44 in .430". I'm sure there are other's that would offer them in a range of +/- 1 thousandth increments, but I'm not really willing to go that deep and I'm sure the $$ would be much higher. Because of that, I'm not going to take the time to measure my bore if my choices are pretty set anyway.

I'm going to switch to coated rounds moving forward, I'm just trying to find out the best thing to do with the $200 worth of projectiles I have sitting around.

I see your options as; slug your throats/barrels and purchase correct sized bullets, or go with coated or jacketed (I don't care for plated bullets). Put the bullets you purchased on a shelf somewhere and get them down after you have more experience/knowledge reloading and know how to use them...

 

[austintexas]

I think if you are only shooting at paper you don't need go fast loads. Use less powder and possibly your leading will clear up and accuracy will improve. After all you are only killing paper. I've been loading all kinds of cast bullets for years and only had leading when I try to push them too fast. I learned to cast and reload in 1962 at the Rod and Gun Club, Wheelus AFB, Libya. I was a lowly E-4 without much cash and had to learn to reload if I wanted to shoot on the weekends.
SWCA 892

 

[fredj338]

With lead bullets it is always about proper fit. In a revolver, measure the cyl throats. IF they are small, then it doesn't matter what size bullet, it will be swaged down & it will lead. A softer bullet may obturate to fill the bore but you will still get early leading. So for 9mm, 0.358" may be fine if they load properly. I shoot 0.357" in all my 9mm.

 

[AlHunt]

At BHN 18 they really shouldn't be leading.

I recently bought some inexpensive 9mm polymer coated bullets from Black Bullets that I've been happy with. Well, sort of happy. I thought they might work in .357 SIG but they're a little long. But in 9mm, they work fine.Maybe give them a try if you want to go coated.

Edited: At 18 BHN, leading shouldn't be an alloy issue.

 

[Bakebfr480]

Have you checked the "hardness" of the projectiles? Could be mis-labeled!

 

[Pisgah]

I simply cannot help myself. I must say -- I am always amazed when anyone gets any kind of results after loading a bullet behind the propellant. No matter what bullet used, it'll work better in front of the powder...

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

Titegroup has a reputation of not being the best propellant to put behind lead bullets. Seems it gets a bit a hotter, faster than others. You might want to try a different powder.

 

[gwpercle]

Question #2,
Use the seating and taper crimp die(s) from a 9mm Luger set to seat and crimp any smooth sided / 9mm bullet in 38 special and/or 357 magnum cases.
I've been doing this with .358 9mm truncated cone cast bullets loading them in both 38 and 357 ....works like a charm.
Also works on plated bullets with no crimp groove.
Drive the hard bullets faster and they will stand a better chance of not leading.
Gary

 

[trapper9260]

For how it sounds first need to try some different powders and start at the min and work up to let the gun tell you what it likes. Also as for the .358 bullets some 9mm will work in some others might not ,that is where you need to check what you bore is like others stated.I have one 9mm that it is over size and load .358 usen the dies that gwpercle stated. and others that will be ok with the 9mm luger dies. As for the 44 spl. .430 is the right size unless the size in the gun say different. I shoot 44spl in my 44mag. no problems. I cast my own and make my own lube also. I do not shoot hardly any jacket . Also for the data to say about one powder works the best .Need to see what the test was from. It is alot of times not one that is being used by the loader.

 

[OKFC05]

I find plated bullets to be picky about powder used and MV. If all you've tried are "Unique in .38 at low MV", might try HP38 or Titegroup at PF 130.(Mild +P) I was shooting steel plates on the 50 yd range with my S&W 686 this weekend---and yes, I can actually shoot groups on paper with my plated bullet loads, too. Not as accurate as my home cast 148gr wadcutter loads, though.

 

[rwsmith]

suggestion......

...slug your barrel.

 

[Nevada Ed]

158 lead bullet speeds........

The 158gr LRN was the LE bullet of the day when it first came out
with black powder and the a few years later with smokeless powder.

Today it is generally used at target speeds, since there are better bullets
for SD use and it does very well at target speeds in the 38 and 357 Magnums.

In a 2" J frame snub nose a 158gr LRN can be loaded to a light 570fps to a warm 740fps.
In a 6" barrel this bullet can go from around 755fps to 1024fps if needed.

One of the great bullet weights for the 38 special.

I never liked lead for the 9mm but the new plated and coated are nice.