Smokin' wadcutters

[Amp]

I load Hornady 38 HBWC with Bullseye power and Fed primers with their load data. Its accurate and no high pressure BUT they seem to smoke too much at the indoor range.
Anyone know why?? Is it the bullet lube? Powder?

 

[AJ]

I load Hornady 38 HBWC with Bullseye power and Fed primers with their load data. Its accurate and no high pressure BUT they seem to smoke too much at the indoor range.
Anyone know why?? Is it the bullet lube? Powder?

Never noticed to much smoke from my 148 grain HBWC's with Bullseye 2.8 Grains. But then I do not shoot in indoor ranges for any reason. Always shoot outdoors.

 

[Amp]

I am shooting an indoor bullseye league.
2.7gr at 726fps
Pretty average load i think and my revolver likes it.

 

[ncairman]

What are you using for lube? I have used 45/45/10 and it works great with 148 wadcutters. Bullseye is a little smokey though.

 

[venomballistics]

That's part of shooting lead.
It wasn't until coatings that we got away from the issue. Even then, there are still some extra emissions, however slight.

 

[max]

The Hornady's are swaged I believe. Could be whatever lube they are tumbled in or made with.

 

[Amp]

What are you using for lube? I have used 45/45/10 and it works great with 148 wadcutters. Bullseye is a little smokey though.

Maybe it is the powder then. I don't use lube. Hornady claims they are relubricated.
Surely someone here uses that load too.

 

[robertrwalsh]

As I recall the Hornady is tumble-lubed with some sort of Moly. I have shot a fair number of that configuration in .32 revolver. Never noticed smoke and I shot most of those indoors.

 

[gwpercle]

What you are seeing ... is called " Gunsmoke"

It's a combination of a little powder burning and some bullet lubricant burning . The HBWC are coated in a wax type lube and the wax smokes a bit .

If you really want to see some "Gunsmoke" fire off 5 black powder rounds ... Ooowee ...you wont see the target for a few seconds !
You will never complain about "smokeless" ammo again !
Gary

 

[Nevada Ed]

The Hornady's are swaged I believe. Could be whatever lube they are tumbled in or made with.

They are a little less smoky than the Remington 148 gr lead bullets, that I used to shoot.
Even my old Speer soft HBwc 148's smoked a little , when indoors.

Some of the "Smoke" comes from the powder, even when I shoot the new
"Coated" lead bullets.

 

[mikld]

Normally, smoke is more from lube, and some from light loaded powders...

 

[smithra_66]

I load Hornady 38 HBWC with Bullseye power and Fed primers with their load data. Its accurate and no high pressure BUT they seem to smoke too much at the indoor range.
Anyone know why?? Is it the bullet lube? Powder?

Lead bullets always smoke quite a bit, especially noticeable indoors.

It's mainly fragments of lead from the very soft bullets. These things are launched at high velocity and scraped down a steel barrel. There's going to be residue on the other end.

 

[IAM Rand]

Use powder coating on your bullets. If they already have wax or lube on them you may have to try and clean them off. Do you have a good crimp on your bullets. Might give it a little more time to burn powder if you have a little bit stronger of a crimp.

 

[AJ]

Use powder coating on your bullets. If they already have wax or lube on them you may have to try and clean them off.

For the last few years I have powder coated the bullets that I have cast. No leading issues that I have seen. Recovered a few of the bullets and the powder coating seems to be intact even after firing.

 

[Miracle Man]

I've only shot indoors a couple times and that's been years and years ago while in the Navy in California.

 

[venomballistics]

Maybe it is the powder then. I don't use lube. Hornady claims they are relubricated.
Surely someone here uses that load too.

Nope ... It's the lube.
Hornady uses alox with a dusting of motor mica to keep em from sticking together
Alox is essentially burnt grease.
I guess you could say you're rolling coal.
Now to get your eye back on the ball here.
This came to your attention only because you have not seen this before, thus, you wonder if it is a problem.
Your not violating any of the laws of physics or flirting with the space/time continuum.
Yeah, we found better ways, but the real question is, does it really bother you?
If you can deal with it, and the range master isn't busting your kneecaps with a ball peen hammer, blast on.