Cast Bullet Search

Good evening all,
I've been buying projectiles from Missouri Bullet Company with reasonable success. I've stuck with Brinell levels above 18 but am still having leading problems out of a 3rd gen Colt SA, especially with their #430240EK .430 bullet.

MBC has a great product and I've continued business with them because of their competitive prices: #430240EK is $50 for 500 projectiles.

I'd like to expand my horizons and find a dependable bullet from a different company for an equally or almost equally competitive price. I'm fairly new to the reloading process, so any input is helpful.
 
I have had exceptionally good fortune to find www.mastercast.net

Great prices, quality product, and fast shipping.

They run 18 BNH, and I have never had a leading issue with any of their bullets in about a dozen calibers that I load for,
 
You may want to measure the throats on your shooter. My 3rd gen SAA had .434/.435 throats and .427 grooves. Gas cutting was fierce. Eventually have up and rechambered for .45 Colt.
 
Leading

+1 for what was already posted by Salvador on going to a larger bullet diameter.At 18 BNH that's pretty hard the only thing else to do maybe look for bullet with a gas check.I would still highly recommend slugging both barrel and throats to make sure what you are dealing with.
 
Send them an email and if it's at all possible they will get back to you in a few days, and they will fix it somehow.

Deal with the guys at the furnace.
 
I would still measure the throats of the chambers. This can be done by slugging. Pin gauges are OK, but you have to buy a special set with tenths of a thousandth increments to get the same accuracy as a slug measurement. Unless you do this a lot in the same chambering, the special pin gauges hardly seem worth it. A standard pin gauge set in 0.001" increments will narrow the range, though, if you have a set anyway.

If you can, choose your bullet diameter for the chamber, not the barrel. Half a thousandth under chamber diameter is about ideal, IME. Lead is soft enough to swage into the barrel without raising pressure too far. But gas cutting from a loose fit in the chamber can be bad not only from the standpoint of leading, but from the standpoint of accuracy as it can unbalance the bullet enough to open your groups up.

Often it turns out your six chambers don't have matching diameters. Ideally, you then get them reamed to match. Both 0.4305" and 0.4325" reamers are commonly used for this with .44 Special and .44 Magnum, with the larger diameter used only if the biggest chamber in the gun is already over 0.4305". In 458winshooter's case, his chambers were over even the larger 0.4325", which is SAAMI maximum. How that happened, I have no idea. That is unusual. Most chambers are under maximum, as reamers tend to wear.
 
There's many bullet makers out there.
And probably not a whole lot of difference to decide between them.
I am content with Penn for lead, and X-treme for plated.
Never disappointed with either.
 
This is my favorite caster

http://bullshop.weebly.com/bullets.html

Many calibers, styles and bullet diameters to choose from. Quality is top notch with fast shipping. Daniel, the owner, is a good man. Their price may not be the lowest, but certainly far from being the highest. The best value I have found all things considered.

I wish they do powder coated.

-TL
 
STOP using HARD bullets in your SAA. Even 13BHN is harder than you need.
If you haven't measured the barrel's actual groove diameter and the cylinder's throats, you are "driving blind."
See:
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_7_Leading.htm
I have found that HARD bullets need to be about 0.001" larger than regular cast bullets, that are at least 0.001" larger than groove diameter.
For the hard bullets that you have, if you give them a very LIGHT tumble lube with Lee's LLA, you will eliminate almost all leading.
For revolvers, where you need the bullets to be at least a very snug slip fit in the cylinder's throats and still be at least 0.001" larger than barrel groove diameter, it is simply a LOT easier to get lead bullets to work well if the hardness is 8-10 BHN. Remember, Keith developed the .44 Rem Mag with 10 BHN alloy and no leading by using the right diameter and decent lube. We have BETTER lubes today.
 

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I agree with Unclenick and noylj. Bullet to gun fit is way more important than BHN. I have successfully loaded my .44 Magnums to magnum velocities with my "mystery metal", unknown lead alloy bullets of approx 12-13 BHN with very little/no leading because I size them to fit the gun...
 
I use Better Bullets from King Shooter upply. They are 21bhi and now offer polymer treated . Have used in the 000s uncoated and around 8 to 10000 coated. 55$ for 240gr 44 500 count. The coating eliminates the grease with a reduction in smoke.
 
I use Better Bullets from King Shooter upply. They are 21bhi and now offer polymer treated . Have used in the 000s uncoated and around 8 to 10000 coated. 55$ for 240gr 44 500 count. The coating eliminates the grease with a reduction in smoke.
Interesting. Their PC-bullets, are they powder coated or hi-tech coated? Thanks.

-TL
 
Give Dardas a try.

I second that. They have a 5% discount for TFL members, their prices rival most others, and I've put thousands of them down range with no issues. They are quite accurate also.
 
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