Lead bullets, how much is OK?

L

LH2

New member
The cheapest .38's for practice I've seen around here are the lead SWC reloads at Sportsmans Warehouse, at $7.75. I understand lead bullets make cleaning the barrel harder? Is there a limit to how much of the gun's use should be with lead? Will shooting jacketed bullets after lead help out?

Or are lead bullets not worth the money saved for the extra effort to clean the gun? :confused:
 
Shooting FMJ makes for easier cleaning, not to mention you don't have extra lead exposure. When I shoot FMJ, I don't even have to use the brass brush.
 
A lot of your question has to deal with the velocity at which you are firing "lead" at? What the BHN is? And the combination of the two....

If this bargain lead bullet is so soft as to "lead up" in a few low velocity rounds, then I would have to pass on it. Cleaning is not that fun!!

Good luck
Scott B.
 
A barrell will NEVER wear out using lead bullets. I have heard both pros and cons of shooting jacketed after lead to "clean out" the barrell. Some say it will and some say it will "iron" the lead into the grooves. I don't do that any more. 95% of my shooting is with self cast lead bullets. I rarely get any lead out of the barrell even using a Lewis Lead Remover to be sure. Quantrill
 
While lead bullets will eventually wear a barrel out, it's very unlikely any shooter can fire enough of them over a lifetime to do so.

In most cases, the gun's action will wear out before the barrel.

As for shooting jacketed bullets to "clean out leading", this is NOT a good idea.

While it may work to a limited extent, there is the danger of bulging or blowing a ring in the barrel if there's just a little TOO much lead present.

Oil, grease, and lead cannot be compressed. If you fire a gun with something in the bore, pressures skyrocket, and if the amount is too much, whatever it is can't move out of the way fast enough, and the pressure can cause bulges or rings in the bore.

If you want to shoot lead bullets, do what all the older shooters do: Buy a Lewis Lead Remover kit from Brownell's.

This kit quickly and SAFELY removes the lead from the bore, and is the only really good way to remove lead from a revolver's forcing cone.

For chambers, buy a bronze chamber cleaning brush from Brownell's.
 
Cleaning lead? absolutely a pain in the butt. Definitely use the lead remover.

Wear on the barrel? Next to nothing with unjacketed lead. Lead is SOFT!

+1 on the "Don't try to shoot the lead out with jacketed stuff" You gotta remove it.
 
Okay...

Lead sounds like a PITA to deal with. I'm thinking I'll just stick with WWB or American Eagle for range/plinking rounds to avoid the whole thing. It's not that much more expensive in .38 Spl.

What about .22 lr - aren't these all lead? So do these barrels lead up?
 
LH, nah, you can get lead or jacketed 22 LR. Most of the uber cheapies are just lead, but jacketed isn't much more expensive.

Course when I say jacketed I don't mean like an FMJ. More like plated. Serves the purpose about stopping fouling though.
 
Lead is worth a try. I shoot lead bullets in .38, .41, and .45 revolvers, and unless I'm shooting loads over 900 or so fps, I've shot hundreds and hundreds between cleanings with no leading that won't clean out with an ordinary brass brush.

As far as lead exposure, FMJ is unlikely to make a difference, since the back end of a FMJ bullet is exposed lead, and that's the part that gets vaporized by the hot propulsive gasses.
 
unless I'm shooting loads over 900 or so fps, I've shot hundreds and hundreds between cleanings with no leading that won't clean out with an ordinary brass brush.
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So under 900 fps or so, there's less leading in the barrel?

Try here I got 158g swc reloads 780fps, here for 61.50/500 shipped to my door. http://www.accuswage.com/ They shoot very well in my Taurus 85.
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In a snubby I guess these low-velocity rounds won't really be a problem to clean up after?
 
So under 900 fps or so, there's less leading in the barrel?
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Right. Particularly if you shoot swaged lead bullets (as opposed to cast) at these modest velocities, they can be very clean. Another place to get quality reloaded rounds is Zero ammunition--rozedist.com. The prices they list on their website include shipping (which can obviously get pricey with heavy ammo). Also, though their website doesn't list it, they offer a bigger break yet if you send in brass equivalent to the ammo you order--or at least they did before I started reloading a couple years ago.
 
There is still a LOT of lead exposure when shooting FMJ, the base of the bullet is exposed lead and is vaporized by the burning powder. If there is less lead exposure than when firing lead bullets it is very little. Plated or JHP, and a few total metal jacket designs, are the only way to lower lead exposure a significant amount.

Cleaning lead fouling is dead easy AND FAST, a LOT easier than cleaning copper fouling too. A search on it will reveal the not-so-secret answer, Chore Boy scouring pads.

When you know how to clean the gun without working hard lead bullets are definately worth it.
 
..when shooting my Colt Official Police 38..I quickly learned not to use unlubricated lead factory loads....once shot a box or two Win USA lead and could not believe how much scrubbing it took to get the lead out....I still shoot lead loads but only if they have a lubricated bullet..since then the cleaning is nominal...you get what you pay for...
 
Pretty much the only time I shoot jacketed bullets is when I get them for free, or out of something where the ammo is cheap, like the 7.62x39.

I cast all my own handgun, and some rifle bullets. But, too hard of an alloy can cause even more leading than too soft of an alloy, especially if it's not sized to the bore properly.

I cast bullets for the 9mm, .38/.357, .40 S&W, 10mm, .44mag, .45acp, .30 Carbine, and .30-30. Most of my reloads are close to max, and they are moving just as fast as jacketed bullets. Just slug your bore, and size the bullets .001-.002" oversize and use a plain base bullet, and you won't have leading problems.

If the alloy is too hard, it will not expand to the bore, you will get flame cutting when the gasses pass by the side of the bullet, it will melt the side of the cast bullet as it passes down the bore, and you will get leading. I use straight wheelweight alloy, even in the .30 Carbine or .30-30 Winchester at 1500fps, and have absolutely NO leading whatsoever. My 10mm's are going over 1100fps out of a 1006, with no leading, either. .44mags with 22gr of 2400 powder with a Lyman 429421, no leading.

But, if you are shooting very soft swaged bullets instead of cast, I can see why you have leading problems.
 
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