longfellow
New member
Well, I've taken the advice of folks here and from Cast Loading manuals and I think I've come as close to a lead-free load as possible, with this particular bullet style.
I say this because I am shooting about as close to an ideal load for one who desires a clean barrel. In summary I will try to answer the basics about the gun/load and then I am asking of I am left with nothing remaining if I am to get closer to a completely leading-free load, other than a different bullet/lube.
***Gun- New Blackhawk Flat top 44 Special
***Dimensions - Groove - .4294, throats are all consistently .4315-.4318
*** Bullet - Accurate (www.accuratemolds.com) #430-220. This is a design created specifically for me. Sized .432 in a hand honed Lee push through die before lubrication.
***Alloy - Lyman #2 recipe.
*** Lube - Lee LA tumble lube once after sizing(I've tried twice with no appreciable improvement).
*** Load - Unique 6.5 grains (moderate), bullet seated without crimping so that the front driving band is fully inthe throat. For this I neet to apply a fair amount of force to get th cartridge in the cylinder as I am overcomming about a .0005 interference (which is universally recommended here and by all serious cast shooters).
Results - slight leading at forcing cone and very small amount on a few lands but only sporadically and only about 1/8 inch down barrel. This is after ten rounds.
Request - Is this as good as I can expect? Would a different design or a traditionally lubricated bullet improve things (I have heard of much heavier loads being completely free of leading.) Would a gas checked design basically solve the leading? or a style with more lube-holding capacity?
I can help a little by listing other variables that I've altered with no better results;
***Slower Powder - tried 13 gr of 2400 - no better
*** seating bullets just shy of throat restriction - worse
*** softer alloy (To test the "obturation" theory) - tried soft lead as well as soft lead with even higher load of Unique (7.5 gr) - worse.
***even larger sized diameter - tried .433's with both alloys- worse.
***smaller diameter - tried .430's with both alloys - worse. NOTE: I can go all the way down to 4.9 grains and this is so light that many combinations leave the barrel fairly lead free but I'd like a more 'universally applicable' medium load of about 800 - 900 f/s.
Thanks all. Feel free to ask any questions not answered here. I am about ready to place a bulk order of jacketed bullets and hope that I've missed something important.
Ed
I say this because I am shooting about as close to an ideal load for one who desires a clean barrel. In summary I will try to answer the basics about the gun/load and then I am asking of I am left with nothing remaining if I am to get closer to a completely leading-free load, other than a different bullet/lube.
***Gun- New Blackhawk Flat top 44 Special
***Dimensions - Groove - .4294, throats are all consistently .4315-.4318
*** Bullet - Accurate (www.accuratemolds.com) #430-220. This is a design created specifically for me. Sized .432 in a hand honed Lee push through die before lubrication.
***Alloy - Lyman #2 recipe.
*** Lube - Lee LA tumble lube once after sizing(I've tried twice with no appreciable improvement).
*** Load - Unique 6.5 grains (moderate), bullet seated without crimping so that the front driving band is fully inthe throat. For this I neet to apply a fair amount of force to get th cartridge in the cylinder as I am overcomming about a .0005 interference (which is universally recommended here and by all serious cast shooters).
Results - slight leading at forcing cone and very small amount on a few lands but only sporadically and only about 1/8 inch down barrel. This is after ten rounds.
Request - Is this as good as I can expect? Would a different design or a traditionally lubricated bullet improve things (I have heard of much heavier loads being completely free of leading.) Would a gas checked design basically solve the leading? or a style with more lube-holding capacity?
I can help a little by listing other variables that I've altered with no better results;
***Slower Powder - tried 13 gr of 2400 - no better
*** seating bullets just shy of throat restriction - worse
*** softer alloy (To test the "obturation" theory) - tried soft lead as well as soft lead with even higher load of Unique (7.5 gr) - worse.
***even larger sized diameter - tried .433's with both alloys- worse.
***smaller diameter - tried .430's with both alloys - worse. NOTE: I can go all the way down to 4.9 grains and this is so light that many combinations leave the barrel fairly lead free but I'd like a more 'universally applicable' medium load of about 800 - 900 f/s.
Thanks all. Feel free to ask any questions not answered here. I am about ready to place a bulk order of jacketed bullets and hope that I've missed something important.
Ed