shooting lead bullets in a rifle ?
- Thread starter rebs
- Start date
Pro:
* Can be less expensive to shoot than jacketed boolits, ergo, more bang for the buck.
* Can be more accurate than jacketed, with proper loads, lubes & bore cleaning.
Con:
* Usually must be driven slower then jacketed boolits or suffer swift bore leading/fouling
* May not hold together sufficiently for adequate penetration larger game like deer if the lead mixture's soft enough to expand; or pencil through if they're cast very hard.
* For best accuracy, the bore MUST be scrubbed clean of any previous fouling from jacketed boolits. (And visa-versa, of course)
* If your .357 rifle is a levergun, most flat-nosed, Keith-style, square-shouldered lead boolits may not feed very well from the magazine of some rifles.
* Depending upon your involvement & wallet, lead melting & boolit casting can end up taking up a LOT of time & equipment - but pre-cast boolits are also commercially available, too.
.
* Can be less expensive to shoot than jacketed boolits, ergo, more bang for the buck.
* Can be more accurate than jacketed, with proper loads, lubes & bore cleaning.
Con:
* Usually must be driven slower then jacketed boolits or suffer swift bore leading/fouling
* May not hold together sufficiently for adequate penetration larger game like deer if the lead mixture's soft enough to expand; or pencil through if they're cast very hard.
* For best accuracy, the bore MUST be scrubbed clean of any previous fouling from jacketed boolits. (And visa-versa, of course)
* If your .357 rifle is a levergun, most flat-nosed, Keith-style, square-shouldered lead boolits may not feed very well from the magazine of some rifles.
* Depending upon your involvement & wallet, lead melting & boolit casting can end up taking up a LOT of time & equipment - but pre-cast boolits are also commercially available, too.
.
I don't shoot anything but lead in my Marlin 357 and I don't underload them.
They are the same full house loads I load in my Model 29, that being 14.5 grns of 2400 and 150 grn LSWC bullets.
Zero problems supper accurate.
If there is a disadvantage I haven't found it.
As as a side note, I also shoot lead bullets in most of my other rifles. Including gas guns.
They are the same full house loads I load in my Model 29, that being 14.5 grns of 2400 and 150 grn LSWC bullets.
Zero problems supper accurate.
If there is a disadvantage I haven't found it.
As as a side note, I also shoot lead bullets in most of my other rifles. Including gas guns.
It is an awfully easy shooting round when loaded for plinking. I'll also add to the above that lead is something you learn how to load, or suffer the consequences. Sizing, lubes and alloy need to be pretty specific for certain needs. I feel that once my lead shooting gun is broken in, there is less fouling overall and certainly less wear and tear on the barrel. My 10 year old 357 Marlin has way over 20,000 rounds, and is going stronger than ever. Its been firelapped, and is very accurate with my plinking load of 6gr. of Unique with a 158gr. bullet or a Beartooth WFN lookalike for hunting. Incidentally, it kills very well...
chris in va
New member
Just use gas checks.
Hammerhead
New member
Shot some Hornady 158 grain LSWC's over 5 grains of Universal today in my Handi rifle. With open sights from a rest 3 shots went 3-1/2" at 100 yards. Very quiet - no sonic crack and low recoil. I might have to put a scope on it and see how accurate they really are.
Just plain fun I guess.
Just plain fun I guess.
Bear River
New member
Leading is more often caused by using bullets not properly sized to the throat and bore. In most cases .001 over bore is needed. Leading is a result of gas cutting. Gas passing around an undersized bullet leaves droplets of hot lead in the bore. If you are going to shoot lead measure your throat and bore to find the correct bullet size. If you cast your own bullets you can change alloys lubes or gas checks to get the right bullets. Most handgun bullets cast from WW metal [BHN12] can provide a bullet for 1,500 fps. Gas Checks are for the most part a waste of money in handgun bullets. I use Gas Checks in pure linotype bullets at speeds above 1,500 fps up to 2,200 in .30 cal loadings. Bullets can be cast to provide about any results you want. The lead bullets have downed every kind of game and won many 1,000 yards matches.
FrankenMauser
New member
He casts his own.
stubbicatt
New member
I cast the Lyman 358 "cowboy" bullet with the huge, single, grease groove, and a slightly beveled base, and lube with a homemade lube of yellow beeswax, olive oil, crisco, and a little canola oil. I made the lube for blackpowder, and had really good results in that application. In the 357 mag using 2400 powder it is spectactular. No fouling whatsoever. Just a dry patch thru the bore after shooting. Occasionally a dry brush for a few strokes followed by a dry patch.
The added benefit is that when I shoot the rifle, people downwind say the smell reminds them they want McDonald's french fries. People I don't even know down wind from me frequently and without provocation tell their buddys they crave McDonalds. I smile inside!
The added benefit is that when I shoot the rifle, people downwind say the smell reminds them they want McDonald's french fries. People I don't even know down wind from me frequently and without provocation tell their buddys they crave McDonalds. I smile inside!
Hammerhead
New member
I 'butter' the bores on my 30-30, .357 and .45 Colt carbines. After cleaning and drying I wet a tight fitting patch with liquid Alox (LLA) and give that several passes down the bore. They are used only with lead bullets lubed with LLA and at medium pressures. Leading virtually disappears. Clean the bore with mineral spirits.
Add a vegetable fiber wad behind the bullet and you have a low smoke, super clean burning target load. I can easily go 100 rounds or more without cleaning.
Add a vegetable fiber wad behind the bullet and you have a low smoke, super clean burning target load. I can easily go 100 rounds or more without cleaning.
Ignition Override
New member
Is Break Free adequate for removing lead in any rifle such as the Romanian M-69 .22 Trainer, or is it better to use the very strong Hoppe's #9?
Most of the ammo tends to be Blazer etc.
Most of the ammo tends to be Blazer etc.
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spacecoast
New member
Model 29 is a .44 mag... must be another model... 28?
L_Killkenny
New member
Cheaper yes, not necessarily more accurate. Don't have to be pushed slower, proper sizing and/or gas checks solves any issues. Most purchased cast bullets are hardcast and won't have any issues holding together. Folks casting their own can tailor bullets to what they need/want. You don't have to scrub the bore when switching from bare lead to cast and visa versa. As a matter of fact shooting a few jacketed rounds after shooting bare lead can remove some minimal fouling. About the only thing right here is the flat nosed bullets not feeding very well with a big emphasis on "may not" and the same issue would also go towards flat nosed jacketed bullets. And yes, bullet casting can take a lot of time, equipment though can be minimal. Me? I have trouble finding time to reload let alone to cast so I buy all the bullets I shoot.
To the OP, buy some and give it a try. Not really any reason not too.
FrankenMauser
New member
Shooting jacketed bullets after lead bullets does not really remove leading. It mainly just helps iron it out, polish it up, force it deeper into the pores and machine marks, and make it much more difficult to remove.
Get the lead out when you see it. Don't make things worse for yourself, based on an old myth.
Dfariswheel
New member
Is Break Free adequate for removing lead in any rifle such as the Romanian M-69 .22 Trainer, or is it better to use the very strong Hoppe's #9?
Hoppe's will do somewhat a better or faster job, but to remove leading from a .22 barrel you also need to use a bronze bore brush with the solvent.
No bore solvent that's remotely safe to use around humans can "dissolve" leading. Removal takes some time and a brush.
For larger bores, you can buy a Lewis Lead Remover kit from Brownell's. These are available for pistols and for rifles. They don't make one for .22, but if you own a larger caliber rifle or pistol you shoot with lead bullets, a Lewis kit is almost a necessity for good maintenance.
The Lewis kit removes leading quickly and without any risk to the bore.
As a matter of fact shooting a few jacketed rounds after shooting bare lead can remove some minimal fouling.
This can also blow a ring or bulge in the barrel.
When a jacketed bullet is fired down a leaded bore, the bullet has to try to force most of the leading out in front of it.
If the leading is just a little too heavy the bullet can't push it out of the way fast enough and the high pressures can bulge or ring the bore.
People get away with doing this for years, then they shoot a different load or shoot just a little more then normal and are shocked to find a bulge in the barrel.
Hoppe's will do somewhat a better or faster job, but to remove leading from a .22 barrel you also need to use a bronze bore brush with the solvent.
No bore solvent that's remotely safe to use around humans can "dissolve" leading. Removal takes some time and a brush.
For larger bores, you can buy a Lewis Lead Remover kit from Brownell's. These are available for pistols and for rifles. They don't make one for .22, but if you own a larger caliber rifle or pistol you shoot with lead bullets, a Lewis kit is almost a necessity for good maintenance.
The Lewis kit removes leading quickly and without any risk to the bore.
As a matter of fact shooting a few jacketed rounds after shooting bare lead can remove some minimal fouling.
This can also blow a ring or bulge in the barrel.
When a jacketed bullet is fired down a leaded bore, the bullet has to try to force most of the leading out in front of it.
If the leading is just a little too heavy the bullet can't push it out of the way fast enough and the high pressures can bulge or ring the bore.
People get away with doing this for years, then they shoot a different load or shoot just a little more then normal and are shocked to find a bulge in the barrel.