Finally got to burn brushpiles today.

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swampratt

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Bullet size in much more critical in my testing than is hardness..Yes you need a bit harder bullet if you wish to speed or create more pressure with it.
I feel many hard cast bullets sold today are too hard.

Much reading on lead hardness .
Water dropped alloy with the right alloy will continue to harden up to about 2 week period.
Air cooled seems to gain 3-4 hardness numbers over that time span.
So if you are checking hardness the day of you will be off on the number a bit.

some links to read through. I am sure there are a million more. I have read a bunch of them.
I have not checked my alloy hardness ever..But I do know straight clip on wheel weight with nothing more added and water dropped will shoot fine in my 30-30 at 2000 fps and fine in my 6" 357 mag at 1376 fps for 170gr both gas checked and lubed

If I cut the alloy with soft lead by 50% it shoots fine in 45acp and all velocities and at 1,100 fps in 357 mag it is happy.


https://thefiringline.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-375283.html
http://www.lasc.us/heattreat.htm
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?67640-Effects-of-age-hardening-on-our-cast-bullets
 

Dumpstick

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Yeah, I'm using air cooled 50/50 + 1%Sn - that's clip on wheel weights (CWW)/soft sheet lead (Pb) + tin (Sn).

I'm running that at 1350fps, gas checked, as a 358156 (161g checked and lubed) from a 6.5" Ruger Blackhawk.
No problems, no leading, and as accurate as I am.

Just weighed those ingots, came up with 84 pounds. That, plus 5.5 lbs of SWW (stick on) gets me 90 lbs from that bucket of weights.

Not bad, for $30.
 

swampratt

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Man that is excellent!
You can't argue with success with the loads you have proven.
I have had more problems with real hard lead than the softer stuff.
I did make some with silver in them a few times.. just because I wanted "werewolves" ammo for bragging rights you know :)
 

OKCHunter

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My results have been different - maybe it is a sizing issue. I mixed CWW with stick-on WW, 1:1, and came up with soft bullets (7-8 BHN on a Saeco). I shot them in a 45 ACP and had a significant leading issue. Maybe part of the problem is there is not a standard alloy for CWW.
 

swampratt

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I water drop all my lead bullets into cold water in a 5 gallon bucket I can run 2/3 soft to 1/3 clip on wheel weight.
NO stick on weights in my mix of clip on.
I found rapid firing in my 45acp will lead the barrel..like shooting a full mag as fast as you can pull the trigger..a few magazines later and I have some leading.
Lubed with LLA.

But in all fairness my bullets are smaller than Groove diameter by .001" where they should be at least .0005" larger than groove diameter. BUT my 2 Hi-Point pistols are .4535 groove diameter. And I can't make bullets that fat and have them chamber in any case.

I slugged all my pistols before I went any farther with load development or bullet sizing.. something that really needs to be done if you are going to shoot lead.
 

OKCHunter

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I water drop all my lead bullets into cold water in a 5 gallon bucket I can run 2/3 soft to 1/3 clip on wheel weight.
NO stick on weights in my mix of clip on.
I found rapid firing in my 45acp will lead the barrel..like shooting a full mag as fast as you can pull the trigger..a few magazines later and I have some leading.
Lubed with LLA.

But in all fairness my bullets are smaller than Groove diameter by .001" where they should be at least .0005" larger than groove diameter. BUT my 2 Hi-Point pistols are .4535 groove diameter. And I can't make bullets that fat and have them chamber in any case.

I slugged all my pistols before I went any farther with load development or bullet sizing.. something that really needs to be done if you are going to shoot lead.
Yep - I've been thinking the same thing. I need to slug the barrels and get the sizing to spec. for my cast bullets. I've just been going with the SAAMI standards for the barrels and then sizing accordingly.
 

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Definitely slug the barrel of that 45acp. It should easily take softer lead without fouling. Those run at what, 850fps or so ?
I would think a diameter problem more than anything.
Run as fat a bullet as you can chamber. If it'll chamber, it'll shoot.
 

swampratt

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.4525" for my 45acp in any case will chamber and shoot good enough.
.357" in my 357 as the barrel slugs at .3565" and the cylinder throats are .357"
If I go larger than throat The bullets need pushed really hard to enter If I seat really long and larger leaves a bunch of lead around the forcing cone.

.309" works great in all my rifles that are 30 cal.
 

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