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Author
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Topic: Loading hardcast
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Aaron Rhoades
Knows what it's all about
Member # 4234
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posted May 20, 2015 06:56 AM
What do you guys know about loading hardcast lead? I'm loading for a 10mm. The bullets I'm using are 180gr lubed with no gas check. I started at 7.5gr Longshot 1100fps and barrel was leading. 2 inch streaks starting at chamber end. I dropped the charge to 6.5gr 1000fps and very little leading but still a slight bit. I have some loaded up at 6gr that I haven't shot yet, should be at 950fps. Is there a certain fps number I need to stay below when shooting lead?
Posts: 155 | From: Washington | Registered: Oct 2012
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted May 20, 2015 07:30 AM
I know a lot more about things that go `twang` than things that go `bang` but a guy that I once shot handguns with was running some pretty hot lead loads. When done shooting he would fire a handful of copper jacketed loads to "squeegee the lead out of the barrel".
I guess it worked for him........YMMV.
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 7576 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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booger
TOO BIG TO FAIL
Member # 3602
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posted May 20, 2015 08:45 AM
Aaron,
I certainly am not an expert by any means, but I did finance a bullet caster many moons ago and learned a bit about the business.
When you say hard cast, do you happen to know the percentage of lead/tin/antimony in the bullets? Most of the hard cast I am familiar with is a 92/2/6 mix. If you have a mix such as this, there shouldn’t be any need for a gas check. Sounds like you might have the harder cast mix.
An easy check to see if it is really lead in the barrel is to put part of a paper towel over a dry bore brush and run it slowly through the bore. If it is leading, it will streak gray on the paper. If it is simply carbon fouling, it will be darker, almost black. I took the barrel off my 1911 and took it to the guy that ran the business and we did this in his shop. I had to back off my powder charge of W-231 a bit and I didn’t have any more leading issues. I also believe I went to a .452 cast bullet diameter from the .451 that I was using.
I shoot hard cast in my .45 ACP, .357 and .44 Mags. You have to watch closely how the bullets are sized. My .357’s are sized .358, but the .44’s can be sized from .429 to .431, depending upon the sizer that the bullet maker uses. Like I said above, I believe my ACP’s are sized .452.
It is best to try and use a bullet that is close to what a jacketed bullet would be sized or just a tad bigger…as I am not familiar with 10mm, you would know better. A .357 jacketed bullet is usually sized .357, so I use a .358 hard cast--my .44's are sized .431. You will get a bit of leading with a hard cast bullet if they are undersized a bit, too.
I backed off my favorite powder charges with the same weight jacketed bullet a grain or 1.5 grains when I started working up my loads—it was just a SWAG amount. There is no real magical number to try and hit, mainly trial and error.
Hope this helps!
[ May 20, 2015, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: booger ]
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If we ever forget we are one Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under--Ronald Reagan
Posts: 911 | From: Bob Dole Country | Registered: Apr 2010
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Aaron Rhoades
Knows what it's all about
Member # 4234
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posted May 21, 2015 05:35 AM
Booger, I do not know the bullet mixture, I heard something about linotype and that's all I know.
Posts: 155 | From: Washington | Registered: Oct 2012
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booger
TOO BIG TO FAIL
Member # 3602
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posted May 21, 2015 05:55 AM
That's more than OK...linotype is very hard, so what I would do is back off on the powder until you don't see any leading and go from there.
Here is a link to a bullet caster pretty close to where I live. He is a jackass as a person, but knows his stuff on bullets.
This is a bit of information on how to get the lead out, (no pun intended!), of your barrel if it is really caked in there.
http://www.proshootpro.com/support.htm
I have found that if you don't try and drive the bullets too fast, you will be OK.
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If we ever forget we are one Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under--Ronald Reagan
Posts: 911 | From: Bob Dole Country | Registered: Apr 2010
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted May 21, 2015 07:30 AM
I just have to wonder how many of the younger generation understand exactly what "linotype" is?
When I was in high school, I took print shop. They had a Linotype machine. Very large, actually but it creates a whole LINE OF TYPE. The operator has a keyboard and as he creates a sentence, the machine turns melted lead into a whole line of newsprint which is stacked into a column and from there, goes to the printing press. So, since this line of type actually has to have a roller pass over a sheet of paper covering it, it's a relatively hard alloy of lead. Actually, there was placed a sheet of hard cardboard over an assembled page of linotype, which was then molded and that was the actual printing medium that was attached to a rotating drum.
If you were to look at the above sentence, all of those lines are stacked into a compact and manageable group of cast typeface.
Now, back in the old days, type was set by hand from a tray, one letter at a time, including what was called en quads and em quads, which were spacers to fill out a line and between words. These individual "letters" were made of hard metal, (some kind of durable steel with a groove on one side for orientation. Setting type by hand required much attention because "b's" and "p's" and "q's" all looked the same, except for the location of the groove. It is the true origin of the expresion; "Watch your P's and Q's". (but in lower cap)
I did all of it, set type by hand and on the "Linotype" machine. It's a technology that is probably very hard to imagine for the younger generation sitting at a keyboard and punching letters electronically. Or, more likely on their iphone. And, of course, if reading about "linotype" here, they would most likely say: WHO GIVES A SHIT?
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
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Posts: 31450 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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NVWalt
Does not claim to be overly bright!
Member # 375
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posted May 24, 2015 04:20 AM
I'd be checking my boolit size. Usually leading happens from too small a diameter boolit.
You want to find out more just drop in on the cast boolit site. Full of info for you to ponder over.
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Posts: 636 | From: Tellico Plains, TN | Registered: Aug 2004
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