School me on loading lead bullets

Posted By: Frogeye

School me on loading lead bullets - 06/29/22 11:46 PM

I've always preferred lead bullets. I've got some .452 diameter 230 lrn I want to load. Also have some .357 diameter 158 grain swc. Both are hardness 15. Got H110 and Unique. Any pointers on using lead? Got about 400 45acp tumbling now.

Posted By: Jtb51b

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 06/30/22 09:11 PM

I have shot a lot of it. Some barrels dont do well with lead. I have loaded 38 with unique a LOT, just dont push em hard. The 45 ACP I am not sure what I would use. I think I used HP38 last time out myself.

Jason

Posted By: Frogeye

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 06/30/22 11:11 PM

Thanks jtb, leading is my concern. The 45's are a thousandth over and from what I've read that is supposed to prevent it. The 38's aren't oversized so I wondered about them. The bullets aren't designed for gas checks and come prelubed.

Posted By: dave260rem!

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/01/22 01:12 PM

Under 1000 fps and you'll be good. Unique would be my choice for both loads.

Posted By: Ar-Humter

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/08/22 11:18 PM

If these dont have any lube on them, powder coat them then resize and load them as fast as you want. I load powder coated bullets in lots of calibers and have had no leading issues. Bullets that have gas check help control leading more than plain base.

In fact ive shot lead bullets for 10+ years in my Ruger Super Redhawk 454 Casull and have never had any leading. A properly sized bullet that is sufficiently hard shouldn't lead your barrel. 45/70 all the way to 223 and all barrels are clean with no leading using a bore scope to confirm i dont have any.

Posted By: roadkill

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/08/22 11:38 PM

I shoot them. As already said just don't push them too fast. use Them in four 1911s and a Sig 220. Regarding accuracy I shoot lead and fmj equally bad so I can't see a difference.

Posted By: Frogeye

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/09/22 03:38 AM

Thanks guys, to be honest I've never loaded any type other than bottleneck rifle cartridges. I made my first stab at it this week, loaded some 45's. Every thing about it was weird. My brass were all shorter than the trim length. Expanded the necks just enough to seat the bullet, crimped just enough to get the bell out and seated to the COL from my manual. Then I compared to some factory FMJ loads. My reloads were substantially shorter. Well, if/when I get a chance to try them out I'll give a report.

Oh, and I just loaded by the manual 5.7 and 6.1 grains unique, "should" be 800 and 850 fps, according to the manual iirc.

Posted By: Frogeye

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/09/22 03:40 AM

And I definitely ain't a good shot, not by a long ways.

One more thing, unless I can find some more large pistol primers soon, I may be trying to use large pistol magnums. Large pistol is what I'm shortest on, pretty good to real good on others.

Posted By: nitroexpress

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/09/22 10:19 AM

Reloading cast boolits is a bit different. Main two areas of difference to me is the importance of diameter. Lead cast boolits in most cases should be on average.002-.003 larger than groove diameter. The other is throat fit. Make sure your casting lead is NOT any harder than it needs to be. Lots of leading issues come fron lead that is too hard, and pushing it too fast. If you keep your rifle velocities below 1900 fps and gas check the base most problematic issues don't occur. Most all my rifle loads average 14 in BHN hardness. Handgun is 12-13 in hardness. Hand gun. Only gas checked boolit in handgun is for 44 magnum. All the rest are plain base.
Here's a look at some calibers both long gun and handgun.

Posted By: birdcarver

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/10/22 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by nitroexpress

Reloading cast boolits is a bit different. Main two areas of difference to me is the importance of diameter. Lead cast boolits in most cases should be on average.002-.003 larger than groove diameter. The other is throat fit. Make sure your casting lead is NOT any harder than it needs to be. Lots of leading issues come fron lead that is too hard, and pushing it too fast. If you keep your rifle velocities below 1900 fps and gas check the base most problematic issues don't occur. Most all my rifle loads average 14 in BHN hardness. Handgun is 12-13 in hardness. Hand gun. Only gas checked boolit in handgun is for 44 magnum. All the rest are plain base.
Here's a look at some calibers both long gun and handgun.

Can you show couple picks of loaded bullets with gas checks

Posted By: nitroexpress

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/11/22 08:19 PM

30-30 GC.

30-30 loaded.

30-06 GC 210 grain. GC loaded.

30-06 210 grain GC.

210 grain loaded in 300 Weatherby.

210 loaded in 30-06. I use this in my 30-40 krag too.

12 mm hard cast GC.

12mm Remington GC loaded in 50 Alaskan case.

Posted By: Frogeye

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/12/22 02:37 AM

That's impressive. I see Concho, the only other place I've ever lived besides here was Tucson.

Posted By: Frogeye

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/12/22 02:40 AM

What would be considered the one best source of info on making, pouring, sizing, gas checks, velocities, etc. for making/shooting lead projectiles?

Posted By: dave260rem!

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/12/22 03:38 AM

The Lyman books and start reading Mike Venturino in American Handgunner.

Posted By: Frogeye

Re: School me on loading lead bullets - 07/13/22 02:46 AM

Is everything that is in the 4th editions cast bullet handbook in the 49, 50 , 51 editions of the lyman reloading handbook? Just thinking no need to have both if everything is in one of them.