Anyone load lead

[392heminut]

If you can find them, Bear Creek Supply's molycoated bullets...very clean, never had a fouling issue with them.

 

Jon

^^^^This! I shoot a LOT of 40 S&W and when I discovered Bear Creek bullets I never looked back.

[planeflyer21]

Where do you get yours 392?

 

I was buying them locally but dude has ZIP in stock recently.

 

Jon

[OhThreeOhTwo]

I suggest you "nay sayers" visit the "cast boolits".com forum. There is  a "sticky" on cast in an M1A in the military weapons section, now the growing trend is cast in 223 AR's. 

It's not brain sugery , just taylor the size of the bullet, and the alloy to the powder charge [pressure] to the specific weapon. I'm getting  1.5" 8 shot groups at 100 yds with my M1A. {always two fliers out of 10 shot groups]  AND have test loads ready for my AR-10T

[brandondparris]

And this is NOT Gun Buyers Anonoymus !  <laughs>

Wait a minute... This isn't gun buyers anonymous? I must have typed the wrong address!

[OhThreeOhTwo]

# 1. rule. cast bullets must be a tight fit in the weapons throat, nor bore but throat. With weapons like M1A, M1, AK's ect. that you cannot easly slug the rifles throat go 3 to 4 thousandts  over bore ID, ie, 30 Cal. go .310-.312,  for the AK / SKS .313-.314. Unless you can buy cast bullets sized larger than the usual .309 you are just going to make noise, might be good for letting children & grand children shoot at close ranges, but nothing more

 Photo shows a test group out of an M1A shot at 100 yds using a 200 gn. cast bullet sized .311

 

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

 look at the MILITARY RIFLES forum

Edited June 29, 2013 by OhThreeOhTwo

[seasprite]

I haven't been over at cast boolits in a while I guess I'm going to go and take a look. Thanks for the info Ohthreeohtwo

[Kxrider235]

Hey All,

 

Not new to reloading or casting but I have been limited to pistol calibers (casting) only. With the limited supply of reloading components we are currently experiencing I have been considering and exploring the possibility of using gas checked lead bullets in my AR's (1-15, 1-DPMS 308). Everything I have read is that the gas check is supposed to prevent leading because the check is blocking the powder ignition from reaching the lead. Now we all know gas checked lead is no substitute for jacketed. Jacketed bullets can be pushed in excess of 4000 FPS. I wouldn't push a straight lead bullet to anything more than about 1000 FPS. Gas Check lead would probably be around 1800 FPS. In addition to the gas check a good moly bullet lube would be used.

 

I was looking into swaging my own bullets but the price nearly gave me a heart attack! With around 500 lbs of lead wheel weights hanging around the idea peaked my curiosity.

 

Opinions?

 

Thanks

Jim

[planeflyer21]

I know a dude that makes his own ammo...powder, projectiles, can fashion primers, only reuses the brass (but I don't doubt he can fashion workable cartridges).

 

He's able to push both .30-06 and 7.62x54R to 1,800fps with no discernable leading and no gas check.

 

For those using store bought powder, there seems to be a general consensus that powder burn-rate determines how fast you can push alloy-X down your barrel.  Fast burning powders expose the projectile to the heat source for less time.

 

While I've not loaded lead for the gas guns, what OhThreeOhTwo says above about oversize boolits bears true for handguns and manual-action rifles I've been giving homemade pills.  I did a few "Ruger Only" .45 Colt loads with Red Dot and 255gr RNFP cast (no GC) that should've been well over 1,300 fps and never had any leading.

 

Swaging is beyond my price range.  Well, maybe not price range but beyond my cheap factor.

[bubbasks]

For 22 projos try making em from 22 short,long and mag casing. Guy gave me a few 100 and shoot fantastic. http://www.corbins.com/prrfjm.htm

[Tripledeuce]

   I figgured it out a few years ago, when we had "the last shortage".    By the time I bought the dies, casings ( other than .22) lead and what not, I was better off saving my money, and buying bulk when the re-supply was back.

    It takes a LOT of bullets to pay for those dies!  And bigger press, if you need one!

    Respectfully

    Terry

[392heminut]

  I did a few "Ruger Only" .45 Colt loads with Red Dot and 255gr RNFP cast (no GC) that should've been well over 1,300 fps and never had any leading.

 

 

Was that those 'howitzer' loads you had at Casa Grande? :eek7:

[planeflyer21]

Oh no, not those tame loads ya'll shot.  <laughs>   Those were 300gr JHP over 18gr of Lil'Gun.  Not positive off the top of my head but I want to say the max published Lil'Gun load on those is 20.3gr???

 

The 255s weren't bad at all really.  No, seriously.

[392heminut]

Well Jon, all I can say is you're a better man than I Gunga Din! :ugone2far:

[planeflyer21]

Starting a different thread.

[Boerboel guy]

It depends on if you are pushing them super or subsonic. There are plenty of guys shooting subsonic lead bullets out of 300blk gas guns with no issues with leading.

I wouldn't push them supersonic though. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it would be to get lead buildup out of a gas tube or gas block area.