LEE TL430-240-SWC .....How fast can it go?

[Southern Shooter]

I am going to be loading up some Lee TL430-240-SWC using water-quenched clip-on wheel weights. Lube will be 45/45/10 mixture of Johnson's Paste Wax (JPW), Lee Liquid Alox (LLA) and odorless mineral spirits (MS).

Question: (If there is a fair fit of the boolit, chamber throat, and bore)...generally, how fast can these bullets be pushed?

61951

[MtGun44]

No fixed answer - just as well ask "How high is up?"

Different guns, powders, alloy variation, diameter of boolit, diam of throat, groove diam,
smoothness of barrel, and more will all come into play.

A broad, general comment is that WQ to make it harder does not really gain you resistance
to leading, and TL is a marginal lube system which will frequently work best at mild pressures
and velocities. BUT - you may have a gun which, when the particular boolit is fitted perfectly
and if it "likes" that lube, may go to high velocity. I doubt you will see much success beyond
800-1000 fps, but I don't use TL anymore. Also depends on what you define as success.
Really accurate, OK accurate or just no leading or what?

Good luck.

Bill

[Southern Shooter]

Edited original post

[rintinglen]

Glue one to the front end of an SR-71 and it can make Mach III.
But seriously, those tumble lube designs work better at "Special" velocities, not Magnum. You can drive them fast, if carefully sized and fit to the gun, but they were designed to be used as cast, for practice or plinking ammunition. They work best in that application. I'd confine them to "Skeeter" loads, 7.5 grains of Unique in a 44 Special, or 9.5 grains in a Magnum case for 900-1000Fps. For hotter loads, I'd go with a conventional Keith type boolit, such as the RCBS 44-250 SWC or Lyman 429-421. No flies on that recluse formula lube, just bear in mind that faster means thicker, if you don't like leading. Double dipping is your friend.

[ShooterAZ]

I was able to get 1200+/- fps in my .44 RBH with that same boolit/lube combo. Accuracy was not very good though, to say the least. I bought TL style molds when I first started casting because I didn't know any better. I found that most were not to my liking. The only one out of 5 different molds that gave acceptable results for me was the 38-158-RN TL. I have since sold all my TL molds and bought a lube sizer and conventional style molds. Life is much better now:).

[Kraschenbirn]

I don't shoot that Lee TL boolit - don't have the mould - but do shoot the 200 gr. Lee RNFP lubed with 45/45/10 in my 1894 Marlin at around 1250 fps without any appreciable leading. Boolits are cast from 50/50 range scrap/COWWs, water-quenched, and loaded 'as cast' (unsized). Group size runs about 2" @ 50 yds...which seems to be about par for an iron-sighted, 20" carbine.

Bill

[Southern Shooter]

My hopes were for about 1,000-1,100 FPS.

[Larry Gibson]

My hopes were for about 1,000-1,100 FPS.

That is certainly doable in a 4"+ barreled revolver or a rifle in the 44 Magnum cartridge (you didn't say?). I would suggest adding 2% tin to the COWWs for a better alloy that will fill out in the mould better. I also suggest, if you get any leading at all, to try TLing the bullets in straight LLA as per the instructions, let dry and then push base first through a .430 or .431 Lee sizer. Load over 8.5 - 10 gr will give you what you want quite nicely.......does for me anyway with the same bullet.

Larry Gibson

[Southern Shooter]

**Larry Gibson**

That is certainly doable in a 4"+ barreled revolver or a rifle in the 44 Magnum cartridge (you didn't say?)....Load over 8.5 - 10 gr will give you what you want quite nicely

Yes, these would be shot in .44 Magnum handguns. Ruger Blackhawks with 6 1/2" barrels and a S&W 629 with a 4" barrel.

Is that 8.5 - 10 grains of Unique?


if you get any leading at all, to try TLing the bullets in straight LLA as per the instructions, let dry and then push base first through a .430 or .431 Lee sizer.

What does pushing them base first through the sizer do?

[Larry Gibson]

Yes that is Unique and I find 8.5 gr Unique to be a really pleasent and accurate load with 240-250 gr cast and that load does well with the Lee TL240. Many find 9 - 9.5 gr to be good also, just depends on the power level you are looking for and the accuracy you get.

However, most of the time I put that bullet, cast realatively soft out of range lead + lead, over 6 gr of Bullseye in magnum cases for an economic yet very accurate load that is just a tudge more than the standard factory 44 SPL load.

Larry Gibson

[44man]

I use the RD tumble lube boolit in my .44 and it shoots as fast as the weight can go with 296. No leading and superb accuracy with 1-1/4" at 100 yards common from my old SBH.
BUT I use Felix lube or one of Lar's lubes, NEVER a TL snot ball.
The TL designs take to a good lube like a duck to water.
I have given away many, many bottles of Alox just for the postage because there is nothing you can mix with it that works for me. I wish Lee would remove it from the size die kits and reduce the price, I DON'T WANT IT!
That water dropped boolit at 240 gr will do near 1500 fps with the right lube from the .44.