New caster-need help with leading in barrel

[hawaii five-0]

I'm casting using 100% coww that are water dropped. The mold is Lee's 230 grain .300 AAC Projo. Lube is liquid Alox(applied liberally). The barrel is a stainless 10.2 inch Noveske with 1-7 twist ratio. When bullets were loaded, case mouths were expanded and I used a factory crimp die to take the expansion out, but didn't crimp them(just enough to remove expansion). Projo's are flying at 975-1025 fps. The leading is only occurring in the last 3 inches of barrel and on the crown. Leading in barrel is streaking that follows rifling. Stacked against the land. Stuff on crown is from microscopic particles bouncing off my flash hider. If I can eliminate the barrel leading, the crown leading is sure to follow (might just leave flash hider off while shooting cast boolits). What can I do to fix this problem? Are my bullets too hard?

[runfiverun]

I would try the not water dropped version first.
the boolit/lube combination isn't making it past the pressure drop off point.

[mdi]

"I used a factory crimp die to take the expansion out", this sounds suspicious. Have you pulled and measured a bullet after you take out the expansion? Bullet to barrel fit is king when shooting lead "projos", and smoothing out the case after seating a bullet may be swaging down the bullet so the OD is too small...

[hawaii five-0]

Well, I am new to casting. I understand you need to flair the case mouths as no to damage projo, how does one get rid of the flair? If I just set my seating die at correct depth, will it take out flair? I have Lee die

[captaint]

It sounds like you're getting rid of flare the way most of us do. Just be careful not to go any further than you have to, just remove the flare, no more. AND you may be simply running out of lube, although with a 10 inch barrel, that's not all that likely. Try skipping the water drop program - if that doesn't work, try a different lube. I know, easy for me to say..... Mike And another thing - lots of guys have found success with the 45/45/10 Recluse recipie. Might try that.

[hawaii five-0]

I have read that smearing along rifling is usually caused by hard bullets.What type of leading is consistant with crimp damage? Also, would it be advisable to take off muzzle device with cast projo's?

[mdi]

Is the Lee factory crimp die you're using the collet type? or the carbide ring? The best tool I've found for removing case mouth flare is a taper crimp die...

[MtGun44]

Leading at the front seems likely to be running out of lube. Double dip or try a real
lube. I have never tried in that fast a twist, but it seems that some recommend
slower twists for best results with boolits, although that is a fairly heavy
one, so it will need around 1:10 at least, I would guess. I suspect that your
low velocity is helping in twist department.

I think your clear comments on "didn't crimp" and fairly hard boolit should mean
you are getting the diam you started with, but it cannot hurt to pull one
and see.

I note you do not mention diameter. I hope you are useing .310 or .311, if not
try that. Small and hard are very often the entire problem. Add in a marginal
lube like mule snot and you can have a problem.

Bill

[Maximumbob54]

The rifle version of the LFCD doesn't swage anything down. As noted above size them to .310 or .311. The mold you are using is a tumble lube mold. You could try to pan lube these bullets and use a cake cutter made from an old case opened up just enough and even better once pan lubed then tumble lube them. Search out "White Label Lube" and order some of their pre mixed 45/45/10 lube. Drop a slug into the bottle and shake the heck out of it each time you use it for tumble lube. You should also be able to dip these in the liquid lube and set them out on wax paper. The excess lube left on the paper can be scraped off and returned to the jug. A bit of mineral spirit can be added if it ever gets too thick from all the old lube. I've not had to add any yet. Look up how your barrel is made. Not many are out there but some come with the last few inches of bore get tight to swage the bullet down to increase accuracy. I think the Lothar barrels are made or some are made in that manner. I want to say I've read Colt Python barrels do the same but I can't remember for sure.

[hawaii five-0]

Bullet diameter is .309. Barrel is Noveske stainless. Lee factory crimp die for .300 AAC is collet type.

[dromia]

Looks like the boolits are undersize what does your barrel groove and bore diameters slug out at?

Looks like undersize boolits, too hard an alloy and poor lube perfomance.

An M style die is far more effective for case mouth expanding than a flare die. It opens the neck up to the correct size for your boolit, gives a step for square seating and usually doesn't need a flare taking off.

[btroj]

I am with Run. Bullet is sealing the bore just fine with some pressure behind it. At some point in the barrel the pressure is dropping below what is needed to keep that seal. That is the "drop off point" he mentioned. The bullet then "relaxes" just enough to allow for gas leakage.

A slightly softer alloy may keep that from occurring. Either that or bump the pressure up farther down the barrel with a slower powder.

A better lube wouldn't hurt

[Wayne Smith]

Caliber? Cartridge? It is easy to make assumptions but I learned long ago that it means "*** u me" and I try not to do it any more.

[plainsman456]

I would look at the lube first.

[hawaii five-0]

Thanks for all the valuable information. I will use a softer alloy, more/better lube, try without crimp die, and measure every bullet.