Working with store bought cast bullets

[Animal]

Hey guys, I'm wondering if there would be any benefit to lubing and or sizing some cast bullets that I bought. They are 158gr .357-.358 in diameter with a blue lube. I don't know much else about them, except that they are from Bullet Works. I get a pretty good amount of leading (mostly at forcing cone) at all velocities from slow .38spl to hot .357mags. I don't know how to lube or size bullets but I'd like to learn... Would anyone consider this necessary?

[Jupiter7]

They are probably hard and undersized relative to your bore. Not much you can do with that. Sell 'em, melt 'em or shoot 'em. FWIW, I started casting for less $ than 1k commercial cast would have cost me.

[Bzcraig]

Jupiter is right boolits are undersized. You need to slug your barrel for sure and since you are shooting a wheel gun, go to the wheel gun forum. You will learn much about the many nuances of shooting cast from a revolver. Hang out here a lot! Welcome aboard.

[waksupi]

Good answers. That is why you shouldn't buy commercial boolits from any one but the reputable dealers found in the vendor section here.

[RobS]

I would definitely slug the throat and barrel then ensure that the barrel's groove diameter is smaller than the throats. An easy way to see if the barrel is smaller than the throats simply take the barrel slug and see if it goes through the cylinder throats. I prefer to size at or a bit over my cylinder throats. Those bullets may be ok for the bore of your revolver but the cylinder throats may be too small.

As a way to possibly help with the leading some people have applied a tumble lube coat over the top of the commercial bullet. No need to take out the current lube just tumble lube or dip the bullets as they are and let dry. I've never done this myself but others have had success in eliminating leading from commercial cast this route.

[mdi]

They are probably hard and undersized relative to your bore. Not much you can do with that. Sell 'em, melt 'em or shoot 'em. FWIW, I started casting for less $ than 1k commercial cast would have cost me.
Unfortunately, Jupiter is right. Many (if not most/all) commercial casters make their bullets way too hard to stand up to shipping. Also the lube is often too hard for the same reason. Some commercial castes will offer the bullets in several diameters per caliber, so you can get bullets to fit your gun...

[leadman]

Take one of the bullets and try to slip it into the cylinder throats. If it has clearance and can move side to side they are too small. If they take just as bit of pressure to push in the throats and/or have no side to side clearance coat them with Lee alox and shoot them.

If they still lead then slug your barrel and compare it to the cylinder throats. Ideally you want the throats just a little larger than the barrel. While doing so if there is a tight spot where the barrel screws into the frame this is a constriction and will have to be dealt with. Go to the revolver section and read up on how to get rid of it.

[unique]

I have found commercial cast sized at .358 just fine size-wise for my revolvers. They are too hard (including the lube) as many pointed out which can result in some leading. A solution I found was to load them up as is and then 'wax' the exposed boolit with JPW. Doesn't take much and leaves a light film like that found on 22lr and leading is reduced significantly.

[MtGun44]

If they are .358, give them a try, you will probably be pleased with the results.

Bill

[Animal]

Ok guys, thanks for all your input. I'm going to see if I can find some good sinkers or lead balls and try to slug my throats and barrel this weekend. I'll also see if I can find some Lee Liquid Alox at my LGS and try tumble lubing them. I hope it all works out well. Thanks.

[runfiverun]

the area where the leading is tells me something other than the boolit is at fault.
most often the area you describe is mechanical leading from the gun itself, not from the static fit of the boolit.

[btroj]

I shot some under sized, .356, hard commercial cast bullets once. Bore was leaded from end to end. I could dang near mine the lead! After 25 shots the bullets were hitting the target sideways.

Leading in the rear of the barrel only doesn't sound like undersized bullets. Undersized would lead the entire barrel.

[jlchucker]

You can always melt down those commercial boolits into ingots, to be used in your own mold later. Whenever I get lucky enough to snap up commercial hard boolits with blue lube, at a real bargain, that's what I do. Then when I cast, I mix my melt with a little pure lead, size my own-cast boolits to fit the gun I'm going to use them in, and lube them with LS Stuff's 50-50 mix. I think that blue stuff that the commercial people use is better suited to neat packaging than for actual lubing--at least in the guns that I use. That blue stuff does seem to make for a decent flux when you are melting down undersize boolits. In my opinion, if you make your own boolits, you will be in full control the sizing and lubing of every boolit you shoot through whichever gun you're going to shoot them out of.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Sounds like they could be undersized. But as far as lubing goes, I have tumble lubed all the commercial bullets I've bought for several years now. It's cheap and easy and I've had fewer leading issues. I just use straight Lee Alox.

[Animal]

I've been told that "fire lapping" may be needed... Any thoughts on this procedure? I'm not sure what exactly it is, but it sounds aggressive on the barrel. Thoughts?

I slugged my cylinders at .3595 and .3590. I checked a few more bullets and many of them are at .3565! Sheesh! the barrel land at .3470 and the grooves at .3545

[RobS]

No need to fire lap a barrel unless you have issues i.e. very rough tooling marks or a tight spot in the barrel. One place of some constrictions are where the barrel and frame screw together. From your measurements the bullets are large enough for the bore which is important but they are a bit smallish for the cylinder throats but many revolvers shoot accurately with bullets under the cylinder throats. Try the Lee Liquid Alox first and then I would try to get yourself some cast bullets that are sized right and have good lube on them and then go from there.

[AABEN]

Try Lee liquid alox bullet lube. This is a very easy lube to use a can with a lid will work very good to lube them. Try a little it goes a long way. GOOD LUCK

[Animal]

No need to fire lap a barrel unless you have issues i.e. very rough tooling marks or a tight spot in the barrel. One place of some constrictions are where the barrel and frame screw together. From your measurements the bullets are large enough for the bore which is important but they are a bit smallish for the cylinder throats but many revolvers shoot accurately with bullets under the cylinder throats. Try the Lee Liquid Alox first and then I would try to get yourself some cast bullets that are sized right and have good lube on them and then go from there.

RobS, I fired some light magnums with .358 bullets. 3.8gr HP38 and a Fed 100SPP. The leading was less significant with 21 rounds, but it still caked up just forward of the forcing cone. I've read up on this and it sounds like there is a 'constriction' where the barrel screws into the frame. The remedy, according to many is fire-lapping. Another member of this forum is sending me some cast .359 boolits to try out. I'm going to see how they work before I invest any money in molds or lapping kits. I hope the .359 boolits do the trick.

[Animal]

No need to fire lap a barrel unless you have issues i.e. very rough tooling marks or a tight spot in the barrel. One place of some constrictions are where the barrel and frame screw together. From your measurements the bullets are large enough for the bore which is important but they are a bit smallish for the cylinder throats but many revolvers shoot accurately with bullets under the cylinder throats. Try the Lee Liquid Alox first and then I would try to get yourself some cast bullets that are sized right and have good lube on them and then go from there.

RobS, I fired some light magnums with .358 bullets. 3.8gr HP38 and a Fed 100SPP. The leading was less significant with 21 rounds, but it still caked up just forward of the forcing cone. I've read up on this and it sounds like there is a 'constriction' where the barrel screws into the frame. The remedy, according to many is fire-lapping. Another member of this forum is sending me some cast .359 boolits to try out. I'm going to see how they work before I invest any money in molds or lapping kits. I hope the .359 boolits do the trick.