First attempts at shooting cast... lots of room for improvement

[larrupin]

Been reloading and shooting for a long time but just recently got started casting.
Cast up some lee 358-105 SWC a couple weeks ago, ACWW only (didn't have any tin to add at that point) and loaded some up a day or two ago and shot them last night.
I am learning a lot here but it is kind of like drinking from a fire hose and I already have discovered some of the mistakes I made but you experienced folks may be able to point out a few more for me.

Gun: early 70's Ruger Blackhawk 357, 6.5" barrel, slugged at .3585 (slugged after the mentioned shooting session), used to belong to a friend, I had cleaned it but had not shot it hardly at all myself and did NOT make sure all lead was out of barrel before I went to shoot it. Mistake #1
Lube: Tumble lube x1 coat of Liquid Alox, loaded as cast (.360) Mistake #2- after reading more here I have given the bullets another coat of LLA with the LLA and the bullets being warm (did 1 coat only, bullets cold) So maybe didn't have enough lube?
Load: 105 gr SWC 3.8gr of Bullseye, CCI #500, speer 38spl brass- I was very pleased with accuracy of the load at 30ft, obviously hit low so I had to adjust POA but really shot well through 50rds.
Downside: was quite a bit of lead after shooting.

I have since scrubbed the bore to remove every speck of lead, put a second coat on the bullets of LLA with both being warm.

Any other thoughts or obvious things I am missing?
I am brand new and want to learn and I have tried to read profusely from all the wisdom gathered here thanks to all of you.

Whatever input you have is appreciated.

Thanks,

Larrupin

[Beagle333]

Learn to powdercoat. Read the dry tumble powdercoating methods in the coatings and alternatives section and spend about $30-40 to get started, and it will stop your leading immediately, so that you can enjoy shooting while you get everything else aligned in your procedures. You may like it so much that you keep coating! :grin:

[gray wolf]

barrel, slugged at .3585
What aboutthe cylinder throats ? what did they mic at ?

[Wayne Smith]

Leading throughout the barrel, at the forcing cone, or closer to the muzzle? Potentially different causes.

[larrupin]

Beagle- actually played with the powder coat a little on some reject rifle slugs, but only did a few and haven't tried shooting them, just learned how it worked, (swirl on method).

Gray Wolfe- Haven't slugged the cylinder, but the slug from the bore would just slip into the forward end of each chamber, snug fit.

Wayne- good question, should have put that in my original post:Leading from forcing cone forward for an inch or two

Thanks for your help

[Master_Mechanic]

When you slugged the bore, did you just fire a boolit into the barrel with just a primer? If the cylinder throats are under bore size the way you did it may give you false reading. I usded a pure lead fishing sinker hammered in from muzzle end and then used known sized boolits for the cylinder throats. I would start with that check first. when cleaning does it feel like it has any constricitons right around where your leading issues are?

[larrupin]

Mm_ i used a lead sinker hammered through the bore from the muzzle, did not feel any increased resistance as it went through the forcing cone.

[Shiloh]

Keep reading (Here on the forum) casting, and shooting. It'll all fall into place.

Shiloh

[mdi]

One thing to remember; you did not make "mistakes" 'cause most of the info you get here is one's opinion/method and may or may not be right for you. Yep, bizillions of years of experience here and most of the answers you'll get work quite well, but are prolly not hard and fast "rules". For example; "mistake" no. one, barrel must be clean but I've read reports that scrubbing the barrel before shooting lead is only a half truth, and I've shot jacketed and lead in the same session with no leading. "Mistake" no. two, I only use one coat of alox and I thin my alox with mineral spirits, but warm them just above room temperature. I prefer 45-45-10 over straight alox as it works better for me and my guns.

My "opinions"; .3585" sounds a little big (but I ain't there so I don't know for sure) and if the cylinder throats are smaller than that, you'll get leading. Suggest you slug/measure the cylinder throats. I started casting with air cooled wheel weight alloy and didn't try adding tin until after I had cast and shot mebbe 1500 bullets. I got plenty of good shootable bullets with straight ww alloy. I figgered if I wasn't having a problem, I didn't need to fix anything.

The only way to learn to cast bullets, is to cast bullets. I think you're going about the process correctly; try something and if it doesn't work, try something else. Record the methods/results of your casting for future refrence...

[larrupin]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to load some of the 2x coated bullets and shoot in clean bore and see what happens. I have some 45/45/10 on order from white label and will give that a try when I get it. The cylider throats are actually slightly larger than bore, the slug from the bore will just snugly slide into them so I think I am OK on that front.

As state above I will keep on trying and figure it out.

[captaint]

larrupin - Sounds like your cylinder throats "should" be ok if you got little or no resistance when pushing the bore slug through the throats. If I had to make one uninformed guess, I would say another coat of Alox or similar would have helped. I don't know about the rifling in your bore, but on my new GP100, there are five lands & grooves. Very difficult to get an accurate measurement on the groove dimensions. As suggested, keep reading and trying different things. Change ONE thing at a time and look for success. Let us know how things work out. Mike

[larrupin]

Ok so I was probably being too stingy with the Alox, because tonight was better.
I gave the bullets another coat with bullets and alox being warm.
I also used the Lee universal expader when I loaded these (I know only change one thing but I couldn't resist)

Went to the range earlier,, 50 rounds of same 105gr swc load as before thru each of two guns, the Blackhawk 6.5" mentioned above and a 4 5/8" Vaquero fixed site. Targets shot at only 30 feet.
1st target Blackhawk, second Vaquero, last target is 5 5 shot groups, first 3 with Right hand last two Left hand. All groups shot off hand one handed ala Bullseye style.
I am very happy with the accuracy as I think the load is much more capable than I am.
When I got home there was a very small amout of leading near the forcing cone, couple swipes with chore boy and a couple of tight patches cleaned it right up.

I am excited and will keep working and learning, Thanks guys!

larrupin

[Hickok]

Always had good shooting in .357 mags with a boolit sized .358". Good snug fit in the cylinder throats. Just me, but I seldom slug the barrel on revolvers, just the slug the cylinder throats. I always have better shooting with mid weight to heavier weight boolits with a long bearing surface.

You might want to try a 158gr to 180 gr. boolit for comparison, and it gives you a good reason to by another mold!

I found out years ago, the short light weight boolits really suck as the range increases, the farther out you go, the worse they group compared to a heavier boolit.

[mdi]

Yahoo, good shootin'. I've never tried bullets lighter than 140 grains in any of my 38/357 revolvers and the lightest I normally shoot is 150 gr. wadcutters. Keep up the experimenting, that's 3/4 of the fun casting yer own boolits...

[larrupin]

As Hickok says these are good short range target load, and for cowboy shooting in pistols it will be great. I already have cast some 140swc, 120 Tc and some 158 rnfp so I think I have it covered pretty well ;) Now I just have to get some reloading done so I can go shoot!

Thanks,

Larrupin