Fmj vs. Cb

[DeadWood]

Is it safe to switch back and forth from FMJ to CB/can i shot both jacketed and cast boolits? What do you use for barrel cleaning for each and any special methods?

Also i mentioned to a fello reloader i was looking into handloading with CB and he asked me, Why bother? Made a comment that FMJ's were not that much more expensive and didn't have to worry about gas checks.....i haven't really checked to see price differences yet, my thoughts were end results being i hope to cast my own some day.

Thanks eveyone, really appreciate learning on this board.

[Bullshop Junior]

What do you mean? If you mean swap back and forth with the same load data, then I would say no. It is not always.

If you want to swap from shooting jacketed bullets, and cast boolit in your gun, then there is no problem. I have not had any of my guns blow up yet..........

[SciFiJim]

he asked me, Why bother? Made a comment that FMJ's were not that much more expensive and didn't have to worry about gas checks.....

"Why bother?" I just checked some prices online for comparison. Missouri Bullet Company has about the best prices for cast online. 200gr .452 for about 7 cents each shipped. Then Midway for bulk jacketed .45 12.5 cents each /1000 before shipping. My 200gr boolits were cast from wheel weights that I got for free.

So purchased

1000 commercial cast ~ $70
1000 jacketed ~ $125

Cast myself
a little propane to heat the pot ~ 15 cents

Look on someones face when I tell them I can shoot 1000 .45s for about $35 vs $450 purchased ~ Priceless.

[44man]

No question! I would have to almost quit shooting if I had to buy boolits.

[Bret4207]

1000 home cast (PB)- what? Maybe $1.00-$2.00?

1000 home cast (GC)- whatever the GC cost now per K plus the above.

Your friend must still have lots of disposable income. That or he's an idiot. Or both.

As far as shooting cast after jacketed- depends on the particular gun and load. I have some that I can switch between with zero issues and other that demand a clean barrel, free of jacket fouling, before they'll shoot cast to what I consider acceptable accuracy.

[Patrick L]

Not to mention wear and tear. I have two 1903 Springfields I cherish. They aren't getting any younger (neither am I come to think of it.) I'l never wear a bore with cast.

[Jim]

No question! I would have to almost quit shooting if I had to buy boolits.
I agree. With me, there's no almost to it.

[JSnover]

Also i mentioned to a fello reloader i was looking into handloading with CB and he asked me, Why bother? Made a comment that FMJ's were not that much more expensive and didn't have to worry about gas checks.....i haven't really checked to see price differences yet, my thoughts were end results being i hope to cast

Thanks eveyone, really appreciate learning on this board.

Simple: After you learn to cast you can start looking for the perfect mold for your rifle. You could swage your own boolits but the learning curve and setup cost is a lot steeper.

[rob45]

Is it safe to switch back and forth from FMJ to CB? What do you use for barrel cleaning for each and any special methods?

Also i mentioned to a fello reloader i was looking into handloading with CB and he asked me, Why bother? Made a comment that FMJ's were not that much more expensive and didn't have to worry about gas checks.....i haven't really checked to see price differences yet, my thoughts were end results being i hope to cast my own some day.

Thanks eveyone, really appreciate learning on this board.

Welcome. Glad to have you on board.

In regards to your first question- "is it safe to switch...?", then as Bullshop Jr. mentioned, it depends on your point of reference. Two considerations here:

1. If you're asking in reference to load data being interchangeable between jacketed and cast, then "it depends".
As a general rule of thumb, a same-weight lead bullet can be substituted using data based on jacketed, but not vice versa.
The main areas of concern are the internal case capacity and the amount of freebore (distance before bullet engages the lands) when the bullet is seated. Although a lead bullet requires considerably less swaging pressure than a jacketed bullet, if you seat the bullet in a manner that decreases case capacity or reduces freebore as compared to the original standard used for the load data, then it is possible to raise pressures.
If you are new to reloading and do not understand the concept of what was just mentioned, please ask for clarification on this. It is very important to understand this concept.

2. It appears that you may have been asking if it is feasible to shoot both jacketed and cast in the same gun. Yes, it certainly is, and many people do so.
Concerning barrel prep when switching:
a.) If you have been shooting jacketed and wish to switch over to lead, most people like to get all copper fouling out of the barrel before switching over to using cast. Any copper fouling that may be present is generally not conducive to good accuracy when shooting cast. I personally know several people who have turned away from cast bullets simply because they felt they were inaccurate. Most of the time they simply were not up to par on basic gun maintenance and cleaning, and all they had to do was clean the bore!
b.) If you have been shooting cast lead and wish to switch to using jacketed bullets, you may or may not have to do anything special. If I am unfortunate enough to have leading in the bore, I like to remove it first before switching to jacketed. Many here report that simply shooting a few jacketed bullets does a good enough job of removing any leading, while others (including myself) frown upon such practice. I guess it depends upon the severity of the leading (if any), the smoothness of your bore, how finicky the individual, accuracy requirements, etc, etc.
There are simply too many factors involved to say whether a thorough bore cleaning is needed or not, and certainly the old adage of "every gun is different" applies as well. It's simply something you have to experiment with in order to see what satisfies your requirements.
Worst case scenario- clean your bore thoroughly before switching.



Regarding your statement concerning the friend who said "Why bother?", here are some considerations:

Cost
When one first starts to do any form of reloading, cost is usually a primary motive to do so. So it is with casting bullets- if you do any type of volume shooting (especially handgun applications), then casting your own bullets will be more economical than purchasing them.
The largest consideration is initial "startup cost"- investing in your equipment. But, depending upon your application, these costs need not be high, and they are quickly amortized.
When you first got interested in reloading, you probably wondered how you could possibly save money over buying factory ammo if you had to buy all the components and equipment. Then you realized that the overwhelming majority of people that shoot any type of volume also reload- they do it because that is the only way they can afford to keep shooting. So once you confirmed the need to reload, then you investigated how to get started reloading without breaking your piggybank, and found a way to do it, while keeping in mind that future upgrades are always possible.
The same concept applies to making your own bullets, only now you're taking it to the next level to save even more money. After all, most things we use or do are going to be more economical if we make/do them ourselves rather than pay someone else to make/do them.

Accuracy
Many times a gun becomes "worn out" to the point it is no longer shooting jacketed bullets accurately. Or perhaps you're shooting an old gun (milsurp, etc.) that has offspec dimensions or generous tolerances. When casting your own bullets, you can tailor the bullet to fit the gun; with jacketed bullets, you're at the mercy of the bullet manufacturers dimensions. So it is possible to breathe new life into that gun, rather than facing the cost of a new barrel.
Also, as Patrick L mentioned, wear is a consideration. I have never worn out the bore when shooting cast bullets, and I've got a couple of guns with over 100k rounds through them. If those were jacketed rounds, I would probably be looking at a rebarrel every other year or so. So you save money not only on the cost of the bullet, but also by preserving the gun itself.
When you make your own bullets, the only limitation you face is yourself, and that leads to my next point.

Knowledge
Hands down, anyone who makes their own bullets, whether casting or swaging, is going to acquire a great deal more knowledge about their guns and loads. Simply buying bullets leaves you doing nothing but loading and shooting them. Making your own bullets will have you knowing every detail about every one of your guns.


So jump in, get your feet wet, and have fun while you learn. The information available on this site is simply mind-boggling. We are over 12,000 members strong, and I'm certain that with that many people available there are at least a few who can answer any question you have.

Good Luck.

[anachronism]

Is it safe? Probably. Is it wise? Probably not. It all depends on what your goal is. If you shoot jacketed to clear out any possible leading, that doesn't really work as well as the internet might lead you to believe. My experience has been that this usually just irons lead onto the bore. A lot will blow out the muzzle, but not all of it. Accuracy-wise, you're not doing either bullet justice, neither will shoot to their potential in a fouled bore. And yes, I did read Mike Venturinos article, and no, I don't agree with his conclusion. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? This is the place to ask...

[MtGun44]

rob45,

Well said!

I like to do at least normal cleaning between bullets and boolits and converse, but have
not had the severe issues some report. However, the great majority of my boolit shooting
is in pistols, which seem to be more forgiving on the copper vs lead issues.

Bill

[mroliver77]

Most of my guns are cast only. I have an Polytech M!A that has been bedded and some match tunning. It still wears the chrome bore commie barrel. I shoot jacketed and cast in it without cleaning in between. Very little difference than shooting from a clean bore. A .44mag SBH does not seem to mind either. i never get any metal fouling from this gun.
I do buy some jacketed if I find a great deal on them. Like others have said, my leval of shooting would have to drop a bunch if it were not for cast. Some reloaders have no experience with cast and just pass on some BS they heard. Form your own opinion after gaining some knowledge.
Jay