Smoke on the firing line

[wiersy111]

I was at the range today and had a lot of smoke with my .357 and 45 ACP rounds. Both rounds have two things in common, Titegroup powder, and the boolits were commercial cast by Dardas. I was able to recover a few slugs the 45's still had the lube in tact. The .357 gets filthy from the Titegroup but the 45ACP isn't to bad. So what is causing all the smoke?

[August]

The lubricant on the bullets.

I run titegroup with moly bullets in cowboy guns and it is very, very clean.

[runfiverun]

humidity.

[lead4me]

What were the loads you were using & boolit weights. I run titegroup in my .45ACP and it is clean no smoke to speak of.

Mihec 204 gr HP pan lube over 5.1 gr Titegroup. Very clean & accurate, I find that reduced loads tend to smoke more that high end loads.

[mooman76]

Probably the lube but some powders smoke more if not pushed hard.

[wiersy111]

I'm running 230gr Dardas bullets over5 gr Titegroup in the 45ACP, and 158gr Dardas over 4.9gr Titegroup IN THE .357 MAG

[AZ-Stew]

Your nose may tell you. Does the smoke smell like powder burning, or like wax burning? Now, I don't recommend repeatedly inhaling huge lungs full of the smoke, but a little won't do you great damage. Depending on the wind direction, it may be inevitable that you get a little in your face. Either way, check the smell. That'll tell you what's causing the smoke.

Another option is to use the same powder and charge with J-bullets. No smoke with these loads indicates the smoke in your cast bullet handloads is coming from the lube.

Regards,

Stew

[Blammer]

keeps the skeeters away.. :)

[AZ-Stew]

keeps the skeeters away.. :)

If it's beeswax, it may attract bees.

Regards,

Stew

[Shepherd2]

I think it is bullet lube and humidity. I've noticed on really humid days the smoke is greatly increased. At matches, I've some cast bullet shooters almost disappear in a cloud and I've had trouble myself seeing targets during a stage with a high round count. The shooters using jacketed bullets don't have much of a smoke problem.

[wiersy111]

I want to say it is the lube, it doesn't smell like powder. there was a slight breeze yesterday directly in our face, I definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. I guess I will have to load up more with different lube and see what happens. Dang it now I have to shoot even more.

[AZ-Stew]

I want to say it is the lube, it doesn't smell like powder. there was a slight breeze yesterday directly in our face, I definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.

If it tasted metallic, it was lead dust. Throw a little boolit lube in your casting pot when the metal is melted. If it smelled like that, it's boolit lube.


Dang it now I have to shoot even more.

You're young. You'll get over it.

Regards,

Stew