Preface: I'm using a S&W .45 Colt Mountain Gun
I just got back from the range where I shot 100 rounds of 255 gr, gas-checked, hard cast bullets, pushed by 7 gr. of True Blue powder. No problems whatsoever.
I then shot 30 rounds of Hornady's 255 gr., swaged, "Cowboy" bullets pushed by 6 gr. of True Blue. The forcing cone now looks like mud-daubers set up shop using lead.
Never again Hornady.
Trying to remedy this problem using Hoppes Elite Copper & Lead cleaner.
6.0gr is really really low for a 255gr cast. Most data suggests starting out at 7.2gr.
Hornady's 255gr FP (#12458) is listed as .454" diameter. They should have been good in most barrels unless the cylinder is really tight.
What did you do for a crimp?
That's weird. I shot many thousands of the Hornady swaged bullets out of 44mag and 45acp guns before getting into casting. Never had an issue with leading.
In my early days of experimenting with factory lead bullets, I found I could reduce revolver leading by a.) coating in Lee Liquid Alox (even though it had its own hard lube) and b.) either reducing or upping the load. Now that I am a caster, I know why b.) works. Also b.) May involve changing your powder.Quote:
Originally Posted by jski
Try your fingernail and compare the hardness of the hardcast versus the Cowboy.
Stop fiddling around, get copper Chore Boy, wrap it around a bronze bore brush, and get the lead out.Quote:
Originally Posted by jski
I was using Starline's new .45 Cowboy Special brass. So I called Starline, talked their ballistician, and he suggested sticking to either .45 ACP or .45 ACP+ reloading data.
BTW, looked up "Chore Boy" and only found a pot-scrubber?
I don't care for the dry, powdery "lube" used on most factory knurled type lead boolits. They probably use it because its cheap and easy to apply for the manufacturers but its a poor lube in my experience.
Yup, Chore Boy is a pot scrubber bade of woven copper strands with sharp edges. Beware the copper coated steel versions sometimes encountered.Quote:
Originally Posted by jski
I unwind and flatten out the Chore Boy, then cut off a piece and wrap it firmly around a brass bore brush. Some will unravel a long strand and wrap that. The sharp copper edges cut all manner of crud out of a bore without damage, including leading. It works better after a soak with your solvent. I use and recommend Ed's Red.
+1 on this methodQuote:
Originally Posted by Nueces
finding the Chore Boy is difficult these days as I understand the druggies use it to hold their mary jane in a pipe--or something to that effect
I bought a box of Chore Boy online, because I could not find it reliably at my store. Stuff goes fast if you shoot a lot.
By 'box', I mean a bunch of units.
I just go to the paint store and get bronze wool. Wrap that around a wet patch and it will do the same thing. The lead comes off in chunks!
Bronze wool is less aggressive, but also effective. It's also the berries for removing light rust from blued surfaces, used gently and wet with gun oil/solvent, whatever.
The problem with Hornady's bullets is not the lube or hardness but the size! I ran into the same thing with their .38 SWC's a while back. When I loaded them they fell halfway into the case when I place the bullet on the belled case. The .38's were sized .354-.355. I sent them back to Hornady and they replaced them with the same darn thing. I bumped them up in my Lyman lubrisizer with a .358 die. They worked fine after I did that. No more Hornady lead bullets for me.
the shooter's choice lead remover solvent really seems to work well too, although the chore boy will definitely get out major leading more quickly
I use fine steel wool. Mostly I make loose balls of the stuff, push it into the chamber, oil it if the bore is not oiled, then push it through the bore. That's OK for light leading and great for just cleaning the bore. Takes out rust too, especially the fine rust.
I run a Hornady lead ball (intended for black powder) down the barrel from the muzzle end and a leaded bore cleans up in a snap!