Originally Posted by
GregLaROCHE
I started this thread thinking that maybe we need to size over bore size, especially if using hard alloys. Pure lead may easily obturate, where as a hard alloy may not or not enough.
I just bought a Chassepot rifle from someone who has been target shooting with it for forty years. He has extensive documentation of everything he tried. He settled on a pure lead greased boolit (not the traditional load). The boolit was sized to the bore. His opinion was that obturation would take up extra space and engage the boolit. I think he was right because he has some very impressive targets in his files.
What I am wondering about is, I have a good supply of lead from an indoor range. Jacked bullets are not allowed and most lead comes from hand guns. The boolits are mostly bought and not hand poured, so the alloy tends to be pretty hard on average. I average around 16 BHN. If I use my range scrap alloy, will it obturate enough when at bore diameter (that the mould produces), or will I have to add a few thousandths to the diameter?
I know the answer is in my doing my own testing to find out what works best for me, but just wondering what others thought about it.