Not enough lube? Light leading

[wbrco]

Ok. So shot my first home cast bullets, from a used Lyman 358156 DC. I tumble lubed in 45/45/10 from White Label, sized .358, lubed again and loaded in .38 special over 6.8 grains of Bluedot. No gas checks were installed.

Bullets are strait COWW.

I used the tumble lube directions as described in the famous 45/45/10 tumble lube thread.

I got light leading at the chamber end. Gun is NMBH and slugs at .3575

Will another coating of lube help? Otherwise accuracy was acceptable from what I shot.

Thanks

[Master_Mechanic]

Where was the leading occuring? Your sizing only .0005 over bore diameter. I would be going to .359 from your bore slug.

[gray wolf]

I got light leading at the chamber end.

I think you mean the beginning of the barrel ( forcing cone end )
What size are the cylinder throats ??
Also I agree the bullets may be a bit small at .0005 over groove. If the throats are a little bigger than 3.58 try sizing to the bigger cylinder throat,
The gas checks may help a little at the size you are at--but I think the bullet is a little small.

6.8 of blue dot is a middle of the road load for that bullet and blue dot powder so it dosn't sound like your hot rodding it.

But sometimes a different powder will give the bullet a different start and could change the outcome. But I still think your bullet is a tad small.

did you measure with a Mic ? of is it a caliper guess ?

[GP100man]

I bet graywolf is rite boolit undersized a bit & slug the throats .

Usually on the 358156 ya can size to 359 without any chambering problems since the front band usually runs in the 356 range, or at least on my 3 they are.

[Larry Gibson]

No gas checks were installed.

There in probably is the culprit. No using GCs on a bullet made for them with a higher intensity load promotes leading. A double dip of lube may or may not help. You might also want to add 2% tin to your COWWs and then cut with 20 - 40% lead for a much better alloy for what you want. You be amazed and pleased at the difference in casting.

Larry Gibson

[williamwaco]

no gas checks were installed.

there in probably is the culprit. No using gcs on a bullet made for them with a higher intensity load promotes leading. A double dip of lube may or may not help. You might also want to add 2% tin to your cowws and then cut with 20 - 40% lead for a much better alloy for what you want. You be amazed and pleased at the difference in casting.

Larry gibson

ditto.

[gray wolf]

My 358-156 has the two crimp grooves, and the 2 front bands are both undersized like Richard stated.

[44man]

Undersize front bands have a hard time starting to turn in the rifling and leaving the checks off will not allow spin at the base either. Sounds like a little skid. You are opening gas channels with grooves in the boolit larger then the rifling.
I don't like any TL, never had any luck with it.
BD still has an initial punch to the boolit. Try a slower powder. Put checks on.

[snapshot]

Ditto with LG your lead is to soft not all ww are the same these days and no GC harden the bullets add a check prob should go away

[MtGun44]

Hardness is unlikely to have anything to do with this. Undersized and/or the GC design
without a GC are both high likely contributory factors. Add in the marginal dip lube system
and you are there.

Personally, I entirely have stopped using this particular mold because of the high cost
and PITA "fiddle-factor" of the GCs, since I have a number of non-GC conventional lube
molds that give excellent results up to full max magnum loads with any alloy from 8 BHN
up with excellent results.

Many authors over the years have touted this mold because "you can load soft alloy
and get expansion but the GC prevents leading", and I do not doubt at all that this
was and is true. BUT this was in the bad old days when everyone believed that
hardness was necessary to prevent leading. Now that we know that this is an old
wives tale, and with proper fit, design and lub, soft alloys work well in many/most
magnum pistols.

IME, 8 BHN will expand and does not lead with a good conventional lube and proper fit. Now
that I can do this, I find no need to put up with the expense and hassle of GCs for any of my
magnum pistols, and have put away my 358156 and 429215 and 429244 molds. My
normal alloy is COWWs, but I can use range lead at 8 BHN if I need to or want expansion.

For examples, the .38 Spl load is warm for a .38, and the mold is HP, the .357 load is a hot
one:





IMO, get a RCBS 38-150-SWC (previously 38-150-K or KT), a Lyman 358477 early style
150 gr, or a Lyman 358429, go with conventional lube and never sweat alloy choice or
leading again.

Bill

[44man]

But I was hitting 1" targets at 100 yards with a S&W 27 from prone with a 358156 HP when most of you were thought of over a glass of wine! I love the boolit. But I used plain old WW's at the time. Better lead then we have now. Max load of 2400.