What do you consider leading of a barrel?

[theperfessor]

A question to the larger community.

I do not consider it "leading" of a barrel if there are just a few flakes of non-adhering lead in the barrel that can be removed with the next shot or one-two strokes of a wire brush and that doesn't build up progressively and affect accuracy.

I do consider a tightly adhering, progressive build up of lead that affects accuracy and pressures as leading.

(I also categorize "powder fouling" and "copper fouling" by the same criteria.)

By my definition, very few of my guns "lead". Another experienced shooter looked into one of my gun's barrels at the range and commented on how it was "leaded up".

Are we arguing over definitions? I see it as the difference between everything being OK or having a problem to deal (or live) with.

What do you folks think?

[Wicky]

Well I can't find anything wrong with that logic! i use the same philosiphy myself - if it's not stuck it's fouling not leading and should come straight out with the application of a brush or patch.
Leading is when you can look down the barrel and think it's a smoothbore!! Well maybe a bit before that.

[454PB]

I don't see leading in the barrel first, I see it on the target. As long as any fouling doesn't affect accuracy, it's just fouling to be cleaned out after the shooting.

A while back I was doing an experiment with spray moly lube. The test gun was my Ruger RH .44 magnum. The test went badly, and though the first group of 6 shots was around 2" at 25 yards, the groups continued to grow to about 4". I inspected the barrel, and it was the classic lumpy bore full of leading. I then fired a cylinder full of conventionally lubed gas checked boolits, and the groups began to close up again. By the time I had fired 50 rounds, the groups were down to 1 1/2", and when I cleaned the gun, there was no evidence of leading.

[Lloyd Smale]

i use the target too. If accuacy is fine the leading doesnt bother me.

I don't see leading in the barrel first, I see it on the target. As long as any fouling doesn't affect accuracy, it's just fouling to be cleaned out after the shooting.

A while back I was doing an experiment with spray moly lube. The test gun was my Ruger RH .44 magnum. The test went badly, and though the first group of 6 shots was around 2" at 25 yards, the groups continued to grow to about 4". I inspected the barrel, and it was the classic lumpy bore full of leading. I then fired a cylinder full of conventionally lubed gas checked boolits, and the groups began to close up again. By the time I had fired 50 rounds, the groups were down to 1 1/2", and when I cleaned the gun, there was no evidence of leading.

[mroliver77]

Mebbe he is "experienced" but does not know leading from horse pucky. You seem to.
J

[Char-Gar]

If there is lead left in the barrel after I push a couple of wet patches, followed by a couple of dry patches, I call it leaded. I don't like to use brushes to get stuff out.

[Dale53]

This subject often comes up wherever folks gather to discuss bullet casting and shooting. I have been shooting my own cast bullets for about sixty years. I have shot literally hundreds of thousands of cast bullets. Most of them have been in pistols and revolvers. However, I have shot a goodly number in rifles, also (most recently in Schuetzen Rifle Competition). I have NEVER had a problem with leading.

All of the guns that have been shot with cast have been in good condition (no pitted barrels, etc) but really just typically "shelf grade" pieces (except for my match 1911's).

Now, I tend to "follow the rules". I, from the first, did my research and Elmer Keith and Lyman started me off correctly. When NRA Alox came along, I went to that. Since then I have used Emmert's Home Mix lube as well as Alox. My current lube is Lars' Red Carnauba. So, I don't believe it is the lube that has given me these results. I believe it is paying attention to chamber throat, barrel dimensions, bullet size, and alloy for the task at hand.

I KNOW that some people have had leading problems. I have had people at the club approach me with the leaded guns. In every case, where they listened, they have started "following the rules" and the leading went away.

I think that getting good accuracy is more of a challenge than leading. However, here too, by "following the rules" I have had excellent results. I am not terribly anal about accuracy, but want !" or better at 25 yards for pistol and revolvers and under 1" at 100 yards for most rifles. Competition Schuetzen, on the other hand, requires ½ minute accuracy to be competitive. I have not limited my trials to smokeless powder, either. I shot muzzle loaders and BPCR Silhouette for years with success as well as black powder cartridge revolvers.

This, by the way, is NOT a brag (if I did any bragging, it was on the firing line with and in front of my peers). I am just trying to suggest that "following the rules" will get you in good position to do well with cast bullet shooting.
This forum is an excellent place to "learn the rules".

Just some thoughts from a feller waiting for spring...

Dale53

[felix]

Lube fouling is just as bad. Letting the lube stay in and around the throat(s) over time will harden significantly enough to cause boolit sizing. So, this means that a clean looking barrel might not be clean enough in the area you cannot typically see. The rule remains: clean the sucker good when the groups go south, and use the accuracy criteria over any other indicator. ... felix