Lazy man's bore cleaning load is a doozy!

[Shuz]

Folks--First let me say I'm both pragmatic and lazy. I've been shooting cast boolits in the .44 mag since 1963. I've shot many fine groups at 25 yds, and killed many deer out as far as 124 paces, but I like to keep things simple. Here's the point, I use one boolit size for all my .44 shooting whether I am using my favorite powder for target loads, Green Dot, or 2400, WC 820, H-110, or 296 for higher velocity loads. The reason I use one size boolit is because I have 11/ea .44 mag revolvers and one rifle to feed, and cylinder throats that run from .4285 to .431, and the rifle takes .431. Here's the issue, I sometimes get some minor leading in my bbls, especially when using Green Dot and Bhn 11 to 14 boolits. I have found that to completely remove all traces of leading in all my revolvers when necessary, all I have to do is shoot some magnum loads using either 2400, WC 820 or 296/H-110. The bbl cleaning loads don't have to have a gas check, but if one is installed on a design calling for one, minor leading can be eliminated in as few as 3 shots. THE load that I've settled on is Lyman's 429215GC and 19.7g of WC 820, CCI-350 or Fed 155 primer and an OAL of 1.650. 2 recent 5 shot groups out of a Smith 629-3 Classic DX with a 4x Leupold EER scope have given groups that measure .811" and .792". The velocities were 1221 in August and 1196 on Monday of this week. Standard deviations are lousy at 55 or better, but who cares, the bbls were clean and the groups were what I would call doozy!

[Harter66]

Ive heard of doing this sadly the 1s I might try it with just don't like the full tilt loads unless I just haven't found the magic numbers yet. It's good to know it works for some. I guess it did work in my 40............

[runfiverun]

you have the answer right in your question.
if you wanna think about it a little and see something for yourself try using a powder a step faster than green-dot and change nothing else from that load.

[Harter66]

I shoot Red Dot and Unique and a little H110 . 9,40,38,357 and 45. I'd love to see it work in the 9 it has a threshold point where it just jumps from a few spot on the lands to what lands. I blame it on micro imbedded copper and run a few passes of wool brush through it and go on. I do have a new bullet to try so maybe it will be the scouring plug. The 40 seems to ebb and flow but will mostly just brush clean , I've never had to put wool to it. The 38s and 357 have never really had a problem with leading once I got the copper out of the 357 . The 45 Colts, well I guess it's possible to get some but it hasn't happened yet.

I've read often that a known none leading load will clean up a fouled bore ,but I've read that a few jackets will too......or iron in the leading and build layers of fouling.......that 1 I know about.

[JSnover]

In a letter to one of the gun rags years ago, someone wrote about their own 'lead sweeper' load using a jacketed bullet seated backwards. To each his own.

[Three44s]

I liked the polishing effect of JB Bore paste and the "non-stick" properties of following up with Corrosion-X.

After a few cycles of JB .......... all that is needed now is re-treating with Corrosion-X and giving the JB a rest.

Best regards

Three 44s

[jonp]

I liked the polishing effect of JB Bore paste and the "non-stick" properties of following up with Corrosion-X.

After a few cycles of JB .......... all that is needed now is re-treating with Corrosion-X and giving the JB a rest.

Best regards

Three 44s

Do you clean at all with hoppes 9 or something for powder and will that remove the corrosion-x?

jonp

[Motor]

I suppose you are talking minor leading. I've seen a 44 mag barrel leaded so badly that a pencil would not fit through it. If the owner had fired a jacketed magnum load in this revolver it would have very likely destroyed the gun.

Shooting a full house jacketed load from a leaded barrel can cause a major over pressure sitsuation. I have unintentionally done this myself with a .357 magnum. I was lucky that the leading was not too bad.

Motor

[Shuz]

Yup, I'm just talking about minor traces of lead in the bbl. You can see it if you know what you are looking for, but it's not enuf to effect accuracy, except maybe in one's mind!