Sticky on WW and 45 Long Colt @ 650 fps

[Just Duke]

Is there any reason one could not use the softer alloy sticky-on wheel weighs in 45 Long Colt ( 255 Grain Lee) that was to be shot in Ruger Vaquero's and or 45 Long Colt Marlin Cowboy guns? I am looking at 600 to 650 FPS.
TIA,
Duke

Also 40 S&W at 700 to 800 fps.






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[BCB]

DUKE NUKEM,

I have shot PURE LEAD 45-270-SAA (280 grains) with a charge of 5.5 grains of Red Dot for a velocity of 753 average in a Blackhawk. I didn’t have any problems with leading or otherwise. But I don’t shoot dozens of them in a row either. Is your concern the soft lead or the low velocity?

Good-luck…BCB

[Just Duke]

My concern would be the soft lead. And yes I would be blazing them out the end of the barrel as fast as the wife and I can pull the triggers.

[DLCTEX]

Most of the stickons I have found lately seem to be just as hard as regular WW. There are more and more of them that are steel or zinc. Give them the thumbnail check and see if they aren't harder than pure lead. That said, I don't think you would have leading with pure in the 45, but the 40 may be something else again. I'd cast 100 and see how they run. Dale

[lathesmith]

In my experience, soft lead works much better in low velocity loads than harder stuff. Also, your lube is an important consideration--for me, hard lubes are lousy at low velocity; leading becomes horrendous. That is the main reason I use 50/50--for me, soft lubes work well over a wider velocity range than I have found possible with the hard stuff, especially in revolvers.
lathesmith

[gcf]

In my experience, soft lead works much better in low velocity loads than harder stuff.
lathesmith

+1 My findings as well - & ditto for the lube. I think the key to standard velocity big bore revolver, is bullet sizing (to cylinder throat), soft alloy, & quality "soft" lube.

I have been shooting 260WFN-PB / 10BHN out of my S&W 624 / .44SPL, & 260SWC-PB / 10BHN out of my S&W 625-6 / .45 Colt. No chrony, but according to load data, these are both running about 900fps, w/ V V N-330. Pretty sure I could step up to a slower powder, & get higher velocity out of these bullets.

They are lubed w/ Bullshop Speed Green, & sized right at cylinder throat diameter. In other words, takes a bit of a push, to get them through the throats.

Accuracy is VG in both. Leading is zero.

In contrast, I sized some fairly hard 240SWC-BB bullets for the .44SPL - because I had a couple hundred extra. I had high hopes, as they looked great, & fit the throats like a charm. It turned out they leaded so badly, that it took a major Chore Boy session to get the bore - & cylinder throats clean.

[Bret4207]

Do you have a hardness tester or other way of comparing the alloy? The stick on's may well be as hard or harder than the clip on's. I'd try them with something like 50/50 lube and size as large as you can, maybe even tumble lube and use them as cast if your guns will accept them. Some times simple works fine.

[Calamity Jake]

I've shot CAS for over 10 years with 45C, my load has always been a mix of 50/50 WW/pure lead for a bhn of about 8-9 and 4.0 Red Dot. My chrony shows this load to be about 625-650 fps out of a 5.5 in uberti cattelman with the saeco 955 a 260gr rnfp.