Sharps bullet hardness?

[barnabus]

Traditionally folks like a alloy about 20:1 for sharps shooting.I realize most use this with black powder.However i shoot smokeless. i shot some 20:1 and it shot pretty good.My question is this.I have range lead that measures 8-9 on the
hardness scale and wheel weights that measure 11-12 on the hardness scale.which of these is closest to 20:1 that i could use as a substitute.

[Dusty Bannister]

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm

Scroll down the page until you find the alloy comparison chart. 20:1 is given as 10 BHN

[Bent Ramrod]

At least with my determinations, using SAECO and LBT hardness testers, 20:1 is generally in the 6-7 BHN range. 16:1 gets me into the 8-11 BHN range.

I don’t shoot old large calibers with smokeless any more, but when I did, just about any range scrap worked fine, as long as the boolits were a couple thou over groove diameter. Most of the scrap was cast pistol boolits of Lino/wheelweight, which was 11BHN air-cooled and 14BHN or so water-dropped by my measurements. Both varieties worked fine with BP equivalent smokeless loads. I used either the Ideal 457124 or 457125 back then.

Truth be told, I never bothered measuring hardnesses until I started black powder paper-patching. I just cast whatever I had and shot it. Still do, for the smokeless loadings I still shoot. The only time a BHN reading is necessary, for me at least, is when upsettage-vs-slumping is critical, as in BP paper patching, or attempting “jacketed performance with cast bullets” in smokeless loadings.

[barnabus]

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm

Scroll down the page until you find the alloy comparison chart. 20:1 is given as 10 BHN

so it looks like a perfect match.

[Randy C]

Barnabus Alot of the guys here shoot 16:1 I have shot both, Have you had trouble with leading on your rifle, I have not shot any bullets through my new barrel. I hope to shoot it today.
I purchased a lot of bullets this year. I normally make them. I have a bucket full left from last year, I was told buy a veteran shooter if you have a good rifle barrel the alloy is not as important as the size of the bullet, don't push them too fast. If you led up,, shoot them a little bigger before you mess with changing alloy.

[barnabus]

Barnabus Alot of the guys here shoot 16:1 I have shot both, Have you had trouble with leading on your rifle, I have not shot any bullets through my new barrel. I hope to shoot it today.
I purchased a lot of bullets this year. I normally make them. I have a bucket full left from last year, I was told buy a veteran shooter if you have a good rifle barrel the alloy is not as important as the size of the bullet, don't push them too fast. If you led up,, shoot them a little bigger before you mess with changing alloy.

no im not having any leading issues knock on wood. im trying to stay within the 1200-1400fps

[Randy C]

The Temperature is -5 not counting the windshield at my house. I'm going to the range, I want to check and see if I can see our steel targets, I don't know if they're covered up with snow they go out to 725 yards if I can see the targets I'm going to set up my 8'x8' icefishing tent up then turn the heat on wait for it to warm up, then I'll put my shooting gear inside and start shooting out the door off my sticks.

[barnabus]

brrrrr.. ur hard core!

[country gent]

Actually out of the wind in the ice fishing house it probably wont take a lot of heat to make it nice and toasty inside. the cold part will be the ground and feet .

[Randy C]

The rifle shot great I could see the 500 & 725yrd targets the sun come out I didn’t need the tent it got up to 15 with a west wind.

[barnabus]

Lol a warm 15 degrees he says!