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Thread: Leading

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Question Leading

    I wanted to start this topic as a poll but I don't see how to do that. So I'll pose a couple questions and call it a poll.

    1. Have you NEVER experienced leading in your career of shooting cast?

    2. Have you frequently experienced leading in your cast shooting.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    firefly1957's Avatar
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    First I have had leading in several guns .

    Second I have had some loads and alloy lead terribly I am currently using powder coat or enamel paint baked on bullets and have a lot less barrel fouling .

    The worst leading I have ever had was a very hard alloy in my .44 magnum the alloy was wheel weight alloy but I added the backing off a old silver mirror to the alloy in the pot .
    When I think back on all the **** I learned in high school it's a wonder I can think at all ! And then my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.

  3. #3
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    somewhere in the middle of 1 and 2
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Randy Bohannon's Avatar
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    Only leading I’ve experienced was from commercial cast bullets that was before I started casting my own and this website. I haven’t had leading since with one exception a Winchester BB 375, I suspect the lube grooves don’t carry enough lube or my bullets are to small @ 378” or both.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Leading at the chamber end is caused by bullets not upsetting, a softer lead or a bigger bullet diameter, leading at the muzzle is bullet not caring enough lube. IMHO......

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Wheelguns 1961's Avatar
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    Last edited by Wheelguns 1961; 08-02-2023 at 09:14 PM.
    Due to the price of primers, warning shots will no longer be given!

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wheelguns 1961 View Post

    Link doesn’t work for me.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I had leading in my first two Win 94's just when I first started casting and reloading. Took me a little while (a month or two) and a bit of serious searching on this forum to understand the importance of slugging the bore and properly sizing. No leading since in those rifles, and no leading ever in any of the firearms I have bought since.
    Hick: Iron sights!

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Wheelguns 1961's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carrier View Post
    Link doesn’t work for me.
    I don’t know what is wrong with the link. If you google the lasc (los angeles silhouette club) from ingot to target chapter 7 it should come up.
    Due to the price of primers, warning shots will no longer be given!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master 44Blam's Avatar
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    I have leaded a lot of guns! It just means you are doing something wrong.
    Some common things that will lead your gun:
    1) Exceed the RPM of a boolit and thus basically strip the boolit in the lands. This can be pushing too hard, sizing too small, wrong barrel twist or a combination of these.
    2) Size incorrectly - too small can be caused by actually sizing without slugging your barrel or it can be caused by swaging from the case or from a crimp die.
    3) Push too hard without a gas check - higher pressures can cause gas cutting.

    When you do lead your barrel, just take come copper choreboy and wrap it around your wire brush and scrape-scrape-scrape.

    As far as frequently, I would say no. Once I've figured out a load it tends to preform well. One thing to note is that a boolit/load that works in one gun may lead another. I recently discovered a problem with just such a scenario between a Glock 35 with a KKM barrel and a S&W M&P2 both in 40. The rounds shoot great in the glock with no leading and great accuracy. In the S&W, the barrel is ever so slightly bigger and that load leads. I *think* I have solved the issue but I need to cast more boolits to find out.
    Last edited by 44Blam; 08-02-2023 at 10:52 PM.
    WWG1WGA

  11. #11
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by BLAHUT View Post
    Leading at the chamber end is caused by bullets not upsetting, a softer lead or a bigger bullet diameter, leading at the muzzle is bullet not caring enough lube. IMHO......
    That's funny; your typo says that it is due to the bullet not caring enough!

    Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I've had a lot of leading troubles. But mostly it was the guns problem...IE guns that have some dimensional issues. I've sometimes found remedies, and sometimes not. I have had 1 gun that leaded no matter what I tried until I hit on a load that didn't. I've had others that leaded no matter what, and others that don't lead. Just part of it.

  13. #13
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    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  14. #14
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    never experienced any since i started casting + using liquid alox with reasonable loads many decades ago -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy

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    Have only experienced leading in rough bore guns. Driving cast boolits faster than 1600 fps without a copper gas check caused some leading. I have 4 Lyman sizer lubricators and 5 STAR lube-sizers. ALL my cast boolits get sized and lubed! I run about 70~ 80lbs of lead through my 45-70 Gatling guns a year. The cast boolits hardly ever run faster than 1400 fps. No gas checks, groove diameter sizing and plenty of lube keeps down any possibility of leading. If you plan to shoot cast boolits look down that bore and make sure there is no pitting or dark spots in the bore and you will have a good gun to run cast boolits through!!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    I’ve experiences leading. My most recent issue was with a 9mm. I’m f I remember correctly I slowed the bullet down and that resolved to he issue.
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  17. #17
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    The leading I have experience was usually mild. Either right at the throat in pistols, or at the end of the barrel such as in rifles. I have occassionally had a small smear of lead in the middle of the barrel which cleaned out easily. Most of the time a bronze brush and some chore boy is more than enough to get rid of any lingering lead deposits.
    Currently looking for a Lyman/Ideal 311419 Mold - PM if you have one you'd like to get rid of!

    JDGabbard's Feedback Thread

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  18. #18
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    1.) Yes - when I first started I had no idea what I was doing and made a few mistakes . Reading books on the subject educated me ... in 1967 there were no You-Tube Experts .

    2.) No - I did a lot of reading , learned about proper sizing and discovered good bullet lubricants that worked ... lots of big brand name lubes don't work ...
    Lithium Grease - Beeswax (1 part / 3 parts)has worked best ...Lithi-Bee ...
    no leading in handgun or 30 cal. rifle .

    Proper size of boolit + good lubricant = no leading problems ...usually !
    There can be other issues ... but if casting and shooting boolits were easy ...
    Everybody would be doing it !

    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 08-03-2023 at 05:50 PM.
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  19. #19
    Boolit Master Cast10's Avatar
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    NEVER - I powder coat 9mm Glocks 19, 26, 43X, Glock 20 and Carbine in 10mm, 38-55 Win 1894 Sporter. Velocity in the carbine and sporter are both at 1600fps.
    I’m kinda still a newby, but learned a lot of info here. The only think got me in to casting boolits was Powder Coat, due to the stories of LEADING.

  20. #20
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    So, I just de-customized my 10-22. When I removed the Green Mountain SS bull barrel, I noticed some lead fouling starting at the throat and going in about 1". I've only put about 400 rds through this barrel since it was bought new...Probably 7 or 8 different brands. I also noticed fairly heavy carbon build up on one side of the barrel breech face.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check