New Henry 44...Cast boolits and leading?

[radtuck]

I have been using Hornady 200 gr XTP in my new Henry because I get quite a bit of leading from my Missouri bullet 240 gr SWC in my 629. Am I wrong in assuming that leading will be increased in the longer barrel?

[9w1911]

are both bullets the same diameter?

[Mik]

What's the diameter of the bullet and bore? I bought some .309 Missouri bullets for my 30-30 and they lead pretty bad. I think its because my bore slugs at .310.

There is a chance your bullets may be fine. The only way to know is load a couple and shoot them from a clean bore. In my limited experience, a bullet/bore combination that is prone to leading will leave a black ring around the bullet hole on a paper target even when fired from a clean bore.

I don't know the science behind it, but my guess is this black ring is carbon fouling deposited on the bullet by gasses escaping around the bullet as it travels down the bore. This suggests the bullet is undersized and prone to leading.

[radtuck]

Thanks for the replies. I've suspected the tapered design of the bullet base as the culprit, but I'm not sure that's a valid argument. I'll try to figure out the bore diameter.

[Calamity Jake]

Try a .430-.431 diameter boolit that is BHN 9-14.

[Keyston44]

SAAMI specs for 44mag rifles are different from handguns. 429 for handguns, 431 for rifles. Your cast bullets should be sized accordingly. I personally size my 44mag cast bullets to work in both rifle and handguns interchangeably so I size them to 433.

Key

[AlaskanGuy]

Step 1, slug the barrel. With out that info, everything else is just a guess...

Step 2, cast your own boolits and size them to that gun. Instead of buying, invest into being able to "roll your own"...

Step 3, feed your addiction... :)

Alaskan

Ps.... If you need help with any of those 3 steps, pm me... Glad to help.

[radtuck]

I watched a youtube video on barrel slugging, and the guy only tapped the lead ball into the muzzle then tapped it out. It was a semi auto pistol, so tapping the bullet out was much easier. I have a revolver and the Henry and worry about tapping a lead ball/slug that far through the bore. What is "lapping"? One site I looked at talked about lapping smoothing out the bore.

[AlaskanGuy]

Dont worry about taking the slug all the way through your barrel.... You can use a hardwood dowel, or a brass rod.... Wont hurt a thing as long as you dont use a steel rod.... When you are done, you will have the size that you need.... Just be sure to use soft lead... Makes the job much easier... Lots of folks use egg sinkers a touch larger then the barrel.... Drive them through.... Once you have the lead driven through, you measure it with you mic..... Then order .001 or .002 larger sizer for that gun.... That, some good lube, and depending on what boolit you want, possiblly a gas check..... Use the search function and read through the stickeys in the other forums.... You will find what you need...

AG

[Mik]

Lapping could help but bore surface is most likely not the culprit unless your 629 was completely neglected. Its almost certainly unnecessary to get the new henry shooting well. I'm willing to bet your projectiles are undersized.

Typical slugging involves tapping the slug all the way through the bore. In a revolver, that means from muzzle to forcing cone.

If you use the right materials, soft rod and soft lead, you won't damage the crown or the barrel. Just don't hit the gun with the hammer.

[runfiverun]

woah.
one gun problem at a time.
the revolver and the lever gun are two completely different things and both have separate issues to deal with.
first the levergun.
i'd bet 430 diameter boolits will do pretty well but the swc design you have may not feed through it.
the copper plating you gave the barrel can cause leading to build up also.

the revolver has 6 cylinder throats and a barrel throat.
it can also have a tight spot under the frame, any or all of them can cause leading.

now after all that being good, a too hard/too small boolit with hard [poor] lube will lead on it's own accord.
focus on one thing at a time and track your way through each thing.

[CastingFool]

Your barrel should be cleaned out, and well lubricated before slugging it. Also, whatever you use to slug your bore, should be lubricated, too. Makes things much easier.

[Magnum6]

Fellow's , I can tell you this much I know about your leading problem's , If your shooting your LEAD" , bullets out of either your rifle Or pistol's faster that a 1000 ft. per. sec. with out using Gas Checked on the bullets , Your Gonna" , have a LOT more leading problem's . Even If" , you use Gas Check's on your bullets , your still " gonna have Some" lead fouling in your rifling's .

That's one of the biggest reason's I stopped using Lead mixed with 10% linotype bullets , With Gas Check's , that IS" , after figured that out and spent MANY MANY Hour's , cleaning Stuck Welded in lead out of the rifling's on a 629 , 6 inch pistol , and also a 30~06 rifle I have . That" Was A Huge under taking to get that stuff cleaned out of those two gun , ESP: that rifle . Never had that problem again , when I started shootin copper plated bullets @ mag. velocity's , or over a 1000 ft. per sec. There will be Some" , copper fowling build up after a Lota round's , but that is a WHOLE LOT" easer to remove , than lead out of your barrel . Esp: a rifle barrel . I only shot Jacked" bullet's out of all my rifle's , after that bad
experience , many year's ago .

PS:... If you have a rifle or a pistol that won't shoot any bullet worth a darn.... You might Look REAL Close and see if it has ANY" , lead build up in it , esp. just where the bullet first inters the rifling , and some time's it's pretty hard to see with your eye . I've bought a 3 firearm's.... Pistol's @ the range that wouldn't shoot , and there owner's dumped um on me Real" Cheap.....All had bad barrel's on them .... So they they said , And after a lota work on the lead removal , I resold them for a Bunch More money , than I paid for them , and one back to a fellow that sold it to me :wink:

Magnum6

[mrvmax]

Fellow's , I can tell you this much I know about your leading problem's , If your shooting your LEAD" , bullets out of either your rifle Or pistol's faster that a 1000 ft. per. sec. with out using Gas Checked on the bullets , Your Gonna" , have a LOT more leading problem's . Even If" , you use Gas Check's on your bullets , your still " gonna have Some" lead fouling in your rifling's .

That's one of the biggest reason's I stopped using Lead mixed with 10% linotype bullets , With Gas Check's , that IS" , after figured that out and spent MANY MANY Hour's , cleaning Stuck Welded in lead out of the rifling's on a 629 , 6 inch pistol , and also a 30~06 rifle I have . That" Was A Huge under taking to get that stuff cleaned out of those two gun , ESP: that rifle . Never had that problem again , when I started shootin copper plated bullets @ mag. velocity's , or over a 1000 ft. per sec. There will be Some" , copper fowling build up after a Lota round's , but that is a WHOLE LOT" easer to remove , than lead out of your barrel . Esp: a rifle barrel . I only shot Jacked" bullet's out of all my rifle's , after that bad
experience , many year's ago .

PS:... If you have a rifle or a pistol that won't shoot any bullet worth a darn.... You might Look REAL Close and see if it has ANY" , lead build up in it , esp. just where the bullet first inters the rifling , and some time's it's pretty hard to see with your eye . I've bought a 3 firearm's.... Pistol's @ the range that wouldn't shoot , and there owner's dumped um on me Real" Cheap.....All had bad barrel's on them .... So they they said , And after a lota work on the lead removal , I resold them for a Bunch More money , than I paid for them , and one back to a fellow that sold it to me :wink:

Magnum6

Like was stated already, you need to keep the velocities lower on the rifle to keep leading minimal. I shoot lead bullets out of the Henry 44 mag. When I keep the loads light it does not lead much but when I crank them up it leads badly and makes for a long cleaning session.

[gon2shoot]

Sorry fellas but thats totally BS. Many, many folks here shoot lead much faster than that with no problems (myself included)

Cruise around the site here for awhile, learn from the people who pour lead boolits all the time and enjoy shooting.

[Hickory]

I never had a leading problem in my Marlin 30-30 at 1800 fps.
Boolits are cast at BHN 9-12 and are fairly soft. The "secret" is
to seal the bore with the proper diameter boolit and use the right lube.

[Keyston44]

Yep, I can push a plain base cast bullet over 1700 fps without leading. Gas checked over 2200 fps. Fit is KING!

Key

[mrvmax]

Sorry fellas but thats totally BS. Many, many folks here shoot lead much faster than that with no problems (myself included)

Cruise around the site here for awhile, learn from the people who pour lead boolits all the time and enjoy shooting.
Just because it is not true for your particular case does not mean it is BS. I do not yet cast my own and buy my bullets I use to reload. With what I am using if I load them hot it does foul more, I have proven it with my setup. He did not say in his post he was casting his own, he said he was using purchased bullets so I answered from experience with the same rifle/bullets that he is using. I am sure if he developed his own tailored to his needs it could work better that what he is buying.

[Menner]

I will call BS also I am new to this Boolit game only been doing it about a year friend of mine got me into it first thing we did was slug the bore of my rifle and find a boolit that fits. that was ground floor stuff he has been playing this game a long time and has helped me a ton and when I found this site about a year ago I just trolled around kept my eyes open and mouth shut there is info on this site that I have not found yet I would bet I have not read 1% of the info on this site and I have read a lot. right now we are pushing a plain base Boolit out of a 308 around 1400 fps (Just started working on a plain base everything up till now has been GC) will chrony it and take it to 100yrds next week shooting this test load at 50yrds shot .515" 5 shot group Sunday morning and Zero leading using COWW BHN about 12. When I started my buddy took me to school on leading about why and how it happens and the single quickest way to lead a barrel is using under sized boolits he has shot thousands of cast boolits out of his rifles and the bores are brite and shinny like chrome and all he cleans them with is a used drier sheet to pounch it out. Bottom line is that leading is managable if you do your homework. How fast can you push a Cast boolit will depend on boolit fit and alloy you shoot

[rhead]

Fellow's , I can tell you this much I know about your leading problem's , If your shooting your LEAD" , bullets out of either your rifle Or pistol's faster that a 1000 ft. per. sec. with out using Gas Checked on the bullets , Your Gonna" , have a LOT more leading problem's . Even If" , you use Gas Check's on your bullets , your still " gonna have Some" lead fouling in your rifling's .

That's one of the biggest reason's I stopped using Lead mixed with 10% linotype bullets , With Gas Check's , that IS" , after figured that out and spent MANY MANY Hour's , cleaning Stuck Welded in lead out of the rifling's on a 629 , 6 inch pistol , and also a 30~06 rifle I have . That" Was A Huge under taking to get that stuff cleaned out of those two gun , ESP: that rifle . Never had that problem again , when I started shootin copper plated bullets @ mag. velocity's , or over a 1000 ft. per sec. There will be Some" , copper fowling build up after a Lota round's , but that is a WHOLE LOT" easer to remove , than lead out of your barrel . Esp: a rifle barrel . I only shot Jacked" bullet's out of all my rifle's , after that bad
experience , many year's ago .

PS:... If you have a rifle or a pistol that won't shoot any bullet worth a darn.... You might Look REAL Close and see if it has ANY" , lead build up in it , esp. just where the bullet first inters the rifling , and some time's it's pretty hard to see with your eye . I've bought a 3 firearm's.... Pistol's @ the range that wouldn't shoot , and there owner's dumped um on me Real" Cheap.....All had bad barrel's on them .... So they they said , And after a lota work on the lead removal , I resold them for a Bunch More money , than I paid for them , and one back to a fellow that sold it to me :wink:

Magnum6


The problem is poor fit and poor lube. 2700 fps from a hornet with a gas checked boolit gives no leading, it does take a bit of care in the loading to get the accuracy. You have been misinformed as to the cause. Sometimes a low velocity might cover up a poor fit. But even then the velocity is not the problem it is the fit and the lube.