Anyone experimented with dif lead hardness with Hi-Tek?

[igolfat8]

I've spent some time reading Glen Fryxell's writings and he was a proponent of using softer alloys as was Elmer Keith. Just curious if any of you have experimented with altering your lead hardnesses and have you noticed any increase in accuracy, sealing, obturation, performance or cleanliness. I realize Fryxell and Keith were working with lubed lead pills but I wondered how this may carryover to coated boolits.

I've shot lubed lead and PC'd in the same magazine and you can audibly hear that the lead is louder which leads me to believe its sealing better. I've not done any chrono work which would also confirm this hunch.

[dikman]

I have, but for a different reason than you mention. I shoot cowboy action at close range steel targets and the harder boolits (12-15 BHN and harder) tend to splatter quite a bit. I tried pure lead and am now mixing 50:50 pure with the range scrap I normally use. Besides the splatter my other concern was possible leading, but so far the Hi-Tek is working fine regardless of the lead mix.

[AbitNutz]

So far, all I have shot were made from really hard linotype. Only because I have a lot of really hard linotype.

[ioon44]

I use 6-2-92 alloy for all my Hi-Tek coated bullets, great accuracy and no leading.

[landers]

I have had great success with Hi-Tek in revolvers with soft alloy, 20-1 for hollow points, but have never been able to get it to work with this soft alloy in autos. I can get it to work great with harder alloy in the autos just not the soft 20-1.

Landers

[Avenger442]

As far as I can tell it will not allow you to use higher pressure that you can use with other coatings or alternatives. It is considered a lube by the manufacturer.

I have used it with alloys ranging from around 10 BHN to 21 BHN in pistols and rifles. As I remember the only time I had leading in my rifle, that was of any significance, was when I shot a .308 Rem. 700 with 12 BHN no gas check and a grain or two short of max load. It had three coats of the Hi Tek Gold 1035 in the liquid form, not powder. Probably could have dropped the pressure down to the leads level of ability and shot it just fine. With gas check and lead in the 15-17 BHN it will stand up to jacketed velocities in my 308. I have shot 223 with it and 21 BHN lead and gas checks with success at near max velocity. As with any load though the max is not always the most accurate load. I have not had a problem with lead 10-13 BHN in my handguns 44 mag, 357mag, 45 ACP, 38 spl. I have shot the 44 mag with the 10 BHN hollow points with no problem. Some are using pure lead with a little tin added.

Almost all of my bullets have three coats. You can use two coats especially in hand guns. I have used Gun Metal, Black 1035, Dark Blue, Bronze 500 in the coatings that start out with a powder and only need to add acetone or MEK. I have used Gold 1035 in the coatings that start as two part liquid. Some of the coatings have "metallic" and are more suited to the rifle and high pressure handgun.

[popper]

Shot XD40 @ 25 yds today, 165gr, 5 gr Unique, guessing 1% Sb, 0.3% Cu. Not great pistol shooter but accuracy was as good as isocore HiTek coated. Alloy is soft, scratches with the back of my fingernail and pounds down to 0.015 without fracture. ~30 kpsi. Also shot it in 30/30, 185 gr.GC, over 10 gr unique. So yes, you can use a lower BHN alloy. Oh, used BLL on what I shot today.