Just wondering about other persons experience with leading....

[Harry O]

My experience is that by the time I see leading, accuracy has already gone bad. Accuracy goes bad long before there is any indication of leading either from looking down the muzzle with a bore light or seeing any silver flakes during cleaning.

I have only had bad leading twice. I shot some bullets that were too soft at too high a pressure in a 44-40 rifle. And worse yet, the bullets were undersized (purchased, not cast by me). After shooting a dozen or so shots (and not being able to keep it on a target at 25 yards from a rest), I checked the bore. The rear of the barrel looked like it was a smoothbore. The grooves were completely filled. The grooves became visible after about 2 or 3 inches from the chamber, getting "deeper" to about the midpoint. I tried some jacketed bullets in it to try to "shoot out" the leading (as some people advocate), but it only spread the leading lengthwise down the bore (and I think it just made it harder to remove). I spent several hours over two days cleaning it.

The second time, was again too soft a bullet at too high a pressure in a pistol. I just cleaned it instead of trying to shoot it out this time. It was easier that way.

Other than that, the worst leading I have had has shown no more than a few silver flakes from the throat during cleaning. However, when working up a cast load, I have always had the accuracy go bad before I reach this point. Usually, long before. Therefore, I do not believe that using leading as a limit is at all useful. Accuracy it what I use as a limit sith cast bullets.

What has your experience been?

[docone31]

In my private guard days, I went for my Blue Card certification.
I prepared my Colt Combat Commander for the practical test.
I had forgotten to get bullets to load and had to use some commercial cast bullets.
I had stove pipes, jam ups, and couldn't hit my hand in front of me!
I couldn't believe it. I never used lead again in any of my 1911s untill years later. I knew nothing about sizing, alloy, I just read the ad hype.
It took forever to clean the barrel! I did not fire some jacketeds to clear the grooves, I used Hoppes #9, and lots of elbow grease.
They were soft, loose in the bore, and shot like crap!
I learned to never bring anything new and untested to a quick fire situation. That lesson has carried me a long time.
Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

[454PB]

The key point to remember when using a jacketed bullet to remove leading is to use a reduced load. Heavy barrel leading is actually a bore restriction, and in it's worst form a bore obstruction. I've found that a few gas checked cast boolits clear it out completely. If the leading is not discovered where it can be cleared by firing, slugging the bore will remove it and can be done in the shop.

This subject has come up before, and the answer that always appears is to avoid the leading by proper sizing, alloy, and lube. However, I doubt that there is a seasoned caster on this forum that has not leaded a barrel, and if he says he hasn't, he probably just wasn't aware of it.

[pdawg_shooter]

Never had a problem in handguns, and not in rifles since the 70s, since I started paper patching.

[jdgabbard]

Purchased some bulk over the counter lead boolits a while back. Advertised as 18 BHN. They seemed pretty hard. When shot the leading that clogged the grooves of my Taurus 85UL were pretty hard as well. Took days to get it all out. Never again.

[Blammer]

First attempt to load a particular round and test for group lead to very bad leading and accruacy degredation after two shots.

two shots, leaded the barrel from end to end.

so back to the "testing" area.

Several attempts still lead to leading after one or two shots.

FINALLY, a drastic change in boolits and size and lube cured the problem.

[Shiloh]

Years ago a shooting buddy and myself loaded up some Keith commercial boolits for a S&W Mod 29. They were soft and undersized. Accuracy was marginal and deteriorated from there. This brought me in contact with a device called a Lewis Lead Remover and the lead came out of the bore in ribbons.

Years a go at the Denver Gun Shows there were several folks who advertised hard cast boolits. They weren't. What a P.I.T.A. to get it all out. We found a proper size boolit that is well lubed and accuracy returned. KNOW what you are buying and what size!!

Shiloh

[twotrees]

I had 2 Ruger Blackhawks in 357 and a friend wanted to try it. He asked my load and I told him 15 gr of 2400 under a 158 gr cast boolit. He went out and got some Speer Swaged 158's and after 5 shots couldn't hit the backstop.

I spent the better part of 3 evenings trying to get that lead out of that gun.

#1. Never loan a gun
#2. Never give anyone a load that he doesn't really understand the difference between a Cast (Hard !) Gas checked boolit and a Swaged semi wadcutter.

Lesson learned, the Hard way.

[mooman76]

I have only had bad leading in one case. It was a 7mm mauser with an oversized bore. I actually peeled a layer of lead off the crown like a piece of blistered skin. It shot so bad I couldn't keep on paper at 25y. I didn't shoot enough to lead the barrel real bad though.

[EMC45]

I still get decent accuracy even with slight leading. I had very poor accuracy with about every commercial cast bullet I tried. Everything was too hard. I cast from pure WW and air cool. No problems.

[montana_charlie]

I worried about leading when I started shooting my 45/90.

I worried that it might occur, and I worried that I might not be able to tell it was happening.
Both of those worries came true because it WAS happening, and I COULDN'T see it. The bore always looked nice and shiney after I got clean patches.

Then I tried a 'grooveless' bullet design which immediately made it obvoius the leading was 'in progress'. I spent three days getting the stuff out, and resorted to the 'mallet-driven tight patch' method to finally succeed.

Since then, I always finish every thorough cleaning by driving a tight one through the bore.
If I'm on the range and suspect leading, I drive a tight one.

There may be better ways, but this is what I have settled on, for now...
CM