How much leadding is too much?

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Just curious what you fellers consider as a tolerable amount of leading in the bore.

If you get any flecks of lead on a cleaning jag/patch is that too much?

Or do you not worry unless the leading causes accuracy to go south?

If you don't worry until accuracy goes kaput how many rounds fired would you tolerate before accuracy goes kaput?

[sqlbullet]

I have fired several hundred in a session without any noticeable degradation to accuracy from leading. I guess that would be my standard. I do maintain my guns, but if I were ever in a situation where maintenance was no feasible, I would expect them to perform.

My experience is that after a few fouling shots, my bore stabilizes and doesn't really change.

[fredj338]

You can look down the bore & see if it's objectionable. If I have some light streaking after 200-300rds, I'm fine w/ that as long as accuracy is still there. Larger "chunks" is telling me something is wrong w/ my alloy, bullet size or lube.

[243winxb]

Or do you not worry unless the leading causes accuracy to go south? If the accuracy goes, then you have leading. Anything else is just normal fouling. If your lube is working correctly, you muzzle will be wet using Alox 50/50.

[Buckshot]

If the accuracy goes, then you have leading.

..........Perzackly! Accuracy is the name of the game, and as long as we're shooting accurately we're gold :-) Wouldn't bother me to push streamers of lead out of the barrel so long as when shooting it, it was and stayed accurate. Usually those 2 conditions don't co-exist so if accuracy suffers or doesn't happen at all, first thing I look for is leading.

I have a small ring Mauser chambered in 7.62x39. A superbly accurate load I stumbled across was 28.5grs (A FULL case load) of surplus 4895 and capped with the Lee C312-155-2R sized .310". The velocity is 1975 fps. I can shoot it as much as I want and accuracy doesn't falter. I've never checked it after 1 or 2 rounds but have after 20 and 50 rounds. Both times showed just a couple very tiny flecks. This tells me it isn't cumulative but regardless it also isn't an issue.

................Buckshot

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Agreed, you will know when you have "Leading" issues, the accuracy goes South in a hurry and you can look down the bore and see the lead stripping , filling the groves of the barrel.

Other than that, it's just fouling, sometimes worse than others, a lot depends on your lube in this area.
Good Luck.

[leftiye]

Short answer - any is too much IMO. A light grey wash is another matter. Best accuracy sometimes comes at loadings that produce this wash. I seek to build loads that do not lead, and do not foul so they can be shot indefinitely like the .22 rimfire. Like Buckshot's load.