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Thread: What BHN for slow bullets?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master



    Springfield's Avatar
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    I shoot Cowboy shoots every month using BP and 44-40. Lead in the range of 9-10 works fine with full power loads, as long as the bullet fills the bore.

  2. #22
    Boolit Bub
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    Goofy - what is 30:1?

  3. #23
    Boolit Bub
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    Springfield - thanks. 9-10 sure would be easier to cast than 5-6.

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paramax55 View Post
    Goofy - what is 30:1?
    30 parts lead, 1 part tin.

    Low velocity/low pressure loads will perform better with soft alloys, or even pure lead.

  5. #25
    Boolit Bub
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    Yeah. I don't have pure components. I'mm starting from Wheel weights and each melt comes out different. So I test for BHN and go from there.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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    OK, wish you the best with this. Your expectations of low velocity might be dashed, depends on what you use for a bullet. FYI, the proper charge for your project is a full case. BP is simple to load, don't get creative or it might bite you on the backside.

    You might also find that round balls will work for some of this. The picture I posted of the odd looking ammo is a .357 case necked to .308 caliber and loaded with a Hornady .311 RB. Wee bit of lube around the neck/ball junction and away it went. Shot 4 other loads with different smokeless loads, all of which were much slower...and less accurate.

    Poke around and see if you can find some roofing or plumbing lead.
    Last edited by Goofy; 03-30-2021 at 09:40 PM.

  7. #27
    Boolit Bub
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    I have a mold for 9mm. I never intended to load for 38 special because it used to be so cheap and it's not a gun I had planned to shoot much. But things are different today. If this works out, it could be a whole new level of fun. My mold is 356 and I have a sizer coming for 358. For the first few rounds, I plan to make due with my 9mm dies. If it all works out, I'll be ordering a correct set for 38. If I can bell the old case enough to squish a bullet in it, then squeeze it down enough to hold it, it will let me try 6-12 rounds and see if I want to order the 38 dies or not.

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    I haven't checked lately but it used to be that 38 Special, 45 ACP, and 30-30 were the most common die sets on eBay. I have purchased many die sets there and only was bit once, and that was a manufacturing problem, not a poor quality product that the seller would have known.
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

  9. #29
    Boolit Bub
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    I'll buy the die set if this ends up being viable. But a die set is going for around $70.00 with the current situation. Usually I spend too much money on something, say "well, that was cool," and then it sits on a shelf. If this works out, I'll buy the die set. But I've already bought a ball mill, a puck grinder, sifting screens, built a BP pressing die set...

  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    The advantage of a die set is, like now, when nobody has ammo, you do!
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

  11. #31
    Boolit Bub
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    Oh, yeah... definitely. I have die sets for 45acp, 9mm, 380, 223, 270 winchester, 30 carbine, and probably something else I've forgotten about. I just don't want to jump the gun (pun intended) on something that I find out I'm not interested in after all.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master




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    The 45 should work OK with BP. The Brits Webley revolver had about the same case capacity or slightly less and it started as a BP round with a pretty heavy boolit (265gr). I would think the 9MM might be a little anemic. Biggest problem with your homemade will be the density.

    Bob
    GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!

  13. #33
    Boolit Bub
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    Bob - I'm about 7 years into the BP thread. It's good to see that you're still around. I've gotten into some long threads before. You feel like you get to know the people. Then sometimes some of them pass on.

    Anyway... I'll be testing my corned against Goex when I get home in the next couple of days or so. I have some 3F that I've corned and I'm pressing to about 16,000 psi (I have a small die that I made to try it out first). I'm pretty sure my density will be there, but the charcoal might be off. I'm using pine rabbit bedding at first. Whoever had the idea of tile nippers for the pucks was GENIUS (I don't remember who that was)! It will probably be a couple of weeks before I can load some up and drag out the chrono.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master




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    Quote Originally Posted by Paramax55 View Post
    Bob - I'm about 7 years into the BP thread. It's good to see that you're still around. I've gotten into some long threads before. You feel like you get to know the people. Then sometimes some of them pass on.

    Anyway... I'll be testing my corned against Goex when I get home in the next couple of days or so. I have some 3F that I've corned and I'm pressing to about 16,000 psi (I have a small die that I made to try it out first). I'm pretty sure my density will be there, but the charcoal might be off. I'm using pine rabbit bedding at first. Whoever had the idea of tile nippers for the pucks was GENIUS (I don't remember who that was)! It will probably be a couple of weeks before I can load some up and drag out the chrono.
    I just pressed mine in a vice so the density wasn't there but grain for grain my powder did better than Swiss. I wanted it for hunting more than competition and it shined there and really did pretty good out to 300yd. If you can find some tree of heaven give it a try, I really like it. I got about 50fps more out of mine than Willow. That is not scientific though, just too many variables. I've put down 4 deer and multiple squirrels with mine.

    Bob
    GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Go for it! BP is great fun. Don’t forget to clean well after each session.

  16. #36
    Boolit Bub
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    I did it. I corned my powder that I made from pine bedding from Walmart. I got 12% less density than Goex. I loaded up 50 38 special as a trial. I PC'd some boolits I cast from soft lead and pan lubed them with SPG. Sized them to 358. I cookie-cut some cork gaskets with an old 357 case and a hammer. I made up a volume measure with some copper pipe and a bolt. I used a 308 die to decap, belled the cases with a 9mm powder-through die and filled to where I would get about an 1/8" compression after the gasket and all went in. I used the 9mm die to compress and crimp. (Those 9mm dies were only screwed in a few threads!) They chrono'd from the 460's to the 5-teens out of a 4" Smith & Wesson. It had a gentle push to it and I looked EXACTLY like Clint Eastwood when I did it!

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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