Soft cast bullets anyone?

[Sniper 79]

Know of any companies making soft lead bullets in 357 or 44? Seems like all the commercial casters are hard as a rock using a hard lube to boot. I would like a soft bullet to drive in the middle of the road velocity.

I bought and tried some hard ones and am sure I am not driving them fast enough to make them obturate. Getting some gas cutting.

Sure the ones I have are BRN of 22 need something in the 10 BRN or so range.

 

[djones]

Are you shooting out of revolvers or rifles? You probably need a larger diameter bullet than what you are getting from the hardcast houses. Your cylinder throats could also be undersized which swages cast bullets down to smaller than groove dimensions.

Beartooth bullets offers larger diameter bullets and Missouri Bullet Company offers some bullets in the 12 BHN range.

You may need a gas check if you are pushing your loads to max magnum pressure levels.

Good luck.

 

[Leo]

Missouri Bullet company. I get the softer 12 Brinnel alloy for .38spl. bullseye revolver. They do really well.

 

[billybob44]

Speer+Hornady..

These two Co's make soft (Swaged) target bullets for your calibers. Thse usually cost more $ than hard cast, but will seal @ low pressures.

The .38/.357 HBWC in 148gr. makes for a GREAT trarget load over 2.5-2.7gr. of Bullseye..Bill.

 

[Sniper 79]

I am using them in revolvers (single action Rugers) and a 1911. Using 231 and tried some Universal. Got a lot of leading on the face of the cylinder not so much anywhere else. Throats seem to be ok. Have not tried the .44 yet. The .357 cyl gap is a snug .006 and I casted a few slugs to double check the barrel and cyl. It plasters the cyl face with lead and is super hard to get off. Accuracy was super fantastic and I could shoot the bull out of a target out to twenty yards and easily ring the gong out to 150 yrds. The 1911 leaded the chamber just in front of where the bullet sits. After a hundred rounds it was getting stiff and hard to chamber a round. No leading in the barrel and accuracy was also fantastic.

Bullets are in the twenty BRN hardness range. Looking for and am open to sugestions. Maybe a faster powder or a slower powder. My thoughts after a lot of reading is to go to a softer bullet to make them seal for that low pressure range I am loading for. Maybe a faster powder has a quicker pressure curve to make these hard ones work?

 

[Sniper 79]

Can I use a roll crimp on those or does it have to be taper crimped? What about lube?

 

[Sniper 79]

Missouri Bullet company. I get the softer 12 Brinnel alloy for .38spl. bullseye revolver. They do really well.

I saw these on-line. Looks like it may be a good option. What powder are you matching these up to? I would like to load in mag cases since that is all I have brass and dies for.

What I would like is a good middle of the road workable load that could do most anything I need it to do without spending a ton of cash.

 

[djones]

Can I use a roll crimp on those or does it have to be taper crimped? What about lube?

I use 50/50 beeswax and moly bearing grease. I use roll crimp for 357 and 44 mag

lil gun is great for 357 158-180 grain lead bullet and 2400 for 44 mag with a 265 grain lead. Starting loads for both with no leading out of my rifles or revolvers. BHN of around 10-12 IIRC.

More details here (post #10)
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...4-anyone-breaking-out-wheelgun-whitetail.html

Good luck!

 

[Disposable Heart]

These two Co's make soft (Swaged) target bullets for your calibers. Thse usually cost more $ than hard cast, but will seal @ low pressures.

The .38/.357 HBWC in 148gr. makes for a GREAT trarget load over 2.5-2.7gr. of Bullseye..Bill.

THIS! Really interested to know why more companies do not make swaged bullets! Economical, easy to make, lubing is a breeze and if an end user needs more velocity, break out a cheap tupperware container and some liquid Lee Alox and tumble lube 'em. Love the Hornady swaged (in both .45 and .38) with low doses of Clays: No mess, little to no issues with lube build up on seating dies and no leading.

Really supprised at how many companies popped up almost overnight with "hard cast bullets" offering incredibly hard bullets for most applications. .45 ACP and .38 Special do not need BHN 18 bullets, 10-12 will do. Maybe they are chasing after the "that powder is too hot for lead" like Titegroup and other Nitro heavy powders. Then again, I can't load some of those bullets hot enough with Titegroup to get them to obdurate anyway. I have to load heavy doses of Unique with those hard boolits to get them to seal right, by then, I'm getting away from the reason for loading (read: lower charges for better accuracy and lower recoil). Heck, Brinell test the so called "BHN 18" boolits sometime, you would be surprised at the variance. I've seen anywhere from 14-23!! in the same BOX!!

 

[Leo]

I saw these on-line. Looks like it may be a good option. What powder are you matching these up to? I would like to load in mag cases since that is all I have brass and dies for.

What I would like is a good middle of the road workable load that could do most anything I need it to do without spending a ton of cash.

In the last few years I have been loading target ammo with TiteGroup, WW231, or Hodgdon Clays powder. I have good loads and good results will all of them. The WW231 is favorite, but the others are really close.

 

[Sniper 79]

In the last few years I have been loading target ammo with TiteGroup, WW231, or Hodgdon Clays powder. I have good loads and good results will all of them. The WW231 is favorite, but the others are really close.

With swaged or Missouri ?

 

[Leo]

With swaged or Missouri ?

Actually, both. I had a back order for 3000 cast bullets from Missouri get filled, so I will be shooting mostly the MBC bullets. The Speer swaged bullets have a kind of powdery lube on them. The revolver seems to be just as dirty (but almost no leading with either) but there seems to be a little less smoke in the air after a shot with the Speer swaged bullets.

 

[Leadeye]

Cast your own, then you can join the lead scavengers club.

 

[Disposable Heart]

Cast your own, then you can join the lead scavengers club.

You mean the cranky old guys with buckets and extension grabbers roaming the sides of the road and pestering tire shop owners?

 

[Sniper 79]

You mean the cranky old guys with buckets and extension grabbers roaming the sides of the road and pestering tire shop owners?

I already tried that. Only came up with a small amount so I chucked it in the trash and said forget about it. I heard lead is going to be harder and harder to find being that all new cars will not come with lead wheel weights anymore. The local tire shops I hit either sell it for scrap or they have casters giving completed ammo in trade for the junk weights to the shop owners. Kicking myself for scrapping all the ingots my grandpa had casted over the years when he passed. There was a ton of it and ammo was cheap back about twelve years ago. That much lead would have lasted me a very long time. Sure I didnt get squat for it. High prices these days have forced me into hand loading. I am in the process of buying and stashing everything I can get. I dont ever see things getting cheaper or more available. That way I wont get caught up in getting gouged or not being able to find what I want.

 

[Sniper 79]

CP show is this weekend. May go and try to find a small box of Spears. Would be nice to sample them before I buy any bulk. Last few times I went there were no reloading vendors. Kankakee is usually better so may go there instead.