Ported barrel and lead bullets?

[dustoff]

I have purchased some hard cast lead bullets to reload for my Taurus .44 Mag. The bullets are 200 grain RNFP and are moly coated. I got them at http://northeastbullet.com/shop.htm. A buddy of mine told me I should not shoot these out of my revolver because it has a ported barrel and the lead will clog the ports. Has anyone had any problems with this? Also I was told I should use Alliant Blue Dot powder for my loads, I bought the powder, but I was unable to find any load data in the manual for the 200 grain RNFP .44 lead bullets I bought. Does anyone know how much of this powder I should use? I am new to reloading and don't want to get hurt or destroy my guns, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[pumpkinheaver]

I have been hit in the face by stuff with a ported barrel firing jacketed bullets. Never seen this occur more often with lead bullets. I know several gun manufacturers recimmend you don't fire lead bullets in a ported bbl. I do, thats me, but I also wear my safety glasses all the time. Weather you choose to do this or not, wear yours too...

[mjrodney]

I have owned two ported models in the past, a S&W .45ACP Performance Edition revolver with a screw on and ported compensator and a Taurus .357 with more traditional ports.

Both would collect lead deposits to a small degree, but they cleaned up just like the rest of the firearm.

[dustoff]

Thanks for the advise. I am going to load some rounds tomorow and take them to the range wednesday to try them out. I'll be sure to remember my safety glasses. Any one have any powder recomendations. I have Blue Dot, power pistol, and universal on hand.

[Johnny Guest]

- - Because my use is somewhat different.

I load a lot of .45 ACP ammo to shoot through a Thompson SMG with the old standard Cutts compensator. My load is a 230 LRN over 5.4 gr of W231. The bullet moving down the longer barrel, well heated up by rapid fire, leaves a lot of lead/powder residue caught in the Cutts vents. After 500 to 1000 rounds, there's enough build up so that the efficiency is noticibly reduced. Most of the SMG matches only run 350 to 450 rounds, so I don't worry about cleaning the comp during the match.

I like the lead bullet loads because they're easy on the barrel, but there's a price to pay in the cleanup. It is easiest when I pour some solvent into a stainless steel cup and prop the gun up with the compensator immersed in the solvent. A few hours of this softens the residue and allows for removal with a still brush.

Less economical, but I really enjoy loading Ranier or Berry's plated bullets for matches. Of late, I've been using these for matches and leaving the lead loads for practice and plinking.

Best,
Johnny

[tINY]

I have a Taurus Raging Bull in 44mag. That revolver has a muzzle brake (not just a ports).

Commercial lead bullet loads spray hot lead and lube all over the place. She only get jacketed bullets now....



-tINY

[dustoff]

Well I loaded some rounds and took them to the range. I loaded 200 grain LRNFP bullets over 7.2 Grains of Clays Universal powder and a Federal Large pistol magnum primer. Apperantly not the best load. I had some unburnt powder and a little leading. The manual I have calls for 6.8 - 7.8 grains of this powder. Why was there so much unburnt powder left after each shot? Should I have used a regular Large Pistol primer instead of a magnum primer? Any suggstions on how to eliminate the leading would be helpfull. I am extremely unexperienced with reloading and the load above was my brothers recomendation (He has been reloading about 5 years now). I loaded and shot 95 rounds and had a great time until I got home and had to clean up the mess. I will have to give it another scrubbing tommorow to finish the job right.

Any advise would be welcomed. I have 900 bullets left and would hate to have to buy jacketed bullets to practice with. I guess I should mention these are not meant to be hunting loads, just some practice loads to build my confidence with this gun.

-Thanks in advance,
Dustoff

[clayking]

Couple of points...........

First, I have a Taurus tracker with ports, also shoot lead, and I've not noticed any leading to speak of. Of course, I shooting .45ACP and they are not so fast that leading is a big problem.

Secondly, get a reloading manual and don't trust what someone else says is a good load. As they said in the X-Files.........trust no one.................ck

[tINY]

Are you using gas checks? How long is your barrel?



-tINY

[dustoff]

The gun I am shooting is a Taurus 44 mag with a 8 3/8" Barrel. I am really new to reloading and am unsure what gas checks are. Could you possible explain this to me? I did make up another batch of rounds, and took them to the range. With some advice from XD-GUY I lowered the porwder charge all the way down to the minimum(6.8 grains of Clays Universal). I still had some leading, but not nearly as much as I had with the first rounds I reloaded. I am going to slowly lower it a little more to try and stop as much of the leading as possible. I seem to be getting alot of powder residue in the barrel and spent catridge. Is this normal? The residue is yellowish flakes.

[rwilson452]

A gas check is a copper cup shaped someting like a primer. it fits on the base of the bullet. It's purpose is to insulate the lead bullet from the hot gases of the burning powder. it also assists in grabbing the rifleing. There are bullets specially shaped to take the gas check. I suspect you have gotten your powder charge so low your not getting a good burn with the powder your using. there isn't enought pressure and/or heat to burn it. My solution for a light load would be to use a faster powder.

[tINY]

You might try the IMR Trailboss powder if you want to shoot lead bullets out of a 44mag.

Unless you have hard-cast or gas checked lead bullets, generally you don't want more than about 900fps at the muzzle to avoid leading the barrel.

In a 44mag, spend a few extra bucks on the gas checked or copper-clad bullets. I like the PSP from Speer - they are not jacketed but plated, so they behave mostly like a lead bullet. But, they don't lead the barrel and don't need lube.

You said that you were using the moly coated bullets. A friend of mine tried those and didn't have good results - I think they are intended for cowboy dress-up shooting where they get loaded to about 700-800 fps - hence the Trailboss suggestion.


-tINY

[dustoff]

Sorry it has taken so long to respond to Tiny's suggestion but I have had some issues and have not been able to get to the range. My wife was pregnant and put on bed rest just after my original post. Anyway she has given birth to a little girl and I am now able to get back to the range to do some shooting. I got some Trail Boss as suggested and loaded a couple rounds up yesterday. I will be shooting them later in the week.

My question is that at 6.3 grains(minimum load is 6.1gr) there is barely any room for the bullet in the case. The web site for the porwder claims
"It is based on a whole new technology which allows very high loading
density"
Does the cartridge having more powder affect how the powder burns? Also I loaded these with a different primer than was suggested. What affect will this have. The recipe calls for winchester 2 1/2 and I used Federal Large Magnum Pistol primers.
Thanks for any help and sorry again for the delayed response.

[tINY]

You'll probably be alright with the hot primers - the TB is a low-pressure powder, so you aren't anywhere near the max.

The "high load density" means that your cases are almost full of powder. This makes things more consistent from shot to shot - tha powder doesn't end up at one end or the other.... That way the powder starts burning from the primer end every time.

Congratulations - I guess you'll be cleaning that revolver on Friday evenings in about 15 years.......





-tINY

[ziggy222]

if you don't crimp hard enough,you can end up with unburnt powder.i'm not a fan of molly bullets either.

[dustoff]

The leading is gone! Thanks tiny for the advise on the IMR Trail Boss powder. I went to the range last night and when I got home I was happy to have found just next to no leading. Cleaned up nice and easy. I am going to be buying some plated bullets soon. I am over halfway through the 1000 lead bullets I had and will need to restock.
Thanks again everyone for the help.

[XD-Guy]

Dustoff,
If your still looking for Blue Dot data for your 44 mag, my book says for 200 gr lead start at 15.8 and Max is 19.8 your velocity will run 1062-1363 fps and your pressure will run 22,800 - 36,800 your oal is 1.692" Hope this helps

[dustoff]

Thanks XD I'll give Blue Dot a try the next time I get to load some up and go to the range. I am still using my brothers equipment and it is a real hassle going to his house to reload. I am trying to talk my wife into letting me get my own setup. I told her if she wanted to do something nice for valentines day she could buy the lee aniversary kit for me. The complaint she has is I would have to reload in the house(Probably the kitchen) and she doesn't want me to do that.

[XD-Guy]

You'll just have to convince her that reloading is not messy

[Crazy4nitro]

I loaded up 100 LSWC's for my Taurus .41 Magnum. I didnt Notice a Bit of port fouling due to lead. I had Plinkers as well as some full house rounds loaded up.
Just my exp.

Crazy4nitro

[dustoff]

Talked the wife into buying me my own reloading equipment. I should get my stuff by Wednesday.

Crazy what type of powder where you using?

[Crazy4nitro]

dustoff,
Heres a link to a thread i wrote with my results.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=237728

Good Luck,
Crazy4nitro