The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old April 15, 2012, 08:51 PM   #1
10 acre woods
Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2011
Location: the commie state of il
Posts: 73
lead questions and powder weights

So looking in the books for loading 44 mag. and I see that some bullets can take much more powder then lead bullets. What is the reasoning around this. Does lead create more pressures or do you just not want to push lead that fast. What happens if you go over recommended loads for lead. Only reason I ask is the load data I have using a specific powder states that you can up the powder weight if you use a jacketed bullet, but if you use a lead round you are cutting the powder weight in more then half.
Just some questions. Any info would help thanks for all that reply.
__________________
9 out of 10 armed robbers agree that you should not own guns or conceal them. The other 10% stole the survey.
Some times heaven is knowing you can send someone straight to hell.
10 acre woods is offline  
Old April 15, 2012, 08:55 PM   #2
dacaur
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 16, 2010
Posts: 733
Two reasons. #1 Lead actualy creates LESS pressure than jacketed. Its easier to push a lead bullet down the barrel than a jacketed one. so you need less powder to get the same velocity. And #2, if you go too fast with lead you will get barrel leading, which destroys velocity and is a pain to clean.
dacaur is offline  
Old April 17, 2012, 09:16 AM   #3
WESHOOT2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
assumptions

Not all lead bullets are equal; some are 'hard', some are 'harder'; some are soft swaged bullets.

So please provide very specific details, and help will arrive!
__________________
.
"all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"
WESHOOT2 is offline  
Old April 17, 2012, 03:49 PM   #4
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
The lead bullets data, that you are looking at, might be for longer ones that seat deeper into the case, and increase internal pressure.
So, it's not only whether the bullets are lead or jacketed, but their shape and style that determines the powder load.
That's why it's so important to follow the load data for each and every bullet design, and never to get inventive.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old April 17, 2012, 08:33 PM   #5
mehavey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 17, 2010
Location: Virginia
Posts: 6,869
I recommned the OP get a Lyman 48/49th manual. There he will find the 44 and 45 loads/pressures/velocities for lead and jacketed to be remarkably similar. This holds for almost every powder/bullet-weight/similar-OAL (and therefore similar seating depth in the lists) -- with the exception of ball W296/H110 where ignition/pressure curves are picky.

Lead bullets -- even at magnum velocities -- are tougher than given credit. And leading occurs more often when bullets are too hard, and loads (pressures) too low -- thereby not sealing the bore right off the bat. **






**I'm running a 255gr plain-base Keith out of my 45 Colt/1894 Marlin at 1,700fps (and shooting the same load out of my 40-year old/3-screw Ruger). ...Not even a hint of leading.
mehavey is offline  
Old April 19, 2012, 09:04 PM   #6
10 acre woods
Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2011
Location: the commie state of il
Posts: 73
so how would I go about making a lead load that shoots like a jacketed round. I just want something to practice with that is economical as possible but still feels like a jacketed bullet.
__________________
9 out of 10 armed robbers agree that you should not own guns or conceal them. The other 10% stole the survey.
Some times heaven is knowing you can send someone straight to hell.
10 acre woods is offline  
Old April 20, 2012, 04:29 AM   #7
sourdough44
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 17, 2007
Location: WI
Posts: 621
My way of thinking is why would I want to shoot max power loads all the time in a 44 mag? I'd be very content loading mid power lead bullets for most shooting. If & when I saw a need I'd test out some max power loads & carry them. I do have GC'ed Beartooth Bullets 'hardcast' for just such a use. Other than that I go with mid power loads, plated bullets, & a mid charge of H Universal.
sourdough44 is offline  
Old April 21, 2012, 01:18 PM   #8
Rangefinder
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 4, 2005
Posts: 2,017
Lead threshold is NOT about velocity--it's about pressure versus lead resilience depending on your alloy. The biggest key in lead is the FIT. Depending on how the pressures are for a particular cartridge, you CAN push lead as fast and hard as a typical jacketed bullet if all things are put together properly. My .40S&W drives a cast lead bullet upwards of 1050fps on 165gr HP's with no trouble at all so long as I've put everything together right on my end. My .357 goes over 1300+fps with 158gr SWC's and runs very clean.
__________________
"Why is is called Common Sense when it seems so few actually possess it?"

Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Politicians.
Rangefinder is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06543 seconds with 10 queries