Mr Majyk Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 I shall be getting my first centre fire rifle soon, a sako S491 .223 and im really looking forward to getting it! i mean really god damn excited! anyway, my friend has all the home loading gear so i can keep ammo cost lower. i regularly sieve the sand down at my range to get the lead for fishing weights and i thought maybe i could cast some bullets for my rifle? i know most bullets are copper jacketed to hold them together at higher velocity's in the barrel, but what id like to know whats the highest velocity i throw one of these out the muzzle SAFELY made out of pure lead? or is this just a stupid idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 interesting article from Chuck Hawks on the subject... http://www.chuckhawks.com/benefits_lead.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 I've not read the link yet but apparently the bullets stripping in the rifling is a lot to do with pressure rather than speed? With a powder that gives a steady push with a low peak pressure, you should be able to get quite a good velocity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 I've fired solid lead 357 magnum bullets with a hot load and they were doing just under 1500fps with no gas check either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 I've fired solid lead 357 magnum bullets with a hot load and they were doing just under 1500fps with no gas check either. Yes but how many? You can get away with a few but you end up leading the barrel and accuracy drops off. If you want to start loading lead bullets in rifles a .223 is definitely not the calibre to start learning on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rem708 Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 Don't even waste your time. Firstly you will have to use hard lead to stand any chance of success. Gas checking will further improve matters but by the time you have done this you may as well pay for bulk military FMJ bullets. The biggest problems are slippage in the rifling and lead vapourisation. Both cause heavy leading and hence you would have to spend a lot of time cleaning your barrel between very small number of rounds. Believe me casting small bullets without imperfections is exceedingly difficult. Swagging might be an option but still not worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 One of the guys on Saubier did it a couple years back. Using hard lead and low pressure powder he got the 223 up to 1500-1700 without terrible fouling. The idea was to have a light, cheap load for prarie dogs. In practicality terms, you're better off just using a HMR as it is a lot of trouble for minimal benefit. If you just want it just for plinking and shooting a bunch of ammo, then just use the 22LR. rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 Yes but how many? You can get away with a few but you end up leading the barrel and accuracy drops off. If you want to start loading lead bullets in rifles a .223 is definitely not the calibre to start learning on. This is my own hard cast lead and leaves very little fouling in the barrell. However,i do give it a wee scrub every so often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 Choices of or making of lube is a big contributor to shooting cast. All copper foul has to be removed first as lead just wants to stick to copper and vice versa when you switch back. Pure lead is only good for muzzle loader rifles and 22lr velocities really (with exceptions), seperation from the gasses would be needed if not by a gas check then paper of which a 223 case does not help. An alloy somewhere around 20brinnell would be needed. It is doable and pre-cast lead bullets are available gas checked too when I last checked. Another cheap way to go is some fmj from S&B. U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Majyk Posted June 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 hmmmm well it looks like i'll just be sticking to the copper jacketed. might try some pure lead for some low velocity rounds? the odd one here and there shouldn't do any harm? and i do compulsively clean my rifles on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 hmmmm well it looks like i'll just be sticking to the copper jacketed. might try some pure lead for some low velocity rounds? the odd one here and there shouldn't do any harm? and i do compulsively clean my rifles on a regular basis. Not pure lead-its far too soft and only suitable for muzzleloading firearms. For everything else you need hard cast lead. I use range lead (literally bullets sieved out of the sand) which although is very dirty and incredibly smokey when melting down is plenty hard enough to shoot at quite respectable speeds. I also have a constant free supply too. It might sound a bit neanderthal,but i use a hammer to test the first few bullets when casting (or boolits as they're known) by hitting one very hard on a paving slab. If it deforms badly its too soft and needs more unjacketed bullets adding to the molten lead (FMJ's are always soft lead inside the copper jacket). If it simply distorts or maybe squashes a little when hit then its perfect. Then they need lubing,resizing then lubing again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Majyk Posted June 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 (edited) Not pure lead-its far too soft and only suitable for muzzleloading firearms. For everything else you need hard cast lead. I use range lead (literally bullets sieved out of the sand) which although is very dirty and incredibly smokey when melting down is plenty hard enough to shoot at quite respectable speeds. I also have a constant free supply too. It might sound a bit neanderthal,but i use a hammer to test the first few bullets when casting (or boolits as they're known) by hitting one very hard on a paving slab. If it deforms badly its too soft and needs more unjacketed bullets adding to the molten lead (FMJ's are always soft lead inside the copper jacket). If it simply distorts or maybe squashes a little when hit then its perfect. Then they need lubing,resizing then lubing again. i also have access to a free supply of bullet lead. i sieve it out from my range. sieved the whole thing once and pulled out 126 kg of lead thats weighed after i melted the whole lot down ............needless to say i have alot of fishing weights Edited June 22, 2013 by Mr Majyk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 i also have access to a free supply of bullet lead. i sieve it out from my range. sieved the whole thing once and pulled out 126 kg of lead thats weighed after i melted the whole lot down ............needless to say i have alot of fishing weights Sweet jesus! Then you have no excuse not to cast your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted June 22, 2013 Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 Pure lead can be used,,,,,if you paper patch it! U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Majyk Posted June 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2013 (edited) Sweet jesus! Then you have no excuse not to cast your own. now you can see WHY i was asking about non jacketed bullets! can anyone recommend somewhere to get good hollow point and target point moulds? a link would be great!?! for .223 as thats the rifle i'll be putting it through Edited June 23, 2013 by Mr Majyk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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