lee REALs

[freekforge]

Can you use wheel weights for lee reals or do you have to use softer lead?

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Since the grooves around the bullet are suppose to be pressed into the rifling when seating at the muzzle, it depends on the rifling. Soft lead can mash into the rifling a bit on ignition. Wheel weights would make it so hard, that it would be a pain to start the bullet down the bore. Because the bullet is supposed to obturate into the rifling, i' d stick with pure lead.

 

[necchi]

R.E.A.L. means;
Rifling Engaged At Loading.
It depends on the gun.
Some have bores that will accept the REAL properly and some the bore is a bit too big. Back in the day when I was playing with them the gun's bore was too big, the REAL wouldn't stay on the charge reliably and I found little need for the bullet vrs a Round Ball

 

[Kentuckywindage]

I LOVE the REAL! I cast the 320gr version for my 50cal sidelocks. Finally got them figured out the other day. They want a LUBED wad. I was using dry cardboard style wad and it was a 4" group. Used a lubed wad and ended up with a 1 1/4" 3 shot group @ 50 yards. It was that big due to the first shot being a bit lower. Shots 2 and 3 were touching.

Use soft lead other wise they will be tight at the muzzle.

I use a mix of beeswax and liquid Alox to lube my REAL's with.

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. freekforge,
Pure lead has proven to work better for us.
Best Wishes

 

[Rat Trapper]

You have to use pure lead when casting REAL bullets as well as any other conicals. Conicals like a lubed felt wad under the bullet. Ox-Yoke orginals offers the wads in a bunch of different sizes. If you don't use plenty of lube with conicals you will lead up the barrel.

 

[rawhide]

tried it once I cast 5 with weel wait lead just to see. man what a pain to start! :cursing: with that I say use prue lead or as close. I cast the 380 grain for my cva hawken in .54 it loves them!

 

[BrownBear]

I suppose you could use wheel weights, but you'd get tired of lugging the big hammer needed to start them down the bore. Whack! Whack! Whackwhackwhackwhack. Cuss. Whimper. :rotf:

I've had the same experiences highlighted by everyone else. One thing I'll add, you want a good hot mold and hot lead, and you DON'T want any wrinkles or flaws of any kind for best accuracy. It's one of the few bullets I weigh and sort.

The ones with wrinkles and such are fine for plinking, and you can expect a few at the start of each castin session. But if you cast as many as 20 and are still getting wrinkles, crank up the lead heat and wait a bit longer. You'll still get a few with wrinkles until the mold heats up completely.

One thing that helps in pouring is to concentrate on making your pour a little off-center to the sprue hole. Folks explain that it causes the lead to swirl more and fill better. I don't know about the swirl part, but I do know I get fewer rejects with an off-center pour.

 

[reddog]

Personaly, I would keep wheelweights out of muzzleloaders, unless your runnin' a smoothbore.

 

[nkbj]

Some folks have reported using wheel weight maxi's and REAL's with good success. I haven't yet found a combo to make it work really good enough so don't know.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I use pure lead in REALs and T/C Maxi Balls for the reasons given.

 

[VEARL]

Go with pure lead.
Easier to load and engrave on the rifleing as you load. By all means use a lubed felt wad. ( refer to my post that I just posted in this forum) Can help you make your own wads.