Lube - Hardness of Lead Bullets

[Smokerr]

I have been reloading for 50 years, but am new to the BP (revolvers) and can't settle the lead hardness and lube aspect.

I am currently shooting two New Model Army types (one a 1976 and the other current). I have shot Hornady Lead balls and unknown make lead balls. I also have been shooting some JD bullets (bought not made). I have zero lead built up and while not intentional, I had one load get up to 1200 fps (Pyrodex 30 gr pellet).

I have shot 9mm with a cast bullet that had a synthetic lube, those were going out at 1200 fps as I recall. No issues so the lead hardness and the synthetic lube worked there but not sure the lube was needed.

I have been using lubed wads and have not been able to discern any difference in fouling but they don't hurt anything and are cheap enough to not be an issue (I have not tried them on top of the Pyrodex Pellets as I pre load those cylinders in the Pietta NMA and figure they might affect the pellet)

I am working on getting a Ruger Old Army and plan to have a bit of fun with that pushing the envelope in a uber safe gun. Not all the time but just for fun and curiosity. I have a lab radar so I can get velocity data easily.

I see a range of lead hardness in discussing the lead bullets (ball or conical) and is there a limit as to velocity that you need harder lead and or lube (that area would be with JD conical that has a grove for lube.

Or do the wads that have lube soaked into them suffice?

 

[nkbj]

Hi Smokerr.
Yeah, started in the 70's myself.
All I've ever needed in percussion revolvers was the softest lead available. I usually put lube in front of the bullets rather than under them. Lube wads work also. It's load development just the same as with cartridge revolvers.

 

[Smokerr]

I had been wondering about putting the lubed wad in front, dropped that in a failure to remember.

It seems that for both fouling and possible leading issues in front is the best place!

And I have to tell this story. Back in the 70s my brother had picked up a Ruger 357. We were reloading with that horrid Lee Loader system and he had picked up some lead bullets for his (I had the 44 Magnum, hated the transfer bar ops and sold it)

Anyway he opens up his box of bullets and says, ungh, these are icky. I looked and grease all over them.

He says I am going to clean those off. I told him, I don't know why but clearly they think its needed or it would not be so uniform on all of them.

After I leave he (Mr Neat and tidy) cleans the grease off and loads up a group. Then we go shooting and when he goes to clean the gun, he has turned into into a non rifled pistol. Uhh Bro I think we have found out why you don't remove that grease!

Many hours latter of scraping the barrel and his regret for not listening to his smarter though younger brother (by a whole year). Of course no Internet back then and few around that reloaded to ask (not that he would have listened!)

 

[M. De Land]

I had been wondering about putting the lubed wad in front, dropped that in a failure to remember.

It seems that for both fouling and possible leading issues in front is the best place!

And I have to tell this story. Back in the 70s my brother had picked up a Ruger 357. We were reloading with that horrid Lee Loader system and he had picked up some lead bullets for his (I had the 44 Magnum, hated the transfer bar ops and sold it)

Anyway he opens up his box of bullets and says, ungh, these are icky. I looked and grease all over them.

He says I am going to clean those off. I told him, I don't know why but clearly they think its needed or it would not be so uniform on all of them.

After I leave he (Mr Neat and tidy) cleans the grease off and loads up a group. Then we go shooting and when he goes to clean the gun, he has turned into into a non rifled pistol. Uhh Bro I think we have found out why you don't remove that grease!

Many hours latter of scraping the barrel and his regret for not listening to his smarter though younger brother (by a whole year). Of course no Internet back then and few around that reloaded to ask (not that he would have listened!)

I've been experimenting as well and thus far have come to the conclusion that soft ball lead is required in original design chamber mouths a good bit smaller than barrel grooves. This works fine with soft lead ball bump up (obturation or how ever it's spelled) but for conical bullets it seems to work better if the chamber mouths are opened to at least groove diameter with harder lead alloys.
I have not seen any detrimental issues to this point with ball shooting in opened chamber mouths if the diameter is increased commensurately to the groove diameter.
Also the last few years I have gone to lubed felt wads under ball or bullet and so far think it is as good or better than over ball lubing which is hugely messy to gun, shooter and scope.
One mans opinion subject to change should further testing input show the contrary.

 

[B P Arn]

I had been wondering about putting the lubed wad in front, dropped that in a failure to remember...)

A wad, lubed or not, always goes behind a bullet. I have tried lubed wads but found no benefit to them. I put the lube in front of the ball. By that, I mean I take a small amount of my home-made lube (a mix of beeswax and Crisco) and put it on top of each ball with a thin Popsicle stick or similar. Work it in to fill the space between the ball and the cylinder wall. No need to use too much, because the excess will be blown away from the remaining shots by the first shot. Not a problem other than wasting lube and making a big mess.

 

[Bad Karma]

I’ve used a 30:1 alloy in conical bullets for a few different revolvers. I couldn’t detect any difference in accuracy so I have used only pure lead since then.