How can I prevent leading in my revolvers?

[MH WASH]

I have a Ruger BH in 41 mag and a Ruger SRH in 44 mag. For the 41 I bought 250 215gr lead bullets from lead head. For the 44 I have 500 240 gr Lazer-cast bullets. Both of the guns lead up quick, they both have had about 100 rounds shot though them. I am shooting around 1200 fps in the 41 and 1400 in the 44. Is there a lube or something that I can apply to redouce the leading?

 Thanks in advance MH WASH.

[Omaha Poke]

MH, the most common cause, to my knowledge, of leading in revolvers is too small a chamber mouth.  If the mouth of the chamber is smaller than the bore dia. you will get leading.  Check the chambers of the cylinder.  They may have to be reamed.  Merry CHRISTmas, Omaha Poke.

[BCB]

MH WASH,

Are the Laser Cast Bullets gaschecked, plain base, or bevel base bullets?  Do you have any idea as to the hardness of these bullets?  I suspect they are lubed from the factory?

1400 fps is moving right along for cast bullets in a 44 Magnum.  I'm not saying it isn't O.K., but that is "truckin'" for cast bullets unless they might be gaschecked.

I shoot gaschecked bullets in my Redhawk at close to 1300 fps and leading is minimal, yet some does occur.  It is usually just minor gray streaking toward the end of the barrel.  I shoot a plain base bullet--RCBS 44-250-K bullet at around 1000 fps and I do get some lead just in front of the forcing cone with this bullet cast from wheel weights.  Accuracy is good though.  Bevel-based bullets, quite simply, are a disaster in my handguns.  Leading has always been terrible with this style of bullet...Period.  I guess that is one of the reasons I started to cast my own bullets.

You might try slowing them down a bit to see if the leading decreases somewhat.  Cast bullets are great when they work properly, but when they don't...OH BOY...........Good-luck...BCB

[Lloyd Smale]

all good advise what I will add is to lap your barrel with lapping bullets there available on the beartooth sight.

[MH WASH]

The Lazer cast bullets are bevel bases and I believe the hardness is 20-22. Also they are plain base. The leading is through out the entire barrel.
  I will measure the chambers tonite.

 MH WASH

[Aladin]

The Lazer cast bullets are bevel bases and I believe the hardness is 20-22. Also they are plain base. The leading is through out the entire barrel.
  I will measure the chambers tonite.

 MH WASH

Note also the bullet to throat fit-- that should be tight to work optimumly at those high pressures and speeds. Your lube sounds suspect too, but as one fella noted-- 1400 is pushing the envelope in a lotta pee-stols. Top Q lube would help, and maybe a slightly softer slug.

[Billy Marr]

if you want to make the rest of them a little more shootable try tumble lubing in Lee Liquid Alox.

[MH WASH]

Billy Marr,
 
Could explain tumble lubing a little more for me please?

 Thanks Matt

[Ullr]

others swear by firing a few copper-jacketed rounds through a barrel after a session of shooting lead bullets, to remove the lead fouling

From what I've heard from the owners of a local gun range this is a very bad idea.  They have seen two differnt pistols blow up at the range that they claim was at least in part due to firing copper-jacketed rounds after lead.  I don't know all the details and they will admit that they do not know the exact condition of these guns prior to failure.  However the one common detail on both of these was that the gun came apart with the first jacketed bullet being fired after a fair number of cast bullets.

It seams to make sence to me though that a lead fouled barrel will create more resistance to a jacketed bullet.  More resistance makes more pressure.  Now most guns with most loads will be able to handle the added pressure.  But with a load / revolver combination that is already near the max, this could be a disaster.