Is 1200fps too fast...

[singleVI]

...to push the Hornady 158 gr swchp out of my .357 mag? Does anyone know what velocity usually starts to cause leading? Thanks

[Lloyd Smale]

way to many variables to make a cut and dried answer. Ive pushed plain based bullets to 1400 in handguns with no leading. Alot depends on what alloy your using, what lube your using and most importantly how well the bullet fits your gun and how well your gun was put together. Im not familiar with that hornady bullet but if its a swaged bullet id say your about 200 fps to fast but if its a cast bullet and they use a decent alloy and you have a decent gun you might have no problems. Shoot a couple dozen of them and see. thats the best way to find out.

[BBF]

 They are swaged.
 
The max load listed for that bullet produces 950 fps from an 8" barrel. Hdy states that these bullets should not be pushed above those velocities.

[Graybeard]

Yes that's too fast for that pure lead swaged bullet. Slow it down a bunch. You might get by with around 1000 fps if your barrel isn't prone to leading. I've never pushed the Hornady swaged bullets that fast but am doing so with the Speer swaged bullets in my Ruger BH 45s and getting no leading. My target velocity with the Speer is 1000 fps.

[singleVI]

Okay. Is there any other lswchp that can cleanly reach 1200fps?

[Graybeard]

Throw away the idea you need an HP and any cast SWC will work. If you just gotta have an HP get a JHP or just live with the limits of the swaged bullet. As I said I'm using the Speer swaged 45 SWC at roughly 1000 fps with no leading but that's about the limit for those types in my experience.

[facetious]

When I first started reloading for my .357 Ruger BH back about 1982 I started with the solid version, a starting load of 4227 leaded it so bad there were lead wires sticking out the end of the barrel !!  That is when fiend started teaching me how to cast . With ww,s you can push a 160gr gc  swc as fast as a jacketed .

[Bigeasy]

Check out the various cast bullet manufacturers.  A bullet cast out of the equivalent of the Lyman #2 mix, along with a good lube should work well.  Avoid bevel bases. A flat base bullet will work well a long as the guns throat, forcing cone, and bore are all within spec.  A lot of shooters use gas check bullets in the .357 to avoid leading.   Swaged (pure) lead is to soft.  You want enough hardness to minimize leading, and ensure expansion while avoiding a bullet that fails to expand, or breaks apart because it is to hard.
 
Larry

[Lloyd Smale]

Like was said. Expansion isnt nessisary to kill with a cast bullet. It can actually hurt as much as it helps. cast bullets with a good metplat kill by making a decent wound channel that is deaper then a hp. If you measure a complete wound channel you will see that the shallower wider wound channel of a hp isnt any better then the longer smaller diameter channel you get with a hard cast swc. Also a hard cast will insure that a bullet makes it to the vitals at any angle and even if it has to break bone to get there.

[singleVI]

I just hate cleaning the lead rings out of the cylinder left by the Spcl cases so I'm going  start using only .357 cases now. I shoot a lot of .38 special 158gr lswchp +p out of my 3" j frame trail gun and it works okay on most critters  that are unlucky enough to be seen. While quail hunting I shot two armadillos through the shoulders/vitals and I was somewhat dissapointed when one was lost, and the other ran about 30 yards. I dont plan on using this for hunting deer size game. With the old FBI load being one of the best for protection for the .38, I figure adding a few hundred fps out of the mag case would make it a neat plinking, varmint, sd load. If this is a fools erand I suppose switching to SWCs is what I'll have to do. I'll save my JHPs for my contender.

[cwlongshot]

I agree with whats been said so far...

I have had a bit of a renewed interest in cast bullets myself lately working up 10MM hunting loads...

I also know there is some strong opinions conserning the dreaded MOLY lube...  BUT< In looking thru my lead bullets I found a couple boxes of slugs I was using in my cowboy shooting days.. BULL X used to offer them, now I see its Lightning bullets carrying them.. CSJ Molly bullets.

http://www.angelfire.com/stars/lightningbullets/csj.htm

They advertise no leading problems and top "jacketed bullets" velocity with them... While I did use them I have not pushed them. I LOVE the 115 32/20 bullets but shoot them at about 1000fps, W/ PB powder, from my Marlin CL.

CW

[Savage]

cw,
Just looked at the site you linked. Looks like the site is no longer maintained. Do you have any current contact information for CSJ?
Savage

[cwlongshot]

cw,
Just looked at the site you linked. Looks like the site is no longer maintained. Do you have any current contact information for CSJ?
Savage

Sorry, No I do not. Mine are from Bull X bullets... A quick google search yielded the link I posted... I can scan the lisings I have from BullX if you would like... BUT its form 1998.

I was organizing lead last night and ran across the boxes... When I read the post it clicks when I read a shooter using them in Cassull at 1500 fps and no leading...

CW

[Savage]

Thanks, cw.
Savage

[LONGTOM]

I feel if you need 1200 fps then use a cast bullet with a gas check and you won't have to worry.
I shoot a cast 255gr wnswc style bullet with a BH of 15 out of my Blackhawks at about 1040 fps and my various 45 colt trappers which puts them out around 1250 or a little better with no gas checks and no leading.
Just my experiences.
 
 
LONGTOM