Max velocity for lead conicals?

[flmason]

Hi all,
   At what velocity is leading expected to be a problem with non-sabot lead conicals?

Are gas checks a viable option with muzzleloaders, or do they cause loading problems? Or perhaps problems getting the bullet to expand into the rifling?

[yooper77]

You can't push a conical fast enough to cause any kind of leading.  They are made of pure lead so they can engage in the rifling during loading.

These are muzzleloaders, stick to the basic bullets, conical or sabot or round balls and all you need to do is your part.

yooper77

[rangerwillie]

i size my conicals to just under bore size, for easy loading on a fouled bore, but consistant.  im sure its possible to reach leading, but there is no need with a big bullet to even try to get there.  big n slow works great.  gas checks are a good idea, but i think in a certain area.  with a low charge and a big bullet, there really is no need, but they look cool and seem to clean the bore slightly when firing, in a sense scraping the bore on its way down thru.  here's a pic of a very cool bullet i cast. 

[flmason]

@RangerWillie - Hmm.... those look a lot like traditional bullets for a .458 or other large bore centerfire, but with a Keith type nose, rather than the usual round nose. 

So what do those weigh in at? What's the trajectory look like?

Have to admit, after pricing XTP's with sabots, seems these guns could get rather expensive to shoot, even by centerfire rifle standards.

Casting bullets might help there somewhat. Guess it bothers me that a gun with what I consider to be about a 120 yard useful range costs so much per round, LOL!

[moto357]

flmason, i was logged in under my fathers name, Rangerwillie the other day when i posted the pics.

bullet weighs about 590gr and its for the 50.  trajectory looks like a rainbow, but not enough to 100yds to make much of a difference.  for me to cast em, including a nickle each for gas check, and black powder or pyrodex at about 70gr, these are relatively inexpensive to shoot i think.  kills things too!