soft lead + gas checks = fps?

[ncloader88]

I have lots of wheel weights  melted down and lots of stick-ons as well.  I have kept them apart in hopes of using the pure lead for different applications.  I am using the Lee 310 for my 444 marlin.  I know that this is a very well designed bullet with a large meplat, but with wheel weights there will be little to no expansion.  I shouldn't need any expansion with this bullet to get the job done on white tails, but I still want to play around with the pure lead at lower velocities with a gas check.  What kind of velocity should I try for without leading my barrel if I am using a gas check?  Would this velocity provide much deformation with pure lead?  Should I scrap the idea and throw this lead into the wheel-weights at a suggested ratio?

[Bigeasy]

Best comparison I can think of that I have shot a lot with would be a 50 cal Hawken style rifle.  Pure lead conical at about 1500 or so fps, using a good lube like Bore Butter, or SPG.  No leading, and good bullet deformation on whitetails.  I would think a properly sized soft lead bullet in your rifle, especially with a gas check, at that approx. velocity,  would shoot without much leading, and show good on game performance.
 
Larry

[Lloyd Smale]

no telling where your going to find your limit. to many variables in each individual gun but heres a bit of advice. If your going to run that gun past 1200 fps pure lead is going to be a bit soft and overexpand. I would cast my first ones out of 5050 ww/pure lube them with a good soft lube and size them as large as they will load and chamber in your gun. If your gun is a micro grove gun they seem to allways do better with bullets sized large or even unsized. the one i had did its best with 433 bullets. My 444 outifitter with conventional rifleing likes them at 430. be careful what your doing if shooting game is involved. We fooled a bunch one year with soft points and hps out of the 50ak and took them hunting. Even on deer sized game penatration wasnt good. Your allready starting with a big bullet and then to have it penetrate at double its size is going to take some power. We watched 450 grain soft points and hps out of the 5oak only give around 6-8 inches of penetration. Like you said other then just playing around a good flat nose 44 bullet at 1500-1800 fps out of a rifle will do a hell of alot of killing without expansion.