240gr LSWC, Unique and 44 Magnum

[Shak3s1977]

I am curious if anyone was loading a 240gr LSWC with Unique for 44 magnum. I'm using Missouri Bullet Company bullets and am getting massive leading in a 2.5 inch barrel Ruger Alaskan!!!! When I say massive, I mean serious lead streaks after just 6 shots. I'm thinking the powder charge is too light.

The exact same bullet and gun with 17.4 grains of Accurate #9 leaves no leading, no matter how many shots. It doesn't matter if it's 5 shots, or 100 shots. I can actually shoot a cylinder of the #9 loads to clean the lead out of the barrel from the Unique loads. It will leave the barrel spotless.

Appreciate any help. I am looking for a lighter plinking load using the Unique, but with low charges it leads the barrel. I'm guessing I'm using too low of a charge and not getting bullet obturation with Unique.

 

[frankmako]

what i have found is when i get leading with cast bullets it is not how fast or slow i am running them. it is the wrong size bullet for the barrel. what is your barrel size? you want your bullet size one over the barrel size. slug the barrel to see what size cast lead bullet you need. i use unique for my 44 mag loads and never had any leading. i shoot 9.0 grs of unique with the 240 cast lead bullet in a marlin 1894 and get no leading. this is a lite load easy to shoot and is very good out to 100 meters.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I use a MBC Elmer K and 9.5 gr of Unique. I may get a little leading, but nothing terrible.

 

[drband]

I use MBC ELMER k and 7.5gr Unique in a magnum cartridge for plinking. No leading that I can discern in my 7.5” SBH.

 

[Shak3s1977]

Well with just 2 answers I think I know lol. My father was making them at 7.6gr. I believe that is too light and the bullet isn't obturating in the barrel.

I think if we up the charge, it will be as good as the #9 load.

 

[Shak3s1977]

I use MBC ELMER k and 7.5gr Unique in a magnum cartridge for plinking. No leading that I can discern in my 7.5” SBH.

Well shoot lol. There goes my theory with the 7.6gr load lol.

 

[Shak3s1977]

I use MBC ELMER k and 7.5gr Unique in a magnum cartridge for plinking. No leading that I can discern in my 7.5” SBH.

drband is that the 18 brinell Bullet? I believe they also sell a cowboy bullet at 12 brinell. We are using the 18 brinell bullets.

 

[drband]

drband is that the 18 brinell Bullet? I believe they also sell a cowboy bullet at 12 brinell. We are using the 18 brinell bullets.

I believe it’s the 12BHN bullet, but I’ll check tomorrow and let you know.

 

[Shak3s1977]

Thanks I would appreciate it.

 

[Riomouse911]

9.0 Unique and a 240 SWC for me.,. Just enough oomph to let you know you’ve touched off a decently powerful round without being punishing.

Stay safe..

 

[drband]

drband is that the 18 brinell Bullet? I believe they also sell a cowboy bullet at 12 brinell. We are using the 18 brinell bullets.

I believe it’s the 12BHN bullet, but I’ll check tomorrow and let you know.

Thanks I would appreciate it.

I was wrong, It is the 18 Brinnell HiTek coated. And I think the coating matters... When I was using the uncoated bullets, I got slight leading with 7.5gr Unique. I switched to the coated bullets and leading disappeared. FYI I use these same bullets for full power loads with 23.5gr W296. It's a hot load, but no leading either. It's been a few years since I loaded uncoated bullets.

 

[FROGO207]

If your cylinder throats are sizing down the bullets before they reach the barrel you will get leading if your pressure is not able to bump up the bullet base. The throats should be .001 over the grove diameter for a good fit with low pressure loads. Powder coated, plated, or jacketed do not seem to bother at low pressures.

 

[243winxb]

I can actually shoot a cylinder of the #9 loads to clean the lead out of the barrel from the Unique loads.

I would think this is not possible with real leading? At least i have never cleaned a barrel by shooting it more.

When there is massive leading, is the accuracy very poor? It should be.

I load 10 grs of Unique with my home cast 250 gr lswc.

 

[FROGO207]

If you want to check bullet fit here is an easy way.
First put a lead bullet on a hard surface and using a hammer hit the top gently. Just enough to squat it down and make it a couple thousandths wider. Then using a brass or aluminum rod tap the bullet yhrough the barrel. Watch for a restricted spot where the barrel threads into the frame as well. This can cause leading.
Then try dropping that lead slug through each cylinder. If it drops through or can be pushed through with light finger pressure the fit is good. If it will not go through at all your throats are too small and allowing leading. If so upping the charge, changing the bullet, or getting the throats reamed will help. I have had cylinders with both good and bad cylinders. This can happen.

 

[Erief0g]

Have you read the information they link on the Missouri site about ruger revolvers?

Timesavers

• Shipping is $14.00 per carton anywhere in CONUS
• Ruger Revolver? Please read!

Article links to this https://rugerforum.net/gunsmithing/257737-cylinder-throat-reaming.html#/topics/257737?page=2

I don't reload for a ruger but wanted to make sure you reviewed it

 

[RealGun]

View attachment 882422
I was wrong, It is the 18 Brinnell HiTek coated. And I think the coating matters... When I was using the uncoated bullets, I got slight leading with 7.5gr Unique. I switched to the coated bullets and leading disappeared. FYI I use these same bullets for full power loads with 23.5gr W296. It's a hot load, but no leading either. It's been a few years since I loaded uncoated bullets.

I just pulled the last 50 of those. My barrel wasn't fouled with lead as much as coating, and I had had enough of trying to clean up afterward, although it might not have been necessary. I ordered a different bullet, their TCFP with gold coating, and they shoot fine. That was not with Unique though. It was the bullet. I stopped pushing Unique in magnum loads. Moderate loads work fine, especially in .357 Magnum. I also have had much better results with softer bullets, finding BR 12 to work as an all around for what I do. My serious magnums use gas checks or jacketed. It seems to me that hard cast bullets are overrated, and that Missouri may have had problems with their coating process early on. Just try to discern what it is you are actually cleaning, lead or coating.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
Ok have used a 240gr LSWC over 10gr of Unique for many years in four different .44Mag revolvers with very little leadingand excellent accuracy.
I recently started using coated LSWC with the same powder charge and continue to get excellent results and continued excellent accuracy.

 

[Shak3s1977]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to try upping the Unique charge and see what happens. Hopefully I'll get to the range this weekend since I didn't make it out at all this weekend. I'll post back with results, and see if I can get some pictures to post also.

 

[RealGun]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to try upping the Unique charge and see what happens. Hopefully I'll get to the range this weekend since I didn't make it out at all this weekend. I'll post back with results, and see if I can get some pictures to post also.

Okay, but high end loads of Unique will give sharper recoil than a real magnum powder (slower burn).

 

[Steve Milbocker]

I ran some of their 44 Mags at Br 18 18gr. 2400 and I got some serious leading in my 629 Performance center Hunter. They were pretty accurate at 50 yards... at first!

 

[Charlie98]

If your cylinder throats are sizing down the bullets before they reach the barrel you will get leading if your pressure is not able to bump up the bullet base.

You beat me to it, although it does look like the primary issue is bullet obturation.

 

[Typetwelve]

I've been fighting with those exact same projectiles in my Ruger Super Redhawk. I also foolishly bought 500 of the same projectile uncoated from Summers....and like the OP, tons of leading.

I've fought, and fought, and fought with these puppies. I've ran them over Unique, 2400, H110, Acc No 7, and now just recently Tight Group. I've ALOX coated them and ran them as-is...for months I had zero luck. No 7 leaded them like crazy, Unique leaded like crazy, H110 was med leading as was 2400.

Finally...When I coated them with ALOX and ran them over 10g of Tight Group...zero leading, finally (and this was just last week). Recoil is mild for a magnum load and accuracy was decent.

I'll run the same charge with the Hi-Tek projectiles next week and see what they do.

*EDIT*
I also have ran a ton of Missouri's Cowboy #3 (12 hardness) in spcl loads and have no issue with them leading at all.

 

[Shak3s1977]

Typetwelve so with the Alox you got them working, but only with the 1 powder(Titgroup)? Similar to my experience. I should mention the bullets we are using are Hi-Tek coated already. We tried #5, #7, Unique and #9. The only powder that doesn't lead in my gun is #9. Strange because non of these loads are really barnburners. They are magnum loads but I don't think they are that bad.

I had a similar problem with my 45-70 loads last summer. Accurate 5744 with a 405gr Hi-Tek coated bullet would lead the barrel after about 4 shots. These were running about 1300fps. Switched powders to IMR4198 due to a recommendation from someone on here, and that same bullet running at 1340fps had zero lead.

 

[Shak3s1977]

It's like certain powders are melting the coating off or something. I don't mind trying stuff, because half the fun is working up different loads, but I don't like not understanding what the problem is either.

 

[Typetwelve]

It's like certain powders are melting the coating off or something. I don't mind trying stuff, because half the fun is working up different loads, but I don't like not understanding what the problem is either.

I've goofed around with those 18 hardness 240g projectiles a ton (Summers and Missouri Hi-Tek)...and I've really driven them hard. Take in mind that these are my results and mine alone...and using a robust Super Redhawk:

-Alox coated Sumers over 22.4g of 2400, seriously hot loads, 1567 fps average, very light leading but WAY too hot of a load.
-Hi-Tek Missouri over 22.4g of 2400, seriously hot loads, 1614 fps average, very light leading but WAY too hot of a load.

-Alox coated Summers over 24.5g of H110, 1461 fps average, very light leading at end of the barrel, super hot load.

-Hi-Tek Missouri over 22g of 2400, leading about 20% in the barrel

-Hi-Tek Missouri over 24.2g of H110, bad leading about 60% down the barrel

-Alox coated Summers over 22g of 2400, leading at the very end of the barrel, med leading
-Hi-Tek Missouri over 22g of 2400, leading at the very end of the barrel, heavy leading

-Alox coated Summers over 19g of 2400, leading in the grooves of the barrel the entire length, light leading
-Hi-Tek Missouri over 19g of 2400, leading at the very end of the barrel, very light leading

This is when I thought I'd try a faster burning powder like Tight Group. Like I said before, all I loaded were the Summers but over 10g of TG and with Alox coating, zero notable leading. I'm going to try running those Missouri 18 hardness Keith loads over the same charge this weekend and see what they do.

For reference, these are the exact projectiles:

https://summersenterprisesllc.com/product/44-240gr-430-500-ct-box/

https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=241&category=20&secondary=12