I'm done with lead bullets!

[JJE]

When I recently started loading for .38 special, I bought 500 rounds of Hornady's 148 gr HBWC. I HAD to load this bullet - everybody knows it's the most accurate. It also left lead debris in my dies and all over my loading bench (which doubles as the wife's sewing table ) and possibly gave me black lung from the clouds of smoke during shooting, and it turns out my shooting isn't good enough to tell the difference between the lead HBWC and a nice, clean 148 gr plated DEWC.

Yesterday I put in a marathon day at the range and finished them off. I tried to talk my wife into going along to help me, but she wanted to do some sewing. Live and learn.

 

[Walkalong]

Try some Ranier 148 Gr. DEWC bullets. They shoot well for me.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=409934

No lead mess.

Berry's has a 148 Gr. DEWC and a 148 Gr. HBWC, neither of which I have tried, but I have had success with other Berry's bullets.

http://www.berrysmfg.com/categories/13-0.php

 

[rchernandez]

what powder/load? Lead bullets do not like being hurried out the barrel! Keep them around a certain speed out the muzzle and they're happy! Keeps from leading up the barrel too much.

 

[JJE]

Just mild target loads. I never experienced any barrel leading and I knew they were going to smoke a bit - the messiness during loading was what I mostly didn't like.

The Berry's 148 gr DEWCs are my new target load. I can shoot them out of my .38 snubby and load them up to 1,000 fps or so for my Ruger Blackhawk.

 

[treebeard]

I used the same bullet for several months and while I did not load on my wifes sewing table, I did notice alot of residue on my fingers while using it.

 

[loadedround]

This bullet is the only one that I will use in my S&W Model 52 Master in 38 special. This bullet was desighed as a mid-range round to be loaded with 2.7 gr of Bullsye powder for a target load in bullseye shooting. This bullet is much too soft for much anything else. However some 30 years ago it was loaded backwards for a "manstopper" in 38 snubbies.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

Oregon trail laser cast out of midwayusa is excellent also. I recently loaded 500 180 grain 40 S&W rounds with these bullets, 5.1 grains of Unique, its an excellent target load, accurate, mild recoil, and no leading.

 

[SASS#23149]

I"ve loaded thousands of lead bullets without the hassle you speak of.Try another bullet brand before condemning all of them,won't ya?
are these bullets cast or swaged? swaged bullets are a lot softer ususaly,and can be a little more hassle.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

You problem isn't the lead, its the lube.
Too soft of a lube will gunk up the dies and cause the fire department to arrive at the the bay you are shooting in.
Try some other brand of bullets that use a "stiffer" lube.

 

[gns4me]

I believe that Hornandy sells swaged bullits not cast. Try to get some hard cast with hard lube and see. The smoke is a product of powder and lube. Some combo's smoke more than the rest.

 

[HiWayMan]

I dislike the Hornady 148gr HBWC as well. The swaged lead is much too soft and the lube is terrible. One owes it to themselves to try proper CAST bullets, before condemning all lead bullets.

 

[Starter52]

+1 to everything you said, JJE. Swaged lead WC bullets (Hornady and Speer) shoot great, but I've given up on them. Too much smoke for me, especially at the poorly-ventilated indoor ranges around here.

I now use a plated DEWC for all my .38 Spl. target loads. They require a bit more powder and don't have a crimping groove, but they are completely smoke-free.