Hard cast bullets

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Enigma

Hunter
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
2,511
Location
Houston metro area, TX
Bucks Owin":3porxyjw said:
sixshot":3porxyjw said:
The word "hard cast" should be outlawed!! No one seems to know just what is considered hard cast. The commercial guys have got them so hard if you don't run them pretty fast you'll get gas cutting because the bullet base doesn't upset & seal like it should.
So.....when you buy cast bullets you need to have a general velocity in mind & buy your cast slugs accordinly. Lets say 8-11 BHN for medium/plinking loads up to 1000-1100 fps, maybe 15 BHN for 1100-1300 fps, & the really hard stuff 16-22 BHN, for the heavy, wrist wreckers!!

Dick
Right on Dick! A too hard bullet at "plinking speed" of 900-1000 fps or so is a leading disaster. A "dirty little secret" about the 22 BHN bullets from "some" commercial casters is that it has nothing to do with how they shoot, it's how they SHIP! Hard bullets don't get mangled in shipping! :shock: :roll:

+1. The words Laser Cast come readily to mind...
 

tomiswho

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
323
Location
Georgia
You know, I've been loading those Georgia Arms 250g RNFP Brinnell#18's with 8.0g of Unique for about 900 fps, have shot many hundreds through my BH .45 and haven't had a leading problem.
 

Three44s

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
304
Location
The better half of Wa. State
Even a Brin of 18 is much harder than you need for a 900 fps .45 slug.

Just plain wheel weights are just fine.

It's not about the hard lead ....... it's about a balance.

Load characteristics, LUBE, bullet fitament, bore condition ....... bullet hardness ......

When we refer to hardness ...... maybe softness better describes it.

Just say wheel weights! The perfect alloy! It will obuturate at the aforementioned velocities and even a good bit more!

The backbone of handgun performance loads is Lyman #2 alloy and it's around Brin of 16. But for milder loads ...... WW's!!!


Three 44s
 

Bucks Owin

Hunter
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
3,196
Location
51st state of Jefferson
Right on. And "if" one needs something a little harder, just water drop the WW bullets right out of the mold. That'll get ya plenty hard enough for "mag" handgun velocities, so long as they FIT the gun. About 16-18 I'm told, I have no tester for BHN... :wink:
 

tomiswho

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
323
Location
Georgia
Three44s":2sxadwjp said:
Even a Brin of 18 is much harder than you need for a 900 fps .45 slug.

Just plain wheel weights are just fine.

It's not about the hard lead ....... it's about a balance.

Load characteristics, LUBE, bullet fitament, bore condition ....... bullet hardness ......

When we refer to hardness ...... maybe softness better describes it.

Just say wheel weights! The perfect alloy! It will obuturate at the aforementioned velocities and even a good bit more!

The backbone of handgun performance loads is Lyman #2 alloy and it's around Brin of 16. But for milder loads ...... WW's!!!


Three 44s

I'm just going with what Georgia Arms tells me. They say Lyman #2 and Brinnell 18. This is the only alloy they offer. So it's what I buy and shoot. Seems to work well like I said, and the price is right for me, considering it's just a 6 mile drive. I have never cast, but might look into it when I retire later this year. I've done a little checking around and haven't seen any source of lead, at least anyone who want to part with it.
 
Top