Lead ammo for practice.

[Moparfreak]

Any difference in Lead round nose vs lead wadcutters dirtying up the barrel, cylinder etc? I would clean after every shoot anyway. Figuring the .32 S&W Long, lead round nose are quite a bit cheaper than the Wadcutters. If they are both depositing the same amount of lead, then I could order the LRN for her to practice with. Thoughts?

 

[Gator89]

Choot 'em!

Clean your gun properly when needed.

 

[NikA]

No way of knowing for two given products without a lot more info, but given the bullets of the same hardness, lubrication, and fit to the barrel, I'd expect the same results for LRN and SWC of the same caliber.

 

[contender]

NikA is right.

When shooting cast bullets,, you should know your bore diameter, fit the bullets to that, use a proper lube or better yet, powder coating, and not have any real issues cleaning the bore. Leading is potentially caused by various factors. Hardness of the bullet, bullet to bore fit, velocity, are the chief issues.
Bullet shape is not a factor.

 

[KRuger]

When I first started reloading, I got a lot of leading. Now I know 1) My bullet was too small. 2) It was too hard. 3) My charge was too light. 4) Bullet had a bevel base. All these added up to a perfect storm for leading.
I still like my light charges, but use different powders and softer bullets with less bevel. When it comes to 44 mag. I especially like David Bradshaw's "barnyard" load. It's essentially a 44 special load using 231 and a deep seated bullet in a mag case.
KRuger

 

[noahmercy]

Expanding on KRuger's post, if the wadcutter is a hollow-base or swaged flat-base (both of which are made of extremely soft alloy), it is likely to lead less than most commercial RN offerings. That's because the majority of those inexpensive RNs are cast hard, have bevel bases, and use "crayon lube" which- as was pointed out- is the worst combination for leading. The exceptions are the ones from Desperado bullets...excellent product! I have shot hundreds of thousands of bullets I cast myself (soft enough to easily groove with a fingernail) and never get a lick of leading. The barrels on a brace of my Cowboy Action guns haven't seen a brush in almost two decades and the bores still look like mirrors, so I always smile a little at folks who automatically equate shooting unjacketed bullets with barrel leading.

 

[Have gun-will travel]

I casted a ton of bullets years ago and still have quite a few left . I used wheel weight and 10 % tin mixture very hard cast and what little leading occured was easily removed with a Lewis Lead Remover. Everyone who shoots lead bullets should have one. Hard to find at local stores but Brownells still sells them. I loaded 158 grain. .38/357 bullets and 240 gr 44 caliber bullets

 

[Moparfreak]

Thanks for all the reply's

 

[woodperson]

If you are buying bullets it is very easy to just buy the plated or coated bullets. No leading.

 

[Bad Barlow]

If you are buying bullets it is very easy to just buy the plated or coated bullets. No leading.

What contender said.
And clean only when necessary , not every shoot...

 

[protoolman]

If leading isn't excessive , shooting a couple jacketed bullets before you finish at the range removes most of the leading too.