Hard Cast Lead Bullets and powder soot

[10mmnut]

Always shot hard cast lead through my pistols because I'm cheap.

Well a friend of mine gave me 1000 45 cal jacketed bullets (230 grain) and said he was giving up reloading.
Loaded some up with Bullseye powder and shot them. Shooting free anything is always better than paying for it myself!

Got a fair amount of soot and powder residue. Thought it would be much cleaner than the lead tips I usually shoot. Guy next to me at the range suggested I crimp tighter. Tried that and got a major improvement (less soot).

Loaded up 500 45 cal 230gn lead bullets from midatlantic bullets and shot them with the heavier crimp. Seemed to really make a difference for me.
maybe the heavier crimp is allowing more powder to burn completely.I was always told that the lube on cast bullets was why they shoot with a bit more powder residue!

Anyone have similar experiences.

 

[pcfixer]

Try using Clays. I use this and Titegroup. Both are clean burn powders.

 

[jimbobborg]

Are you talking about .45 Colt or .45 ACP?

Jim

 

[browning guy]

Always shot hard cast lead through my pistols because I'm cheap.

Well a friend of mine gave me 1000 45 cal jacketed bullets (230 grain) and said he was giving up reloading.
Loaded some up with Bullseye powder and shot them. Shooting free anything is always better than paying for it myself!

Got a fair amount of soot and powder residue. Thought it would be much cleaner than the lead tips I usually shoot. Guy next to me at the range suggested I crimp tighter. Tried that and got a major improvement (less soot).

Loaded up 500 45 cal 230gn lead bullets from midatlantic bullets and shot them with the heavier crimp. Seemed to really make a difference for me.
maybe the heavier crimp is allowing more powder to burn completely.I was always told that the lube on cast bullets was why they shoot with a bit more powder residue!

Anyone have similar experiences.

when ever I use new 45 colt brass i learned to crimp them tighter it cleans up all the soot and powder fowling. I get that some time on new 45 acp brass to. also if you resize it twice it helps tighten it up.

also on low power loads like cowboy loads you tend to get little extra color on the brass. nothing the tumbler won't clean up.

 

[10mmnut]

45acp

 

[trickg]

Sounds to me like it's more of a powder issue than a bullet issue. My Dad used to refer to Unique as "creeping crud" - he liked how it performed, but it was a greasy, dirty, sooty powder.

 

[TripleChris]

When I was shooting Oregon Trail lasercasts out of my 1911 I used HP-38, the lube had a distinctive odor. Sooty as well. Same powder pushing jacketed bullets, no issue with the odor.

 

[browning guy]

Sounds to me like it's more of a powder issue than a bullet issue. My Dad used to refer to Unique as "creeping crud" - he liked how it performed, but it was a greasy, dirty, sooty powder.

yup very dirty but a good ol reliable powder

 

[pcfixer]

CRIMPING
Ammunition loaded for hunting should always
have the bullets crimped in place, as should
ammunition used in tubular magazine and
auto-loading rifles. It could ruin your hunt if a
bullet wedged in the chamber or pushed back
into the case. Best accuracy is usually obtained
with crimped ammo as the crimp has an effect
on ignition, velocity, pressure and ballistic
consistency. No die does a better job crimping
than the Lee Factory Crimp Die.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/TP2131.pdf

 

[trickg]

Keep in mind that the crip is going to be different depending on they type of load and how it's used, even with Lee crimp dies - that's what I use. For my autoloading handgun ammo, the "crimp" is a flat crimp that just squeezes in tight against the bullet, but with revolvers the crip is a roll crimp that rolls into a crimp groove (lead bullets) or a cannelure - the little textured line in the jacket toward the base of the bullet.

 

[bulletmen]

crimping

Most autoloading pistols headspace on the case mouth.Using a roll crimp with arimless case can lead to headspace problems. That is why you use a Taper Crimp.
For rimmed cases a Roll Crimp is in order. The heavier the bullet/load the harder the crimp rule of thumb.Roll crimp also helps keep the bullet in place in hard kicking revolvers.
Lead bullet lube also adds to the "smokiness" of a load.Have used some old Lyman black lube in years gone by and Unique powder. One guy accused me of shooting Black Powder in a 1911 !

 

[trickg]

Most autoloading pistols headspace on the case mouth.Using a roll crimp with arimless case can lead to headspace problems. That is why you use a Taper Crimp.
For rimmed cases a Roll Crimp is in order. The heavier the bullet/load the harder the crimp rule of thumb.Roll crimp also helps keep the bullet in place in hard kicking revolvers.
Lead bullet lube also adds to the "smokiness" of a load.Have used some old Lyman black lube in years gone by and Unique powder. One guy accused me of shooting Black Powder in a 1911 !

My loads tend to be somewhat smokey too, and I've never been able to determine whether it's the powder - I use a lot of Bullseye (.45 acp, .38 spc) and Unique (.44 Mag) - or whether it's the lube, which is whatever it is on the lead bullets I buy. Possibly a combination of the two. I've never been terribly bothered by it though.

 

[10mmnut]

Thank you all for your feedback and experience

 

[pcfixer]

Always shot hard cast lead through my pistols because I'm cheap.

Well a friend of mine gave me 1000 45 cal jacketed bullets (230 grain) and said he was giving up reloading.
Loaded some up with Bullseye powder and shot them. Shooting free anything is always better than paying for it myself!

Got a fair amount of soot and powder residue. Thought it would be much cleaner than the lead tips I usually shoot. Guy next to me at the range suggested I crimp tighter. Tried that and got a major improvement (less soot).

Loaded up 500 45 cal 230gn lead bullets from midatlantic bullets and shot them with the heavier crimp. Seemed to really make a difference for me.
maybe the heavier crimp is allowing more powder to burn completely.I was always told that the lube on cast bullets was why they shoot with a bit more powder residue!

Anyone have similar experiences.

RTFM !

CRIMPING
Ammunition loaded for hunting should always
have the bullets crimped in place, as should
ammunition used in tubular magazine and
auto-loading rifles. It could ruin your hunt if a
bullet wedged in the chamber or pushed back
into the case. Best accuracy is usually obtained
with crimped ammo as the crimp has an effect
on ignition, velocity, pressure and ballistic
consistency. No die does a better job crimping
than the Lee Factory Crimp Die.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/TP2131.pdf

 

[JSW]

Always shot hard cast lead through my pistols because I'm cheap.

Well a friend of mine gave me 1000 45 cal jacketed bullets (230 grain) and said he was giving up reloading.
Loaded some up with Bullseye powder

Anyone have similar experiences.

Bullseye was one of the first "smokeless" powders and it still produces a bit of its own smoke , it is also dirtier than some of the "newer" powders
with that said I still use and keep a can on hand at all times I find it a great go to powder for my practice loads in small and medium bore handguns and use Unique in large bore.

 

[trickg]

Bullseye was one of the first "smokeless" powders and it still produces a bit of its own smoke , it is also dirtier than some of the "newer" powders
with that said I still use and keep a can on hand at all times I find it a great go to powder for my practice loads in small and medium bore handguns and use Unique in large bore.

I think that Bullseye is a fantastic powder for .45 ACP and prefer it to the other powders I've used - W231 and Unique. As dirty as Bullseye might be, Unique is worse IMO. I've always felt that it meters a bit better than W231 with my equipment and my accuracy seems to be more consistent with it as well.

I've wanted to try Clays for a while. I've heard that it is a great performer for .45 ACP that burns clean - I just haven't gotten around to it.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Answer A: Experement with newer powders that claim to be "cleaner" . Clays , Titegroup, etc. For Unique alternatives , Clays Universal, or even the "Improved, Cleaner Burning" Unique.

Answer B : Stop obsessing over it. The old school powders are plenty accurate, consistant, reliable, etc Just clean the gun every 400 or 500 rds, and live happily ever after.

 

[JSW]

lately I've been experimenting with the VihtaVuori powders and a little with trail boss and having success with them.

 

[trickg]

...or even the "Improved, Cleaner Burning" Unique.

My Unique is supposedly the newer, cleaner burning Unique - it's still dirty as hell!