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Interesting discussion!
One suggestion. Try a 1/16" polyethylene wad under your bullets. It will seal the base of the bullet and accuracy, and leading will almost always improve, sometimes dramatically!
As an illustration on how well this works, I have an original '73 Winchester in .44 W.C.F. which has a groove diameter of .433" which is big. I like the Lyman 427098 bullet for this caliber because it's the original design used by U.M.C. / Marlin.
I make my bullets out of wheelweights with 2 % tin added. They measure .429" diameter and weigh 213 grs. If I shoot this bullet, which is .004" below groove diameter, accuracy is non exsistant with most of the bullets keyholing.
WITH THE POLY WAD, ACCURACY IS GREAT, averaging
1" - 1 3/4" groups at 50 yards using 15 grs. of 2400 or 17 grs. of H4227 Extreme for 1,230 f.p.s.!!
Another option that works is polyethylene shot buffer. It does the same thing in sealing the base of the bullet. It must be compressed on top of the powder charge to hold everything in place. Use slower burning powders - no faster than 2400 in pistol cases and 4198 and slower in rifle cases.
About 10 years ago I was trying some cast bullets in a .22-250 at about 3,000 f.p.s. My alloy was linotype. As I recall, I was using 22 grs. of 4198. I was astonished to see leading on the outside of my case necks!
After thinking about this for a day or so, I determined that the cause was probably an oversized throat since the rifle had about 7,000 rounds through it. I checked it and sure enough, the throat measured .232"!! No wonder I was getting leading on the outside of the neck.
Since my bullet diameter was .225", the gas was getting around the bullet in the .007" space the washed out throat provided. I was able to fix the problem by using fired cases and seating a Hornady crimp on type g.c. which measured .233" o.d. at the lip into the case neck over a poly wad. Then, prior to firing, I inserted a bullet into the gas check in the case neck before chambering the round.
Success! No more leading on the case necks and I had some decent 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards!
Anyway, food for thought!
Jack
(Edited by John Kort at 10:12 pm on June 21, 2001)
One suggestion. Try a 1/16" polyethylene wad under your bullets. It will seal the base of the bullet and accuracy, and leading will almost always improve, sometimes dramatically!
As an illustration on how well this works, I have an original '73 Winchester in .44 W.C.F. which has a groove diameter of .433" which is big. I like the Lyman 427098 bullet for this caliber because it's the original design used by U.M.C. / Marlin.
I make my bullets out of wheelweights with 2 % tin added. They measure .429" diameter and weigh 213 grs. If I shoot this bullet, which is .004" below groove diameter, accuracy is non exsistant with most of the bullets keyholing.
WITH THE POLY WAD, ACCURACY IS GREAT, averaging
1" - 1 3/4" groups at 50 yards using 15 grs. of 2400 or 17 grs. of H4227 Extreme for 1,230 f.p.s.!!
Another option that works is polyethylene shot buffer. It does the same thing in sealing the base of the bullet. It must be compressed on top of the powder charge to hold everything in place. Use slower burning powders - no faster than 2400 in pistol cases and 4198 and slower in rifle cases.
About 10 years ago I was trying some cast bullets in a .22-250 at about 3,000 f.p.s. My alloy was linotype. As I recall, I was using 22 grs. of 4198. I was astonished to see leading on the outside of my case necks!
After thinking about this for a day or so, I determined that the cause was probably an oversized throat since the rifle had about 7,000 rounds through it. I checked it and sure enough, the throat measured .232"!! No wonder I was getting leading on the outside of the neck.
Since my bullet diameter was .225", the gas was getting around the bullet in the .007" space the washed out throat provided. I was able to fix the problem by using fired cases and seating a Hornady crimp on type g.c. which measured .233" o.d. at the lip into the case neck over a poly wad. Then, prior to firing, I inserted a bullet into the gas check in the case neck before chambering the round.
Success! No more leading on the case necks and I had some decent 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards!
Anyway, food for thought!
Jack
(Edited by John Kort at 10:12 pm on June 21, 2001)
