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February 15, 2009
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I tried a search but couldn't find what I would like to know. I am trying to see if I can use lead bullets in my main 15-2. I loaded these with a CCI 550, 5.8gr. Unique and a 158 swc. Groups were 4-5″ or a shotgun pattern at 25 yards. After about half a box they seemed to settle down to 3-3.5″ groups. I only had loaded one box so wasn't sure what to think.
Today I tried a box with magnum primers and standard primers. I normally wouldn't use magnum primers but I need to use some up. Anyway with my gun very clean the first group was 3″ plus or minus 1/4″. From that first cylinder through to 100 rounds using both types of primers the average group was about 3″.
I'm wondering if Dan Wessons don't like lead bullets due to the broached and choked barrel. I own three and they will all shoot 1.5″ groups at 25 yards and I changed very little working up loads for them because I'm safisfied with that group size. 20 years ago I tried some lead bullets that "would not lead" in a .44 stainless Dan Wesson and the leading was so bad I swore to never use lead bullets again. However I tried some Lasercast in a Ruger SBH that were given to me when they were first starting out. I get very little leading and even this Ruger will shoot 1.75″ groups using 9.0gr Unique under a 240 swc.
The bullets I'm using are from Missouri Bullets and are 18bhn. I tried these because of all the good feedback on gun forums and am saying nothing bad about the bullets themselves. Should I just stick with jacketed bullets or keep trying. Groups have to be 2″ or less at 25 yards to be acceptable. I have no intention of loading anything over 1000 fps.
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May 2, 2009
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Keep working on it 🙂 my scoped 15-2 with home cast 158 gr will shoot cloverleafs at 25 yards all day long...
SHOOT
June 5, 2008
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Is there something else to shoot???? 
I have only shot maybe 50 rounds of jacketed ammo in my 15, only lead in my 715 and 744 at present. I have some cheap ($ wise) 110 JHP that I will probably start loading in next couple of weeks. I bet those will be a fine varmint round in the Marlin with the 20" barrel. 
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December 12, 2009
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Get away from unique in 357, it works with 45 ACP. The problem you are having is the charge is to small for the case. Some cowboy action loads like yours they put oatmeal in as a filler. If you want a target grade load in 357 I would run 4227 in IMR or H with a small pistol primer. And weigh your bullets within 2 tenths of a grain. I have made the worst shooting 357's sing with this recipe. It is a little dirty for my taste in powders, but always stands out as the premier accuracy powder for 357. Why under 1000 FPS? If leading is your concern I have shoot over 150 rounds of lead at most meets. I do not have leading at all. If you diameter is correct to your gun, even wheel lead can be driven over 1800 fps all day long. If you are not sure, go 357 instead of 358. If you ever do get leading just dry brush it out with a brass 40 cal. It will come right out if the barrel is still warm. Oh yeah, start your group testing at .006 cylinder gap and work your way down. My DW 15-2 likes .006 my friends likes .004 his dads likes.002. If I remember right I had a target load with 4227, small pistol primer and a 158 SWC. I think it was 15.7 grains or 14.7 grains, To lazy to look up...LOL. It shot very good in all 357's.
February 15, 2009
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maximumload: The reason I keep the load moderate is because I can easily shoot at least 125-150 rounds at the range in not much time. Full power loads are not needed for anything I do and are annoying after a while. Must be getting old. I've been using Unique for a long time and get excellent accuracy by most peoples standards. I'll bet if I worked at it I could get 1"-1.25" groups using Unique at 25 yards in at least one of these Dans I have. Good idea on the B/C gap. I keep it at .002 at the closest. My cylinder varies a full .002 but I opened it to .004-.006. Thanks
It makes me feel better to hear you guys are able to get good accuracy. One of my concerns is as stated above is that there's not much powder in there. Leading is also a concern and it makes me wonder how much even a little leading will affect accuracy. I ran through a 100 rounds without any cool down time today and the throat had some leading but it cleaned up easily. I will keep trying. I've also been using mixed brass but have a good quantity of Winchester brass I keep separate. I'll load a box with only the Winchester brass also.
btw is there any way to edit our posts? Looking back I feel like an idiot asking if anyone uses lead bullets. Glad my wife doesn't come here.
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November 17, 2008
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warnerwh, Just keep going until you find the right recipe. I was amazed at the difference in groups just by altering the powder charge not to mention different powders. Generally I find slower is more accurate but that is just my experience. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the right load. I shoot almost exclusively home cast lead and leading has not been an issue. < 1000fps. I haven't tried the barrel gap change, so that is next on my list to work on for tuning a load/gun combo. As for editing a post, you can edit your post just not the title, that takes a moderator. Good luck and keep us informed on how it all goes. We love good info here and even an occasional picture.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
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October 26, 2008
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lbruce said:
and even an occasional picture.
LB
Lbruce is that a more subtle hint than 
. I use lead almost exclusively, I have only two handguns that I have shot jacketed through and that was just hunting stuff (grand total under 50 in my entire life). As for your leading issue it is possible that you are using too HARD of a bullet for the lighter load that you are running. The bullet is probably not fully forming to the rifling until it's 1/4 -3/4 of an inch in the barrel, and that is where your leading could be coming from. If you have the opportunity to pick up some softer lead bullets it may stop the leading completely, and you can use the harder ones for hunting load development or something else. the other thing you could try is warming the unique load up just a tad to see if it takes care of it (a couple tenths maybe) but from the sounds of it cleanup is not that bad. Unique is one of my favorite powders in .38 (I have been using American Select lately, because it seems cleaner). I wouldn't quit shooting the lighter load either, especially if it's just the plinkin load why beat yourself up if you don't have to.
Superdan
February 15, 2009
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I had intended to take pics of the targets but they were soaked and hard to take off cleanly, plus I wasn't too pleased with large groups still. I just print them out on cheap paper. I will remove them carefully with the next test so you guys can see how the groups start to the last ones.
What if the cast bullets can't even be pushed through the cylinder. I tried this last night and tapped and pushed but only about 1/8″ of the nose would come out of the cylinder in any hole. I miked the cast bullet and it is .358 to .3585. I grabbed a jacketed bullet, miked it at .357. These drop and barely stick in the cylinder. A light touch and they will fall through. Once cylinder the bullet will fall all the way through.
With my SBH the cast bullets will get stuck sliding down the cylinder but it takes little effort to push them through and they are even a harder cast.
My question is it possible that the bullets are too big and that is the problem? The bullets would be shaved to .357 before they hit the barrel and from what I've read you want the bullet a thousandth over in the bore.
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November 17, 2008
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I size all my cast lead to .358, never miked them though. Never had a problem feeding them in to the cylinder. Not to ask a silly question but is/are your cylinder/s completely clean?
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
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February 15, 2009
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The hard cast bullets go to the mouth of the cylinder and stop. Only a bit of the nose is beyond the face of the cylinder.
Here is a pic: http://s691.photobucket.com/albums/vv278/warnerwh/?action=view¤t=bullet001.jpg
I don't know how much force it would take to get them to go through. My cylinders are spotless. The jacketed bullets pass through easily. The cylinder and the jacketed bullets mike at .357 exactly. From research I just did it appears you want a bullet that is at least .001 larger than your cylinder. However I don't see how that matters if the bullet gets swaged to .357 on it's way to the barrel.
Here is a pic: http://s691.photobucket.com/albums/vv278/warnerwh/?action=view¤t=bullet001.jpg
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January 24, 2009
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warnerwh said:
btw is there any way to edit our posts?
You should be able to edit posts, but we Mods must edit thread titles...I think that's what you're asking.
Let me know what you'd prefer the title to say & I'll get on it.
February 15, 2009
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Thanks! If you could exchange "Lead" with "Hard Cast" I'd appreciate it.
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January 24, 2009
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You betcha.
I also moved it to the Reloading area, since this is well...fairly reloading related.
February 15, 2009
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May 2, 2009
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If it was my thread it would be "Anybody using wheel weights"... 🙂
That's all I use for my casting pot... they are free, they shoot great, what's not to like
SHOOT
October 26, 2008
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SHOOTIST357 said:
If it was my thread it would be "Anybody using wheel weights"... 🙂
That's all I use for my casting pot... they are free, they shoot great, what's not to like
SHOOT
same here
June 5, 2008
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There not free around here, not for several years. 
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February 9, 2009
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This thread has caught my interest, but I shoot modtly jacketed ammo because my experience with lead is that most of it has ended up in the barrell and i hate digging it back out. I recently tried some Laser Cast bullets and they actually worked very well. Wheel weights and home casting! I envy you guys that have that time. I can rarely get to the range, let alone have the time to cast bullets. I am usually chained to my work desk, I could never find that time, but the idea sounds fiscally wise for sure. I have about 700 44 Mag lead SWC bullets left from a buy years ago that I keep trying to find a use for because every 50 rounds I have to get the Lewis Lead remover out and scrub the barrell to get it clear again.
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December 12, 2009
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Well from lasercast to meister to missouri. nosler to hornady they ALL NEED TO BE INSPECTED!!! For weight, size and abnormalities. If you want to load a target grade or the hottest nightmare on the planet, inspection is a must. I have been threw a few thousand Lasercast lets pick on them first. Well there 180 grain at 358 is more like 181.9- 183.0 and a few 184 and 180's just to make you cry!!! And 358 is more like 358 to 359!!! If you load with precision and precision you will receive. Now, I will run my pistol brass without sizing it, and I will not weigh brass for pistol. I will not weigh primers for pistol, But I do keep my weight of my bullets around 2 tenths of a grain for target and within a half a grain for general shooting. I guess if loading anything, a digital scale is a must that will read tenths of a grain. I use a cheap Jennings makes a box of 500 Lasercast shooters in a hours time ( And about 6 piles). And as for sizing for accuracy no, sizing for leading yes. I do not bother with shooter loads, unless you load so light a bullet may get stuck in the barrel. But my hot loads are a must to stabilize pressure. And Superdan is right about softer lead and harder lead for different loads. The bullet should form it self at the forcing cone or just after. I have also found out powder burn rate can increase leading too, barrel length for the right powder is another thing to consider too. Just load with good components and take some time and you can not go wrong.
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May 17, 2009
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Maximunload,
Then would you stay away from laser cast? That was what I used for my first hand loads and I didn't see a problem from leading, but then I only started all this DW activity in March 2009. I have A LOT to learn so please share what you will. I have 6 different powders I am trying and quite a few different bullets. I should settle down and pick my favorite and work up a good load.
Thanks,
Ed
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