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Oregan Trail/ Missouri Bullet Co

bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
I was lookign at these to company's wad/semiwad cutters for .38/.357 Do the bullets hold up to their claims of low/no leading?

Comments

  • craig 25-06craig 25-06 Member Posts: 123 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Oregon Trail certainly does. Don`t know about Missouri.
    Best
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Leading has more to do with the bullet bore size match than it does the bullet hardness. A bullet that is well lubed and .001 over bore size will seldom lead even with full power loads.

    If you slug your bore and find the bore is about .001 less than the bullet diameter you should be fine.
  • mrbrucemrbruce Member Posts: 3,374
    edited November -1
    I like those Oregon Trail bullets in 45 cal...
  • remingtongeoremingtongeo Member Posts: 178
    edited November -1
    I load them in 357 Mag. and 45 Colt. You can get them close to max speed without leading. Great bullets.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Would using a micrometer and hole gage to measure bore size do the same as sluging? I could find exact bore size and order bullets to correct size then. Don't have anything at desposal for safely melting lead.quote:Originally posted by bpost
    Leading has more to do with the bullet bore size match than it does the bullet hardness. A bullet that is well lubed and .001 over bore size will seldom lead even with full power loads.

    If you slug your bore and find the bore is about .001 less than the bullet diameter you should be fine.
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bambambam
    Would using a micrometer and hole gage to measure bore size do the same as sluging? I could find exact bore size and order bullets to correct size then. Don't have anything at desposal for safely melting lead.


    Find a buddy with a 38 cal round ball for muzzle loaders, you can tap it through the bore with a dowel rod and measure it.

    Round balls are dead soft lead, exactly what is needed to slug a bore, no need to melt lead at all. If you have some bullets that you have recovered from a range session that you KNOW are from your gun you could use those to measure.

    FWIW I shoot about 10,000 or so home cast bullets every year, both rifle and pistol with zero leading issues.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Like the ones I pulled that got stuck..oh wait.. they were JSP. Probly not going to work since they are jacketed?
    Bpost, do you have a lead bullet manuf. that you recomend for someone who doesn't cast their own?
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bambambam
    Like the ones I pulled that got stuck..oh wait.. they were JSP. Probly not going to work since they are jacketed?
    Bpost, do you have a lead bullet manuf. that you recomend for someone who doesn't cast their own?


    The jacketed bullets should be OK and long as you can tell the bullet made contact across the entire bullet surface, filling the bore. It might not be 100% dead-nuts on but close enough to see if you require oversize bullets.

    The LYMAN manual has both lead and jacketed information in it, I just got one last month and it is very useful.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    So i used a caliper and slowly rotated the bullet in it and get a max of .356.The bullets were measured at .357-.3575 before I fired them. What size bullet you think I should use? .357 probly do from what you said earlier?
  • OdawgpOdawgp Member Posts: 5,380 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    so far I have shot 4k of the missouri hard cast 180gr in 40s&w, and 2k in 45acp.

    they lead less than the colorado cast bullets I used to shoot

    Our club also gets a discount which is good for about half the shipping on 2k
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bambambam
    So i used a caliper and slowly rotated the bullet in it and get a max of .356.The bullets were measured at .357-.3575 before I fired them. What size bullet you think I should use? .357 probly do from what you said earlier?


    EXCELLENT! the standard .358 will work well for you! Just be glad the size is not .3585 or larger, that small difference will drive you nuts.

    You will have good results with the bullets you asked about.
  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    The lube matters as well. A lot of commercial companies use a HARD lube because it works well for shipping and shooters 'not in the know' perceive it as better than a soft, gooey lube. And for rifle shooting that is sometimes true.

    However, sometimes the lube commercial casters use just doesn't perform well at moderate pressure/velocity. Find out about the lube used if you can, you want a moderately hard one like 50/50 alox/beeswax or similar.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They use Thompson's Blue Angel Bullet Lube. Is that any good?
  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bambambam
    They use Thompson's Blue Angel Bullet Lube. Is that any good?
    It's harder than I prefer but it consistently gets top marks, and the few times I've shot it I can't say I had any issues.
  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,439 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In my personal, me-only, fully disclaimed opinion commercial cast bullets are - at best - a sorry substitute for real cast bullets.

    All commercial cast bullets are far too hard for most loads, have a mediocre lube, are often undersized and almost always have a bevel base. ALL of those features are specifically designed for easy casting and shipping, but NOT for good shooting.

    To get proper cast bullets you have to order from a custom caster or make your own. Period. Paragraph. End.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well my box of 500 bullets got here today. I'm excited to see how well they work for me. They are .357 Zingers(model name). I'll let you guys know how they do. Going to try some HS-6,Unique, Bullseye and probly some Titegroup.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Missouri Bullet Co displays there bullet hardness on their products. I think I saw Brinell 10-18. Do you think the 18's would be to hard for +P/.357Mag loads. I was also going to use them in spec's just to see how they worked.quote:Originally posted by Rocky Raab
    In my personal, me-only, fully disclaimed opinion commercial cast bullets are - at best - a sorry substitute for real cast bullets.

    All commercial cast bullets are far too hard for most loads, have a mediocre lube, are often undersized and almost always have a bevel base. ALL of those features are specifically designed for easy casting and shipping, but NOT for good shooting.

    To get proper cast bullets you have to order from a custom caster or make your own. Period. Paragraph. End.
  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,439 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    BHN 10-18 is not too bad - and kudos to them for offering them at that number. That ought to be just about right for 38 Special through low-end 357 Mag loads up to about 22,000 psi or so. That assumes they are the right size and have decent lube, of course.

    You'll only know by trying them.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to order 100,000 Lead 45acp bullets at a time and split up them among the Va. National team members. These were swaged bullets "swaged is almost pure soft lead" however we ordered them UNSIZED, Everyone had their own Star luber-sizer .001 over their pistols bore size. We used OUR OWN Bullet lube.In my opinion soft lube and soft lube work better then most lube you get on lead bullets you buy . Sort of like produce in Grocery store the best is not sold in stores because it does not ship well soft lube is messy when shipped. Hard lube is not the best lube to keep bullets hard or soft from leading the bore.
  • bambambambambambam Member Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well I shot 150 rds today. Really windy out, and I was putting most shots in a 4" diamond at 15yrds, but it was hard to hold gun steady. I noticed some smoke and the barrel looked good after I finished. Did notice some splatter on the feeding cone but not bad. I'll continue to try diffrent loads and see how I like them. These were +P rounds.
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