[pvdw]

Hi Guys.

Don't know where to put this subject but here it goes :-\

I would want to know if I can shoot lead and jacketed bullets in the same sesion without cleaning?

I was told to never shoot jacketed bullets after shooting lead, the barrel should be cleaned first.

If i would like to shoot both on one day it in better to shoot the jacketed first and only then the lead.

Does this make sense or can I should as I wish ??? ???

Thanks.

Peet in SA

 

[Dr. A]

Re: Shooting lead and jacketed in same sesion?

There is absolutely nothing keeping you from doing it. You won't irreparably damage your firearm. However, you do stand a chance of getting your barrel very dirty. Copper fouling on top of lead is tougher to clean out than one or the other. I've heard it described as fusing two metals together, which is a real toughie to get out. Once I have a gun that is broken into lead, I seldom if ever start shooting jacketed again. Strangely, lead does not accumulate in the barrel once your gun is broken in (and the shooter knows what he's doing).

Case in point, I was busy breaking in a 336BL this last Winter, and used jacketed bullets for hunting, and in prepping afterwards for a pig hunt, found that I tried some top end lead loads. The result was a very fouled bore the likes I'm not used too. That goes along with a newer gun as well. Get Copper chore boy for the lead, and a copper remover (sweets) for the copper.

 

[Paul B]

Re: Shooting lead and jacketed in same sesion?

Interesting. ??? I too have hard that one should thoroughly clean when switching from lead to copper and from copper to lead. I din't know that until I started reading gun rag. :-[ : : : Maybe it's because I'm a lot better shot now than way back when I didn't know any better. : I did note in one article by Mike venturino that he thought is really didn't make any fifference. At one time, we even though that shooting a few jacketed bullets through the barrel after a session with cast bullets would "get the lead out." : : : Now we all know that that just irond the lead into the pores of the barrel's steel. On a very badly leaded barrel, shooting jacketed could and had risen pressures to the point that a gun was damaged.
The best and quickest way to remove lead from a barrel it to tightly plug the muzzle and fill the bore with mercury. Wait about five minutes and drain the mercury from the barrel, then run a tight patch though the bore. Whalla, no more lead. ;D 8) Problem is the EPA frowns on us peons owning mercury. Big freak out should you spill one little drop. So now we use smelly solvent that don't do squat and scrub away although wrapping a few strands from a Chore Boy pad does wonders for the process. Still, mercury was quick and easy to use. I kind of miss having that stuff around to "get the lead out". It worked.
Usually, if I plan to shoot lead ullets, that's all I take and the reverse if planning to shoot jacketed bullets. The other alternative is to take more than one rifle or handgun depending on what I feel like shooting.
Paul B.

 

[Tom in Arizona]

I know from experience that removing mixed layers of copper and lead is something to avoid at all costs! When you mix the two without completly cleaning you increase the fouling of the other material.

Have one barrel on a used rifle that I bought that I have been working on over a year removing layers of copper and lead(?) that I refer to as mystery metal. Rifling was sharp and pronounced, however seller said he had just fired it. Yea but probably never really cleaned it well. I have tried everything including reverse electroplating. Down to the last 5% or so now!

If you think you got all the copper out, run some BoreTech Eliminator soaked patch on a nylon or nickle plated jag and watch the blue from the copper you thought was not there.

I have barrels that I designate for lead and for jackets to keep it simple. A clean bore with the right lead bullet load will not lead, but if you have fouling in there it will lead up.

Wish there was a good source of mercury available.

 

[papajohn]

Keep your lead loads down to 1,000 fps or less and you should be fine. You only get into real trouble when you run lead loads too fast, then follow with jacketed stuff. A leaded bore WILL raise pressures, and fouling gets progressively worse once it starts.

The fouling also involves the lubricant used on lead bullets, especially hard-cast bullets. Shooting plated or jacketed rounds over it isn't a real good idea either.

 

[pvdw]

Thanks for the reply's.

I was told that one can shoot lead after shooting jacketed bullets but NOT the other way round. Seems to me neither is a good idea. : :

I would love to own a gun for lead and one for jacketed but here by us is SA we are only alowed 4 fire arms and it is REAL difficult to license 2 of the same callibre
so we often shoot both in the same gun.

I will have to make a habit of it to take proper cleaning agents to the range to clean before I change to lead. I guess prevention is better than cure??

Thanks again.

Peet in SA

 

[papajohn]

Peet, just remember that the softer the lead bullet, the more likely it is to lead if you push it too fast. Cast bullets alloyed to a Brinell hardness of 12-15 will do a lot better than the really soft stuff. As for shooting lead AFTER jacketed, not a real big deal, since you're going to have to clean the gun anyway. But if you get into fouling trouble, remember that you have to take it off one layer at a time. Techniques are different for cleaning lead VS copper fouling. If you get lead fouling over copper over lead, you have to remove each layer before you can deal with the next. It can be very tedious and time consuming. Buying good solvents and cleaning tools will save you grief in the long run. Hoppe's #9 does NOT work for everything. It's only designed for powder fouling, despite what the label says. 8)