Bullet hardness???

Sirs:

I purchased a H&G 68 mold from Accurate molds...

Very nice pours, I running 3.8 grains of Trail Boss with a 200 grain, flat base wadcutter in .45 ACP...

I'm up to 13.2 +/_ Brinnell, on the casts... What is the consensus on running a soft or harder bullet at slow speeds???

Should I make them harder, or shoot them for accuracy and see what I get, at 50 yds ???

They are casting at 452.1 +/_ .1, and about 203 .2 grains...

I'm shooting a Kimber II match with a ultradot on the slide... pretty much stock, except for 14 lb recoil spring, and grips ......

Thanks Tommy

At Bullseye velocities, soft is your friend. Hard gives you no advantages, except when you drop them on the floor (less deformation).

Also make sure you're using a soft lube.

Do you have any problems with the slide not locking back after the last shot? I only bring this up because of the slide mount and the 14# spring. I find I have to go to a 12 or 13 in my slide mounts.

Al

Al,
I am currently running a 13lb spring in my slide mount wadgun w/ a 1" UD on it. I shoot 4.1 gr of WST behind either a 200 gr H&G 68 or a 180gr H&G 68 style bullet. It works.
Scott

I thought i'd try for accuracy first, They cast at 13.2, should I leave my lead there and go for an accurate load with the TB???

I've got 8 lbs, of the stuff and I like the way it fills the case...( No powder going off in the front of the case...) Then go for function, with lower spring poundage, and remove the buffer???

I'm using Lyman Black lube,in a Star sizer, (I used to shoot Bullseye long ago, and thought I'd use up what I had.)... Is that considered hard or soft??? It is hollow and I could smash it up with my fingers.

Thanks Tommy

I haven't had mine BN checked for ages, so I'm unsure what mine are at. I just know I can score the nose with a fingernail as long as I don't water drop them. I exclusively use reclaimed range scrap.

I'd shoot up what you've got and then switch if you're so inclined. As long as it allows you to get consistent good groups, and doesn't obscure the target with smoke in rapid fire, use it up.

As long as your load is cycling reliably at the end of a 2700 match, you don't have to mess with your spring. I would agree with you on removing the buffer. The extra space it takes up "could" give you issues with locking back at the end of a 2700 when everything is dirty, and your load is mild enough to make the buffers use unnecessary.

I've not used the Lyman Black lube myself, hopefully one of the other members can chime in with some personal experience, but as long as it will work in your Star without any added heat it should be plenty soft. I can't see Lyman selling lube that wasn't an excellent product, they've been in the cast bullet game a long long time.

FWIW

Thanks... My plan for Sunday then is to ...

Shoot three sets of loads... About 25 rds each..

3.8... of Trail Boss

4.1...

4.4...

See which is the most accurate at 50 yds from a Rest...

Make up another 15 rnds each, for function, with the " Not the Prettiest Casts"... No sense using the good ones for this step...

I'll take photos and let you know what shoots the best...

I'll also remove the buffer...

I've never noticed any problem with smoke in Timed or Rapid, all Winter long... Thanks again Tommy

I didn't get to do what I had planned Sunday, My Wife let my secret fly and the next thing I know, my boy and his boys were there too....

I got to shoot off the binocular box, all 15 rnds, in High winds, at 50 yards... All the good stuff was gone before I got to unload the truck....

A little more felt recoil, with one smokestack with the 14 lb spring.... I did notice the target had, a nice 3 inch group, shooting in the lulls, and the holes had a small black ring around a .38 size hole, I figure it was a combo of last fired ammo and maybe the soft black lube....

I'll try again, this time during the week....

PS.. they G-Kids went thru 1100 rnds of .22.... I told them to go home and Ice that trigger finger down..... Tommy