It's been too quiet for too long & we need a controversy. Results are what they are, but STILL gonna upset somebody I'm sure.
I make my lead in massive batches for uniformity. As a result, my 14 BHN mix has been with me for 25 years. My problems with the high pressure, 44 Special shooting parachute base bullets in that gun with .433 throats & .429 bore caused me to investigate. I have bullets molded from .435, .434, down to .429 & sizers to give me anything I need. If I size 44 caliber OR larger with this mix, just .002 in a PB configuration, I start to get base deformation in that the bullet attempts to go to a hollow base design. So when I shoot this, .004 sizing by the bore at this massive pressure (5.5 gr, 231) is blowing off chunks of the base. That ain't good cause the base is the steering wheel of the bullet.
Ah, can't be, Uncle Elmer said bullets swell so he called it obturation. Bases don't blow out, that would be deformation. This lead to the famous line no GCs on revolver bullets. (rifles & autos require them) In this case, Elmer was wrong. I shot those 14 BHN bullets in Special cases sized .429 in .431 throats in a magnum cylinder. (I don't normally do this) That 240 gr bullet had 50% of the bullet length up in the throats, so nothing of the bullet could touch once the case expanded to let go of the bullet. The load, still 5.5 gr of 231 is about 11k psi max. Both the bullet and throat were lubed with LBT Blue & coated with Uncle Ben' Super Duper lube to minimize resistance, pressure, and expedite bullet travel. (I gave it EVERY chance) With one fired round in each chamber, I have a uniform, 360 degree lead ring around each chamber up to the ramps. That lead had to come off the parachute base blowing out. Most people would tell you that isn't even enough pressure to obturate 14 BHN little alone deform the crap out of it. Huh, surprised me.
So I have some slugs that were diluted with the "hard" mix at about 10 BHN. Should dilute the copper & what ever else AND …. it still won't size 44s for crap. If it won't size right in the controlled climate of a nose first sizer, no use wasting powder on it. (GCs appear to be no problem as the surface simply goes into the GC groove and the base remains square for an ideal launch. But 20-1 will size down .004 with only minimal to the eye, base deformation. With my "rifle" mix, no matter the hardness, the toughness of the slug forces the external portion of the bullet to react to ALL the sizing. In a nut shell, it's a crappy mix for plain base bullets above a certain caliber anyway. Works GREAT up to 35.
20-1 probably sizes uniformly through out the diameter which is why bases remain fairly (to my eye) undisturbed. I don't have any straight WW to try it, but it's no matter, I have been blessed with half a ton of pure & I still have @ 80 lbs of tin I bought from the other board a decade ago. (cheap) So I will be going the old school route of 16 -1 or maybe 11-1 if need be with that for parachute base designs in my 44 Special. What a PIA for one gun.
These 44 results are a little better. (see pic) This is 20-1 with the 5.5 gr of 231, standing supported @ 33 yds from the porch shooting at the center of the pie plate. (not the most precision) (too lazy to set up for 6 shots cause it's snowing) I'm happy.
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