Here’s some food for thought on Lead Hardness and Target Shooting
Look in to BPCR Shooters, These Guy’s compete out to 1,000, 1,200 Yards, look at the Score Cards, Some will Show Their loads, even the lead they used, Look at their Lead, Take note of how many of these Guy’s you see using Pure Soft Lead? You will find VERY FEW Guy’s that use Pure Lead, The Majority will be using an Alloy, 1-20 is EXTREMELY popular with these Guy’s, even 1-16, Why do the Majority of these Guy’s insist on using an Alloy? There must be a Reason right? Think about it, These Guy’s can use ANY Lead they want, and Most choose an Alloy. With a VERY Recent World Championship on the Line, What do you Think WINNER Dave Gullo was using for Lead? Anyone wanna bet it wasn’t Pure Soft Lead?
I believe the reason for the Above to be the Design of the Bullets they use (Elliptical, Money, Prolate, Etc.) I have read and Looked at some CRAZY Photos of Recovered Bullets at 1,000 Yards and Beyond that Were Supposedly Shot in Soft Deep Snow Drifts and Recovered the Following Spring, Many of the Noses of the Softer Bullets were “Bent” Referred to as “Nose Slump” This is Controversial, There’s Been plenty of Arguments about it, Some say NO WAY, Others SWEAR it happens. I don’t personally know? One thing for sure, The Bullet DEFINITELY Changes Form when Fired, “Bumped up” to fill the Grooves, Can a BIG LOOOONG Sleek Nose Bullet Such as a “Money” Made of PURE SOFT LEAD, have the Nose Slump over when Fired? I believe it’s VERY VERY Plausible
Here is a post from “Distant Thunder’s” Jim Kluskens
“Shooting a well fitting bore diameter paper patched bullet that is seated as much as possible up in the rifling eliminates the alignment question and 16:1 hardness got rid of my unexplained fliers whether it was nose slumping or whatever. Don't care, I just go with what works in my rifle”
Here is a Pic I found in a Quick Search of the Subject, This is
NOT MY PHOTO. This bullet nose is Definitely “Slumped” Bent to the Left
What i can say for a FACT is, Some of the absolute BEST Groups i have EVER Shot have been with a Harder Bullet, From my Beginning in Muzzleloading, 90% or more of my TIP TOP Groups were Shot with an Alloy. BUT, i have also shot some Great Groups with Pure Soft Lead as well. From my hands on experience, I give the Harder Bullet the Edge in Accuracy. Some of this Depends on the Rifle, As I mentioned my Old Stainless .50 Cal GM LRH Barrel Above, Pure Soft Lead was NOT an Option with that Barrel, But Put a Harder Bullet in it and that Barrel would COME ALIVE!!
With the above Said, I have Switched to PURE Soft Lead For ALL my Hunting Bullets in the Rifles i own that will Shoot Soft lead Well, And Hold in my Bores without fear of Slipping off the Powder Charge (Some Won’t hold a Soft lead Bullet well) In these few Rifles i have No Choice but to use a little Harder bullet so they will Hold the Bore Snug.
Why the Change to Pure Lead? Pure Soft Lead Simply performs better in Recovery Tests i have personally Done, Ron L Tests Show this CLEARLY as well. I have Recovered Several 1:30 Alloy Bullets in Soft Dirt That Didn’t do much at all, For Hunting I want a Bullet to Mushroom, ROLL Back in a Ball. For Targets, I don’t care what they do as long as the Holes are touching
I am Currently Running 3 Seperate lead Pots, Pure Soft Lead, 1-40 Alloy, and 1-20, Each of These Pots are SPECIFIC and ONLY get Certified Lead/Alloy, I get it Buffalo Arms, i have tested each SEVERAL times with my Cabin Tree Lead Hardness Tester and get the SAME Result each time, The Pure Lead, and Alloy i get from BACO is VERY Consistent
I invite each and everyone of you to Play Around with an Alloy of Say 1-20, 1-30, VS Pure Soft Lead, Poured from the Same Bullet Mold Of Course. See if you can tell a Difference? I just don’t believe the Harder Bullet is a Great Option on Game, They are gonna Poke a Smaller Hole Straight Through.
Most everyone knows that i am a BIG BACO Fan (Buffalo Arms Co.) I live 20-30 minutes from them, and do 99% of my Business There. One thing i find a Bummer is Their Cast Bullets, Look at the Lead used, ALL 1-20 Alloy, i Feel that is WAY to Hard for a Hunting bullet, I wish they would offer Different Lead/Alloy Options in their Home Cast Bullet line. BACO doesn’t Cast Their own, they Get them from BitterRoot, i guess they Stil do? I quit paying attention to them.