Barrel view after shooting cast bullets....

[fortyshooter]

Took a pic of the barrel from my 1872 .44 Open Top revolver showing just light residue after 60 rounds. Bullets were the MB 240 gr coated SWC with Bhn of 18. Just a run thru with a Ballistol patch should do. Have some uncoated 240 gr. cast lead bullets rated at 11 Bhn coming from Matt's to try but think the MB will work fine as well.

[Rifletom]

Forty, that bore picture looks exactly like the bore in my Pietta after 50 rounds of coated 250gr rnfp. Impressed! Just ordered 500 more from T&B Bullets. Once my supply of plain cast is done, it's coated from here on out. Thanks for the picture.

[fortyshooter]

Tom...what did your plain cast loads look like?

[Rifletom]

They're the Missouri "Cowboy" #1 .452", 250gr rnfp plain with the blue lube ring. Basic stuff. Brinell 12.
T & B is 15 Bhn.

[fortyshooter]

They're the Missouri "Cowboy" #1 .452", 250gr rnfp plain with the blue lube ring. Basic stuff. Brinell 12.
T & B is 15 Bhn.

Did the MB Cowboy bullets leave any leading?

[Rifletom]

Yeah, they did. Got it out with some "Wipe-Out" liquid and a good number of patches. Then 50 rounds of a couple of powders, 250gr bullets from T&B and I was mighty happy with the results. Powders were Unique[8.0gr] and Universal[7.0gr].
I'm sure the coated bullets from Missouri would work just as well, I just didn't have any in .452". I'm a believer in these coated bullets.

[Headhog]

I'm a firm believer in coated bullets. That's all i run in any of my firearms. Less smoke and almost no barrel leading. I used lubed plane lead bullets in my 1911's and had to scrub the bore every 300 rounds. Then I switched to the copper plated bullets like Berry's or Rainer. Those worked great but cost more than lubed plane lead. Once I switched to the hy-tech coated bullets, cost was more inline with lubed lead but very easy cleaning - no scrubbing.

Paul