Jacketed bullets with exposed lead at the base

[Khromo]

I recently purchased some Brass Guys 5.56/.223 brass,

http://www.brownells.com/reloading/b...cturer_1=brass guys

and some Armscor 62 grain jacketed hollow points,

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/2586165491/armscor-bullets-22-caliber-224-diameter-62-grain-full-metal-jacket-boat-tail?cm_vc=ProductFinding

My intended use for these components is to load some cheap ammo for plinking, practice, and emergency/SHTF use. (I have different choices for my first thousand rounds of potential defense ammo.)

The bullets have exposed lead at the base. I seem to recall reading in a manual somewhere (Speer?) that exposed lead at the base of a bullet can create major leading issues if a load is "hot" enough to melt that lead.

Am I imagining things? Is there a velocity guideline I might want to stay below to avoid this phenomenon? Is that the correct spelling of "phenomenon"?

[dominic]

No. Lead bullets do not melt upon firing neither will yours. The millisecond the bullet is subjected to the heat from firing simply could not melt lead.

[Capt.Dunsel]

I recently purchased some Brass Guys 5.56/.223 brass,

http://www.brownells.com/reloading/b...cturer_1=brass guys

and some Armscor 62 grain jacketed hollow points,

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/2586165491/armscor-bullets-22-caliber-224-diameter-62-grain-full-metal-jacket-boat-tail?cm_vc=ProductFinding

My intended use for these components is to load some cheap ammo for plinking, practice, and emergency/SHTF use. (I have different choices for my first thousand rounds of potential defense ammo.)

The bullets have exposed lead at the base. I seem to recall reading in a manual somewhere (Speer?) that exposed lead at the base of a bullet can create major leading issues if a load is "hot" enough to melt that lead.

Am I imagining things? Is there a velocity guideline I might want to stay below to avoid this phenomenon? Is that the correct spelling of "phenomenon"?

but , but , but , some gun toting monkey read on the internet that it will foul up your gas system

most fmj I have run across have the exposed lead at the base , mind you these are different than tmj ( total metal jackets).

load them and shoot them with no fear , if you wanted to or could find them you could load cast bullets w/ gas checks if you were/are afraid , but I have loaded them up without any problems , other than spending the time to cast them that is . the problem with the leading people fear is from improper size of cast bullet .

[Divernhunter]

If the lead in the base was a problem then most(all) mil FMJ bullets would be trouble. Then all the Nosler Partition or Swift A-Frame bullets would have trouble.
Millions upon millions of these bullets have been used with no leading or accuracy problems.

Load then and shoot them. But be sure to clean the firearm every 2,000 rounds or so They are no different to your firearm than any other jacketed bullet. Do not worry. Load and shoot and have fun.

[LynnJr]

Most bullet failures are caused by melted cores.
Cores get melted by too much friction which causes excessive heat which transfers from the jacket to the core.
Flat base bullets have more heat than similar boattail bullets.
Melted cores and bullet failures are generally associated with very long fast twist barrels shot at maximum velocity.

[J-cat]

I think reloading may not be for you.

[Khromo]

I think reloading may not be for you.

Yeah, probably not!!!

Me go blow my face off now!!!

[J-cat]

The lead exposure will give you cancer.

[JMP]

I'd never buy Armscor anything. They are known for bad news. With that said, it's kind of hard to mess things up with that iddy bitty 22 case. You'd need to do something like use a fast pistol powder to get it to go wrong.

[ExtremeX]

You are really over thinking it OP... The goal is cheap plinking ammo...just load the bullet and run it.

If it makes you feel any better, I've recovered 55gr Hornady ammo from a backstop and the lead core was fine and in tact.

I would be a little more concerned with your decision to buy mix head stamp processed brass for $150...

Between the brass and bullets your tab is $255 + powder and primers.

You would have been better off buying some 55gr American Eagle 223 or 5.56 M193 for 30-35 cents per round and calling it a day.

Its pretty much the same price you are paying now and you get loaded ammo... and by the time you shot that you would have ended up with 1000 pieces of MATCHING headstamp brass.

[Khromo]

I'd never buy Armscor anything. They are known for bad news. With that said, it's kind of hard to mess things up with that iddy bitty 22 case. You'd need to do something like use a fast pistol powder to get it to go wrong.

Normally I use Sierra rifle bullets, and for a .22 round that might be used for defense I buy the 65 grain GameKing. It shoots very well out of the guns I've tried it in, but I'm paying about $0.21 each before shipping.

For emergency stockpile or plinking or offhand practice with a chrome-lined barrel, the Armscor bullets seemed worth a try at $0.10 each!

The proof will be out at the target! We shall see how they shoot.

[JMP]

Normally I use Sierra rifle bullets, and for a .22 round that might be used for defense I buy the 65 grain GameKing. It shoots very well out of the guns I've tried it in, but I'm paying about $0.21 each before shipping.

For emergency stockpile or plinking or offhand practice with a chrome-lined barrel, the Armscor bullets seemed worth a try at $0.10 each!

The proof will be out at the target! We shall see how they shoot.

For blasting, most people just get the 55 grain Full Metal Jacket Hornaday or extreme, and that's probably even cheaper. those who have lead bases too , and I don't think that really even matters.

Sent from my D6616 using Tapatalk

[Khromo]

You are really over thinking it OP... The goal is cheap plinking ammo...just load the bullet and run it.

If it makes you feel any better, I've recovered 55gr Hornady ammo from a backstop and the lead core was fine and in tact.

I would be a little more concerned with your decision to buy mix head stamp processed brass for $150...

Between the brass and bullets your tab is $255 + powder and primers.

You would have been better off buying some 55gr American Eagle 223 or 5.56 M193 for 30-35 cents per round and calling it a day.

Its pretty much the same price you are paying now and you get loaded ammo... and by the time you shot that you would have ended up with 1000 pieces of MATCHING headstamp brass.

Your point about buying American Eagle is well taken, EX. Thanks for making me revisit the cost of this project! Kind of a revelation!

I just added up the price of the components and this "emergency/plinking/offhand practice ammo is going to wind up costing about $0.37 per round when I'm done.

At least the brass actually appears to be "once fired". I've got less than
ten rejects so far, and it is mostly Lake City. I'll sort out the LC and the Federal cases.

It's a good thing I enjoy pulling that handle!

[Khromo]

but , but , but , some gun toting monkey read on the internet that it will foul up your gas system

most fmj I have run across have the exposed lead at the base , mind you these are different than tmj ( total metal jackets).

load them and shoot them with no fear , if you wanted to or could find them you could load cast bullets w/ gas checks if you were/are afraid , but I have loaded them up without any problems , other than spending the time to cast them that is . the problem with the leading people fear is from improper size of cast bullet .

I picked up the bug about melted lead at the base of lead bullets in hot loads from a legit source, but it was a loooong time ago. Way pre-Internet days. I believe it was printed in the Speer manual current in about 1980. I lent mine out so I can't check that right now, but I believe that was a somewhat accepted fact once upon a time. I wasn't reloading much in the intervening years since I had an unlimited supply of free handgun ammo during that time.

I guess I am falling farther behind the Age Curve!

[ExtremeX]

I picked up the bug about melted lead at the base of lead bullets in hot loads from a legit source, but it was a loooong time ago. Way pre-Internet days. I believe it was printed in the Speer manual current in about 1980. I lent mine out so I can't check that right now, but I believe that was a somewhat accepted fact once upon a time. I wasn't reloading much in the intervening years since I had an unlimited supply of free handgun ammo during that time.

I guess I am falling farther behind the Age Curve!

You might be confusing that with cast lead ammo and the reason for using gas checks at the base of the bullet?

Also... first place I looked... 50gr Varmint tipped.
$5.89 per box ($294.50/1000)... and the stuff shoots pretty good too.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/4550/