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38 Lead Bullets

2K views 26 replies 13 participants last post by  zant 
#1 ·
I looking for some recommendations on a source to buy .38 lead bullets. Looking for a quantity of 500 - 38 round nose, 125 grain. I bought some in the past from SNS Castings.
 
#2 ·
Berry's Bullets sells some 125 grain hard cast lead but I see they have them in the 1000 piece box for something like $83. Billy Bullets have some in 500 piece lot for $42. Rocky Mountain Reloading has the 500 piece lots for $38.

The only thing I see is that none of them are the round nose.
 
#4 ·
Some of the best store bought cast bullets I've tried have been the Oregon Trail brand - and those were for the .45 Colt. I'm thinking that 125 grain bullets might be a tad light for a .38 Special. You might be better served if you wait for a Gun Show and buy them there.
 
#8 ·
I just have to ask, why are you looking for 125gr. bullets only?
 
#10 ·
I cast my own, but you can buy bullets at Bass Pro Shops, and Academy has just started carrying some reloading equipment. I've bought some Hornady bullets for .44, and .357, primers, and a few other things, they have some good prices too.
 
#11 ·
I cast my own too, but whichever vendor you choose, make sre you can buy bullets sized to fit your gun. Measure the cylinder throats and buy bullets the same diameter. It wouldn't be much fun if you bought 500 bullets that are too small...
 
#13 ·
I have a question for the guys that buy lead and no disrespect is meant. Why, when you can get plated for about the same price do you buy lead? Plated is cleaner and less of a health hazard and indoor ranges will let you shoot it. I realize if you cast your own and have a lead source that cost savings are great or lead maybe more accurate I don't really know. For me just one leaded barrel cleaning session convinced me to go to plated when my lead is gone. I would like to hear peoples thoughts as I must be missing something. I still shoot some lead in 45 ACP and 38 spl. because I've had it for years but now that plated is cheap I'll buy plated. What don't I understand.
 
#17 ·
Bullet casting is a hobby unto itself. I'm not cheap on my guns or reloading, but it is nice to save a little money while reloading with great quality bullets that you made yourself. The other factor is that you have a life time supply of bullets, and don't have to worry about ever not having them. As far as 'buying lead' - I don't - I scrounge/recycle most of mine.

If you cast and load them right, you don't have to worry about barrel leading. I still cast for .380/9mm; 38 Special; .44 Spec/.44 Mag; .45 ACP; .45 Colt and .45-70 Gov't. I confess that most of my .380/9mm that I use are plated or FMJ, but the others just shoot better with cast loads.
 
#18 ·
If you cast and load them right, you don't have to worry about barrel leading. I still cast for .380/9mm; 38 Special; .44 Spec/.44 Mag; .45 ACP; .45 Colt and .45-70 Gov't. I confess that most of my .380/9mm that I use are plated or FMJ, but the others just shoot better with cast loads.
It looks like I cast for the same ones you do, and oh yeah it's a hobby all in itself!!
 
#15 ·
I shoot a lot of lead, mostly LSWCs in .45 and 38 Special. Why? Mostly because I have pistols and revolvers that I have developed loads for that work really well and I like SWC's for practice and plinking. I don't shoot indoors at all. I have a large supply of bullets to use up. I find that cleaning isn't that much of a problem, maybe I'm just used to it or maybe at the lower velocities that I load and shoot mosly leading isn't a huge issue.

I will probably try some plated stuff when my current inventory of lead is depleted, but I have several thousand 158 grain .357's and several thousand 200 grain .45's yet to load and shoot.
 
#16 ·
jdco,

Maybe you've just had a bad experience. I've only had lead slightly in a barrel once and after running three special lead removal patches down the pipe it was clean as a whistle. I should note it was my own fault at that. I use lead for indoor range shooting, never heard of a range not letting you shoot them, and never push them anywhere near the velocities that would cause any issues. As for a health issue I'd want to see some studies undertaken before I'd buy that. Lastly, I cast for all my .308 calibers (30-06, 7.62X54r and 30-30) as well as 8mm Mausers without a problem (gas checks on all). I know that I can cast more consistent bullets and the experience of creating my own projectiles is a pleasure in itself. Cost is way down the list of reasons to cast, in fact, it doesn't even make the list. My time is worth a whole lot more than any savings I may receive so it actually costs me money to cast. It's just another wonderful part of the shooting experience.
 
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#19 ·
Where most people mess up shooting lead bullets, is buying the wrong sized lead bullet.
 
#20 ·
Hey Carver. Is there such a thing as casting them too hard? I know too hot and they look frosted, too cold and well....that's just a rippled mess but what about too hard. The question just popped in my head and thought I'd ask as I'm pretty new to the process.
 
#21 ·
Yes, cast your bullets too hard and they won't seal to the lands, and grooves. Gases get buy, and you get leading.
 
#22 ·
Yikes! Good to know. Thanks Carver. I've just been following the recipes in my Lyman Bible for wheel weights to tin/antimony ratio and haven't had any problems.
 
#23 ·
Hand-cast lead bullets, of course, go back hundreds of years before the appearance of jacketed bullets. (It was not until well into the 20th century that jacketed bullets equaled the accuracy of fine lead bullets cast by hand.) The great bison slaughter of the 18th century was carried out with cast-lead bullets. Hunters would retrieve bullets from buffalo carcasses, then re-melt and re-cast them over campfires and kill more buffalo with the same lead the next day. Nowadays there are hunters who still prefer cast-alloy bullets for their hunting pistols and rifles, and a number of rifle competitions are limited strictly to cast-lead bullets. With a good rifle and expertly cast bullets, sub-minute-of-angle accuracy is possible at considerable distances. http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/guns/rifles/2007/09/cast-your-own-bullets
 
#24 ·
I made the mistake of resizing .45 out of a Lee mold once-they wouldn't group under 5"-next time I just shoot them as is and the group shrunk to 2".It was also the only time I had a leading problem-the bullets just wouldn't obdurate properly.
 
#25 ·
What was the diameter of the bullets? What was the diameter of the bore? They have to be compatible if you want good accuracy.
 
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