It is possible with paper patched bullets and black powder .   

Sorry,  I had to mention it, even though I doesn't apply to the style of shooting that most modern schuetzen shooters use.

Chris.

I have found that seating depth can be a factor in having leading issues if the bullet is not sealing properly to keep gas from getting past the base and gas cutting the bullet. Are you seeing small flakes or are you getting long streaks of lead? One way to check the seal is to breach seat a bullet, insert a primed case only and pop the primer, wait about 15 seconds and the restrained gas should eject the case when you drop the breach block. Don't stand behind the breach when opening the action as I had a case come flying out and dang near went through my aluminum garage door a few feet behind it. Most importantly do not forget to remove the bullet from the barrel. I might add that if you are seeing shiny little flakes often times it is carbon and not lead that you are seeing. The way to check is to rube the patch between your fingers and if they disappear then it is simply carbon that you are seeing. In regards to cleaning, I have one rifle that does indeed like to be cleaned between targets and if not accuracy will indeed fall off slightly and it is enough to drop points.

JLouis

I always shoot three to four shots in the bank before going on score. Most of my rifles need the fouling to be consistent before it will continuously group. First and second shots are never in the same place.

I breech seat my bullet far enough into the barrel that rifling cuts at least half way into the last bullet band. The bullet base has to be completely sealed in the rifling before the powder ignites to prevent any gas getting to the side of the bullet to start gas cutting of the side of the bullet.

If you are getting leading on the first shot due to higher velocities, wipe your barrel with a film of Kroil oil before the first shot or Bore Butter for BP. Leading can occur since lube has not been laid down yet. After the first shot lube is in the barrel and it will not lead as easily. Or reduce your velocity to 1,550 fps or less.

Most leading occurs from gas cutting around the base of the bullet. Many of us use bullets .001 to .002 wider than the groove diameter of the barrel. Some of us also use choked barrels which get tighter towards the muzzles. Prevents gas from getting around the bullet.

And most importantly do not use antimony in your alloy. Linotype and wheel weights have high levels of antimony. A rifle barrel will lead quicker when it has antimony in the alloy.

And of course you need a good lube that will stick on the bullets and in the barrel in addition to having superior lubricity components. I use Alberta Schuetzen Lube.

But if you have a roughly machined barrel you either need to have it lapped to smooth off the rough areas (if they are not too deep).

I shoot 100 rounds without leading (just a few lead specks) with smokeless powder with Alberta Schuetzen Lube at 1,525 fps with 20:1 lead:tin alloy in a choked gain twist RKS barrel using bullets .002 wider than my groove diameter using a Weber seater to ensure the bullet is breech seated far enough and into the correct position in the barrel (even under extreme leading conditions at Raton, N.M

From what I have observed this morning is I am only engaging the last band by a 1/16 of an inch. This is a Jones 226 bullet. So I guess what is writtten about schuetzen rifles shooting there best with the bullet around 1/8 of an inch in front of the case is not always true. Am I correct or?

So my next test is to adjust the seater to engage half of the last pressure band as Dave noted.

what is your velocity powder & lube,  your bullet and the actual bore/land diameters of your barrel    there are, as you can see, a bunch of variables

JLouis wrote on Mar 17^th, 2014 at 9:20am: