When it comes to bullets, there is a lot of debate among gun owners as to which is the best option for shooting. For most gun enthusiasts, hard cast lead bullets are considered the superior option to other types of ammunition.
The problem often comes in with new gun owners or those new to shooting. There is a difference between hard cast and lead bullets. Understanding this difference will ensure shooters get all the advantages of the hard cast bullets without the problems that are associated with basic lead bullets.
Alloying Considerations
Lead bullets, as the name implies, are made of pure lead. In reality, there may be some contaminants in the mix, particularly when purchased from less than reputable bullet manufacturers or with “do-it-yourself” types of production.
The difference in hard cast lead bullets is that there is an alloying factor to consider. They are formulated with different combinations of other metals, typically silver, tin or antimony. This addition of the other metals makes the bullets harder on the surface, reducing fouling of the barrel during the shot.
This offers a very big advantage for using the hard cast lead bullets over the pure lead bullets. With extremely limited fouling of the barrel, the shooter can enjoy longer times between cleaning the gun without any loss of accuracy or performance.
On the other hand, when fouling is an issue with the low quality or pure lead bullets, the fouling will build up very quickly and within just a few shots. This poses a safety issue for the shooter as the fouling can result in more than just performance issues, sometimes even resulting in physical damage to the barrel.
Hard cast bullets are also more durable upon impact. This means they will maintain their shape and not create the typical mushroom, allowing for deeper penetration to provide a clean kill when used for hunting.