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Found this site by accident. I was looking for information on loading lead bullets. First, what is the difference in laser cast and hard cast bullets or is there a difference. I have recently purchased a Ruger new model 41 mag. and want to reload simi-wadcutter for it. The bullets that I am looking at are .410 and the BNH is 14 hard cast. The others are .411 and BNH is 14. I was wandering which would be best or would the .001 make any difference?
Welcome to GunLoads.
There is no practical difference between most commercial cast offerings. Most of them are undersized, all of them are too hard, and the hard lubes they use are less than ideal. Yes, that .001" can make a difference, but you are assuming that what they advertise is actually what the bullets measure, and that is often not the case. I don't want to make you think the situation out there is dire if you don't cast your own, in fact things are incredibly better than they were just a couple of years ago as commercial casters are finally beginning to get the idea. You still need to know what the bullets actually measure. Ideally, a cast bullet should be between .001-.003" larger than the barrel's groove diameter.
For best results in a revolver, you have to know what the actual measurements are that you're working with and for that you need to slug your barrel, forcing cone, and the throats of all chambers in your cylinder. Ideally, the throats and FC should be equal to or slightly larger than your barrel's groove diameter. Measure the slugs with a mic, not a caliper (even a fancy digital caliper that reads in four decimal places is only accurate to three). Be glad you have a Ruger, measuring a bore slug from a 5groove S&W barrel can be a challenge. If your throats and/or FC are too small, it is a quick and easy job for a competent pistolsmith to open them up. Small things that make no difference when you shoot jacketed bullets can be serious issues for cast. In other words, if your revolver does fine with jacketed but patterns like a shotgun with cast, it needs a little work to put things right. It is not unusual to find an amazing variation in the throat diameters in the same cylinder.
When you have your measurements, then you can see what diameter bullets your revolver prefers. In general, a softer bullet will form a better gas seal even if it is slightly undersized. An undersized and overly hard bullet will lead up a barrel very quickly, especially if the charge is fairly hot.
remington660
Welcome to the forum.
Ken.