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Posted: 6/3/2009 3:39:37 PM EDT
| Oregon Trail Laser Cast Bullets, anyone here use these? do they foul the barrel quickley? Do they shoot straight? I see Dillon sells them and I checked out their web site but doesn't really give me real world info. I am going to start reloading 9mm, .38 and .357mag if I can ever find supplies |
| I've loaded and shot many of these in .45ACP, .45Colt and 9mm. They shoot pretty well for the price and don't lead much. I don't load them anymore but only because I'm trying to switch over completely to jacketed bullets. Still have a few hundred of each laying around here somewhere though... |
| You might want to consider Missouri Bullet Co. They produce bullets with different BHN (Brinell hardness number) depending upon the usage or how much pressure your load produces. Too hard a bullet will lead just like too soft a bullet. Missouri Bullet Co. are great folks and if you ever have a problem the owner will make it right. I always go to them first when I need the product they produce. Oregon Trail, which is a little over an hour from my house, makes fine bullets, but for my use at moderate velocities they are just way too hard. Their 38 SWC are IIRC about 22 BHN. MBC makes them at 12 and 18 BHN which suits me just fine. If you would like to read a bit more about BHN go to either LASC Los Angeles Shilouette Club or Cast Boolits web sites. |
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I emailed them that very question on May 24th. "Sirs, I'm interested in your .357 bullets for use in my levergun and I'd like to know the Brinell of your bullets. I push them fast. Thanks, Steve" I got this reply on May 26th. "Our bullets are right at 24 Brinell. Thanks so much. Oregon Trail Bullet Company 2850 Myrtle Street Baker, OR 97814 www.laser-cast.com800-811-0548 So, what does that mean, you ask? Well, the higher the Brinell, the harder the bullet and hard bullets can be pushed faster without leading. So, how hard is hard, you ask? The average lead cowboy bullet has a Brinell of about 12 and most of the other bullet companies I asked responded that their's were "...between 18 and 20..." for their 'Hard Cast' versions. That means that Oregon Trail Laser-Cast bullets are the hardest (highest Brinell) that I could find anywhere by a goodly amount which makes them an excellent choice for my levergun because I'll be pushing them fast (I'm not into CAS). However, if you are not planning to push them fast, check out this previous response which is quite good. Quoted: You might want to consider Missouri Bullet Co. They produce bullets with different BHN (Brinell hardness number) depending upon the usage or how much pressure your load produces. Too hard a bullet will lead just like too soft a bullet. Missouri Bullet Co. are great folks and if you ever have a problem the owner will make it right. I always go to them first when I need the product they produce. Oregon Trail, which is a little over an hour from my house, makes fine bullets, but for my use at moderate velocities they are just way too hard. Their 38 SWC are IIRC about 22 BHN. MBC makes them at 12 and 18 BHN which suits me just fine. If you would like to read a bit more about BHN go to either LASC Los Angeles Shilouette Club or Cast Boolits web sites. If you'd rather have some plated Berry's bullets (I prefer them over Hard Cast because you have zero leading no matter how fast you push them), give TJ Conevera a shout. They had some 158grn in stock last week and shipped them immediately. (I already received my 1K from them.) If you are looking for some JHP or JSP, give Rose Distribution a shout. They sell Zero bullets and they also had some 158grn JSP in stock last week, however, they said that they are 6-8 wks behind in shipping. (I have 2K coming from them.) Both are cheaper than Oregon Trail's Laser-Cast and their price includes shipping if you buy at least 1,000. |
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I've had the Lazer's to 1300 fps with very little if any leading. They ain't cheap but they are what I hunt with in a pistol (45LC-300 grains and 357 Mag-180 grains). If you want to plink, go with something cheaper at less than 900 fps. If you want faster and still cast, go with a gas checked bullet.
Did you read the testimonials on the Oregon Trails site? |
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