From: "Alex Hamilton", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Don't you mean steel-jacketed bullets, rather than steel cored?
I was told that they were steel cored and had a thin guilding metal
jacket, so that they looked no different from normal jacketed bullets.
I did not have time to talk as there were other people waiting, but the
implication was that these steel cored bullets were not as good as the
lead cored ones.
> They have a thin coating of copper or gilding metal. I wouldn't use
them
> in a match grade stainless barrel, but they shouldn't harm a
chrome-moly
> barrel, especially if a dab of moly-grease is applied before use.
My target rifle is a Parker Hale T4 with the old-fashined blued barrel
and I molycoat all the jacketed bullets, both for this rifle and #4 in
303. My worry is that the steel cores, being harder than lead, will not
readily set up on firing and as my #4 Enfield barrel is .316" groove
size accuracy will not be acceptable. No problem with cast lead
bullets, which I cast myself and size to .317", but I cannot get beyond
300 yds with them without the bullets going subsonic, so I still need
jacketed bullets occasionally.
There is another problem in that the steel being lighter and harder than
lead the steel cored bullets will create higher pressures, thus not
allowing as high muzzle velocities as conventional bullets. Also being
lighter they will lose velocity faster, so it may not be possible to
keep them supersonic all the way to 1,000 yds.
In other words, steel cored bullets are balistically inferior to the
lead cored ones. I am sure that your views on this will be much
appreciated.
As Steve already pointed out, there still many makes that make lead
cored bullets, but will that remain so once the military change to steel
cores?
Regards,
Alex
--
As Guy pointed out, you don't have much to worry about with modern
military bullets although I would put in the large caveat that
a lot of these bullets are often factory seconds, and may have
dodgy jackets. There was a batch of Canadian 5.56mm a few years
ago with improperly made jackets that would shred in the barrel
and leave bits of metal that could obviously be dangerous. This
was sold as the best thing since sliced bread, factory new etc.,
no comment that the Canadian MoD had rejected it because it had
blown up the barrel on a Minimi!
I really would strongly suggest to everyone that you steer
clear of military surplus ammo and ammunition components unless
you are absolutely clear on the history of what you are buying.
There is no point investing a huge sum in a rifle and firing
crap through it. Penny wise and pound foolish, and various
other cliches.
Also you are shooting .303 Alex! Something tells me you
aren't going to have to worry about the military switching
over to bullets you can't use, unless .303 has become the
new en vogue calibre lately!
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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