ihmsa forums

I had posted another topic about 44mag loads with lead bullets to run thru a 3 screw SBH. I'm sitting here thinking I have a SS SBH bisley hunter I wonder if I could luck out and get the same load to run well thru it also. Then I remembered hearing that a few hundred rounds of jacketed bullets should be shot before using lead bullets in a stainless gun. Is that true? I bought the gun used so I have no idea how many rounds have been thru it. I've only run about 100 myself. I did have a local Ruger dealer and gunsmith Ed Wegrynik smooth the action and clean up the cylinder.

Hosspower, I hunted with an old Ruger 3 screw Superblackhawk, from 1970 thru 75,
and I used cast bullets exclusively. There are a couple of schools of thought on running
jacketed bullets thru to clean out lead. Some say it just flattens the lead out and doesnt
get it out completely. A Lewis lead remover would get that out real quick, but if you
dont have one, some of those stainless steel pot scrubbing pads will do the trick, also.
Just cut you off a small piece, put it thru the eye of cleaning rod end, and scrub away.
That does it for me almost every time.

Any stainless revolver or even stainless TC Contender barrel that I wanted to shoot lead in just got lead from day one. The idea of smoothing a new barrel shooting jacketed bullets first may have had some merit years ago but most brand new barrels today are pretty smooth from the factory. Now if I wanted to shoot cast bullet bench rest then I might smooth out a new barrel with compound or some other method to ensure I got the extra thousands I am looking for on a target but our gam is minute of turkey or minute of ram and I think you would do well with your Bisley Hunter just starting out with cast bullets. As you say, you don't know how many rounds went down the tube so just start with your lead loads and don't look back. The only suggestion I would make is ensure you clean the barrel and cylinder good to remove any copper and then just go with your lead loads. The Hunter should make a great gun but you SB with a longer barrel is better if shooting Creedmore position. You have two good revolvers there for shooting lead.

Thanks guys. I have some sweets 7.62 at the house i will run throught these tonight. Hopefully I can get soem ammo loaded up this weekend.