Thread: Subsonic action

Originally Posted by Shearer

Bit of a hijack here but......what is the fouling/cleaning of the bore like when using cast projectiles at subsonic velocities? Does it foul? What do you clean it with?

At subsonic it should never foul just clean with solvent and a few patches it is like a big .22RF, The lube is mostly wax a bit like car wax,
all that is in the bore is powder residue no scrubbing required, If you do get lead fouling then the scrubbing starts lots of it.

Originally Posted by shooternz

At subsonic it should never foul just clean with solvent and a few patches it is like a big .22RF, The lube is mostly wax a bit like car wax,
all that is in the bore is powder residue no scrubbing required, If you do get lead fouling then the scrubbing starts lots of it.

Thanks @shooternz.
Ok. So to get this straight in my own head.....If I buy cast lead projectiles they will be coated in wax? If I shoot them subsonic, I can clean out powder residue (with a carbon remover) and there should be no lead fouling. If there is lead fouling it must be scrubbed out mechanically (perhaps with a neutral lubricant) as opposed to using a chemical solvent? (like you would with copper).

Originally Posted by Shearer

Thanks @shooternz.
Ok. So to get this straight in my own head.....If I buy cast lead projectiles they will be coated in wax? If I shoot them subsonic, I can clean out powder residue (with a carbon remover) and there should be no lead fouling. If there is lead fouling it must be scrubbed out mechanically (perhaps with a neutral lubricant) as opposed to using a chemical solvent? (like you would with copper).

I just use Hoppes No9 solvent and occasionally JB Paste, My .357 mag S&W 586 has had over 70.000 cast bullets through it and has never had a bronze brush down the barrel,
only ever cleaned it with No 9 and patches,Reasons your barrel fouls 1 it has copper fouling, it rips lead from bullet, 2 twist is too fast over spins the bullet, rips lead from the bullet, 3 Velocity is too high same as no 2
As in the black powder days want/need more power go to bigger diameter heavier bullet, The 50 cal BP with 500 grain cast bullets and around 100 grains of powder will kill any animal on the planet.