Catshooter,
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. No idea about lead melting in rifles but I know alot about the situation in big bore handguns.
Main reason for gas checks on lead bullets is to prevent leading by friction to the bore.
That said, on big bore revolvers with compensators such as the Ported Taurus and S&W handguns, lead forms on the ports of these handguns when using lead bullets. Not with gas checked bullets but it does with plain base lead bullets of even hard cast nature which says that there is some lead vapor coming off the base of these bullets to build up on the external surfaces of the porting.
Also, another handgun I am quite familiar with is the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. This is a big gas operated semi-auto handgun designed for the largest handgun magnum calibers of its time. You can get these chambered in 357 Mag, 41 Mag, 44 Mag and 50 Action Express.
In the owners manual it STRICTLY forbids the use of any bullet with exposed lead at the base of the bullet. This is because in less then a clip full of rounds with expose lead at the base, the lead vapor will build up in the delicate gas porting vents under the barrel and will turn the handgun into a $2K single shot!!! They are also unable to repair this because there is no way to get in and clean out the lead build up.
So, while I have no experience on rifles as far as testing this it does happen in big bore revolver and semi-auto handguns. If it happens with these applications I do not know why it would not in rifles but thats neither here nor there.
Just wanted to point out that in some applications, lead will melt off so some degree off the base of a bullet.
Back to the debate!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
As far as BC changing, no comment, will sit this one out!!
Kirby Allen(50)