Lead vs. jacketed bullets

First topic message reminder :

I have a new guy question here. I see that many BE shooters use lead Bullets while others use jacketed. Obviously there is a cost savings with using the lead Bullets.

However, Is there greater accuracy potential in lead Bullets over the best jacketed Bullets?

Thanks,
-Trevor

What is meant is this.  Although this is an extreme example.

I wouldn’t use jacketed bullets unless I was approaching 2650 or 890’s aggregates. Lead shoots good enough to shoot those scores. Majority of shooters are wasting money using jacketed bullets because they really don’t shoot well enough to see a difference. I recently finished building a1911 45 and shot Zero factory 185 ammunition and my reloads; I actually shot tighter groups consistently with the lead ammunition. So unless you’re kicking butt and taking names at all the matches I recommend shooting lead. My hood lead ammunition will shoot within 1/2” of jacketed from rest. Not worth it in my opinion. Most older guns shoot loose before barrel would be close to wearing out.
Jon

I see that there are coated lead Bullets such as the ACME Bullets . Below is a link.
http://www.acmebullet.com/45-ACP-Lead-Bullets?product_id=438

Is there a consensus on whether coated vs. naked lead Bullets are better for bullseye shooting? Is there greater accuracy potential with naked or coated?

They both shoot well. Pretty much personal preference.

If you psychologically feel one is better than the other, that's the one to use!

hengehold wrote:
I see that there are coated lead Bullets such as the ACME Bullets . Below is a link.
http://www.acmebullet.com/45-ACP-Lead-Bullets?product_id=438

Is there a consensus on whether coated vs. naked lead Bullets  are better for bullseye shooting? Is there greater accuracy potential with naked or coated?

I have shot both 'normal' cast, coated cast (Brazos in my case) and swaged lead bullets with good results in all cases both off hand and from a rest. IMO people spend way too much time looking for the "ultimate load equation". Realistically most* people can not shoot better or equal to the gun. Find a combination that you can consistently load, and get out and shoot. 

*some people are capable of shooting a group 3" or tighter at 50 yards, realistically the number of people that regularly can is small.

Two targets shot with same gun.  One with optic fired with Brazos Coated 200 grain bullets, fired offhand.  The other shot with lubricated lead bullets from a rest.  I can’t tell the difference.  Coated are easier to load, feed thrue bulletin feeders, and cleaner.  

I went with coated because lead poison.   
They don't smoke near as much at the indoor range too.  

Today, I can't find any 9 mm HAP, so I am shooting lead from my new P210.   Jacketed will make smaller groups, but I can't buy any so Lead it is.   I am getting 2" @ 25 yards with Brazos 150 SWC.

I can get under an inch @ 25 yards with my PM-9 using lead or jacketed.  Two years ago, I shot  115 HAP all season.  

With my 45 I can't see the difference.  I bought 500 of the 185 Zero JHP.     They do not shoot smaller groups than Brazos coated.   I loaded the rest hot and use them for practice in my self defense guns.
se guns.

I shot the target to the right with Brazos Coated and this one.
Guess what I am loading for this year?   

 
David

You'll have to stretch out your testing to 50 yards to see the real benefit of JHP over lead, at 25 yards they should both just shoot a ragged hole. I prefer lead also, they shoot softer and give good enough for most mortal shooters as Jon mentioned.

I am looking at the Brazos site for 45 cal bullets and notice that some are flat-based and some have a bevel-base. seems to me that the bevel-base would slip into the case easier when seating them. Is there any reason to choose one over the other? Is the flat-base bullet preferred for some reason?

Here is a link to what I am seeing.
https://www.brazosprecision.com/45-Auto_c_11.html

My understanding you are correct.
BB (bevel base) used in progressive automated loaders for that reason.
A perfect flat base bullet , perpendicular to the bore axis, is supposed to fly truer.
Although, I’ve seen top shooters win with both.

Regular lub d lead bullets will smoke less if you also add tumble lube to them.