22/45 + Wildcats = MAJOR Lead Fouling - Pics

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BeerBaron

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Hey Guys,

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this before. I bough some Winchester Wildcats to shoot through my 22/45 because they were cheap and so far it's had no problems with anything I've fed it. I had been messing with the sights a little bit, so I started shooting off a sandbag just to make sure I had them zeroed decently. After a quick adjustment all seemed to be going well. After about 70 rounds though my accuracy started to seriously degrade. I put up a fresh target and fired 10 more rounds, and every single one of them keyholed. There had been exactly 100 rounds of wildcats through the barrel since I cleaned it. I tried another 10 of federal bulk, which has always worked well for me, and they all keyholed too. Obviously something was wrong and I didn't have cleaning stuff at the range so I put it away for the day.

When I got home and inspected the pistol, the barrel was so full of lead I couldn't see the rifling in some places. I let it soak with some solvent for a while, figuring I had my work cut out for me with scrubbing all of this lead out. After soaking for a couple hours, here's what I found....

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Sorry for the shadows, but I think that conveys the point.

Has anyone else had trouble with Wildcats like this before? I've shot over 500 rounds through this pistol before without cleaning and never had a problem, this was after only 100! Right now I guess I'm just happy I managed to get it out fairly easily. Sure wish I wouldn't have bought a case of Wildcats though...
 
There seems to a fair number of posts lately of guys having issues with heavy leading. I haven't seen anything like that picture in my personal experience but I can't imagine that it is normal. Maybe the lead that winchester is using is too soft? That is right out of her.
 
I've never hand that problem with the Wildcats before though I'm using them in a bolt action rifle. What does the bore of the Ruger look like...any rough areas? Maybe those areas (if they exist) are picking up more lead using the softer Wildcats over your previous ammo choice?
 
As far as I can tell without a borescope the bore of the ruger is one of the smoothest I have. Always nice and shiny, looks like a mirror. The rifling is very fine though, but I would think that would make it pick up less lead rather than more.

The wildcats fed and functioned flawlessly. No visible shavings or anything in the feed path.

I've feed my ruger every brand of cheap .22 ammo i can find, and aside from a few misfires and the odd hollowpoint getting hung up on the feed ramp, I've never had anything even close to this before. I'm considering trying again and hopping that was just a fluke the first time, but I'm concerned I might not get the giant piece of lead out so easily again next time...
 
I am not trying to hi jack your thread but I had the same issue as you as well. It was not just in both my 10/22's (bull barrel and standard) but in my bolt .22lr also. I have just come to the conclusion that batches of wildcat ammo vary drastically, and from the 8 boxes that I have shot, THEY HAVE ALL SUCKED THE BIG ONE! terrible lead fouling after only 200 shots. Check out my thread as well, hope it will help.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377680
 
The Bore Snake is a non-starter in this case. My K-22 was leaded up so bad that a cleaning rod wouldn't pass through. I had to screw a jag on the end and drive out the worst of the lead buildup at the forcing cone so I could get a brush in to scrub the rest out.

Don't use Remington "Target" ammo either. As far as I can tell, it's the same as Thunderbolt but loaded to standard velocity.
 
Ouch.

I generally use American Eagle 38 grain copper hollowpoints in my Ruger MKIII. I find with some semi autos that the soft lead gets damaged when loading the next round.

Personally I found Wildcat not very accurate in my firearms and very dirty. Same for Remington thunderbolt. I've had flakes like that in the receiver area but never in the barrel. :confused:
 
My neighbor has an old single shot savage that he leaded up like that three times last summer and he blamed the gun a bought a new one and it did the same thing. He shoots wildcats that he bought probably ten years ago.I have him switched over to federals now and he is having a better time.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, sounds like the wildcats are probably just too soft/not lubed. Hopefully this saves someone else the trouble I guess.

Back to federal bulk packs for me.
 
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