I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes. I was looking for some cheap ammo to shoot from my 357 blackhawk and noticed most 38's are just lead semiwadcutters. I'm wondering if its ok to use these fairly often. My dad says they will foul the barrel but I'm wondering if it will be fine since the velocity is less that 1000 fps. Just seems odd they would make so many of these type of bullets if they really fouled the barrel quickly.

Shooting cast bullets that are the proper hardness for the velocity seldom cause a problem with leading. Too soft a bullet driven too fast causes leading as quickly as too hard a bullet driven too slow. I've shot a good bit of .38 Special ammo with typical cast bullets and experinced minimal leading.

Another item to consider is the erosion of metal in the chambers from shooting the shorter cartridge. This has appeared in some of my .357s and not in others. Also, this is a hotly contested subject. On revolvers with looser tolerances, it may not be much an issue for you. On a custom gun or Freedom Arms revolver, it may create a problem.

Having said all this, the only real way you will know how these rounds perform is to purchase some and try them out. If you are satisified, then go ahead. If not, you can try something else.

You're right Dave, unless you are talking about hunting bullets you might try the Pistol Shooting forum on this board. Anyway, are you sure you are talking about SEMI wadcutters as opposed to FULL wadcutters? Full wadcutters are always very soft, generally swaged, and are very accurate target loads eg. 700fps for a 148gr. bullet. Semi wadcutters can be had in many different hardness levels. Often the small manufacturers make the hardest. I have used hard cast bullets up to 1300fps in my 44mag and 45 Colt as well as the 357mag. This is the cheapest practice available, much cheaper than jacketed, and the heavier bullets make good hubting bullets.
Peter.

Yeah I meant semi-wadcutters. Are they going to cause alot of barrel fouling?

Can't say for sure whether such bullets will lead your gun or not. The factors I do know that lead to leading are due to bullet sizing, bullet lube and bullet hardness, and they are interrelated.

If your blackhawk has say a .357" bore, and .359" throats and you use a medium hardness .358" bullet with a good lube, you can drive them upwards of 1200 fps with no leading. Also jacketed bullet fouling can cause leading, so you should thoroughly clean the barrel and remove any jacket fouling before shooting cast.

The problem is most commercial cast bullets, especially the bulk ones, are too small .356-.357", too hard, which exacerbates being too small, and are filled with a hard lube that is great for staying in the luge groove during shipping, but seems to be about useless for sealing the bore and preventing leading.

If possible see if you can measure the local offerings of cast bullets before buying them. I'd suggest looking for a .358" dia, and the slickest lead hardness tester is a fingernail. Dead soft lead you can put a gouge in, medium sofnt lead you'll put in a mark with effort, hardcast your nail just slides along without marking it.

It is going to depend on several things: how hard the bullet is, what the bullet is sized to, and how fast they are run. Some folks say lubricant plays into this, but I have been casting for over 20 years and haven't seen that.

Most commercial cast bullets are too hard for mid-range plinking. They usually don't upset and fill the bore like they should until pressures get well up into the range. As a result, they allow powder gases to get by the base of the bullet, and they melt the lead as it goes out the barrel. That is where the lead comes from.
You will just have to try them and see how they perform. Good luck!