{"id":3083,"date":"2019-09-20T01:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T01:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=3083"},"modified":"2019-09-20T17:38:31","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T17:38:31","slug":"what-is-an-lrn-bullet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/what-is-an-lrn-bullet\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an LRN Bullet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Guy J. Sagi<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Lead round nose bullets are composed entirely of lead with a rounded nose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead round nose, or LRN\u2014are inexpensive alternatives for plinking, practice and some small game hunting. Although, they are not the best modern option for self-defense use or big game hunting. Some ranges, particularly indoor facilities with expensive ventilation and air purification systems, have banned LRNs and they are known for fouling barrels. A few wildlife agencies have even placed a ban on hunting with lead bullets.<\/span><\/p>\n

LRNs do, however, perform consistently and deliver good accuracy. The cost savings make them ideal for high-volume shooters, particularly rimfire enthusiasts unafraid of cleaning chores. So, look for a lot of LRN bullets loaded into 22 long rifle ammo<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

LRN Bullet Origins<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"a

The design of the LRN bullet hasn’t changed much, it’s simplistic efficiency makes it a great option for modern shooters.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sometime in the 1830s Captain John Norton, a member of the British army stationed in India, noted that the blow darts used by locals wore an organic material at their base. It expanded when the user blew, creating a seal that improved the projectile\u2019s velocity and increased effective range. He harnessed the principle by creating a conical-shaped bullet, one with a hollow base. Its design effectively captured more of the energy created by the expanding gases released when gunpowder burns.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few years later William Greener\u2014a British gunsmith legendary for innovation\u2014improved on the approach. His oval-shaped Greener bullet appeared in 1836 and featured a wooden plug in the hollow base of the lead projectile. The design increased expansion and made it more reliable in engaging rifling and trapping those gasses.<\/span><\/p>\n

It worked well, but the reception of the two-piece design was lukewarm. Then, in the early 1850s, French Captain <\/span>Claude-\u00c9tienne Mini\u00e9<\/span> fine-tuned the bullet. His projectiles were longer, which made stuffing a bullet down a muzzleloading barrel easier. He also substituted an iron cap for the wood insert in the hollow base.<\/span><\/p>\n

LRN Performance Tested<\/h3>\n

The British military adopted the Mini\u00e9 ball<\/a> in 1855, but across the pond, a clever Yank named James Burton was hard at work at Harper\u2019s Ferry Arsenal in West Virginia. He devised a way to eliminate the iron entirely, tune the lead bullet\u2019s \u201cskirt\u201d to maximize seal and the design was capable of being mass-produced\u2014just in time for the Civil War. It was so effective that most casualties in The War Between the States were from his version of the Mini\u00e9 ball.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a simple approach, and effective largely due to lead\u2019s mass, expansion on impact and even malleability that encourages deep engraving (grooves on the bullet) as it travels down the barrel. As velocities increased, though, LRN bullets and its exposed lead surfaces lost favor. Fouling increased and terminal performance became unpredictable at the once-unthinkable speeds. Scars, nicks and bends are also commonplace on the metal, and once semi-automatic firearms appeared those blemishes increased stoppages and stovepipes.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, FMJs, JHPs and other designs were devised, but there\u2019s no denying this traditional and inexpensive option is a good one for informal shooting, even taking small game and eliminating vermin in most regions. And, manufacturers haven\u2019t rested on their laurels, either.<\/span><\/p>\n

LRN Flat Point Bullet<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"a

The .38 Special in LRN Flat Point (Left), next to .38 Special in FMJ (Right).<\/p><\/div>\n

The famous early lever actions of Henry and Winchester were the catalyst for one of the earliest design changes in the LRN. Although lopping off the tip of the bullet\u2019s rounded nose is hardly radical, it improved on its practicality. The \u201crepeaters\u201d have long and tubular magazines that run underneath and parallel to the barrel. Ammunition stored in this type of magazine forms single file, in one long column\u2014and that means bullet tips touch primers in the cartridges ahead. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cartridges in any firearm magazine are subject to the forces of recoil, but with this alignment, a pointed bullet behind can strike the primer directly ahead\u2014as the gun moves back during the shot\u2014with enough authority to cause ignition. The result can be catastrophic, even a chain reaction in a metal tube not designed for the pressure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead\u2019s not exactly known for being hard enough to reliably start that ignition, but it happens. Removing the rounded front of LRN bullets eliminated the risk in lever-action rifles. Naturally, cowboys on the western frontier didn\u2019t want to carry two types of loads. So those newfangled LRN flat-nose bullets quickly found their way into revolvers that shared chambering with the cowpoke\u2019s rifle. LRN flat points are still popular and used in pistols and rifles at every Cowboy Action Shooting match.<\/span><\/p>\n

The alteration slightly compromises aerodynamic efficiency, although that wasn\u2019t much of a consideration from horseback. It also reduces bullet weight, which means at the right distance\u2014despite that flat nose\u2014penetration and terminal performance can drop.<\/span><\/p>\n

In The Groove<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"a

You’ll find grooves in various modern bullet types from LRN Flat Point to Copper Plated Hollow Point.<\/p><\/div>\n

As the eldest statesman among bullets, the LRN has undergone some interesting refinements. The first grooves around a bullet shank, near the base, appeared in LRNs. They were so effective that today they\u2019re found a variety of bullet designs, managing pressure or reducing fouling, usually both.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no limit to the amount of proprietary, non-metallic light coatings manufacturers add. Some of it feels oily, others waxy, and good luck getting a company to divulge anything that goes into that \u201csecret sauce.\u201d Many are tailored to reduce fouling.<\/span><\/p>\n

The experimentation for more than 180 years has produced a staggering variety of LRN bullets. Each slightly different than the other, but all fully lead and rounded at the nose. The list of cartridges they are available in is just as long, but just in .22 Long Rifle (LR) enthusiasts can pick their octane. Super, medium, slow, and so slow that you never hear that familiar \u201ccrack\u201d of the bullet breaking the sound barrier.<\/span><\/p>\n

When To Choose LRN<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"a

What is an LRN bullet best used for? Well, plenty of things, plus it won’t over-penetrate as an FMJ bullet will.<\/p><\/div>\n

Low velocity is where LRN’s really shine. That rounded nose performs admirably aerodynamically there. Match loads tailored for .22 LR international competition usually feature a slow-moving LRN\u2014or a slight derivation thereof\u2014for good reason. Lower speed reduces lead fouling, too.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Enthusiasts searching for an economical solution to their high-volume shooting needs, will find it hard to beat LRNs. They deliver all-around performance\u2014without breaking the bank. They may not be the ideal option for self-defense or big game today, but the LRN has earned it’s place in history. The bullet has won hundreds of gunfights throughout history, dropped thousands of whitetail and is still the ideal solution for every practice and informal plinking.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Guy J. Sagi Lead round nose bullets are composed entirely of lead with a rounded nose. Lead round nose, or LRN\u2014are inexpensive alternatives for plinking, practice and some small game hunting. Although, they are not the best modern option for self-defense use or big game hunting. Some ranges, particularly indoor facilities with expensive ventilation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3356,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[470,469,468,471],"class_list":["post-3083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ammo","tag-bullet-type","tag-lead-round-nose","tag-lrn","tag-lrn-flat-point"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is an LRN Bullet? - Wideners Shooting, Hunting & Gun Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about the LRN bullet in this article as we explain Lead Round Nose ammo and look at the design and history of this popular bullet type.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/what-is-an-lrn-bullet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is an LRN Bullet? 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