Why Desperado Cowboy Bullets Uses Soft Lead, Flat-Based Bullets for Cowboy Action Shooting

Desperado Cowboy Bullets (DCB) uses soft cast lead (about 10 Brinell, with a 20:1 alloy) and a flat or plain base because that combination is built specifically for Cowboy Action Shooting: it reduces recoil, fragmentation and ricochets, seals gases better to cut leading and fouling, and improves accuracy and retained energy for knock-down targets. The trade-off is that this is a specialized product for low and standard velocity loads in revolver and lever-action shooting, not a general-purpose hard-cast bullet for high-pressure or high-velocity rifle use.

What "soft cast" actually means at DCB

DCB describes itself as the first bullet company since around 1953 dedicated exclusively to soft cast bullets. Two numbers matter:

• Alloy: a 20:1 lead-to-tin ratio, which the company rates at roughly 10 Brinell — soft by cast-bullet standards, where hard-cast bullets often run well above that.
• Design: flat or plain base with a crimp groove, following the shape and dimensions of authentic Old West soft lead bullets.

Every DCB bullet is cast in soft lead with the plain-base design, and the lubricant works with both smokeless and black powder loadings. For shooters who prefer their own lube and sizing, plain-based soft cast bullets are offered as a special order in the "as cast" condition.

Why soft lead and a flat base work together

Softer lead mushrooms instead of shattering

Hard alloys tend to fragment on impact, producing shrapnel and ricochets — a real concern in cowboy action stages with close steel targets. DCB states its soft lead mushrooms and stays at the target, greatly diminishing the fragmentation and shrapnel normally associated with harder alloy lead. That is the core safety argument for the design.

The flat base seals gas and reduces leading

A plain base combined with soft lead helps the bullet obturate — expand slightly under pressure — to seal the bore. DCB credits this with better gas sealing and reduced leading and fouling. Less fouling means fewer cleaning interruptions and more consistent accuracy across a match.

Lower recoil, better scores

The 20:1 alloy with a flat base and soft lube is described as reducing recoil. For cowboy action, where shooters fire many rounds quickly across multiple guns, lighter felt recoil supports faster, more controlled strings — and DCB frames the result as improved accuracy and higher scores for active and competitive shooters using low and standard velocity loads.

Retained energy for knock-downs

Soft lead that mushrooms rather than fragments keeps more of its mass and energy on the target. DCB highlights higher retained energy for knock-down targets as a practical benefit of the alloy choice.

Quick comparison of the design choices

Who this is for — and the conditions to check

This bullet design fits shooters running Cowboy Action Shooting or Old West-style applications with low to standard velocity loads, especially where steel targets at close range make ricochet and fragmentation a safety priority. It also suits black powder shooters, since the lube is compatible with both powder types.

Before ordering, note two conditions from the site itself:

• Membership requirement: DCB now operates as a Private Membership Association. Sales are described as a private contract between the customer and Ed & LeAnn Kemmerer, and each order includes a $1 membership fee; you create an account and shop as a member.
• Not a high-velocity bullet: the soft alloy and plain base are matched to low and standard velocity loads. If your application calls for high-pressure or high-speed rifle loads, this is not the design for it.

If your goal is a safer, lower-recoil cowboy action load with less bore fouling and reliable knock-down performance, DCB's soft cast, flat-based approach is purpose-built for exactly that.