The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting > Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 27, 2017, 04:35 PM   #1
Sevens
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 28, 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 11,753
Experience with powder coated handgun bullets?

I've never tried these and I know some of you guys are using them. My first attempt will be with a 9mm slug, 122gr round nose, and my supplier says:
Quote:
They are sized .356, coated with Hi Tek supercoat. You will notice there is no wax lube in the lube grooves, none is needed. Hi Tek supercoat encapsulates the bullet reducing smoke, leading and lead in the air. I use foundry alloy of 2% tin, 6% antimony and 92% lead
I'm curious with the experiences of folks who have shot similarly coated pistol and/or revolver bullets, please share anything relevant.

What I am hoping to see... is that shooting these on an INDOOR range gives an experience that is absolutely nothing whatsoever like shooting cast lead. In my experience, even one single shot of cast/lubed lead or swaged lead bullets indoors makes an absolute cloud with every shot fired.

My secondary hope is to find the kind of target accuracy indoors with my finest 9mm pistols that I cannot seem to do with plated 124's -- as in, the kind of shooting I can do with my finest .45 pistols and plated 200/230 slugs.

Yes, for the record, I am fully aware that true Bullseye-level shooters laugh hysterically at the accuracy level of plated bullets, but my demands are not to the top-notch level of Bullseye shooters... and I can do some fine shooting at 8-12 yards with my .45's, and my 9mm targets just can't hang. I realize that this is DEFINITELY ON -ME-, THE SHOOTER but if I can get an edge with my ammo it will give me a chip of confidence that will also improve my targets... because I know how my mind works. And sure, I could investigate some high quality jacketed slugs and perhaps see an accuracy boost there, and I genuinely intend to do that also, but I am starting this project with coated cast lead.

Please add any thoughts! Who doesn't love a new handloading project?!
__________________
Attention Brass rats and other reloaders: I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.
Sevens is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 05:09 PM   #2
reddog81
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 16, 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,632
I believe Hi Tek is different but similar to powder coat.

I have powder coated my own cast bullets. There is no cloud of smoke since there is no lube burning off/spraying out of the gun. The fouling on the gun and leading in the barrel is also dramatically reduced.

Accuracy will depend more on the load, proper bullet fit, appropriate loading procedures and correct sized dies than any difference between lead and PC'd bullets
reddog81 is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 05:35 PM   #3
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
 
Join Date: October 15, 2016
Posts: 64
I have used SNS and Bayou coated bullets in several calibers. They are accurate, economical and clean. I almost never shoot indoors but I hate the mess of lead and lube when loading. Bayou, and probably others, sell sample packs of assorted weights.
Fine Figure of a Man is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 06:39 PM   #4
Mike38
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 28, 2009
Location: North Central Illinois
Posts: 2,704
I just started using powder coated bullets made by the Standard Bullet Company DesPlains Illinois about 6 months ago. Glad I did. Improvements in accuracy and much lower bore leading in 9mm, .38Spcl and .45acp. In my Kart barreled M1911, there is virtually no leading at all. I can fire 90 rounds at a Bullseye match, and the barrel looks almost as clean as before the first shot. Seriously, I still have problems believing it myself. The bullets must be a perfect fit for the Kart bore. Not quite as clean in my 9mm and .38Spcl, but better than lubed lead for sure.
Mike38 is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 07:47 PM   #5
Sevens
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 28, 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 11,753
Quote:
Accuracy will depend more on the load, proper bullet fit, appropriate loading procedures and correct sized dies than any difference between lead and PC'd bullets
Oh, I agree -- suppose what I am looking for is more the typical accuracy abilty of a cast lead bullet versus or directly compared to high volume production, economically priced plated bullet. Not really comparing coated to uncoated cast lead.

Thanks for the posts, folks. Looking forward to punching paper with these and I will definitely report back after I've done so.
__________________
Attention Brass rats and other reloaders: I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.
Sevens is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 08:49 PM   #6
KEYBEAR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 11, 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,059
I also use bullets from SNS 240gr COATED lead and like them a bunch . No lube on my hands when loading and no smoke when shooting .
KEYBEAR is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 09:19 PM   #7
dahermit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 28, 2006
Location: South Central Michigan...near
Posts: 6,501
Along with not producing as much smoke as grease lubes, powder coated bullets do not foul the internal workings of the guns and does not build up in the seating die causing changes in seating depth like the grease lubes do.
dahermit is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 09:26 PM   #8
shootniron
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 16, 2011
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,599
I have powder coated for over 3yrs...I absolutely love it. It certainly does away with the lube smoke...and soot that is left in and on the gun. Accuracy is great, too.

But, it sounds like you need to buy some and try them yourself...answer your questions, for yourself.
shootniron is offline  
Old January 27, 2017, 10:56 PM   #9
Sevens
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 28, 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 11,753
Haha, are ya SURE?! I have 600 of them on my kitchen counter!
__________________
Attention Brass rats and other reloaders: I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.
Sevens is offline  
Old January 28, 2017, 12:02 AM   #10
P Flados
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 8, 2017
Location: Wilmington NC
Posts: 242
I started casting in the 1970s as a teenager. For decades, I found that I still needed to buy jacket bullets for a lot of my shooting. This came to a screeching halt when I discovered powder coat. I really have no plans to every buy another bullet.

Now all of my shooting is either tumble lube (BLL) for light stuff and ASBB HF red PC for loads that tumble lube can not handle. I also shoot indoors. The BLL lube does smoke some (less than the wax based stuff) but with PC the only smoke (if any) is from the powder. Note that for all of my guns, I have been able to find leading free full power loads with coated bullets. This is zero traces of lead for hundreds of shots with no cleaning and it includes 327 Fed, 357 magnum, 357 maximum and 44 magnum loads. Powder coat is even getting the job done in my 30 Herrett and 30-30 contender barrels.

I have looked a various commercial cast bullet suppliers and found that many are supplying coated bullets at great prices. Their coating should perform just as good as my powder coat. Since these guys use slightly different molds, alloys, etc. any one may be a less than great match for a given gun. If I did not cast, I would just sample around until I found a cast bullet supplier that could provide a coated bullet that my gun likes. There is really no reason why you should not find something that is just as reliable and accurate as quality jacketed bullets in a 9 mm.
P Flados is offline  
Old January 28, 2017, 03:49 AM   #11
chris in va
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 26, 2004
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 13,804
As I stated in the bullet casting section, powdercoating has revolutionized my shooting. I simply don't worry about cast lead issues any more. I only use jacketed for my 223 and 30-06 now.
chris in va is offline  
Old January 28, 2017, 09:50 AM   #12
Tsquared
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 26, 2016
Location: NE Atlanta
Posts: 337
I haven't found a coated bullet for my 9mm's that I am happy with but I am still looking. I do shoot the Blackmax coated 200gr SWC in my 45 with great success. It is a great bullet that is cheap and I have good accuracy with.

For me powder is the biggest cause for any smoke in an indoor range when I am shooting my 45. If I am using Universal there is no issue. If I use BullsEye there will be some smoke. Blue Dot will give even more.
Tsquared is offline  
Old January 28, 2017, 09:56 AM   #13
Wishoot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 5, 2009
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 1,093
Can't add much to the comments already been made. I've been using Acme coated bullets for some time and they do everything coated bullets are supposed to do.
Wishoot is offline  
Old January 28, 2017, 10:02 AM   #14
BillM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 20, 2009
Location: Amity Oregon
Posts: 790
Switched from Montana Gold 147 CMJ to Bayou 147 Hy-Tek coated for
my USPSA Production/9mm Minor power factor loads.

Equally accurate. Had to put a bit more bell on the case mouth to
avoid scraping the coating. Biggest difference is powder charge.

Dropped from 3.7 gr to 3.4 gr for equal velocity with Vihtavuori N320.
BillM is offline  
Old February 14, 2017, 01:56 AM   #15
totalloser
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 19, 2007
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Posts: 679
This thread has my method, which for my purposes has been pretty much faultless. Bullets balanced on heads of nails, ES charged powdercoats.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...il-head-method
__________________
You only truly believe in freedom if you believe in the freedom of those you disagree.
totalloser is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.09934 seconds with 9 queries