Coated Bullet Thoughts?

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I switched to coated a couple of years ago and prefer them for all of my target shooting.

Started with Bayou and Blue Bullets and am now using Acme.
 
“Coated” means different things, using Molybdneum powder and tumble coating cast lead, like one has been done for jacketed bullets, will make beautiful bullets that leave black spider web looking mess in the bore.

Powder coat is another I tried and used but moved on when Donnie started selling the Hi-Tek coating. For me it works as good of better than the Precision bullets coating I was wanting to replicate. How well it is is obviously dependent on how well it is applied but done correctly, I give it two thumbs up.
 
I shoot the HiTek coated bullets from Bayou Bullets. Love them. Also shot some Acme Hi Tek. They were great also.
 
One thing we didn't have 25 years ago was forums like THR. There is just so much information available today I'm so appreciative of. Yesterday, I finally got around to slugging the bores of the 303 MK4 Enfields I bought back then I think for $125 each, happy to see they've gone up in value! but this time around, going to start shooting them. As I've been reading, the bore sizes do vary, from 3.14 to 3.17. Looked around the Internet but wasn't able to find bullets that will work ideally. Wasn't even able to find moulds above 3.14 in size. Hopefully one of the bullet casting companies has something in the 3.15 - 3.18 range.

I know somewhere in this house I have a RCBS Lube-A-Sizer and moulds for 303 and 30-06 so finding it is the project for the day. Thanks to all again for the great responses!
 
Eddy I've run into the same thing with my Enfield 303's. Bullets from the Lyman 314299 mould worked for me as long as groove diameter wasn't excessive. I also found that using PSB shotshell buffer over....I thinking was IMR4198 completely prevented leading even with undersize bullets. And FYI NOE mould company makes molds that cast bullets for the 303 in the .316" range.

35W
 
Thanks 35W, I'll look into NOE and the 314299 mould. I was reading about a technique that may work to get 3.15 - 16, from a 3.14 mould, that's to shim the mould halves with some very thin .001-.002 material even paper according to Lee. Seems to make sense, guess that added shim thickness goes to the size of a bigger bullet.
 
Eddy19 said:
Thanks 35W, I'll look into NOE and the 314299 mould. I was reading about a technique that may work to get 3.15 - 16, from a 3.14 mould, that's to shim the mould halves with some very thin .001-.002 material even paper according to Lee. Seems to make sense, guess that added shim thickness goes to the size of a bigger bullet.
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AKA Beagling. Many use small pieces of foil tree tape, like AC installers use on ductwork, to slightly shim the blocks.

35W
 
Hondo 60 said:
Not an empty claim, but the honest-to-goodness truth.
I've had 'em from Missouri Bullet & Acme Bullet up in Wisconsin.
Very good results - no leading what so ever.

I also cast my own, but use w/o powder coating.
I think I'm gonna have to learn how & get the supplies to coat.
Wish I had someone local to show me how.
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On the cast boolits forum there is a vendor that goes by smoke4320. I use his powders (which are very reasonably priced considering ow many a pound will do) and he gave me easy and detailed instructions on how to coat bullets. I needed some non-stick foil, some airsoft BBs, and a convection toaster oven from the thrift shop. Not hard at all.
 
brewer12345 said:
On the cast boolits forum there is a vendor that goes by smoke4320. I use his powders (which are very reasonably priced considering ow many a pound will do) and he gave me easy and detailed instructions on how to coat bullets. I needed some non-stick foil, some airsoft BBs, and a convection toaster oven from the thrift shop. Not hard at all.
Click to expand...

Thanks brewer12345 for the tip, I've passed by cast boolits forum a while ago, I'll go back and check it out.
 
res45 said:
I started powder coating my cast lead bullets for both rifles and handguns several years ago, powder coating never had to solve the problem of leading in my rifle and pistol bores because I never got leading to begin with. A properly fitted cast lead bullet with a good lube cast from an alloy that matches the velocity and pressure of the load should not lead your bores.

What powder coating does for me is it allows me to coat lots of cast bullets, size and gas check them where needed in a short period of time that can be stored long term in less than ideal conditions like my shop where other form of lube can be affected by heat or cold, PC doesn't get soft or tacky, melt of dry up over time and leaves you hands and dies clean.

As to any negatives I can't think of any, my coated bullets in both rifle and pistol don't smoke, they are just as accurate as any non-coated lead bullet I've ever used that I previously used tradition forms of lube with but now PC. Most bore cleaning after shooting my coated bullets basically entails one wet patch follow by a couple dry patches mainly to just remove any powder residue.

In general most commercial cast lead bullets coated or not are too hard with a few exceptions. I use a 50/50 mix of pure lead / wheel weights with a pinch of tin. Powder coated and air cooled right out of the toaster oven the cast bullets especially my HP handgun bullets are soft enough to give good expansion at 45 ACP handgun or carbine as well as +P 38 Special velocities. They are also fine for my 9 mm RN and TC style bullets. In rifles air cooled powder coated bullet are fine for light plinker loads or mid range velocities with gas checks applied. For HV rifle loads I powder coat my bullets an water quench them right out of the toaster oven and let them age for about three weeks before loading, I shoot these bullets out of my 30-06 at 2300 fps. with excellent accuracy and no leading. I shoot the PC quenched bullets in all my 30 cal. rifle loads in all actions types including gas operated gun with no issues.

If you want a coated cast lead bullet that give terminal performance expansion wise you pretty much have to buy a mold that will cast a bullet designed to expand, cast and coat them yourself or purchased a coated or non coated non-expanding cast lead bullet with a large meplat that creates a large wound channel.

Here is my home cast 45 ACP HP's
View attachment 873968

They expand well with my alloy and powder coating.
View attachment 873969

30 Caliber coated bullet in several colors.
View attachment 873970

50 yd. test target using the above powder coated bullet in my budget Rem. 30-06 at 2995 fps. 5 shot average.
View attachment 873971
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot! great info and photos. I will file it in my load notes.
 
brewer12345 said:
On the cast boolits forum there is a vendor that goes by smoke4320. I use his powders (which are very reasonably priced considering ow many a pound will do) and he gave me easy and detailed instructions on how to coat bullets. I needed some non-stick foil, some airsoft BBs, and a convection toaster oven from the thrift shop. Not hard at all.
Click to expand...

Don't forget about the Cool Whip, Brewer! As I understand it, Its not just for dessert anymore.... (you need the #5 container, right?)

Last weekend, I shot my first powder coated 200gr 45 Colt bullets that I cast from my range lead using the method Brewer described. No leading. Accuracy has not been evaluated yet. I sized the bullets several days after powder coating to .452. The coating increased the size of the bullet by about .002" and stayed on fine after sizing. Might be useful for those needing a larger bullet than is cast from their mold. It was easy like Brewer said. But my short fat bullets stood up on their base very easily for placement in the toaster oven.
 
Hondo 60 said:
Not an empty claim, but the honest-to-goodness truth.
I've had 'em from Missouri Bullet & Acme Bullet up in Wisconsin.
Very good results - no leading what so ever.

I also cast my own, but use w/o powder coating.
I think I'm gonna have to learn how & get the supplies to coat.
Wish I had someone local to show me how.
Click to expand...

I'll PM you if it's okay and talk you through it.
 
Do you guys get your lead levels tested? I exclusively shoot hi tek and I came back high. I'm not convinced they're cleaner, or at least not clean enough to be safe.
 
Do you guys get your lead levels tested? I exclusively shoot hi tek and I came back high.
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I have for years, before coated bullets existed. The only time my lead levels went high was from shooting indoor matches once a week.

I quit shooting at that range all together and didn’t go to more than a couple sanctioned matches held indoors after that.

I still cast, load and shoot jacketed, plated, coated and wax lubed bullets by the thousands a year, my levels went down after around a year of quitting indoor stuff, and stayed down since.

Where are you shooting? FWIW I only shot jacketed or plated but you are breathing everything everyone else is shooting too.

Using hi-tek, I can completely melt all of the lead inside the coating and it will stay inside until I poke it.

DB3C983F-04BF-46BD-B8FA-E8D778D807E9.jpeg

Try that with an open base FMJ.
 
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drband said:
Lead styphnate in primers is probably the cause. It's way more prevalent than the lead from bullets.
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No real way to tell the exact point of failure unfortunately. I shoot outdoors, collect brass whilst wearing gloves, and reload with a respirator now though.

I shoot MBC 9mm, 45 ACP, 357, and 44. I used to shoot indoors too and I also think that's a big factor. I deprime on a coax which uses a closed tube & can system so I doubt I'm getting it on the bench, but I do notice gray residue on my gloves whether I load Jacketed or coated from MBC and it's absolutely coming from bullet handling as I load wet tumbled brass exclusively and deprime in separate sessions from loading so i do think there is some lead on the bullets despite the coating.
 
I tried the MBC 180gr( weighed 185gr) Pug nose WNFP it was not very accurate in a 2.75" 1:18.75 twist Ruger Security Six or a Rossi 92 w/a 18" 1:30 twist. Trying to push these bullets fast enough to stabilize caused barrel fouling.
 
I normally shoot plated bullets, JHP or copper monolithic. I bought some ACME and Missouri. I found the uniformity to be very poor and the coating is easily scratched with a fingernail. They're also too soft for the velocities I normally shoot (up to 1200 fps). I have no continued interest in coated bullets unless there is something completely different that I've missed.

I shoot Berry's, RMR and Speer TMJ plated bullets the most. I will also buy pulled XTP's by the thousands when I find them. Any of these are far superior to any coated bullet I've ever seen.

I did just have my lead levels tested in December. Zero. None at all. I shoot lead-free primers exclusively. I do not go to ranges where other people are shooting except for classes. I do not shoot indoors.
 
I used to shoot indoors too and I also think that's a big factor.
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Yep, stop that and wash your hands before you eat, smoke and such, then wait for 8-12 months and test again.

but I do notice gray residue on my gloves whether I load Jacketed or coated
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Reminds me of polishing brass for my uniforms, the only way one can polish until the white glove no longer gets soiled, is when there is no more alloy to touch.
 
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labnoti said:
I normally shoot plated bullets, JHP or copper monolithic. I bought some ACME and Missouri. I found the uniformity to be very poor and the coating is easily scratched with a fingernail. They're also too soft for the velocities I normally shoot (up to 1200 fps). I have no continued interest in coated bullets unless there is something completely different that I've missed.

I shoot Berry's, RMR and Speer TMJ plated bullets the most. I will also buy pulled XTP's by the thousands when I find them. Any of these are far superior to any coated bullet I've ever seen.

I did just have my lead levels tested in December. Zero. None at all. I shoot lead-free primers exclusively. I do not go to ranges where other people are shooting except for classes. I do not shoot indoors.
Click to expand...
Who sells lead free primers? I use CCI and thought the lead free weren't readily available?
 
Yes, I use the Fiocchi. These are not the old unreliable DDNP primers, but the newer Bismuth Oxide type that Federal/Vista has said they will adopt for all their ammo within the next couple years. Federal calls their version "Catalyst" but do not currently sell it as a component, only in loaded cartridges.

I have shot 5,700 of the Fiocchi SPP and about 450 of the SRM primers and I have had exactly one SPP failure which could have been a result of me damaging the primer in my hand priming tool. I think I flattened the anvil when I had two primers under the case. The Fiocchi lead-free are not as easy to ignite with light springs as Federal, but if you are using CCI, they should be about the same.
 
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