Plated bullets in 357 mag

[Bfh_auto]

I’m not disagreeing, but I do enjoy a good conversation. It’s my understanding that while lead creates a better seal by “swaging” down the bore, that copper jackets require more force to engrave to the rifling because it is a harder material. Because of that there is more friction with the bore and more pressure behind the bullet. That being said there’s too many factors in play for me to say for sure, but I have heard both sides of the argument.

I have pushed plated, jacketed, and hardcast in my Rossi. I got pressure signs using lead before I did with Speed flat points. The plated bullets lost accuracy before I got to pressure signs. This may not be the case every time.

 

[Walkalong]

Most plated bullets start out as soft lead bullet cores and the lead isn't hard enough to resist stripping in the riflings when the plating fails and pushed to fast with a thin plating on them, they will strip in the rifling like a lead bullet does when it's to soft.

That is definitely the case with some, but not all, and it seems like in general plated bullet makers are catching on and getting better at using a tougher lead core. No real data to back that up, other than what I have read about some of the plated bullets being sold. RMR "hardcore" bullets are one example.

Our plating is measured between .012-.014″ thick. This is almost twice as thick as other plated companies. They also have a harder lead core (11-12 BHN) than any plated bullet company that we know of

https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bul...h-plated-round-nose-bullets-new-seconds-copy/

Powerbond bullets are very tough and can take a beating compared to some plated bullets. I don't know how hard the lead core is though. Jake originally talked me into trying them back when he was a supplier for them.

Powerbond 125 Gr HP at 1257 Avg FPS.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

That is definitely the case with some, but not all, and it seems like in general plated bullet makers are catching on and getting better at using a tougher lead core. No real data to back that up, other than what I have read about some of the plated bullets being sold. RMR "hardcore" bullets are one example.

That's is why I said most.
RMR did make some super tough plated bullets that you could crimp into the plating without cutting through. They were .357mags. Don't know if Jake is still selling them but I still have some. I tried to cut through the plating with a super heavy crimp and couldn't do it. I loaded up to max load with blue dot and they worked fine. They did slip in the crimp about .010 at max load. If they would have had a cannular I don't think they would have moved at all.

They were rated at 1400 or 1500fps, I don't remember now. They are tough bullets, no doubt.

 

[Dudedog]

These shot well for me in .357, but I wasn't pushing them to the max.
Probably can take what you can give them in 4" - 6" pistol barrel, maybe in a carbine but I can't get them anywhere close to carbine vels to tell in a 4" revolver.
Crimped in the grove, no issues.

https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bul...ated-hollow-point-with-cannelure-bullets-new/
5% discount for THR members

Lead in general seals better than jacketed, = lower charges for the same vel.

You can always prove it to yourself with H110 if you like.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

These shot well for me in .357, but I wasn't pushing them to the max.
Crimped in the grove, no issues.

You sent me some of those, yes they do shoot well.
I didn't push them that hard either but I'm am thinking about buy 500 more of them when I run out of the Extreme 158 gr SWC that I still have a slew of. I never pushed them over 1200 either, don't want to have to clean copper out of my barrel again. That sucked. I soaked it in Sweets for a few hours and got a lot of it, then got that stuff with the bear on the label, copper killer or something like that. It finished cleaning the copper out after a while but I couldn't hold my breath long enough to keep using it. The ammonia will take the top of your head off if get a whiff of it.
I follow the MFGs recommendations now with how fast I can shoot their bullets now.

 

[Walkalong]

Hardcore 124s in the middle. I should have bought more, they did very well.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I suggest a Hi-Tek coated bullet, they hold up very well at the higher velocities in my experience, even with W296/H110. They cost less than plated too.

 

[Toprudder]

I think the velocity rating is just an average number that the manufacturer advertises. I think how hard you can push plated bullets depends a lot on the individual gun. Take a gun with a short, smooth leade, and smooth polygonal rifling, I think you can get more velocity without plating failure than you would get with a revolver (large jump to the lands) with a rough machined forcing cone. I've witnessed it.

 

[Walkalong]

I think you can get more velocity without plating failure than you would get with a revolver (large jump to the lands) with a rough machined forcing cone. I've witnessed it.

I had one revolver that simply hated plated bullets at any velocity, while others I could push them hard in.