Powder coated bullets

[ironhead14]

Powder coated cast bullets

[h2ofowlr]

Why?  Hours to make and seconds to shoot!

[Duffer]

Correct me if I'm wrong but coating soft lead cast bullets keeps them from leading up the barrel. Looks nice!

[MP123]

How many thousands is that coating?  Looks cool

[Woodhunter]

Looks neat. 

[Yondering]

Why?  Hours to make and seconds to shoot!

They take less time than lubing bullets the traditional way.

No exposed lead (that smoke you're breathing isn't just powder and lube, it's lead too).

No lead fouling in the barrel.

Why not?

[ironhead14]

For the skeptics just google it and see the results.  It works.  The black bullets in the nickel brass look great in a western belt.

[jasnt]

Do you powder coat before or after sizing?  I been thinking about switching to powder coating. I been tumble lubing..... Deff better options out there

[300rum]

Take a look at the various Hi-Tek coated bullets out there, they are are much better then any powder coated bullet or molly coated bullets.  With the coating you can push the bullets at much higher velocities and use hot powders such as titegroup without much smoke.    You can also buy bullets without a lube groove.  I have seen do-it-yourself coatings and they just haven't held up like the commercial coated bullets. 

[ironhead14]

Do you powder coat before or after sizing?  I been thinking about switching to powder coating. I been tumble lubing..... Deff better options out there

I size after.  The coating doesn't seem to add that much to them.  I have a friend that has pushed 44 mags in his Thompson contender at 1750 fps and no signs of lead or color coming out of the barrel.  Another friend shoots the old lever guns.  He said with the same load and bullet he is getting 200 fps more with the coated bullet.  We are going to do some testing with a 270 over the chrony to see how hard we can push them.  Then the big one, an accuracy test.  I am just mostly doing pistol bullets.

[huntandjeep]

Wonder what pink Berger's would look like 

[birddogdad]

I am still considering what the return is on this? 200FPS is what I read... can you explain or have any data on how this helps, or is this like my wife's  fancy car rims?

[300rum]

Coated bullets are much cleaner then lead both on your fingers when loading and with smoke.

They are cheaper then jacketed or plated bullets and they take less powder to get to the same velocities.  They are also inherently more accurate then jacketed or plated bullets, being able to have lead like accuracy in a bullet that won't lead.

The ones that I use do not lead the barrel, they are very clean through the barrel.

I have shot maybe 50k or more of the Hi-Tek coated bullets.  I buy them 25k at a time and get some pretty good deals on them. 

If you shoot 300blk suppressed there is a company that is making these bullets with the Hi-Tek coating, you will save a lot of money going this way versus a jacketed bullet.

I have seen the "home" powder coatings on the range and am not real impressed with them but the Hi-Tek with someone who knows what they are doing is pretty slick.

[Yondering]

Take a look at the various Hi-Tek coated bullets out there, they are are much better then any powder coated bullet or molly coated bullets.  With the coating you can push the bullets at much higher velocities and use hot powders such as titegroup without much smoke.    You can also buy bullets without a lube groove.  I have seen do-it-yourself coatings and they just haven't held up like the commercial coated bullets.

My experience has been the opposite; a good powder coat is at least as tough, or better, than Hi-Tek. It does have to be done right though, and the type of powder matters a lot. I've used a bunch of different powders, and have only found a couple that give really good results. I recover a lot of the bullets I shoot; with the good powders the coating stays on the bullet even through hardwood logs, and (when not destroyed by impact) the rifling marks show no exposed lead.

I'm using them in both pistol and rifle. I run full power loads in the rifles, 2500-2600 fps in the 308 with absolutely no concern about leading.

[headshot5]

I am still considering what the return is on this? 200FPS is what I read... can you explain or have any data on how this helps, or is this like my wife's  fancy car rims?

Just a random thought here, but coating lead bullets will also make them able to be shot through a can (sound suppressor) without the lead buildup concerns...  Which is a huge win in a 300 BO etc.   

[jay.sharkbait]

I am still considering what the return is on this? 200FPS is what I read... can you explain or have any data on how this helps, or is this like my wife's  fancy car rims?

Just a random thought here, but coating lead bullets will also make them able to be shot through a can (sound suppressor) without the lead buildup concerns...  Which is a huge win in a 300 BO etc.   

You still will have lead from the primers.

[Yondering]

Primers don't lead up suppressors. Regular cast bullets do; it's a real problem with suppressors that can't be disassembled for cleaning.

I shoot powder coated cast bullets through my suppressors, the fouling buildup is no different than with jacketed bullets.

[jay.sharkbait]

Primers don't lead up suppressors. Regular cast bullets do; it's a real problem with suppressors that can't be disassembled for cleaning.

I shoot powder coated cast bullets through my suppressors, the fouling buildup is no different than with jacketed bullets.

I've never thought of shooting cast bullets suppressed.

I guess I have a lot to learn about shooting suppressors.

[headshot5]

Just thought up another use.  Use powder coated cast bullets for use in a glock.  Keep lead buildup down next to nil...  This would be great in a 10mm and makes getting an aftermarket barrel unnecessary. 



 

[300rum]

That's right, you can keep the original barrel no problem.

Just thought up another use.  Use powder coated cast bullets for use in a glock.  Keep lead buildup down next to nil...  This would be great in a 10mm and makes getting an aftermarket barrel unnecessary. 



 

[Yondering]

Just thought up another use.  Use powder coated cast bullets for use in a glock.  Keep lead buildup down next to nil...  This would be great in a 10mm and makes getting an aftermarket barrel unnecessary. 
 

Yes, although aftermarket barrels for Glocks are mostly unnecessary anyway, and in my experience often lead worse than the Glock barrel. Traditional lubed bullets work great in Glock barrels, if they are sized appropriately for the bore and the right hardness. Powder coating makes it easier, you can get away with things being less than ideal, but the same principles still apply for good accuracy.

[jasnt]

I'd bet this would help with my 9mm. I'm shooting 158gr. LRN @1000 fps. Any faster and I get the grey streaks(leading). What type of powder you using. Which model of powder coater?  I been looking at the harbor freight powder coater. Also how hot are you baking them and how long

[Yondering]

I don't use a powder coat gun, just shake the bullets in a plastic yogurt or margarine tub and bake on a wire screen in a toaster oven. Use a toaster oven in the garage, it tends to stink up the house and make the XO upset. Size after coating in a polished Lee push-through sizer die, apply gas checks before sizing if necessary.

My preferred powder is RAL 6018 Yellow/Green from Powder Buy the Pound. That was actually the first powder I ever tried; I've tried a bunch of other powders since and haven't found anything else quite as good. A little lasts a long way, a pound will coat thousands of bullets.

If you guys are interested I'll copy and paste a post I made on a couple other forums a year or two ago about my coating method, or post a link. It's a very simple process, and takes about the same amount of time and effort as tumble lubing.

Edit- corrected the RAL powder number above

[jasnt]

I'm interested

[300rum]

I use Ramshot Competition, VV N320 and Titegroup in that order.  I have also used WST and W231.  Ramshot and N320 are the best.  Keep in mind that I don't coat myself though, I buy the Hi-Tek stuff. 

I'd bet this would help with my 9mm. I'm shooting 158gr. LRN @1000 fps. Any faster and I get the grey streaks(leading). What type of powder you using.

[JimmyHoffa]

Have any of you tried powder coat on an all copper like Barnes?  Wonder if it would reduce fouling and add fps even a little like it is doing for your cast lead.

[grundy53]

Have any of you tried powder coat on an all copper like Barnes?  Wonder if it would reduce fouling and add fps even a little like it is doing for your cast lead.

Good idea!

[ironhead14]

They have a powder coating that will withstand 1200 degrees.  I will be getting some to try out.  I have access to everything out there through a sub contractor that the company I work for uses.  I will post what I find out from them next time I talk to them.  I just heard from a friend that I gave some coated .308's to.  He is pushing them in his 06 at 2800 fps with no signs of lead or paint residue.

[Yondering]

Careful with the high temp stuff, that's likely a ceramic rather than just polyester like most of us are using now. You could wear the bore out in a hurry shooting the wrong coatings through it.

[ironhead14]

I don't use a powder coat gun, just shake the bullets in a plastic yogurt or margarine tub and bake on a wire screen in a toaster oven. Use a toaster oven in the garage, it tends to stink up the house and make the XO upset. Size after coating in a polished Lee push-through sizer die, apply gas checks before sizing if necessary.

My preferred powder is RAL 6001 Yellow/Green from Powder Buy the Pound. That was actually the first powder I ever tried; I've tried a bunch of other powders since and havent found anything else quite as good. A little lasts a long way, a pound will coat thousands of bullets.

If you guys are interested I'll copy and paste a post I made on a couple other forums a year or two ago about my coating method, or post a link. It's a very simple process, and takes about the same amount of time and effort as tumble lubing.

Please do or email me at jdurham53@gmail.com

[Yondering]

Try this link to my post on 24hourcampfire, since several questions were already asked and answered in that thread. If the link doesn't work for you, let me know and I'll copy/paste the post here.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9355027/Re:_Dry_tumble_powder_coating#Post9355027

Hope that helps!

BTW, I posted the wrong # for the powder I like earlier in this thread, it's RAL 6018, as you can see in one of the pics in that link above.

One tip, that I think a lot of people miss, is when shaking the bullets in the powder, you really want to shake the living snot out of it. I shake as hard and fast as I can for about 20-30 seconds, in sort of a swirling motion. If you're holding the container in just one hand, or aren't getting good coverage of the powder, you probably aren't shaking hard enough.

[ironhead14]

I'd bet this would help with my 9mm. I'm shooting 158gr. LRN @1000 fps. Any faster and I get the grey streaks(leading). What type of powder you using. Which model of powder coater?  I been looking at the harbor freight powder coater. Also how hot are you baking them and how long

I use the harbor freight gun, seems to work good enough. I bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

[jasnt]

Thanks

[Yondering]

I'd bet this would help with my 9mm. I'm shooting 158gr. LRN @1000 fps. Any faster and I get the grey streaks(leading). What type of powder you using. Which model of powder coater?  I been looking at the harbor freight powder coater. Also how hot are you baking them and how long

I use the harbor freight gun, seems to work good enough. I bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Go by the directions for the specific powder you get, for baking temp and time. They are not all the same.

[ironhead14]

How many thousands is that coating?  Looks cool

I ran some through my sizer dry before powder coating then did them again after I coated them.  I could push them through the Lee Sizer just holding the die and pushing the plunger with my thumb. 

[ironhead14]

9mm

[headshot5]

Another random question.  Has anybody tried using powder coat on Muzzleloader bullets?  And do they perform well with the coating without any lube?   

[ironhead14]

I have a friend doing some testing for me.  He is pushing 44 mags through his contender at 1750 FPS with no lube.  I would say it would work on a muzzle loader.  One friend of mine shoots the old lever guns.  He picked up 200 fps with the powder coat using the same load.