What did you do today in the world of reloading?

[Dawico]

Ive been working on powder coating bullets. Ive had 2 batches fail now and im running out of cast bullets. I found a new method though so im going to give that one a try today and hope for the best.


Any of you guys ever try powder coated bullets?

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I have read a lot about it.

Air soft pellets in the mix help (if you are tumbling) and the Harbor Freight coatings can be hard to work with.

Beyond that I am not much help.

 

[rp-]

You know as much as i do!

308 bullets because my AK has a 308 bore

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[fishingsetx]

Ive been working on powder coating bullets. Ive had 2 batches fail now and im running out of cast bullets. I found a new method though so im going to give that one a try today and hope for the best.


Any of you guys ever try powder coated bullets?

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Ive done quite a few!

What method are you using?

Also, LOTS of info on thiz site!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?184-Coatings-and-Alternatives


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[rp-]

First batch, harbor freight red with BBs in plastic sandwich bags inside my tumbler. They came out splotchy and overbaked (turned maroon). They also stuck to the foil.... Reeeeeallly stuck...... I did recover a couple but the coating was so thick in spots it filled the lube grooves. Scrapped them all.

Second batch, small plastic bucket (number 2 plastic) with no BBs. Backed until melted. Pulled and dropped back in the bucket. They turned into a ball... I thinned them out and rebaked for the full time but they stuck together and the coat was way too think. They also stuck in tin sheet i put them in..... I recovered a couple that were shootable but scrapped them all anyways. Too uneven.

Today i picked up some 1/4" mesh to solve the sticking problem.


As for procedure, i have been looking at a few others. I found one method on cast boolits forum that calls for black BBs (used colored on 1st batch) and using needle nose pliers to puck them out of the BBs. Im leaning towards this method next.

Next promising one is to use powder + thinner/acetone. Id like to try that too.


Id love to know how youre doing it though.


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[rp-]

Also, if i get frustrated and cant find something that works i may pay you to coat for me

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[fishingsetx]

I have a side business powdercoating yeti cups so I use a powdercoat gun. If you already have an air compressor, you can get the gun for less than $100 and get perfect results almost every time.

Are you using good non stick aluminum foil (renyolds)? The powder is going to come out splotchy 99% of the time with the shake and bake method. doesnt affect a thing whennit comes to performance. Filling the lube grooves wont hurt a thing either.

Harbor freight red bakes out darker especially if it is on lead and a thin coat.

If you are going to try acetone/powder, save your time and effort and just go with Hi-Tek. I ruined several batches of bullets and several containers trying to get that one to work.

Black BB'd and needle nose are the only way to go with shake and bake, bit most of the time, your bullets will have that splotchy look. again, they'll shoot fine, just not as pretty.

dry tumble with black BBs. These shot fine.

A comparison of dry tumble and using a gun (ESPC)

One more thing that may really help is to get some better powder. Harbor freights powder is horrible!

What I do on the side:

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[ROGER4314]

I have lots of sources of piggie guts. My interest in bullet coating would be in coating the projectiles with piggie parts! Is that feasible?

Flash

 

[Dawico]

I have lots of sources of piggie guts. My interest in bullet coating would be in coating the projectiles with piggie parts! Is that feasible?

Flash

Just fill the hollow point. Close enough.

 

[Dawico]

I loaded up some match ammo, 50 of each .223, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .338 Lapua. I also annealed the Lapua cases beforehand.

 

[TejasRider]

I'm scratching my head looking for a source for load data for Copper plated 148 gr double end wadcutters from Berry's for .38 special. Berry's has a general statement about loading their stuff using load data for copper jacketed bullets but don't see anything anything about wadcutters. I've got a Hornady, Nosler and Lyman reference but not sure what to use for my starting and max loads using Win231.

 

[Vaquero]

I'm scratching my head looking for a source for load data for Copper plated 148 gr double end wadcutters from Berry's for .38 special. Berry's has a general statement about loading their stuff using load data for copper jacketed bullets but don't see anything anything about wadcutters. I've got a Hornady, Nosler and Lyman reference but not sure what to use for my starting and max loads using Win231.

I'd use data for a bevel base wad cutter.

 

[robertc1024]

I'm scratching my head looking for a source for load data for Copper plated 148 gr double end wadcutters from Berry's for .38 special. Berry's has a general statement about loading their stuff using load data for copper jacketed bullets but don't see anything anything about wadcutters. I've got a Hornady, Nosler and Lyman reference but not sure what to use for my starting and max loads using Win231.

When in doubt, I load all of the copper plated bullets as if they were hard cast, for wadcutters, you ain't exactly looking for speed. For what it's worth, for lead HBWC bullets, my Speer manual says 3.0 g/749 fps to 3.3/804 with W231. My Hornady says 2.2/550, 2.8/650, 3.3/750. I doubt you'll blow anything up with those kind of loads.

 

[Charlie]

For the ignorant like me, what's the advantage of powder coated bullets?

 

[robertc1024]

For the ignorant like me, what's the advantage of powder coated bullets?

I'm in the same boat with the geezer. Moly coated ones, I get. Powder coated though?

 

[Charlie]

I'm in the same boat with the geezer. Moly coated ones, I get. Powder coated though?

Much appreciated, (I think)!

 

[andre3k]

For the ignorant like me, what's the advantage of powder coated bullets?

I use Hi-Tek coating instead of powder but it all operates on the same principle. Coated lead bullets allow me to shoot indoors without smoking up the place. I run lead at fmj velocities with no issue. A few swabs of the bore and you're good to go.

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[Dawico]

Think of powder coating as "do it yourself" copper plating. Still somewhat limited to lead velocities but no barrel leading.

 

[rp-]

As for powder coating, it eliminates lead, eliminates lube (acts as a jacket or as lube), eliminates smoke. It allows for higher velocities as well.

The powder coating actual stays on the bullet pretty good. Ive seen recovered bullets that retain 100% of the coating and have 0% exposed lead.

I loaded up some match ammo, 50 of each .223, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .338 Lapua. I also annealed the Lapua cases beforehand.

Those 223 look a little long. How long is that little guy

I'm scratching my head looking for a source for load data for Copper plated 148 gr double end wadcutters from Berry's for .38 special. Berry's has a general statement about loading their stuff using load data for copper jacketed bullets but don't see anything anything about wadcutters. I've got a Hornady, Nosler and Lyman reference but not sure what to use for my starting and max loads using Win231.

Did you try the hodgdon site?

This is for a hollow base so a flat base is probably going to raise the pressure. Start at the bottom and work up the load from there.

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[rp-]

I have a side business powdercoating yeti cups so I use a powdercoat gun. If you already have an air compressor, you can get the gun for less than $100 and get perfect results almost every time.

No compressor :-C

Are you using good non stick aluminum foil (renyolds)? Filling t

Harbor freight red bakes out darker especially if it is on lead and a thin coat.

I was using heb foil... Im cheap. Hence the no air compressor. My second batch stayed mostly red but there was a few that started to go maroon so im guessing it was baking too long

If you are going to try acetone/powder, save your time and effort and just go with Hi-Tek.

Noted. Ill skip that one

Black BB'd and needle nose are the only way to go with shake and bake, bit most of the time, your bullets will have that splotchy look. again, they'll shoot fine, just not as pretty.

Priced black BBs at walmart. Gonna get some this weekend and try it out. Sounds like i can just dump it all in my tumbler so probably gonna do that.

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[fishingsetx]

No compressor :-C





I was using heb foil... Im cheap. Hence the no air compressor. My second batch stayed mostly red but there was a few that started to go maroon so im guessing it was baking too long




Noted. Ill skip that one



Priced black BBs at walmart. Gonna get some this weekend and try it out. Sounds like i can just dump it all in my tumbler so probably gonna do that.

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The foil has to be non stick and you have to use the right side!!! walmart brand dont work!

A cheap small compressor will run a gun no problem.

you can try, but that was a major bust for me as well. even tried putting it all i a #2 container and sitting it on the tumbler with no luck. swirl in a butter tub (#2 on the recycle emblem) for 30 seconds, shake up and down 4 times pretty hard, then one last up and down a bit softer. Odd as it sounds, that sequence gave me the best results with shake and bake.

Your color differences are either thin powder or too high of a temp. If you are using a toaster oven, their thermostats are HORRIBLE!!! mine ran 295 when set at 450. Ive heard of people putting thier bullets in set at 400 and coming back to a pan full of melted lead.

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