teflon wrapped bullets......................

[Pioneer2]

Anyone dabbled with teflon plumbers tape on hard cast bullets at higher velocity?Harold

[docone31]

I would not try it.
The heat and pressure would anneal the material into the rifleing lands making it miserable to clean.
Teflon is extremely resistant to any chemicals to remove it.
Just stick with paper, and you will wonder why you pondered teflon.

[Doc1]

Pioneer,

I've yet to even paper patch a bullet, but this idea could prove to be brilliant! I'm looking forward to input on this thread.

Best regards
Doc

[Pioneer2]

I'm new at this casting thing but have a article in The Art of Bullet Casting that devotes a chapter to the very subject.Just looking for feedback......................learning curve...Thanx Harold

[454PB]

I tried it many years ago. The results were disappointing, but I had no problems with bore deposits.

[Pioneer2]

From the book:several hundred rounds have been fired with extremely favorable results.Velocities of 2700fps have been achieved in 7x57 +.243 with no bore leading or signs of excessive preasure..The tape clears the muzzle not shredded and falls a short distance from the barrel in one piece.The tape is applied before sizing and seating gas checks.A nice plus is the tape clad bullet can be sized and GCed without tearing or scuffing the tape.The way the tape adheres to the bullet and slides in and out of the smooth walls of the sizing die is a minor miracle in it'self.Wrap in the direction that the rifling tightens the tape when fired.Harold[some data next] *use at own risk!!!!!!!!!!

[Pioneer2]

Typical Rifle Velocities with Teflon Patched :30-06/150gr/IMR 3031-47gr-2800fps,,,,,30-06/180gr/IMR3031-43gr-2490fps,,,,,,,,,.308win/150gr/IMR3031-41-2615fps,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.308win/180gr/IMR3031-37gr-2235fps,,,,,,,,,,,,30-30/150gr/IMR3031-27-2190fps,,,,,,,,7x57/120gr/IMR3031-41gr-2805fps,,,,,,,,,,,,,7x57/150gr/IMR3031-38gr-2510fps,,,,,,,,,,,,,.243/95gr/IMR3031-32gr-2760fps................use at own risk.............Harold

[NSP64]

I have tried this with teflon plumbers tape out of my 45 auto (that I shoot only cast lubed with no problems). It was an experiment I will never attempt again. The tape bunched upin the lube grooves.

[Pioneer2]

Aren't Colt barrels left hand twist?Which way did you wrap the tape?Harold

[jhalcott]

I've tried this in 7mm to 45-70 rifles and hand guns. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY BORE BUILD UP< PERIOD!! It works very well with loverin style bullets. Since i developed some arthritis and carpal tunnel it is HARD to roll the tape on for ME. I'd cut a bunch of strips and lay them on a computer mouse pad and just roll the bullets up the strip. In my 7tc/u's (14 and 21"),I shot them with out any other lube and with out the gas checks. The checked bullets were more accurate,but the omission of lube was not a problem. There is a "PIPE" tape and a "GAS" tape. I only used the PIPE tape.

[yeahbub]

I have used teflon tape on paper patched boolits in my .375 Win. with excellent results. Running them through a sizing die irons the teflon into the paper and makes them less likely to delaminate when seating the boolits in the cases and at loading. A smear of soft lube on the teflon eases their trip through the sizer, though. Once I started using the tape, my 100 yard groups went from 3" to 1.25" or so.

Using teflon tape only is another matter - one that I've not tested to completeion. The KTW and Ny-Clad bullets have coatings, but they are seamless coatings sprayed or cured on such that they don't easily separate from the lead. Unlike conventional lubes, teflon doesn't smear along and leave a film behind. It's a type of plastic and sure acts like it. It seems that if the tape has some way to hang onto the boolit like lube grooves all along its length (Loverin design) it may work, but the smooth-sided ones gave me widely varying results, like the Lee 312-160-2R. Some left nothing in the bore, some left strips of lead. Once one leaded, all those following would too, since the roughness in the bore would strip the teflon off the next boolit. What seems to matter is that the tape maintain it's integrity and prevent any lead-on-steel contact. I also tried sizing the boolits .001 smaller than groove dia. before wrapping them, hoping to leave room and prevent the teflon from being pinched though and stipped off. There was nothing I could do about the stresses of engraving except use a softer alloy which seemed to help some. Paper-patching and teflon wrapping got me more reliable and superior results, so I gave up the teflon-only efforts.