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I have experimented with everything except Hi-Tec coating , choosing to use a magma lubesizer for most of my cast boolits . But I will still tumble lube a big pile of 38 wad cutters with a lee / Johnson tumble lube mix , or pan lube a few for my inline . PC is pretty simple with the shake & bake method and could probably cover all of my shooting .
It's nice to have choices .
I do not powder coat and won't, not because of better or worse. I am amused at the reason stated for powder coating being superior. I am getting a mental image of having sex alone in a wet suit to avoid mess. A shooting simulator would be awesome: no casting or loading effort or expense. Just turn it on and shoot.
As for speed, I would compare a Star lubesizer to any PC setup.
Orange Boolit Bad
"I don’t get the infatuation with powder coat and hi tech"
Perhaps the question could be phrased, "Are there advantages to powder coating"?
OR
"Do you powder coat and if so, why"?
Or maybe go in the other direction and phrase it like this, "why on earth would anyone in their right mind ever powder coat"? :kidding:
I just cast , load ,then finger lube a lot of bullets now.
Suppose I’m too lazy to do much else.
I don’t even use dies unless I have to.
I do dip lube tapered Bullets thou.
Store as cast or lubed in 100 round pistol cases.
Just do enough at a time to get me through.
Don’t know why people want to go through a heap of work for no reason.
I have even to be known apart from a wipe over with a rag ; to clean my brass every ooohhhh. Couple of years when I forget.
Then I start and remember how labour intensive that is and usually ding up a few pieces of brass into the bargain.
No I can’t see me buying a heap of gear in the near future.
Ymmv
I don't have a $50-100 lubrisizer or $20 dies for multiple sizes of boolets. I suppose I could pan lube with a repurposed piece of brass and a lid from a cookie or candy tin. But..... that would mean delving into lube choices.
I found a toaster oven for $1 at a yard sale. Smoke's sample pack will get me started. I have acquired a wire basket from the thrift shop. Airsoft bb's are readily available as are containers with the 5 in a triangle recycle symbol.
For me, the initial investment was much smaller and the color choices are a free bonus.
Now to do it.
I don't powder coat, but have ben tempted to on a few occasions. Conventional lubed boolits have worked great for me for many years. Either way, the way I see it as long as you're shooting boolits you're good to go.
I don't get why folks want to fool around with those new fangled smokeless powder. A case full of black has always worked.
^^^ I'm with him too. I have tested [pressure, velocity and accuracy] numerous different PCs and HTs of numerous calibers in numerous cartridges and firearms. So far they show no indication with a given load in a given cartridge of less pressure, higher velocity or better accuracy. I've batted about 50% on getting fouling and/or leading in some firearms. I have done a side by side comparison on PC/HTing and sizing lubing bullets. The sizing lubing was much faster and a lot less messier. I shoot out doors so the "less smoke" thing is meaningless to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdoc
With harder alloys and GC'd bullets that are also HT'd to BHNs of 30+ there may be some advantage in HV "blasting" loads for ARs in 223/5.56 but I still prefer jacketed bullets (55 FMJs) for that. Seems PC is just adding a jacket to the bullet.
Still, if someone makes a true break through with much improved accuracy where there is no fouling/leading I'm always open to change. Just haven't seen either yet.
I agree 100%. I investigated that powder coating thing. Looks like a whole lot of hassle to me. I bought the RCBS lubri-sizer instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdoc
The Powder Coating thing seems to have a steeper learning curve as well. I see a bit of people asking on here about what went wrong with their Powder Coating.
I have been Hi-Tek coating for about 7 years, I tried PC and found the diameter it to be inconsistent and it took to long to set up each bullet to bake.Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdoc
Your experience with commercial Handgun high tech bullets, did you slug your barrel to see if the bullets were .002" over your barrel, did your loading dies scrape off the coating when loading, did you pull a loaded bullet to see if your loading dies are swaging the bullet to be under size? Does your barrels have a short sharp throat? A bevel base bullet has nothing to do with why a bullet leads up a barrel, bullet fit is king.
For me the big deal is no contact with lead when loading and the loading dies don't gum up with lube, barrels are as clean as jacketed bullets after shooting, I can use different colors for different loads.
Just my 2.3 cents worth. YMMV
Some folks like to ride unicycles, some tricycles and others bicycles.
I have thought bout getting a lubrisizer at times but really don't have the space for it at either of our places. When you get older, you tend to "down size'. I have purchased lulled boolits at times and still have some in jars as I don't shoot them so much anymore - and over time, the lube has dried out some.
I have had excellent results with tumble lubing in both handguns and rifles and to me, it's no big deal to TL, lay 'em out to dry and then store.
I have purchased PC'd boolits and have also had some given to me to try - I'm not bit on high tech but I have had excellent results with them and do like them. I can see how some folks like to pC and at some point, I may give it a try.
Yea, using a lubrisizer may be more efficient in that you can size and size in the same operation and I guess, if you shoot a lot or in competition, time is of th4e essence - especially if you are younger, working, have family, etc. But for many, it's to about time or efficiency - it's about the fun and relaxation from doing the various aspects of reloading, casting, etc. I could certainly be more efficient if I used my turret press all the time but I still like to use my old single stage as well as my Lyman 310 steel tongs and dies.
At this point, I am getting more interesting in try PC boolits in a couple of my rifles just to see how well they do as I know some like the results they have in some of their rifles. Fortunately, I have a friend who will PC some for me to try and he'll help me get set up to do it if I decide to take the "PC plunge".
I didn't jump into PC right away, but now I only PC on handgun boolits, I enjoy just throwing the PCed boolits into a container, no stacking and covering to prevent the lube from collecting dust or lube drying out, they aren't sticky, less lead exposure and no lube build-up in my seater dies. I still use my 450 lube/sizer, just no heat or lube now, but can easily traditionally lube again if needed. Seem to shoot very similar to traditional lube...don't switch if you are happy with things currently.
Less smoke with PC is a big plus playing the USPSC game
I pan lube and size through a Lee sizer. Works well and have no complaints but this powder coating thing does have my interest, I’ll give it a try some day.
:bigsmyl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Finster101
I think I got my point acrossQuote:
Originally Posted by Petrol & Powder
I started with a Lyman 45 using old black tar Lyman lube. Noticed the bullets I inherited with the equipment were lubed so figured that was the way to go till I noticed a ton of bullets where lube dried out and flaked away (granted these were cast 60+ years ago by my grandfather) and that black tar got on everything and didn’t like to come out.
Moved on to making my own felix lube. Smelled great when burning thanks to the ivory soap and I could make it green for wife’s preferences with some green paraffin. Carnuba added a nice polishing function and never saw any leading even in high pressure 44 loads my dad was experimenting with. Only down side is it was sticky and fairly soft so bullets had to be stacked in old ammo boxes to keep them from sticking to each other and getting lube all over bullets.
Than I tried one of Smokes sample packs...so clean, less smoke when shooting (I shoot outside but pistol pit is in a bowl so smoke lingers). Accuracy was as good or better than the Lubed options I’d used in the past. Biggest benefit to me is I can store the bullets in penny boxes from the bank and not worry about them sticking to each other or lube pulling out of the groove and not performing as needed.
As for velocity, my dad did some imperial analysis (he’s helped design several ballistic testing labs so everything is very specific with him) using a Lab Radar and found that speed wise there was a slight benefit to PC but nothing imperially significant.
My 2 cents, use what fits your task/ability. They all will work if done correctly. I love my Star lube sizer and use it for sizing all my bullets, usually after they are PCd. When the fancy strikes me I add pressure to lube channel and go “old school” but have trouble justifying it unless I’m only doing a couple of one off bullets rather than a bulk lot.
One of these days I need to try HiTek just to see how it compares.
I have the waxy greasy residue of tumble and traditional lubing. I still use the lubrisizer about 50/50 with PC. No more TL. PC giving that nice clean, slick ammo just like factory stuff.