First time poster, new to casting and powder coating, forgive dumb question. If I spray pc it will require more work to pc bottom AND top, is there a need to pc bottom?
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First time poster, new to casting and powder coating, forgive dumb question. If I spray pc it will require more work to pc bottom AND top, is there a need to pc bottom?
No need to PC bottom.
Dowright- welcome to CB. If you decided to start casting to save money, forget it. You won't, you'll just shoot more.
There are many threads on powdercoating and the search box at the top right of the page is your best friend. IF yu can't find what yor looking for searching ask.
I'd be surprised if someone here didn't have the answer. There are NO dumb questions. everyone starts somewhere and it's best to start the right way.
It is not necessary to coat the bottom of a boolit (boolit = lead bullet) PC (powdercoat) takes the place of lube or the jacket and is only needed where the boolit contacts the rifling.
You would be hard pressed to spray without covering the "top" nose of the boolit :bigsmyl2:
Casting boolits (lead bullets) properly is a science, once you know the basics, not a hard science.
There is a lot of good information on CB. The Google search (top right of every forum page) is a gateway to all the knowledge on this forum. IF you can’t find your answer there ask the question (Please be as detailed as possible, pictures help http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...g-screen-shots I would be very surprised if there wasn’t someone on this forum that could answer ANY (firearm related) question you might have)
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm
1. Boolits need to be cast .0005 to .003 (normally .002) over the slugged diameter of your barrel for accuracy and to avoid leading. If the fit is wrong nothing else will work right.
a. slugging a barrel (it is safer to use a brass rod or a steel rod with a couple of coats of tape to avoid damaging your barrel http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSlug.htm
b. chamber casting https://www.brownells.com/guntech/ce....htm?lid=10614
or pound casting http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...rifle-chamber)
2. the right alloy needs to be used for the velocity and purpose of the boolit (don’t fall into the trap of going with too hard an alloy
https://i.imgur.com/FD4XW69.png
Economical way to easily test lead hardness
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...rdness-testing
https://i.imgur.com/TrOTWFb.png
Some alloys harden over time
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chap...Metallurgy.htm
different alloy’s different end hardnesses
https://i.imgur.com/O8uvZ8i.png
https://i.imgur.com/MHPjxfp.png
Lead alloy calculator
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...4&d=1341560870
3. velocity the bullet needs to be pushed hard/fast enough to get the proper spin, have the proper velocity to accurately reach the target but not so hard as to be dangerous or strip the lead off in the grooves instead of spinning the boolit..
The boolit needs to be the right weight for the riffling/twist rate of your barrel
Powders range from fast to slow, you need to choose the right powder for your barrel length & application.
Loading manuals list the best powders for certain calibers and boolit weights.
NEVER use any posted noncommercial load data without first checking commercial load data to see if falls in the safe parameter for your firearm!! There are several firearms out there that can handle much higher pressures than others!!
Link to free online load data
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...online-sources
Depends. I tried not coating PB for high pressure rifle, results were bad - edge of the base isn't coated and gets gas cut. My ES sprayer is gathering dust as I changed to ASBBDT. Gets the entire boolit. I apply GC first and then tumble/cook. Resize if needed. I did test uncoated nose vs complete coat - nope, not accurate.
Decided to PC this morning, really dry air as my sinuses note. 35F, powder was in the tub all summer and we've had LOTS of rain, tub is just snap on type. Cold boolits, about 30 sec. of swirl & shake - does fine. Heaping teaspoon of powder per 10# boolits.
Tried the dump method, not for me - too messy. Pick out with hemo and base down on NSAF or parchment paper. Still haven't swiped the thin flexible copper cooking sheet from her to try. Did try the silicon trivit - nope. PC didn't stick to it but it got sticky and smelly. Too many boolits stuck together. I cook on a hat plate just till I get flow so they are easy to handle. Cook to cure in toaster oven later - makes easier to tranport the heavy tray without domino effect.
Need no, desirable yes. Uncoated bullet bottoms are like FMJ with open base. I shake & bake, so the bottom of my bullets are coated, much like a plated bullet, completely enclosed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dowright
FWIW, my shooting needs are not dictated by cost, more time & location. So yes, casting & coating my own saves me a lot. I shoot about 10K rds a year in idpa competition & practice. Buying bullets would cost me about $1000.
If you are just starting out I would recommend getting a powder that works from Smoke and try the shake & bake method instead of spraying. The benefit is a completely coated bullet cooked standing up will give you a flat base; there will be no problem with seal or gas cutting. I typically only spray hollow points & gas check bullets. Spraying costs more and is more time consuming.
If you PC the bottoms with bright colors you can see them going down range so much better:kidding: