Anybody notice fired cases being much dirtier? I cleaned the ones I fired yesterday, were much sootier inside and out, but cleaned OK. Is there is enough pressure difference to cause this. Wondering if I need to change load, OAL or sizing to compensate.
retread - I'd say the increase in accuracy is worth the extra effort. After I get set up for large (`400 or so) batches, there won't be much difference.
Popper, been using bullseye which is pretty dirty on its own. Used Titegroup with with PC boolits in 45ACP yesterday at the range. Cases did not appear to be any dirtier that normal but with the powder change I am not comparing apples to apples. Will try again with bullseye.
A mixture of Lee Tumble Lube and MEK was applied to the aluminum foil and the solution allowed to drie.
The powder coated bullets could be easily removed from the foil with out tearing the aluminum foil.
The mixture was about 10 to 1. 10 parts MEK and 1 part Lee Lube.
MEK was used since it eveporates very fast, acetone could also be used.
The bullets were bevel base and the bullets can go straight to the Lee Push Thru Sizing Die.
it only takes a few minutes for the MEK to eveporate, the coating is a very thin coating of the Lee Tumble Lube.
Pictures Below
Popper: Went to the range today and shot some PC's loaded with Bullseye. Cases looked normal. Are you using an HF gun that requires an air compressor? Oil in the air was a thought but one would think it would be affecting the PC when cured at 400deg. Maybe some left over residue? Can't think of anything that might be causing dirtier cases than normal.
Only thing I can think of is lower pressures not allowing for a complete seal of the brass to the chamber, meaning gas gets by. I've heard that PC changes speed/pressure but I'm not sure why, or by how much (and in which direction.)Originally Posted by retread
I've been away from casting for what seems like an eternity. Finally fired the old pot up and casted a bunch of 44-40's. I lubed and sized most with my normal lube, and put 25 aside to powder coat. I've been powder coating for years, but never bullets. I even helped some local guys start their own powder coating businesses. I coated those 25 yesterday and loaded them up. As soon as I get some free time, I'm headed to the range with my two Vaquero's, one loaded the traditional way and one loaed with powder coat and no lube. I'll report back in a week or two!
"Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." Captain John Parker at Lexington
"""WTB""" Arisaka 38 Dust cover #653.
Ken - think I agree with you, just have to experiment a bit to try to get answers. I got my setup for 30 cal now, glued GC to the steel plate & soldered wire for conductivity. I'm trying putting GC CBs into the GC to hold them upright, then install GC & size. The alloy is Cu based so it doesn't need HT or quench, hardens the same in 24 hrs. I'll use the LLA trick and see if they release from the GC OK. I'm surprised with the gorilla glue, I soldered with a torch and the glue still holds good.
Powdercoating looks interesting, I assume it works sort of like a jacket? Does it help hold the bullet together at rifle velocities? I assume one sizes after coating too?
I got no powdercoating equipment or experience, but I do have a dedicated oven already, so I guess I could set this up without too much effort. Does it matter which type of powercoating material you use (I assume it does).
Figured I would throw in my update, not much but progress. First with my use of adhesive and the mention of liquid lanolin for this use. I tried my 10:1 mix alcohol and lanolin I use as case lube on the bullets. Alowed the alcohol to evaporate and dipped them in the PC as I did before. This worked wonderful and had no effect on the PC adhering to the bullet. The bullets coated with lanolin didn't feel sticky but slippery instead.
As for velocity check with the 30 Herrett. I tested loads between 18 and 19 gr of 2400 with this 135gr bullet and had a velocity range from 1937 fps to 2081 fps. Good accuracy no leading or pc in bore
Did you gas check your Herrett bullets?
this is a pic of my loaded rounds
No they are plain base no gas check
this is a tray of them just out of oven
bstone5,
Did you notice if the alox coating on the foil made the boolits stick to it at all?
I'm asking because I'm having a hard time keeping rifle boolits from falling over while moving the tray around. If your method keeps the boolits stuck to the foil then you may have solved a couple of peoples problems.
In my estimation, the PC boolit is considerably more slippery than a wax lubed. And as such will not allow as much pressure to build in the chamber.
Sheep Dog
Minutman
Boyscout
Contructionist
Patriot
Like gear's comment in extreme lube thread. I didn't notice a diff between 165 &175 gr, heavier should increase pressure. Noticed a lot of 'torque' recoil. Wondering if it is really just unlocking the bbl faster(stalls longer when engaging lands) and allowing more blowback. cylinderman - that's great, means many more can try it before/instead of going the PC gun $$. How does the PC and normal lube fps compare?
Attachment 61608
My rig for GC rifle. If it works good I'll try the expanded metal.
Last edited by popper; 02-18-2013 at 04:25 PM.
Popper,
This same bullet lubed did not fair well accuracy wise but I can say the PC bullet gained 2 to 3% more velocity over lubed. I scratched my head at first but then thought the PC must have less friction than copper jacket and more flexable for good seal. Cases, and bore nice and clean. Another point I annealed all my cases before this test because of a neck split on last load.
Cylinderman, are you saying your powder coated bullets were not accurate?
No the bullet when lubed was not accurate plus I had leading issues with it, the reason I chose it for the PC experiment. When pc the accuracy is great, my earlier post was shot at 40 yds out of a 14" contender. The last ones that I ran over my Chrono all grouped about 1" at 40 yds it was very windy though. I was also surprised at that velocity because that's not that hot a load.
I purchased a 75 lb bucket of these bullets at a real deal, but they didn't seem to like rifle velocity. Was thinking along the line of a plain base gas check maker for help then ran across this thread. This began the fun and have to say very satisfied with the results and very little outlay of cash
Last edited by cylinderman; 02-18-2013 at 06:07 PM.
bstone5,
Did you notice if the alox coating on the foil made the boolits stick to it at all?
I'm asking because I'm having a hard time keeping rifle boolits from falling over while moving the tray around. If your method keeps the boolits stuck to the foil then you may have solved a couple of peoples problems.
The LLA and MEK mixture was dry when I stacked the bullets on the foil. The coating help in keeping the bullets from sliding around but I can not say it helped in keeping them from falling over.
I guess one could stack the bullets and heat up with a heat gun and then the thin layer of lube might help in keeping the bullets from falling over if the heat makes the coating a little liquid a when cooled kind of glues the bullets to the foil.
A thicker mixture migh help also where there is more of the lube on the aluminum foil.
This might work give it a try.
I was doing 158 grain SWC for 38 Special the day I tried the LLA and MEK mixture. The coating made the bullets come off of the foil with out tearing the foil.
I usually install the soda can aluminum gas checks to the powder coated bullets, the combination of powder coating and the gas checks lets the bullets to shot at jacked presures and velocity.
bstone5
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| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
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