Powder Coating Boolits

[N1YDP]

i have been using 5.5gr of red dot with cast 145gr fn, powder coated.i have some 180 gr jhp i want to load with red dot.maybe i will start with 3gr.

[C. Latch]

danr,

Did you do any apples-to-apples velocity testing?

It's already a foregone conclusion for me that I will PC every .38 and .357 and .45 ACP bullet that I cast for plinking, but for hunting loads, where velocity is something of a factor.....well, the jury's still out there. I have sized and shot some PCs but while they 'feel' slick, I don't think they'll match the velocity of a lubed cast bullet.

Time will tell.

[dverna]

danr,

Thanks for the report. One thing, .224's are tough little things to get to shoot accurately. And accuracy is important. Start with the larger bores and walk before you run.

Do not fall into the trap of "prudy bullets" and "no leading". There are hundreds of reports on that aspect of coated bullets. The quest is for accuracy.

And rifles will be much more of a challenge than fist sized pistol groups at 50 yards.

Again, great report and I look forward to your next installment.

Don Verna

[kbstenberg]

For those doing the piglet method. If I am not in a hurry can I let them dry/cure overnight? rather than lighting them on fire.

[Beagle333]

Mine will dry and be oven-ready in about 10 minutes. I use lacquer thinner and it doesn't last long, even in the HP's.
I'd imagine with a small fan, they'd be ready in 5 minutes. That stuff is pretty volatile.

[C. Latch]

I did some more ESPC this afternoon.

I cast the bullets yesterday and coated today, then loaded a few this afternoon.

To test in the hopefully near future, I have three loads:

-a light load with a lee 452-255-rf; I have some with PC (HF red/black mix) and some with conventional lube to test
-a heavier load; a 300-grain WFN-type bullet over a whole lot of 2400; I loaded some with PC bullets and some with some lithi-bee I made.
-another heavy load with the same bullet and 21.4 grains of VV N110; again, some with PC, some with lube.

I also loaded up some blasting ammo for the .38 and a small handful of the 452-255s in .45 ACP. I used a light load of 700-x there; I do not like how deeply that bullet has to seat into the case.

Hopefully I'll get to shoot some this coming weekend and chronograph some of those loads with PC and conventional lube side by side.

[N1YDP]

anyone tried bullets rolled in automotive anamal paint then baked?

[N1YDP]

did some powder coating with hf gun.flat black,baked,sized then gold paint and baked.
1st one was sized.nothing came off
2nd one was not

[bangerjim]

anyone tried bullets rolled in automotive anamal paint then baked?

I have played with VHT Hi-temp spray-on auto epoxy. Yes it works, but is very expensive, takes a long time to dry/cure. Testing the next day showed the stuff wast still "soft" and would not pass hammer or scratch test. THREE (3) days later, it finaly passed the test. Not a viable alternate to ESPC in my book.

Just baking-on standard emamel paint is not the same thing. Epoxies and powders form molecular bonds with themselves and the base (lead) to provide adherance and performance.

Paint just dries!!!!!!


ESPC is much faster and at at fraction of the cost!!!!!!

bangerjim

[AverageJoe]

It's has been awhile since I checked on here...wow 95 pages. Took forever to catch up. I have been PC'ing since the early threads and still is the best option for me. I slugged my barrel with soft lead to find out my true barrel dia. Now I cast, PC, and size after PC to .001 over barrel dia. The results are amazing...fast, accurate, no leading, no smoke.

[Maximumbob54]

Near max loads with Hodgdon's data for Longshot in the .40SW with a 180gr PC'ed Lee TL401-175-TC:



Leading in the bore: NONE

[bangerjim]

It's has been awhile since I checked on here...wow 95 pages. Took forever to catch up. I have been PC'ing since the early threads and still is the best option for me. I slugged my barrel with soft lead to find out my true barrel dia. Now I cast, PC, and size after PC to .001 over barrel dia. The results are amazing...fast, accurate, no leading, no smoke.

Welcome back!

We need more reports like yours to negate the "doubting Thomas's" about how bad PC is.

You are getting the same results I am!

banger

[bangerjim]

Near max loads with Hodgdon's data for Longshot in the .40SW with a 180gr PC'ed Lee TL401-175-TC:



Leading in the bore: NONE

Excellent!

I am starting to push the envelope on loads also and have not seen any problems. One recent thread on here bemoans "dirt" in the bore from PC. I really think he is seeing unburned powder or other combustion residues, as many of the replies point out. Even with almost whisper loads, I see no grime in the bores, which with grease lubes is next to impossible!
And no PC remnants either. I have never recovered any because I cannot, but some on here fortunate to shoot into a berm have seen excellent adhesion on the spent rounds.

Keep up the good work!

banger

[Maximumbob54]

I do sometimes get unburned powder residue in the bore. Over and over I keep thinking about pushing them harder with jacketed load data. The few times I've tried it have been magic but I just have no idea what kind of pressure I'm pushing by doing it. If the Hornady XTP runs a thousandth over normal size then maybe I am worrying over nothing. I know they have a thinner than usual jacket to make up for the pressure and this is what makes them so hyper accurate. I keep trying to think of these in the same way but I also don't like to play with fire as my luck usually gets me burned.

[a.squibload]

Adhesion on recovered PC boolits: I found one today, almost no PC left on it
(after it crashed into a steel target, that is). Only a disc of lead left but it
had some PC on it. Was not willing to dig into the berm to find 'em but maybe
next time.

I wanted to say thanks to whoever mentioned dry-tumbling, might as well
put it here. My solvent attempts almost made me give up on PC, too lumpy
and some boolits would just fly off course, maybe 6 feet off at 50 yards.
Dry tumble makes a smooth even coating of powder, excess powder falls off
with a tap of the hemostats (tweezers, pliers) on the side of the can but the
boolit remains evenly powdered. Baking makes it flow together I guess 'cause
they came out real smooth, even the base gets a nice coat.
(Maybe not as nice as those hotrod boolits but I think they were waxed at a body shop!)
I took a pic but it wasn't that great, will try again. Need to load & shoot 'em...

PS: using non-stick foil, the entire boolit gets coated, even the base.
Boolits come off the foil easily. Tried screen before, left a pattern on the base,
probably not good.

[AverageJoe]

Just to give more info on accuracy, these are my 240gr .44mag that I made and tested for hunting this year. I casted, PC'd, sized the .001 over my barrel dia (I slugged with soft lead prior). I did put on a GC due to not testing without at the time. Here is my results out of a Marlin Lever Action .44 mag with the micro-grooves at 50 yards using 3 diff amounts of H-110. So again, just my opinion, but PC works very well for me. This PC is a translucent orange, for hunting of course.....and no, I never even saw a buck. I was ready for him though.

And leading at all

[Beagle333]

My compressor is down and I needed to get about 500 ready to load this week, so I ran the MP358156s through the Star and dry tumbled the NOE 360175s.
This was HF red, but there was still some Liftow blue and a dusting of light green in there, so it gave it speckles. (and in some spots....... blue splotches.) This is the only way to tumble lube!

[BretJ]

I am surprised someone has not looked into manufacturing an ES powdercoat specifically for bullets. One with less abrasive and more lubricity. Something that can handle higher velocity. Just a random thought.....

[bangerjim]

I am surprised someone has not looked into manufacturing an ES powdercoat specifically for bullets. One with less abrasive and more lubricity. Something that can handle higher velocity. Just a random thought.....

It's called PTFE.......illegal in MOST states! Check your regs. It is readily available on-line.

banger

[sparky45]

I have a couple of questions:
One; has anyone tried shooting PC'd with BP?
Two; has anyone PC'd with a "clear" ?
Thanks;
Sparky