simple Hi-Tek coating

[atygrit]

My oven is also a convection.

[leadman]

I drilled a hole in the back wall of 2 of my ovens so the thermocouple is just above the boolits. Seems to work better in this location.
If the probe is too close to the element the temp could be affected.
Make sure the coating is well dried before placing in the oven. I usually let the coating air cool for 10 or 15 minutes then set the tray on top of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes before placing them inside to cook. I usually do several thousand at a time with 3 ovens so easy for me to do this.
Other than this it might come down to your acetone. I buy mine at home Depot and have not had any problems.

[Mike Malat]

A quick update. Sent the boolits that I coated with Red Copper last weekend down range today. 125gr lee RN's COWW Sized .359 Averaged 2000fps out of a Rossi M92 357mag. No leading but more of a pattern than a group @ 100yds. So the coating held and did what it was supposed to do up but I need to work on the load.

[HI-TEK]

A quick update. Sent the boolits that I coated with Red Copper last weekend down range today. 125gr lee RN's COWW Sized .358 Averaged 2000fps out of a Rossi M92 357mag. No leading but more of a pattern than a group @ 100yds. So the coating held and did what it was supposed to do up but I need to work on the load.

Mike
Thanks for posting your results.
2000ft/sec is not bad at all. Was there any residues in the barrel?
Can you please advise, what powder and loads you used.
Did you manage to do a hardness on your alloy?
What sort of spread did you get with the target at 100 yards?

I have heard previously that some guys are adding about 2% Tin to the COWW.
I don't know how that had improved/changed properties, but accuracy/spread of that mix seemed OK.

Local casters have told me that by adding the Tin, seems to allow much better and more even weight and cast flows with automated machines.
I don't know if adding Tin to alloys, has any benefits to hand casters as well.
Please keep on posting your findings.
Thanks much.

[Ausglock]

Alloy is too soft for that velocity.

[Mike Malat]

Load Details.
PMC Brass
18gr WW-296 CCI 550 primers. COL 1.590
Lee 358-125-RF COWW +2% Tin Air Cooled @ .359. BHN not measured but guessing 12
Crimped using Lee 357 collet crimper @ 1/2 turn.
Group Size (if you can call it that) Around 18". Like I said more of a pattern. . Using other loads I've been able to get 3" groups with the rifle but that was 158gr at 38 spl+p velocities. So we're comparing apples n oranges.

Firearm Rossi M92 24" BBL. Skinner peep sights. Groove ~ .3575.

Crono 10' from muzzle, 2055, 2001, 2050, 2004, 1928, 2070, 2011, 1899, 1931

Only a bit of unburnt powder observed in the barrel. I did not notice any coating residue. Barrel cleaned up with solvent and patch. Again no coating residue observed, just carbon from the powder.

I knew that I was pushing the boolit however I was curious how fast I could push it and not get leading. In that respect my question was answered. .. Fast enough for me.

I'll go ahead and heat/water quench the remaining batch of 125's to get them a bit harder and see what that does to the groups.

[HI-TEK]

Load Details.
PMC Brass
18gr WW-296 CCI 550 primers. COL 1.590
Lee 358-125-RF COWW +2% Tin Air Cooled @ .359. BHN not measured but guessing 12
Crimped using Lee 357 collet crimper @ 1/2 turn.
Group Size (if you can call it that) Around 18". Like I said more of a pattern. . Using other loads I've been able to get 3" groups with the rifle but that was 158gr at 38 spl+p velocities. So we're comparing apples n oranges.

Firearm Rossi M92 24" BBL. Skinner peep sights. Groove ~ .3575.

Crono 10' from muzzle, 2055, 2001, 2050, 2004, 1928, 2070, 2011, 1899, 1931

Only a bit of unburnt powder observed in the barrel. I did not notice any coating residue. Barrel cleaned up with solvent and patch. Again no coating residue observed, just carbon from the powder.

I knew that I was pushing the boolit however I was curious how fast I could push it and not get leading. In that respect my question was answered. .. Fast enough for me.

I'll go ahead and heat/water quench the remaining batch of 125's to get them a bit harder and see what that does to the groups.

Mike,
Thank much for your details. Much appreciated.
Interesting results.
Please advise, as you can, with your alloy hardness experimentation and see if it makes any difference with spread, if you use same powder loads.

[Stephen Cohen]

Mike, I have both the Lee 125 and 158 RF, I think you may find the 158 better suited the your Rossi. I have a friend who is testing some of my coated cast in his Rossi and the 158 has more promise. If my gunsmith ever gets my 357 max finished I will be able to run my own tests.

[SpotHound]

Is Bunnings "Diggers" brand acetone OK?

[Ausglock]

Is Bunnings "Diggers" brand acetone OK?

Yes. That is what I use.

[HI-TEK]

Is Bunnings "Diggers" brand acetone OK?

Should be OK but very expensive.
I would hunt around for a fiberglass pool manufacturer that is close to you, and they use large volume of Acetone or MEK and I am sure that they will decant some at much lower price, (take a bottle or clean new cheap Fuel Can with you.

[Mike Malat]

@Stephen - I have the 158RF mould as well, Unfortunately I have a coffee can full of them all coated in LLA. So I need to cast up a batch before Hi-Tec'ing them. My new convection oven arrived yesterday and I have a few lbs of uncoated boolits in .35 and .45 cals I'll be baking here shortly.

[HATCH]

For those wondering if my coating method worked...
just got this email from my dad. The boolit in question is a accurate molds 240e sized .309 with a lee sizer (it's on the money at .309). Coated twice using 1035 black. 1 tb spoon to 100ml.

Rifle picked up from Carolina Rod & Gun.Terry and Carol (my dad's gunsmiths) were impressed with ammo. It shoots as good as it looks.


3 shots to adjust scope
At 100 yards
next 3 shots - triangle with holes 1" apart within 0.80" circle
next 3 shots - horizontal line 0.75" in length within 0.38" circle
Better than 1 minute of angle - Impressive
At 15 yards (indoor range max)
next 3 shots - horizontal line 0.65 " in length - bullets overlapping within 0.33" circle
Point of Impact for 100 & 15 yards are almost on top of each other.

this was subsonic @1078 fps using 10.4 grains aa1680

And for those wonderings about fouling

Rifle bore cleaned with JB paste to check for fouling / leading, chamber cleaned. Nothing found.

my dad had his gunsmith site in the rifle and clean it.

i am gonna coat 100% of all future castings and my star sizer will be just a sizer... Not a size and lube.

[Moonman]

Missouri Bullets is now offering HI-TEK coated projectiles.

SNS Casting, LNL Casting, BBI, also offer the coated projectiles.

Gateway Bullets and Bayou Bullets offer the finished projectiles or product to coat your own.

Gateway recently received from Australia and has for sale

THE NEW HI-TEK DRY POWDER MIXES, this reduces the COLOR/CATALYST/ACETONE ratio mistakes.

The dry powder has color/catalyst already mixed in dry form, you just add Acetone and shake/shake/shake.

[Stephen Cohen]

Mike, my new 358 460gr mould arrived today, two hrs later I had a batch in the oven, its addictive.

[Beetmagnet]

I have used the ES powder coating method now to coat nearly 10,000 bullets for 9mm, 45, 40, 357, and 300blk. I have perfected my pistol boolit method and am very happy with this system.
I don't need this Hi-tek coating, but I love to tinker and a 188 page thread has my curiosity up. I have ordered the copper red coating from Gateway, and will give this a go. Hopefully I can get some real good objective comparisons between the two different methods.
Wish me luck.

[Ausglock]

Beetmagnet. go with what works for you. I tried the PC and it was too messy/slow/limited quantity.

HI-TEK works for what I want in a coating. easy to mix/ high quantity/ quality coating/ accurate results.
I don't shoot cast in rifles. Only jacketed.

[Moonman]

Beetmagnet,

We're having this conversation on another forum also.

HI-TEK works, Traditional Powder Coating works, use what's best for you.

People are DUMPING waxy or Alox type lubing, even STAR SIZERS

people ARE NOW ONLY USING THEM TO SIZE.

Speeds with handguns and many rifle loads DO NOT NEED GAS CHECKS ANYMORE.

Jacketed Projectiles WILL ALWAYS HAVE THEIR PLACE.

PLATED PROJECTILES may be a fading thing going into the history books.

Polymers are and will continue to be CHEAPER than COPPER for the use.

[DrBill33]

An excellent Manual. Mr Gateway. It is so good, that only a minimum of change is required to use it with the "wet" process ... utilizing the 2 different catalysts.

Thanks!

[HATCH]

Beetmagnet, hi-tek is not as messy as PC is. I have tried it all. The easiest method was epoxy spray paint. Nothing to mix up. Just stand the boolits up and spray them. Then bake.
I am not saying hitek is the best method out there cause no one can say that. I can say that for ME it is the best method.