Copper plating max velocity

[am44mag]

I've been curious about this for awhile. I occasionally buy some Berry's plated bullets and from what I understand, the max velocity that you are supposed to shoot them at is 1250 FPS. Why is that, and what happens if you do something like shoot them at 1350 FPS. Do bad things happen?

Also, what happens if you have a load that is under that 1250 FPS max velocity in a handgun, but is over it in a rifle? Is it really just the velocity that causes issues, or something else?

I would think that if I can shoot just plain cast at 2000+ FPS or PC even faster, that copper plated bullets could do the same.

[MUSTANG]

Think of copper plating the same way as Powder Coating boolits. There is minimal structural strength (It is NOT a copper jacket), and even if heavy plated - the structural strength is low. Copper plating acts as a form of lubrication; at some point velocity will reach a point where the plating is stripped from the lead base boolit, then leading and inaccuracy will occur.

I would speculate that since it acts as a "Lube Alternative", copper plating and then heat treating would follow some of the general conditions for heat treating boolits; such as ability to increase velocity, but many factors come into play concerning max achievable velocity and accuracy boundary areas.

[Carrier]

I can’t speak about Berry’s bullets but I use these http://campro.ca/en/ and their load data is the same as Hodgdon data. I load 357 and 44 magnum from mid to max levels and have had no issues with bullet coming apart. I will say that Hornady XTP bullets are more accurate when getting out past 25 yards to 50 or more.

[redford1]

I get copper fouling in the barrel if I push them to fast

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[am44mag]

That's kind of what I figured. I didn't expect them to do anything catastrophic, just foul the barrel. I might mess around with it and see what happens. I have a ton of 40cal 180gr plated bullets, and wanted to use some in my 10mm. About 1300 FPS is the hottest I load for it, so that might still be doable. If not, I'll just use them for moderate 10mm and 40 S&W loads instead.

Thanks fellas.

[Taterhead]

I have found that there is an direct relationship between group size and velocity with plated bullets. Where both increase or decrease togwther. In 10mm, for example, it is quite telling to shoot at 100 meter steel and to see the odd trajectories at speeds over, say, 1100 fps. PC cast at similar velocity tracks straight.

I consider a 1250 fps speed limit to be optimistic. Granted, some of the makers are now sizing up plated bullets to a thou over nominal. So that should help, I'd imagine. But I pretty much got out of the plated game when I discovered coated cast and the obvious improvement in performance.

[tomme boy]

Look at the Federal Fusion rifle bullets. They are plated and are run a full velocity

[Taterhead]

Look at the Federal Fusion rifle bullets. They are plated and are run a full velocity

True, those and Gold Dots are also electrochemically plated. But they are not even the same as the thinly plated handgun target bullets.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve never used them, but assume you use lube with them. Using the right lube should increase useable speed range.

[MUSTANG]

No; not having to use lube is the "Selling Point" for copper plated boolits. Thirty years ago I tried plating some 38 and 45 boolits. Never could get the plating to adhere correctly; so gave up on it.

[GregLaROCHE]

It’s hard to believe that thin plating prevents leading. I guess that’s why the speed is limited.

[Taterhead]

I’ve never used them, but assume you use lube with them. Using the right lube should increase useable speed range.

No lube involved. They do work fine as long as loaders understand their quirks. I gues that's not unlike cast bullets.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive shot reineer plated bullets in my beo at 1900 fps with no problem what so ever and near moa performance.

[Win94ae]

I've shot Berrys bullets in my 44mag 1 in 38 twist, at up to 2100fps.

I am sure that in a faster twist, the bullets would come apart from centrifugal force. Just like the Hornady 110gr bullets in my 26" 30-06, 1 in 10 twist, comes apart around 3200fps; the suggested velocity is 1800-3100fps.

[joe leadslinger]

I picked this up off the range.

[Lloyd Smale]

never seen anything like that before. dont know what would do that to a bullet. Edges are almost to jagged to think it stripped off in the rifling.

[GregLaROCHE]

How thick is the plating ?

[joe leadslinger]

It was a 356-115 grn. plated bullet, it now weighs 111.5 grn. looks like normal thin wash plating, at first I thought it had been crimped but it shows no sign of a crimp.

[1006]

I have found that they fly apart if you exceed the recommended velocities. I have had this happen in an HK 40 USPcompact (1 in 10 twist barrel) and in my 300 Blackout(1 in 8 twist). With the 40, I could see three small holes for one shot at the target. The swagged bullet is too soft for higher velocities. Plated hard cast bullets are more capable.

[MUSTANG]

Bullet probably was not adequately CLean when it was plated. As the plating did not molecularly adhere to the lead; the copper was literally torn from the underlying bullet by the RPM forces is my guess.