$10 epoxy coat can it be done? lets find out

[eljefeoz]

I should try red or orange if this works out in the ' test by fire'
A mate with a .45 has volunteered to try out 2 mags of the black 'duplicolor' coated pills.
Hopefully soon. Will post pics when I find the digi,I find the iphone cant do a good close up...
Alaskanguy, why dont you try wrapping the VHT coated boolits in aluminum cooking foil and give them 200 deg for 12-15 min in an oven? I did that on my trial samples,all well there.

[Skip62]

I tried the white vht yesterday.... Was not too happy... Just diddnt get real hard, and could be scraped off with a fingernail... No joy on the white... Back to the melting pot... Will post pics tomorow. I did post in another thread here in the lube area.
Attachment 87340

The problem is "yesterday" it takes 7 days to cure. Heat will help, but they still won't be fully cured for days. This is epoxy, which chemically cures, unlike powder coat that cures with heat. Rushing the chemical reaction won't provide the bond that the product was designed for. Don't believe me, let them set.

Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk

[HNSB]

Has anyone else handled these in the cold? I had a lot of chipping while hunting.
Just tonight I went to load a couple for my 9mm. My shop isn't heated, so everything was cold when I started (23 deg. F). The seating die chipped the VHT off the nose of every one I loaded.
Then I took one from another batch and smashed it with a hammer, and the coating flaked off.

I'm curious if anyone else has had the same problem.

[Captain Capsize]

Pardon my ignorance, I have been reloading over 20 years and just came upon this thread. I have read many of the posts and am still trying to understand why powder coat or epoxy coat bullets? Am I missing something here?

edit

Ok, I just read some posts from the powder coating thread, I guess the simple answer is "because I can and I don't have much else to do".

[sparky45]

If you like sticky bullets, dirty gummed up Dies, and that rush of "smoke" when you reload and shoot, then you aren't missing anything.

[fcvan]

Captain Capsize, PC boolits work very well in every caliber I've tried them in. My initial interest was for shooting the Lyman 225-415 in a Mini 14 and an AR platform. The tough coating protects the projectile during cycling whereas plain cast boolits were subject to nose deformation. This holds true for pistol calibers as well. With the ability to shoot lead more accurately at higher velocities, and zero leading, I'm using PCd boolits almost exclusively of late. I still use gas checks on those molds I have which have a check shank as I make my own checks. I have plain based check makers too but don't feel like they are needed due to the performance of the PCd boolits. If PB checks improve accuracy I will surely use them. It's not a fad in my mind, PCd boolits are more of a breakthrough in cast boolit technology.

[vintagesportsman]

Well, just read the thread and now I must try!
One observation too...I was a professional painter in a past life. Some guys on this thread have success and some do not. Watch the following variables:
1. Humidity: One guy in Arizona will have no problem while another guy in Washington state does. In painting, humidity is not your friend
2. Many thin coats beat one thick coat ALWAYS!
3. Tumble bullets in thinner BEFORE painting! This will ensure that they are clean and ready to be painted.
4. Baking is only necessary in milder/humid climates OR when we want it done yesterday. Seems that if you prep one weekend for the next weekends shoot you will have some decent rounds to send DR
I WILL try this soon and report back. I just ran up a couple hundred 8mm rounds last night so I will spray this week and let you know.
Thanks for the posts - I am learning a lot

[LubeckTech]

Hi Captain!

I powder coat because I shoot competition events like IDPA, USPSA, Steel Challenge and 3 Gun and like to use bullets I cast myself vs Jacketed or plated bullets because of the expense. For me the problem is after over 100 rounds of conventionally lubricated bullets I wind up with so much gunk in the gun it begins to malfunction. I have tried many lubricants including Alox (normal tumbling and 45/45/10) and powder coated cast bullets don't leave my guns
gummed up after 150+ rounds of an afternoon's session. If you shoot 50 rounds and go home and clean your gun you probably don't see the need to worry about how a bullet is lubricated. From what I have found in my 2.5 years of casting powder coating gives me CLEAN bullets and loaded ammunition that WORK in my guns with less smoke than anything I have tried. Sure I have better things to do with my time but I have more time than money and if the situation were reversed I would probably not even need to cast - although it is FUN. I don't save money by casting or reloading for that matter but I get to shoot ALOT more which means I shoot better, score better and enjoy it more!!

[NSP64]

. I don't save money by casting or reloading for that matter but I get to shoot ALOT more

No truer words have been spoken.

I just got done reading this thread and think I might try ESPC on some boolits.

[bangerjim]

No truer words have been spoken.

I just got done reading this thread and think I might try ESPC on some boolits.

You will not be sorry and will be amazed at how perfect the ES gun applies the powder! No lumps, clumps, drips, runs, or errors! (Play Ball!)

One coat and ONE bake is all I use for perfect no-leading loads.

banger

[LubeckTech]

CLEAN bullets that don't lead - what could be better??????????????????

[vintagesportsman]

Just picked up some VHT in Gloss Black. Trying it on some 205 gr. Lee cast with roofers lead. Prepped cases last night. Will try to shoot some this week and post.

[Tech2]

Hi guys
Thanks for the interesting research.
From my knot hole I can see a distinct advantage to hard coat vs lube.
I have a LnL progressive set up for 9mm that I batch several thousand rounds through at a time.
I mostly reload copper because of the variety of firearms that may be consuming my hard work.
I could work up loads for each firearm but separation, inventory and fear of cross contamination would be a pain so I only run lead in my CZ.
I also worry that if I don't shoot the lubed boolits for a year or more that my lube may be drying out or even contaminating the powder.
Lastly I don't take lead out to the range with a larger group of people because there is usually some form of food or drink that shows up.

Hard coating, epoxy or powder coat seems to solve most of my concerns with reloading cast projectiles.
Leading issues virtually eliminated.
Great long term stability, The powder is probably fully sealed.
No tuning necessary for individual firearms.
No sticky boolits.
Less exposure to lead.
No burnt lube smoke.
NO MORE LUBE EXPERIMENTS (what will I do with all my spare time??)
I am looking at this as a way to definitely step up my game.

[dverna]

Pardon my ignorance, I have been reloading over 20 years and just came upon this thread. I have read many of the posts and am still trying to understand why powder coat or epoxy coat bullets? Am I missing something here?

edit

Ok, I just read some posts from the powder coating thread, I guess the simple answer is "because I can and I don't have much else to do".

CC
For a long time I felt the same way. But if we all drove Fords it would be a boring world. Some people like "Purdy" bullets, some people like "clean' bullets, some people like the lack of smoke, some people have only pan lubed so coating is more attractive. There are a lot of reasons why coated bullets have a following.

Currently, there is concern that PC's bullets may cause erosion of bores. This is not proven but suspect only at this point. But PC bullets show the most promise for high velocity rifle loads.

Hy-Tek coating seems to be the best way to "lube" pistol and lower velocity rifle loads inexpensively and in quantity. I will continue to use a Star for pistol bullets but not everyone has (or wants) a Star.

I have a thread on 2 MOA or better at 2200 fps or greater and so far only one person has been able to achieve that and it was with PC'ed bullets. I think that demonstrates most "coaters" are pistol shooters and not much work is going on with coated rifle bullets at rifle velocities.

The interest in coatings may be a fad but it may also lead the way to improved performance. We are still at the crawling and baby step stages. But progress is occurring.

Don Verna (who is still going to use traditional lubes because they work for me - but is willing to change when a better way is found)

[sirAIG]

Please reference/explain this claimed possibility that PC Boolits may cause bore erosion issues. PC is plastic. I cannot possibly see how that would cause erosion/wear anymore than jacketed/lead Boolits at that point.

[bangerjim]

There are some "doubting Thomas's" around here that think they have seen erosion in the barrel from powder coating. It is totally unfounded. The PC is harder than lead but MUCH softer than the barrel steel. Mabe if you shoot 100K rounds you will see wear, but that happens with lead too!

And you think Cu jacketed causes no erosion/wear??????

PC is slick and it's components that I can find are NOT abrasive. I have not analyzed ALL powders, so please, no nasty comments. But the "hard" coating it forms protects the barrel from the lead much better than any witch's brew grease.

Granted, the PC phenomenon is relatively new and as with any new endeavor, only time and field testing will yield any concrete results.

For now, I am 100% PC. Grease is just too messy and relatively unreliable due to all the potential variables than can creep into different formulas and batches. At least with ES gun PC, it is completely reliable, totally repeatable, and cool to do and shoot. I cannot say as much for the liquid slopping and dry tumble application methods.

Good shooting!

banger

[Maximumbob54]

Is anyone else trying the various Lee TL molds and having better luck with them than any standard lube groove molds?

[bstone5]

I have powder coated a Lee TL bullet for 40 S&W without any problems. I use an ES gun to apply the powder coat.

They shoot fine with out any leading, a light crimp is used so as not to damage the powder coated surface on the bullet.

With powder coated bullets the case has a generous bell to keep from damaging the powder coated surface while seating the bullet.

[bangerjim]

Is anyone else trying the various Lee TL molds and having better luck with them than any standard lube groove molds?

I have over 20 molds, some TL some not. All coat and shoot the same as far as I can determine. As mentioned by bstone5, give the case a little extra bell to help the boolit seat without the worry of scraping any PC off. I have never had any come off in MANY thousands of round!

Then, depending on the design, a light crimp. Do not overdue the crimp or the slug will/could scrape off some of the coating as it exits the casing!

banger

[PodPeople]

Then, depending on the design, a light crimp. Do not overdue the crimp or the slug will/could scrape off some of the coating as it exits the casing!

banger

Please pardon this newby question, but how much is a "light crimp"? I have stopped using my Lee factory crimp dies (because they tend to swage down the boolit diameter) and just use the seating die to crimp. Should I screw the die in 1/4 revolution or some lesser or greater amount? I don't know how to judge the adequacy of a crimp.