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

[Tazza]

I never thought you could get that sort of speed out of a cast projectile, even gas checked, quite impressive indeed.

[Ola]

Thank you very much gentlemen!

I WAS very interested: I thought that PC or some other paint-type-coating would be easier and faster than lubing the bullets. Because if it is not, why would everyone be so excited about it?

After reading all this I have enough info to make a educated decision: I'll stick with the traditional method: it is faster, less work, cheaper and it works.

Thank you again for saving me the effort!

[otter5555]

Thank you very much gentlemen!

I WAS very interested: I thought that PC or some other paint-type-coating would be easier and faster than lubing the bullets. Because if it is not, why would everyone be so excited about it?

After reading all this I have enough info to make a educated decision: I'll stick with the traditional method: it is faster, less work, cheaper and it works.

Thank you again for saving me the effort!

it takes me 5 minutes to spray 3 light coats of vht epoxy on 50 bullets. it gets tacky really fast. i then dump all the tacky bullets onto regular tin foil. they dont stick. i heat them in the toaster oven for 15 minutes. i let them air cool 10-15 minutes. size and load. for me, it is much faster than traditional lubes PLUS i can now shoot near full power loads in my 308 with zero leading and zero fouling. my 5 shot groups are now .6 moa @ 100 and chrono 2498 fps. i lowered the charge .2 gr from last time. i get superb accuracy and the boolits are nearly free. it is a no brainer for me.

[ToolmanTaylor]

I recently tried the VHT on my 356-120-TC boolits and it worked great. I previously had some leading issues and this took care of them. I may not do it every time but will definitely keep it to use most of the time. Thanks for all the help and advice, this site has really taught me a lot.

[Dogbear]

I have been reloading since 1969 and casting since 1972 and ran across this thread as I was looking for a solution to a problem. Until recently most all of my training/shooting has been done outside where cast bullet smoke was really not all that big of a practice problem. Recently I started to shoot in a great indoor range very close to my house. While ventilation is good, I found that after a session with cast bullets my nose was full of black and the taste in my mouth was not so good. Obviously switching to plated or jacketed instantly fixed the problem, but the cost was 10 times my cost of shooting cast. So old dog had to learn a new trick. The first method I tried was the VHT black gloss method. Size, spray, bake, size, load...... Instant success. 10mm/180/1100, 45/230/850, 9mm/124/1050 (all chronographed) all shot fine with very little smoke and no leading. Most of all, no black nose and bad taste in my mouth! My next step was to buy a HF PC system and PC 45/230. Again no issue with smoke or leading and clean up was a snap. I also found I could save some money and go with a much, much softer alloy without any issues with PC pistol bullets. While definitely slower than cast, size, and lube, it definitely has it's place in an indoor range. Lots of other bullets and calibers now to play with including a 308/205. Thanks to all who contributed.

[bangerjim]

I have tested VHT extensively as you probably read above. It is rather costly. And time-consuming (long bake cycles). Powder coating is much more cost-effective and gives a 0.002 coating, rather than just a thin veneer of epoxy.

I no longer use VHT and do PC 100% for all cal's I cast.

Where ya been since 1972?????????????????????? Welcome.

[Dogbear]

Thanks bangerjim, I actually read this forum all the time, just the first time I've posted on it. Just wanted to express my thanks. Where have I been since 1972 and before? Well, 22 plus years in the military and 24 years in the corporate world. Finally retired last year after the last corporate sale and restructure. Unlike many others it worked out well for me. Learned to cast in 72 because I couldn't get bullets at my station in Italy. One of those skills I learned out of necessity. I still have and use all my old molds and some that are a lot older than me. God only knows how many bullets have been cast out of them. Thanks again.

[bangerjim]

Welcome aboard! Chime in on the conversations....and do not be shy. Sounds like you have a lot of "hard knocks" experience as most of us on here like to share.

banger

[IronHammer1964]

Went to Discount Auto and bought a can of VHT. Sprayed 2 coats and baked in the toaster oven at approx 250 degrees. Boolits are Lee 185 sized at .314-.315 ww water quenched. No longer have a furnace for boolit making and was testing what I had left with this VHT. Painting was done with GC's on and were resized as part of the scratch test (successful). Looking for 2200-2500 fps from a mosin nagant or 98 mauser in 7.62 Nato. Will use a standard starting load of H4350 and see if things come out clean or if I need a SS bore brush afterward. Load suggestions greatly appreciated. This works out I may start casting again.

Mike

[IronHammer1964]

Smash test was successful. However I did a BHN test. The boolits I used have been in a box for a few years. WW and water quenched plus time made them about 34-36 BHN according to my Lee tester.This was before coating and baking. The Finished rounds are about 9 BHN. The firing test will be real interesting as My test weapon is a Mosin Nagant M91/59 with a sharp clean barrel. Load is 48 grn's of H4350 with the objective being 2200-2500 fps. My concern is the lowered BHN as my cleanup afterwards has the potential of being long and messy. Will post test results as I get them.

[Tazza]

Wow, that is a massive drop in hardness......

[IronHammer1964]

Range test Today was successful. 5 rounds fired with a bore snake utilized between shots. No leading or paint residues. Accuracy wasn't great as I'm sure my powder charge was a bit too heavy. Still minute of pie plate. Will make more and refine my charge a bit, maybe a reduced load of H4895. Still trying for 2000 fps. Chrony batteries were dead so no velocity at this time. BHN drop was a big concern but was welcomed as these are to be used for deer. The original BHN was near 34-36 and would have been like shooting FMJ. VHT does work but larger quantities of boolits would require PB as the more economical option. VHT is good for expediant work of small batches that I have at present.

[Tazza]

Good to hear it was successful, lets hope it works just as well with more than 5 shots out of it.

I'd still not have expected the lead to anneal that much from just sitting, i guess the cooking process of the VHT played a part in that.

[IronHammer1964]

I have a bunch of the same boolits uncoated/baked and they were 13bhn at the time they were poured. They sat in a box for 6-7 years until a few days ago when I started reading this VHT thread. Tested one with my Lee BHN tester and it was 34-36bhn. Almost off scale of the documentation that came with my test kit. I was quite a change from 34 to 9. 30 minutes at approx 250 degrees was what made the change. I'm going to go to convetional cast charges and see if accuracy improves. Better brush up on my data.

[Smk SHoe]

Well, Did my first couple of batches this afternoon. 7$ can of VHT and a 25$ walmart oven. First batch did not get good coverage with the paint, but that was all me. by the third batch was getting good coverage. sized 30 and loaded them to try out sunday in a Springfield .45. May move on to PC later but this was a cheap and quick way to see how it works. No issues sizing and crushed a couple with a hammer and didn't get any real flaking of the paint. will see how it all works out tomorrow.

[Don Fischer]

It sound's like some are sizing after PC Epoxy Spray. And it sound's like re-sizing doesn't remove any of the paint?

[bangerjim]

OMG....I can't believe this old thread is still alive and going.

I played with VHT spray paints a long time ago and found the process was VERY expensive, EXTREMELY time consuming, and the coating just does not hold up as well as real PC during my tests.

A pound of red powder is $6.00 at HF and will coat MANY thousands of boolits! Same oven. Same NSAF or parchment paper. Same push thru sizing dies. Just a whole lot more efficient material and time wise.

I would highly suggest to move rapidly away from expensive cans of spray paint (mostly VOC vehicles - very little paint) to using powder coating. BBDT is every inexpensive, easy to do, and very efficient. This advice is from my many many months of experimentation and experience.

bangerjim

[dromia]

I suspect that some of us aren't set up with spray equipment, compressors and the like, don't want the expense of setting up or perhaps don't have the space.

A workable aerosol solution might just be what some people need, they want to play with coatings but perhaps don't need to do a lot of bullets and the set up costs of spray equipment isn't for them.

One mans meat is another mans poison!

[bangerjim]

Read the threads on dry tumble Bbdt. No comp needed. Very cheeeeeeep to do

banger

[dromia]

Yes that is another way to skin the cat.