HI-TEK do's and don'ts

[jsizemore]

I make sure I never touch the bullets with bare hands from cast to final coating. Make sure your water is distilled or steam generated.

[Stephen Cohen]

Velvet, I have loaded much softer cast than you are using in my 375 Whelen which is a twin to your 9.3x62. I have never did a hardness test on my alloy which is made of clip on wheel weights with a small amount of tin added to help casting, I don't believe a hard alloy is needed or required for hunting bullets as hard alloy can act like FMJs. I drive cast in my 458 WM at 1,800 fps with sub minute of angle groups, my 375 Whelen drive the RCBS 260 gr at 2,000fps with good hunting accuracy and my 357 Maximum drives the Lee 158 gr at 2,200fps with 30 to 40 mm 100mtr groups and all are coated with Hi-Tek. I have not finished my testing with 308 and cast at this time but see no reason to doubt it will work fine. I look for my accepted accuracy over velocity in all my loads and I am sure you will reach your expectations as well. Regards Stephen

[Velvet]

I make sure I never touch the bullets with bare hands from cast to final coating. Make sure your water is distilled or steam generated.

It is plain and simple water. Good advice. Thank you.

[Velvet]

Velvet, I have loaded much softer cast than you are using in my 375 Whelen which is a twin to your 9.3x62. I have never did a hardness test on my alloy which is made of clip on wheel weights with a small amount of tin added to help casting, I don't believe a hard alloy is needed or required for hunting bullets as hard alloy can act like FMJs. I drive cast in my 458 WM at 1,800 fps with sub minute of angle groups, my 375 Whelen drive the RCBS 260 gr at 2,000fps with good hunting accuracy and my 357 Maximum drives the Lee 158 gr at 2,200fps with 30 to 40 mm 100mtr groups and all are coated with Hi-Tek. I have not finished my testing with 308 and cast at this time but see no reason to doubt it will work fine. I look for my accepted accuracy over velocity in all my loads and I am sure you will reach your expectations as well. Regards Stephen

Hi Stephen.
Good info, very appreciated!!!!
The first objective is for wild boar hunting, with maximum distances of 100m.
It is a night hunt, waiting for the animal to appear, with shots that are mostly below 75m. But, as you know, they are tough animals, some 150-200kg, and I am interested in the bullet penetrating and expanding correctly.
Thank you Sir!!

[Stephen Cohen]

Velvet, for hunting boar or any large game I believe in heavy for caliber cast. I have just gt access to a 300gr mould in .375 for my Whelen as I believe this will be a step in the right direction. If I was casting for boar as you are I would be cutting the alloy you have with some pure lead to soften it a bit as I really think no 2 alloy is a bit hard for the purpose, I would also use a bullet with a flat point if possible. Given your max range any good heavy for caliber bullet in the 1,800 range would drop a boar on the spot with correct expansion and shot placement. Regards Stephen

[Velvet]

Velvet, for hunting boar or any large game I believe in heavy for caliber cast. I have just gt access to a 300gr mould in .375 for my Whelen as I believe this will be a step in the right direction. If I was casting for boar as you are I would be cutting the alloy you have with some pure lead to soften it a bit as I really think no 2 alloy is a bit hard for the purpose, I would also use a bullet with a flat point if possible. Given your max range any good heavy for caliber bullet in the 1,800 range would drop a boar on the spot with correct expansion and shot placement. Regards Stephen

I will follow your advice.
Thanks

[Velvet]

I have news:
Muriatic acid test finished.
I left 200 bullets in a bucket, for about 16hs, with the mixture of acid and water as recommended.
There were no changes in appearance, color, or texture. I thought the lead was going to be contaminated, and so leave the matter resolved.
But no.
During these days, I was doing tests changing the% of the coating and acetone mixtures, to see if it improved the adhesion. But everything remains the same. After the hammer blow, the coating cracks and when you pass the fingertip, everything comes off.
Tomorrow I'm going to start from scratch again, doing everything thoroughly.
I can't believe it doesn't work ...
Thanks

[dikman]

You need to try it on either pure lead or a different alloy at the same time. This will prove whether its the alloy, the mixture or the coating method that's the problem.

[HI-TEK]

I have news:
Muriatic acid test finished.
I left 200 bullets in a bucket, for about 16hs, with the mixture of acid and water as recommended.
There were no changes in appearance, color, or texture. I thought the lead was going to be contaminated, and so leave the matter resolved.
But no.
During these days, I was doing tests changing the% of the coating and acetone mixtures, to see if it improved the adhesion. But everything remains the same. After the hammer blow, the coating cracks and when you pass the fingertip, everything comes off.
Tomorrow I'm going to start from scratch again, doing everything thoroughly.
I can't believe it doesn't work ...
Thanks

Velvet,
I am wondering, if your alloy has 4% tin, why the acid test would not change surface appearance. Tin should readily dissolve with that acid, but slowly, and such a long acid soak should have affected the alloy surface.
I expected to have exposed surface Tin to be dissolved and leave very fine pores. The metal may have not changed with silvery appearance but should have been less glossy..
But from what you said this has not happened.
I find this most peculiar.

It is not clear, if after acid soak, if you washed, dried off the water, then coated, dry coating and baked the acid treated casts?
Please clarify and in detail, step by step, what you did after acid soaking..
If you can, please take a picture of alloy before and after acid soaking. I would like to magnify and compare surfaces.

[Stephen Cohen]

Yesterday a good mate, one of the few still vertical asked me to coat some cast for him which he had cast from Lyman no 2 alloy, knowing this guy he would have followed the direction to make it but since I have seen 3 different mixes for this alloy I have to again say that most people will judge alloy by hardness and call it Lyman no 2. I coated the supplied cast with Candy Apple Red and while the Acetone test was fine the hammer test was a bit of a fail, I could not however scratch the coating off with anything less than sharp knife. I coated his 158 gr pistol cast with 2 coats and 180 gr .308 cast with 3 coats ignoring the fail of hammer test, these loads will be tested on weekend to see how they perform. I doubt the pistol will be any problem but the .308 may be a worry, will report back when testing is done. It would seem that the tin level may be a problem to coating as Ausglock has said. Regards Stephen