Has anyone turned back to standar lube after successfully PD'ing

[RegisG]

I've just started powder coating and am beginning to get the hang of it. Has anyone switched to powder coating successfully and then went back to traditional lube? I'm sure some that simply didn't like the process or couldn't get it to work stopped but, has anyone gone back for valid reason?


Regis

[bangerjim]

Some have had trouble getting BBDT to work. There a LOT of variables to getting it to be successful for some folks is appears. After messing around with it, I have been very successful. I believe a few have given up. "Ya' gotta' hold yer mouth jes right to get it to work!"

I don't know of anyone that has used ESPC that has gone back to grease. I am sure there is someone out there somewhere that has. ESPC is my and many other's standard.

Any of the wives tales of abrasion have been disproved and there is, to date, no scientific data or proof PC "wears out" a barrel any faster than FMJ's or anything else. Only other things and conjecture that I have seen cause wear.

I am 110% satisfied with PC and will stick with it.

If it works for you, why switch back???????????????

bangerjim

[willie_pete]

I have no reason to go back; no leading, no smoke, cleaner handling, as accurate or better. Nope, no reason.

wp

[Yodogsandman]

I haven't completely turned my back on PC yet but, use it very little now. I just can't seem to get the accuracy that I'm looking for. Oh, if my accuracy needs were to just hit a rock in the desert, I could probably do that! My accuracy requirements are <MOA. We all have different ideas of real accuracy, though. Those accepted accuracy norms have been seriously loosened up by PC shooters for the most part, though.

I can't keep the PC set up all the time and have to break everything down when done and set it back up to use it. It's much more inconvenient for me. My luber is mounted on a 2x4 and I just put it in my vise to use it. No hoses, no enclosure, no noisy compressor, no oven, no gloves. Also, with a luber, I can lube up 150-200 boolits an hour or so but, with the PC I'm limited by the size of the toaster oven to how many I can do, maybe 100 an hour, ESPC'd. PC throws off all the dimensions that the mold is made to, also and you have to re-calibrate your whole reloading set up to accommodate the extra thickness. I still end up sizing the PC'd boolits any way.

New casters seem to be drawn to try PC first due to the lower initial cost and "implied" accuracy.

PC is just another "tool in the toolbox" for casters. I like to use it to increase the size of under sized boolits.

PC boolits are prettier and that's enough for a lot of guys. Me too at times. They are fun to shoot!

[Walter Laich]

I never left standard lube...
.
PC my 45 Colt and 45-70 bullets
.
lube my 38 Sp

Not sure why either, maybe harder to keep bullets from falling over when moving to oven

[1Shirt]

To each his own, but I just find colored bullets to be to tech to suit my old conservative, traditional values.
1 Shirt

[kungfustyle]

I like the PC for pistols and lubed for rifles. So Yes.

[Beagle333]

I go back to my lubesizers whenever it's raining. (I coat outside.... no garage.)

[2wheelDuke]

I wouldn't say I've "gone back" to traditional lube, but that I haven't stopped traditional lube for certain applications. I don't see coatings as the be-all-end-all, just another tool in the box.

For some things, like .380, I haven't conventionally lubed a boolit since I tried PC and Hi-Tek. I still use the lubrisizer for .30cal rifle and .44 mag though. And I don't really see the point of PC or Hi-Tek for my .38spl wadcutters when 45-45-10 works great. Maybe if I started shooting them indoors, I'd switch to coated.

[Vann]

I'm back and forth between the two. I love pc in my 9mm, it really cuts down on smoke when competing. I kinda go both ways in my rifles, mainly because I have rifle loads that have been worked up and work well, but I still have to use a BP lube on my BP bullets.

[45r]

I like PC for 300Blk AR and 357magnum blackhawks.
No smoke or leading.
Just as accurate.
Not going back for the above.

[snuffy]

I'm sold on powder coating for everything. I've switched over completely, no plans on going back.

I do still size though, after PC'ing, it's certainly necessary in most cases. One boolit needs to be sized before coating, then again after, that's the 500 375 SWC from RCBS. I cast it hard and it really is tough to push through the lee sizer. I also use the Lyman sizer dies in the perfessor's push through die for some PC'D boolits.

The colors mean nothing to me. It's all about the superior lube quality. I don't even care about some extra time or having to set-up to coat. I went with the HF gun, so I needed to buy the compressor. Have needed one for years to help in cleaning guns.

I coat in my car port in summer on a table that is temporary. The oven on one side the coating station on the other, with the compressor underneath. Winter finds me inside on the kitchen table with a plastic sheeting booth to coat in. Good thing I'm not married!

[Edward]

Just finished some 405g 45/70 ,457 diameter and PC ed with harbor freight red to get a fatter bullet ,then ran them thru my 450 lube /sized at 459 and then applied BLL as I like to cover all the bases (I"m retired) !

[MBTcustom]

I have about a dozen different lubes here in my shop.
I have copper inriched tin for making copper inriched alloys.
I have a 12" stack of greenbar printer paper for paper patching.
I have a broad assortment of jacketed bullets as well.
I have a swaging set.
I have sabots.
I have pillow ticking for the BP guns.
and I have an oven with several colors of PC powder.

To me, it's not about whether you do it exclusively or not. All that matters is whether you can do it at all, and how well it works on paper and fur. The big question is, once you know how to do something, and you master the fine details of it, why would you throw that capability away even if you move on to try other things?
I just had a pretty epic shooting session the other day. I went to the range with grease groove, paper patch, and PC loads for one rifle. It was my Browning 1886 in 45-70 and the grease groove and PC bullets tied in the accuracy dept, while the paper patch were pulled down because they shot so badly. Everybody was intrigued by the Zombie green PC bullets (I find that I get the best bang for my buck with that color LOL!) and no deer is safe out to 200 yards with those loads. I like versatility and having half a dozen ways to win within arms reach at all times. PC is just one more skill I have at my disposal. True, I shoot mostly GG bullets, but then again, I shoot mostly warp speed high velocity stuff cause I'm weird that way. However, I often dabble in almost any discipline just to keep my hand in.
At least PC doesn't suck up all my time like paper patch does. PP is fun and all (heck it's the reason I joined the forum in the first place) but there's nothing quick or plug and play about it at all. You just have to pour time on it till it sprouts.

[GhostHawk]

I don't shoot a lot of pistol, so I have held off on making the jump to PC.
I have been following it, and I can see the potential. But since discovering Ben's Liquid Lube I really havn't even thought about anything else.

[popper]

Haven't found any reason to change back to greasy lubes from coatings, at all.

[foesgth]

I use PC for all my pistol rounds. I like to shoot steel and go through a lot of ammo. I guess I'm addicted to the sound of the boolit hitting the plate. I still lube some of my rifle rounds. They are starting to be transitioned to PC.

[Handloader109]

Recently bought a mold from NOE for my 9mms. 147gr hp. If I tumble the PC, it is too thick to chamber. Can't seat short enough to chamber. I'm too cheap right now to esp, so I'll lube

[snuffy]

Recently bought a mold from NOE for my 9mms. 147gr hp. If I tumble the PC, it is too thick to chamber. Can't seat short enough to chamber. I'm too cheap right now to esp, so I'll lube

??¿¿ If you're lubing you're sizing,(unless tumble lubing), then size your PC boolits. I size all mine that are lubed either way, so it's not an extra operation. If I didn't size the PC'd boolits, they wouldn't chamber either.

[Fishman]

Texas is often hot and the PC oven is outside, whereas my lubrisizer is in a little room with air conditioning.