What am I missing out on? Not sure I get the PC thing??

[Bula]

First off, zero disrespect meant here. This just seems like a LOT more work than running a boolit through a Lyman 4500. I get the cool color factor, but why jump through all the extra hoops? What am I missing?Please help me out!

[Retumbo]

Well for one the type of lead used doesn't matter any more. Two gas checks don't matter any more. Want to blast away with your ought six at jacketed speeds, but only have pure lead? Cast em, coat em, blast em.

[Beagle333]

If you're happy with your boolits and you aren't getting leading, the only real benefits are that you get pretty colors and don't have to deal with sticky boolits or dies, and it doesn't smoke like lube if you shoot indoors.
And if your lubed boolits aren't messy or smoky to you.... then it's just for the colors.

Yes, it is more work than running them through a sizer. Once you find your technique, it isn't a lot more work, but it is more work.

It provides really long term storage without oxidation of your boolits, or the lube drying/cracking or melting out of the lube grooves. It allows you to color code your loads if you want to separate hot loads from plinkers or others. It also lets you store loaded boolits without any fear of long term powder contamination from lube (won't melt in your truck in the summer.) And within limits, it also sizes up boolits that may be just a hair too small.... making some Lyman and Ideal molds give people the size boolit they were looking for, without having exactly the perfect alloy and the perfect temp for both mold and lead every time they cast.

[fredj338]

I read here a lot about coating before getting started. The biggest diff, little to no smoke, no leading. The time involved is pretty minimal. I'm still sizing, takes slightly less time than luring/sizing. It's just the actual coating process that is time consuming. I can do other things while the bullets bake.
I look at it as cheap plated bullets. Higher vel & as noted, alloy isn't as important. I could actually care less about the colors, but some people do. I sctually prefer hi-tek for pistol loads, just easier to handle IMO.

[RobS]

Well for one the type of lead used doesn't matter any more. Two gas checks don't matter any more. Want to blast away with your ought six at jacketed speeds, but only have pure lead? Cast em, coat em, blast em.

I take it you have not shot, with accuracy at least, a pure lead powder coated boolit with no gas check and pushed it to top end jacketed rifle velocities. The coating is not a copper jacket and will not substitute for poor alloy choice for barrel twist rate nor will it substitute for poor alloy choice in reference the pressure limitations of the alloy used. When pushing top side rifle velocities one still needs a GC to go along with the powder coating of the boolit as it will help stop boolit skid due to high RPM's. I would like to see your targets at 2700-2800 fps with the suggestion of plain based powder coated boolits you post about.

[dilly]

Powder coat techniques really soften all the rules of case bullets. Alloy is still important, but much less touchy. It's a lot harder to get cast bullets to lead, but it can be done. Sizing is still important, by you will have better luck firing undersized coated bullets then lubed bullets.

For me the real kicker is the handling qualities. I don't like waxy bullets at all. Not in my akro bins, not in my dies, not in my ammo boxes, not in my magazines, and not in my guns.

[warf73]

I'm going to use HI Tek process and see no real time savings (from reading not up and going yet) over my current process. But also see no real time added either, let me explain. I use 45/45/10 as lube for 90% of my shooting.

1. I cast boolits no different (still using COWW/Pure at 50/50)

2.Useing HI Tek process just like tumble lubing, add the liquid, swirl boolits, pour out and let dry. Both are same here not sure about dry times right now.
2a. Cook boolits with HI Tek for 10~12 mins (added step).

3. Size boolits, same for both processes from my reading.

4. Add last coat of 45/45/10, add last coat of HI Tek, and let dry still same here.
4a. Cook boolits for last time(added step).

5. Load boolits as normal.

The biggest factor for me and doing the 2 added steps is the SMOKE factor, we (girlfriend and I) shoot 98% of the time at an indoor range. The dirty dies will be a nice change as the 45/45/10 does leave a little bit each time I seat a boolit. I've also upgraded from a 550B to a XL650 and will be adding a bullet feeder so the HI Tek coated boolits will be another plus over 45/45/10.

Please note I've NOT done any coating yet, but with only a small investment I'll give it a go. I fully expect to make my old way of lubing a thing of the past.

From what I can see from reading I'll add another 30 mins (maybe) to my current process.

[Retumbo]

You brought up "top end" and accuracy, I stated neither.

I take it you have not shot, with accuracy at least, a pure lead powder coated boolit with no gas check and pushed it to top end jacketed rifle velocities. The coating is not a copper jacket and will not substitute for poor alloy choice for barrel twist rate nor will it substitute for poor alloy choice in reference the pressure limitations of the alloy used. When pushing top side rifle velocities one still needs a GC to go along with the powder coating of the boolit as it will help stop boolit skid due to high RPM's. I would like to see your targets at 2700-2800 fps with the suggestion of plain based powder coated boolits you post about.

[RobS]

Retumbo:
You stated jacket velocities in a 30-06 which is 2700-2800 fps, look at any reloading manual or online reloading resource. I'll give you that you didn't bring up accuracy however last I checked accuracy is most people's main concern when shooting. If it isn't going to be accurate then why even go there.

[Retumbo]

My book says 200 grain at roughly 2300 starting for jacketed...

Define most and back it up with tangible data.

Just because your idea of having fun is shooting a gazillion fps round 800 miles at a fruit fly doesn't mean everyone else does. "Most" of the people I associate with shoot for fun (myself included) be it at a target a few hundred yards away or cans/fruit at 50.

[nekshot]

If you don't see a benefit why would we try convince you that you should PC? Next guy will talk you out of it. I do mostly PC but there is some room for lube but not much for me any more!

[Hickok]

Also the yellow/green PC that Smoke4320 sells, will terminate zombies, mutants, power rangers, and decepticons with one body hit! And as an added bonus, the boolits still drop werewolves in their tracks, as they are silver underneath the PC! Just sayin....Attachment 155886

[Beagle333]

I forgot about that...... yep, it definitely terminates zombies. Another plus!!

[bangerjim]

PC:

- eliminates grease smoke
- eliminates sticky boolits in the summer
- eliminates sticky boolits in your pocket
- no greasy dies
- no leading (assuming you have sized you boolit properly
- much softer lead can be use, saving lots of $$ on expensive alloys
- can minimize the need for GC's on lower sonic loads.
- easy to tell test loads apart by color when developing a load
- allows you to easily "upsize" a boolit by 2-3 thou
- fun
- easy
- very inexpensive (BBDT)
- some claim increase in accuracy
- turns heads at the range
- perdy colors

If you do not like those aspects, stay with what you have been doing for generations.....if it works for you.

banger

[Beagle333]

QUOTE=bangerjim

PC:
- turns GIRL'S heads at the range

'Fixed that for ya.
If you wanna start up a conversation with any girl.... whip out some pink boolits and you're talkin'!!
If you already have a girl in your life (wife, daughter, mom or whatever).... some pink boolits makes a nice gift for her gun!

I loaded up these for Mom's peacemaker.




And here's some I just coated for a friend's .44 special wheelgun.

[Bula]

Less smoke, less picky about alloys, cleaner on dies, Gas check velocities with no check. All things I just learned. Make sense to me now. Plus, those pink ones might even get the wifey out more often!


Thank you gentlemen.

[bangerjim]

Last time I "whipped" something out................I got laffed at! HA......ha!

banger

[fredj338]

From what I can see from reading I'll add another 30 mins (maybe) to my current process.

Except you can do other things while they bake. What I prefer about HT over PC is the quick prep time. Yes I have to coat twice & bake twice but the coating takes but a few seconds, dump into wire baskets & bake. I usually coat/bake while I am doing something else like casting or brass prep or even reloading if on the progressive. 15m of baking is an easy 100-200 rds loaded on a 550 & or 650.

[fredj338]

'Fixed that for ya.
If you wanna start up a conversation with any girl.... whip out some pink boolits and you're talkin'!!
If you already have a girl in your life (wife, daughter, mom or whatever).... some pink boolits makes a nice gift for her gun!

I loaded up these for Mom's peacemaker.




And here's some I just coated for a friend's .44 special wheelgun.

Exactly what I did for my daughter in laws & a few lady friends. They do like the colors, I don't really care though.

[GRUMPA]

First off, zero disrespect meant here. This just seems like a LOT more work than running a boolit through a Lyman 4500. I get the cool color factor, but why jump through all the extra hoops? What am I missing?Please help me out!

I feel your pain....

I just spent the last 30 minutes reading just a few stickys and I think I need to take notes or something. What would really help would be if someone did some sort of tutorial, in depth, detailed, amount of time, process(es) type of equipment etc....

There was 1 thread with 101 pages and after 3 pages of going back and forth I don't think I'm any further ahead than I was when I started.