Reloading EverythingRepackboxInline FabricationLoad Data
Titan ReloadingLee PrecisionRotoMetals2Wideners
MidSouth Shooters Supply

View Poll Results: Do you lube or powder coat the cast boolits?

Voters
775. You may not vote on this poll
  • Lube

    457 58.97%
  • Powder Coat

    350 45.16%
  • Other

    61 7.87%
Multiple Choice Poll.
Page 13 of 17 FirstFirst ... 34567891011121314151617 LastLast
Results 241 to 260 of 321

Thread: Do you lube or powder coat the cast boolits?

  1. #241
    Boolit Grand Master


    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Aberdeen, South Dakota
    Posts
    7,136
    Quote Originally Posted by curioushooter View Post
    Still waiting for a cogent reason why PC is better than lubing. I have one: bullets can be different colors to distinguish loads. Could be quite useful at silouette...still haven't seen at any the range yet.

    Still wondering what is to be done with gas checks?

    How/when is sizing done?

    How is PC any any faster if you size one at a time?

    It has been claimed that pc smoke less than lubed. I ask...what lube? Felix lube makes no noticeable smoke beyond the powder smoke. I'd expect the same from any beeswax-base lube...beeswax is used in church candles because it is so clean burning. Paint on the other hand makes nasty smoke when it burns...and it will, since it gets on the base.
    I doubt you'll ever get a clear answer. The guys that paint PC or HT or whatever they have now, will always like it. I tried powder coat, both my own and commercial bullets, and I don't see it. Accuracy 0% difference. Cleanliness, nothing noticeable, maybe long term less lube in the die? I load thousands of lubed bullets before any lube builds up in the seating plug, usually one unlucky one with lube on the tip. It's a 15 second fix. Smoke, could not care even a little bit. Nothing even comes close to blackpowder, which I like. It is supposed to basically be a jacket. I see lots of guys having leading problems, which clearly shows there is a large learning curve, like anything. Nobody ever talks about the smell either. PC smells like fresh tar. A good lube smells fantastic.


    The rifle guys are finding zero difference in accuracy, and the top competitors still use lubed bullets.


    PC doesn't get you any more velocity, accuracy, nothing. All for a system that is entirety dependent on a paint dealer, and electricity. It is a lot of work too. Lots and lots of twirling a cup, setting bullets on a pan, carefully watching temps. It's maybe a half step better than pan lubing. What is really off-putting is once you start painting bullets, suddenly you have to show how pretty your bullets are, and you have to tell everyone how much better it is, especially when nobody asked. "you won't have leading with powder coat" they say. Yet the whole forum is full of people trying to figure out why their powder coat is flaking off and causing leading in their barrel.


    Anyway, off my soap box now.

  2. #242
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Oregon
    Posts
    110
    I PC because for me it is cleaner. No sticky lube, drop a lubed bullet on the floor and try to get the dust bunnies off. It's simple cast, powder coat, size add gas check if needed when sizing done. I run my sizing press upside down,feeding the bullets nose first is much faster. The powder coating doesn't burn on the base of the bullet when fired. I say if you like lubing go for it, if you like powder coating go for it.

  3. #243
    Boolit Grand Master
    white eagle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    718 miles E. of Wall Drug
    Posts
    6,158
    after sizing and lubing then running through my loading dies
    I hate the gooey mess that traditional lube leaves behind
    don't need to worry about that with pc
    making my own boolits I don't care how long it takes
    accuracy and doing it for myself always trumps how many
    steps it takes or how long it takes to get to the end result
    besides who doesn't like all the color you can get in your basket of boolits
    deplorably speaking that is
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  4. #244
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    19
    I’m new to casting and decided to go with PC right from the start.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #245
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Pleasant Hope MO
    Posts
    2,225
    I have lubed bullets for 50 some years and tried PC and Hi-Tek, I found the Hi-Tek to faster, the learning curve depends on how well one follows the instructions.

  6. #246
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Posts
    113
    I pc'd from the start as well. Lube looks tedious and a giant mess.

  7. #247
    Boolit Master

    skeet1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Enid, OK
    Posts
    1,214
    I'm old school and and it is doubtful that I will be convinced to change my ways. I have used lubes that are a bit gooey and I didn't care for them very much even though they did work. Since I have started to use Carnuba Red most of the stickiness is gone and the performance is first rate. As far as being clean, all I do most of the time is run a patch through the bore and all is good. The price of the Carnuba Red is also a bargain. If you haven't tried it and are a lube person you should.

    Ken

  8. #248
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    3,409
    I've never had powdercoat get affected by the weather, dry-crack and fall out of the lube grooves, create excess smoke and not be allowed at indoor ranges, leave a sticky mess on the bottom of the boolit, gum up my dies, get my fingers dirty (after coated).

    I like to have different colors for different loads of applications [different 9MM's have different bore diameters (my P-38 and Llama are .358 bore) so I designate certain colors for certain guns]

    Use red for hot loads.... I digress.

  9. #249
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Southern Ky.
    Posts
    576
    I'm 79 years old and started powder coating last year at age 78. Thought I'd start with 9mm and .45 ACP. Both worked well for me the first time around. Biggest thing for me is the absence of leading. Few weeks ago I went outside my basement door and fired a foreign-made 9mm 60 times with powder-coated boolits. Nice round group at 25 yards. Didn't even bother to work up a load. Just took the handbook's word for it and picked a nice, medium load with TiteGroup, one that operated the action every time, so I loaded up a bunch of them. After all that shooting, one brush down the barrel and it looked shiny. The same boolit and FWFL that pistol would eventually lead up every time. Same with the .45s, a Glock, a Ruger P90 and some 1911s. Boolits were all sized with Stars. While I'm not trying to convert anyone to powder coating, it works for me. Big Boomer

    P. S. I might add that I still have a sizeable cardboard box of lube that I made up of FWFL and my own concoctions that worked well that I still have on hand if I ever have the desire to move in that direction again. Just do not feel like I will ever go in that direction again, having tried Smoke's clear.
    Last edited by Big Boomer; 10-28-2019 at 10:24 PM. Reason: addition

  10. #250
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    45
    I quit casting because I hated the whole lube and size process. Even tweaking the lubrisizer was a pain.
    I tried Harbor Freight red. I liked the results but not the process.
    Then after reading about Smoke's powder, I ordered some. It was a night and day difference. The powder seems to jump onto the boolets and stick.
    Suddenly, I have 6 new 6 banger molds, I'm smelting my last two buckets of wheelweights, and shooting the heck out of my 44 and 45 after knocking the dust off my 550b.
    Powder coating, specifically good powder coat powder, brought me back to casting.

  11. #251
    Boolit Buddy Bagdadjoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Bagdad, Kentucky (now Frankfort)
    Posts
    196
    PC and Lube...LBT Blue soft exclusively.

  12. #252
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Just outside Gun Barrel City, Texas
    Posts
    9,483
    I still lube.

    PCing is like getting a cell phone.
    I haven't quite got around to either of them yet.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  13. #253
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Lake Havasu City, Arizona
    Posts
    21,304
    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    I doubt you'll ever get a clear answer. The guys that paint PC or HT or whatever they have now, will always like it. I tried powder coat, both my own and commercial bullets, and I don't see it. Accuracy 0% difference. Cleanliness, nothing noticeable, maybe long term less lube in the die? I load thousands of lubed bullets before any lube builds up in the seating plug, usually one unlucky one with lube on the tip. It's a 15 second fix. Smoke, could not care even a little bit. Nothing even comes close to blackpowder, which I like. It is supposed to basically be a jacket. I see lots of guys having leading problems, which clearly shows there is a large learning curve, like anything. Nobody ever talks about the smell either. PC smells like fresh tar. A good lube smells fantastic.


    The rifle guys are finding zero difference in accuracy, and the top competitors still use lubed bullets.


    PC doesn't get you any more velocity, accuracy, nothing. All for a system that is entirety dependent on a paint dealer, and electricity. It is a lot of work too. Lots and lots of twirling a cup, setting bullets on a pan, carefully watching temps. It's maybe a half step better than pan lubing. What is really off-putting is once you start painting bullets, suddenly you have to show how pretty your bullets are, and you have to tell everyone how much better it is, especially when nobody asked. "you won't have leading with powder coat" they say. Yet the whole forum is full of people trying to figure out why their powder coat is flaking off and causing leading in their barrel.


    Anyway, off my soap box now.
    I agree with this 100%. I have tested both HT and PC bullets that numerous members have sent in rifle and handgun cartridges from .22 caliber to 4.45 caliber. Most of my testing has been extensive in quantity, velocity and pressure. Velocities fave ranged from 600+ fps upwards of 2900 fps.

    I have seen no advantage in cleanliness as the process of HT/PCing is messier to me than any cleaner the firearms may be after shooting. Only possible advantage I see is if one has an automatic bullet feeder. I don't have one so advantage to me.

    I've found no increase in velocity or pressure increase/reduction between HT/PC coated bullets and the same bullet when lubed with LLA, BAC or an NRA 50/50 lube.

    As to accuracy actually I've found numerous times where the HT/PC fouls the bore and/or causes leading. This has been with both handguns and rifles. The same bullets lubed with the above mentioned lubes with the same loads do not foul nor cause leading. I've not found a single instance where any HT/PC'd bullet has given better accuracy compared to the same bullet lubed and with the same load.

    If HT/PC provided any measureable benefit to me I would use it. I hear and read lots of success stories with HT/PC but so far it has shown me nothing so I don't use it.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  14. #254
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Beautiful Idaho
    Posts
    2,644
    95% PC Works for me.

  15. #255
    Moderator
    Texas by God's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    14,334
    A year and a half since I posted here saying I only use lube.
    Well; now I do both. I’ve had success with the shake and bake method of PC in the 30-30, 7.62x39, 38-55, .41 mag, and 44-40. It depends on my mood, I guess. Mine look sorry compared to what I see here but they shoot well.

  16. #256
    Banned


    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    West Central Illinois
    Posts
    742
    Started out with a Lee anniversary press kit and tumble lubed my pills. Then I read about powder coating and decided to try it. It worked very well after some learning. Now I powder coat everything and save the lube for a rainy day. I like the PC for the same reasons as most others, mostly because cleaning is so much simpler.

  17. #257
    Boolit Master trixter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Where E. Pine crosses I-5
    Posts
    873
    I started the same way, and now I use both, in order by demand and convenience.

  18. #258
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Location
    South Alabama
    Posts
    295
    For me it's a matter of convenience and time also. A single pot of 250gr for the 44 is maybe 250 bullets and that'll last me a while. I'll cast then run them through the lube-sizer and be done. If I spend a rainy afternoon casting up a couple thousand 9mm or 45s, then I PC while I'm casting. Once I have the rhythm it works well. I basically run batches of 2-300 at a time, with one batch cooling, another batch in the oven, and another cooling from the oven. I'm doing the shake and cycling through the PC oven while the lead pot is coming back up to temp after topping it off. While the last couple batches are in the oven and cooling I'll push the whole lot through a Lee sizer. The timer on my phone keeps things moving, and some Irish Pub Rock streaming in the background keeps me smiling.

  19. #259
    Boolit Man Casper29's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Posts
    83
    Was using lubasizer then switched to powder coating.

  20. #260
    Boolit Buddy Aunegl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    S.E. WI
    Posts
    233
    Lube. Current favorite way to lube is two thin coats of BLL.

Page 13 of 17 FirstFirst ... 34567891011121314151617 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check