RotoMetals2RepackboxTitan ReloadingWideners
MidSouth Shooters SupplyInline FabricationLoad DataLee Precision
Reloading Everything
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 24

Thread: What's wrong with my PC process?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Beattie, TX
    Posts
    254

    What's wrong with my PC process?

    I've been fighting the 9mm battle for some time now and just when I think I've got it won, a new front opens up in another direction. At first I thought it was a sizing issue until another contributor said my boolits were too soft (50/50 COWW/PB) so I threw the already coated boolits into my oven and heated them back up to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then into a water-filled bucket they went in the hopes of gaining some hardness. It appears that I picked up some hardness because the lube groove is not squished like it was in previous testing. The coating looks great when they come out of the oven but after firing you can see the PC is missing where it contacts the grooves in the barrel and in other places as well.

    These have been fired at 1,100 fps into my rubber mulch boolit trap. This particular load was 4.8 and 5.0 grains Unique. The PC is Smoke's Carolina Blue, applied in a vibratory tumbler, then baked in a PID-controlled oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. The temp probe has a boolit placed over the tip as some have recommended. They pass the smash test.

    What in the world is wrong with my process?

    [IMG][/IMG]
    [IMG][/IMG]

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    MUSKOGEE
    Posts
    1,516
    dirty bullets before pc -or- not hot enough in the oven -and/or not cooked long enough to cure...or bad powder coat.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    482
    I doubt there's anything wrong with your process. If the coating lives to see the bullet down the bore, its job is done.

  4. #4
    Moderator


    Minerat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Jefferson County, CO
    Posts
    9,545
    Is the barrel leading? If not, I'd fergetadoutit and worry about shooting.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Pablo 5959's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Nor Cal
    Posts
    193
    ^^^thats what I would do. +put them back in the pot and do it again.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Beattie, TX
    Posts
    254
    Yes, I am getting leading streaks in the latter portion of the barrel. The boolits drop from the mold onto a clean towel, get picked up with clean hands and put into a box and then get dumped into the tumbler with the PC.

    If they were consistently accurate, I'd just go ahead and shoot them. But accuracy is inconsistent...one group will be 1-1/4" and the next one 3" or larger. Just when I think I've settled on a good-shooting load, my target looks like a shotgun patterning board.

    The barrel is clean before I start shooting. It's quite maddening.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Wheelguns 1961's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Mid atlantic area
    Posts
    1,298
    Are these bevel based bullets? The reason I ask is, it looks like the bases are a little rounded.
    Due to the price of primers, warning shots will no longer be given!

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Colorado Springs, Colorado
    Posts
    2,085
    What are you sizing the boolits to? Every 9mm I have likes .358, and that includes many 9mm pistols, a couple AR 15 carbines, and a Marlin Camp 9. Your PC is good stuff, Smoke's is top shelf. One other thing, how much jacketed has the pistol seen? There might be some copper fouling scraping the PC.

    In my experience of shooting range lead where the only boolits fired were soft swaged lead wad cutters I had no problems with 9mm. Before PC, i never got leading when sized to .358 with Javalina. The only time I got leading was when I tried a .357 sizing die. I dropped that die like a bad habit. Now I PC everything and still size to .358. Oh, and I regularly shoot plain based PC in 223 at 2450 fps.
    Common sense Gun Safety . . .

    Is taught at the Range!

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Beattie, TX
    Posts
    254
    Quote Originally Posted by Wheelguns 1961 View Post
    Are these bevel based bullets? The reason I ask is, it looks like the bases are a little rounded.
    No, they're not bevel base. It's a Lyman 356402 TC. The bases aren't sharp on all of them.

    [IMG][/IMG]

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Beattie, TX
    Posts
    254
    Quote Originally Posted by fcvan View Post
    What are you sizing the boolits to? Every 9mm I have likes .358, and that includes many 9mm pistols, a couple AR 15 carbines, and a Marlin Camp 9. Your PC is good stuff, Smoke's is top shelf. One other thing, how much jacketed has the pistol seen? There might be some copper fouling scraping the PC.

    In my experience of shooting range lead where the only boolits fired were soft swaged lead wad cutters I had no problems with 9mm. Before PC, i never got leading when sized to .358 with Javalina. The only time I got leading was when I tried a .357 sizing die. I dropped that die like a bad habit. Now I PC everything and still size to .358. Oh, and I regularly shoot plain based PC in 223 at 2450 fps.
    These are sized .357" (.0015" over slugged dia). When I tried .358" I saw no difference in accuracy, though the PC on those bullets looked better after firing. The barrel has maybe a couple of thousand jacketed but it was cleaned with a couple of different copper solvents. It was really, really clean before I shot these latest bullets.

    I've been eyeing cast boolits for my AR...thanks for the note about plain bases. I'c like to solve this 9mm dilemma first but I'm about to shelve it and move on to .40/10mm

  11. #11
    Moderator


    Minerat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Jefferson County, CO
    Posts
    9,545
    I have the same trouble accuracy wise with that mould. Some even keyhole on me out of my Bretta nano slugged at 0.357 at 7 yds sized to 0.358. I just treat it as bang bang ammo for my grandson. Right now for him the noise is more important then accuracy. I don't waste PC on them just molybee lube now.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy Rainier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Duvall, WA
    Posts
    294
    The boolits drop from the mold onto a clean towel, get picked up with clean hands and put into a box and then get dumped into the tumbler with the PC.
    After casting, before coating, try washing them with acetone and wear latex gloves to handle them. Just be sure to let the acetone fully evaporate before you put them in an oven
    "Truth is treason in the empire of lies" Ron Paul

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
    Eddie17's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    394
    I use Unique powder at 4.6g with similar Lee 125g boolits. With my guns this is a pet load. Low recoil, good point of aim, etc! My PC holds up from looking at recovered boolits, using Smokes powder,

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Beattie, TX
    Posts
    254
    Thanks all. I guess I'll try the .358" sizer and see where that takes me and the next PC batch I'll try the acetone wash. I just refuse to admit this boolit won't shoot when so many folks use it.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Beattie, TX
    Posts
    254
    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie17 View Post
    I use Unique powder at 4.6g with similar Lee 125g boolits. With my guns this is a pet load. Low recoil, good point of aim, etc! My PC holds up from looking at recovered boolits, using Smokes powder,
    I'll try that 4.6, thanks.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    115
    I have had issues with that boolit as well. What I found was that after I started PC-ing the slugs they became difficult to seat into a casing due to increased friction, no lube. A roll test showed that many would actually deform....the nose would bend. Hard to see just looking, but roll them and it's there. Rub a little lube on them as you seat them into a casing and all is well.

    Chris

  17. #17
    Banned
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    3,409
    Not to be critical -- your coating on your boolits looks a little thick with not quite complete coverage to me.

    Try Swirling a little longer and remove/sift off a little more PC before baking.

    Washing in acetone really isn't necessary IF you keep the boolits clean from time of casting until you PC them.

    Does the PC look/feel completely dry in your bowl?

    Sometimes IF the humidity is high it helps to warm the boolits to no more than 150° [if you can't touch them bear handed they are too hot]

    every gun is a little different in what it likes.

    Do you get leading with .358?

    do you have a cool whip container you can try to swirl in?

    none of my guns was a big fan of the 120 TC +1 on unique 4.6, 4.7 for more accurate than the other unique charges.

    try both larger .358 and harder COWW quenched after PCing and see what the old girl likes best.

    I had a 1/2" smaller group with Red dot just under 4 grains

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Plymouth County, IA
    Posts
    708
    Not looking at a manual, but that much Unique sounds like plenty for a cast bullet. I think that is close to what I use in a lead/lubed 45ACP. Back off the powder a touch, guessing mid 4s will fix your issue.
    Take a kid to the range, you'll both be glad you did.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    10,572
    heated them back up to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes
    Try 1 hr heated, then into ICE water. Drop the load 1/2 gr. 50/50 is about 2% Sb and on the edge for hot loads. Also need to wait ~ 1 wk before firing for hardness to be achieved. Adding arsenic (shot) to the alloy will speed up hardening. Basically hitting soft alloy a tad too hard. Also, cull any rolled bases - BB is not bad but poor fillout isn't concentric. Most in your pic look good.
    Whatever!

  20. #20
    Boolit Master


    cwlongshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Central Connecticut
    Posts
    3,729
    Here is what I do:

    https://youtu.be/w6lDHPWbyPc

    Hope this helps ya.

    CW
    NRA Life member • REMEMBER, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE its being paid for in BLOOD.
    Come visit my RUMBLE & uTube page's !!

    https://www.RUMBLE.com/user/Cwlongshot
    https://youtube.com/channel/UCBOIIvlk30qD5a7xVLfmyfw

Page 1 of 2 12 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