What I Found With the Powder Coated Rifle Bullets

[Johnch]

OK a little while ago I ask if Powder Coating would stand up to rifle velocity and pressures
I figured I would post my findings

Well I tested the Lee 155 gr standard grease grove bullet designed for the 7.62 x 39 powder coated and Gas checked

I used that bullet powder coated , gas Checked and sized to .314 in the 7.62 x 39
I used what should have been just over a starting load of AA 1680
No leading
I shot 100 shots out of the AK 47
Expect for a couple of OH Crud shots ( My fault ) from rushing
The groups were as good or better than any that rifle has shot with either cast or jacketed bullets



That bullet powder coated , Gas Checked and sized to .310 loaded in the 7.62 x 51 , shot in my FN FAL
I started with the Service Rifle H 4895 starting load in PMC cases
After 20 shots there was a small amount of leading in the last 3" or 4" of the barrel , cleaned the barrel
So I reduced the powder charge 10% and shot another 20 shots
No leading
The group was just under 4"
I reduced the load another 2 grains and shot another 20 shot group
This group was just over 2" at 100 yards , about the same group size I got before with the same bullet
But using standard lube


The same bullet powder coated , Gas Checked and sized to .310 and loaded in the 300 Black Out , 16" AR 15
I used IMR 4227 and the load is 1700 FPS
No leading after over 100 shots
I shot a 10 shot group at 100 and a 10 shot group at 200 yards
At 100 yards the group was just under 2" , at 200 yards the group was just over 4"
This is the first time I shot this bullet in the barrel
But with 180 and 200 and 230 gr bullet the barrel shoots better groups
So more testing is needed
Also this bullet might not be the best for my barrel

John

[slide]

You did it the right way. Look at all you learned!

[Hick]

When I started PC I made up a batch of plain-based boolits sized 0.309 for my M1 Garand. PC then resized to 0.309. No gas check. Lyman #2. I did a load ladder and went a little too high on the powder load-- well over 2000 fps on the high end. I manged to recover one boolit that went through the target board then skipped along about 100 yards in gravel. Except for the marks from the rifling the PC was entirely un-damaged. PC is good stuff!

[JimB..]

Great info, thanks!

[DanWalker]

Great info! Thanks for putting in the work and doing it right.

[lesterktm]

Thanks. I am going to be testing in PC .223 soon.

[popper]

Alloy problem, not PC problem. I run 2700 in my ar10.

[BentSprings]

I agree with Popper that your alloy is not quite up to what is being asked of it. Gas checked powder coat is capable of far more speed and accuracy than some folks here give it credit for if your alloy is right.

[Forrest r]

Alloy problem, not PC problem. I run 2700 in my ar10.

Was thinking the same thing, dropped my alloy down to 14bhn (91/4.5/4.5) from 21bhn 50/50 mix of pure lead/foundry type (81/7.5/11.5)

The lee 312-160 tl bullet sized to .311" in a 308w the 2679fps load is a 10-shot 1 1/2" group @ 100yds.
[IMG][/IMG]

[Doughty]

Forrest r,

What rifle and barrel twist rate? And, while I'm asking, what grove diameter? Please.

[flyingmonkey35]

Those groups out of a ak are awesome.

Not saying ak are bad. They can be very accurate. But in my exp. They were made for spray and pray. Not accuracy.



Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[wolfwing]

Nice report. Do you think the results would be similar with a plain base design?

[kerplode]

OK a little while ago I ask if Powder Coating would stand up to rifle velocity and pressures
I figured I would post my findings
<snip>

Fantastic info...Thanks for sharing!

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have developed a real 'thumper' load for the 7.62x39 by using 190gn 0.314" (PC/GC) boolits, sized to 0.313" in my JW103 Norinko rifle (copy of the Model 70). It has a 24" barrel, chrome lined and a 1:10" twist. I chronographed several loads but 23.5gn of 3031 seems to hit the jackpot in terms of power and acuracy.