Powder coating jacketed bullets?

[Tripplebeards]

I was thinking about this tonight because my limited run 7600 Remington chamber and 35 Whelan slugs at .358”. I’ve tried dozens of ladder tests and powders with 180 grain speer hot cores, 180 grain Tssx, and 200 grain Hornady bullets with the best group measuring 1.5”. Remington claimed it shot a 3/4” group with factory 200 grain core locts at 100 yards which I find hard to believe. It won’t feed cast so cast boolits are out. I figured maybe if I powder coat sone of the jacketed .358” bullets the increase in diameter might tighten my groups? Been crimping all my loads with a Lee custom collet factory crimp die so I have a nice even seal. Anyone try powder coating jacket bullets to increase diameter and aid in better accuracy?

[NSB]

What’s the twist rate on your barrel? Factory was 1:16 from Remington. The 7600 was never noted for being a sub 1moa gun with any cartridge. Getting 1.5moa is not all that bad with a barrel that has a 1:16 twist from the factory. A 1:12 will shoot a bit better in most cases.

[Tripplebeards]

I’d have to Google it but I can tell you my 7600 chambered in 30-06 will shoot better then half MOA with several hand loads. My 7600 chambered in 35 rem will shoot just under MOA with several loads as well. Their barrels are free floated from the factory being the pump r slide does not touch the barrel. The triggers in them are all under 3 pounds as well. Pretty positive it’s a 1/14 twist. I don’t get hung up on twist rates. Gave up on that theory decades ago building up light weight predator loads. Crossed that bridge a few years back again in 243 AR 10’s. I was told a faster 1/8 twist rate won't stabilize speed demon 55 and 60 grain pills. Bought 2 upper with 1/7 and 1/8 twist rates that stack them on top of each other pushing over 4,000 fps with both 55 and 60 grainers with a good dozen plus loads I tried in each upper. What imo is making my accuracy not the greatest is the barrel slugs at .358”. I asked Remington what it should slug at when it was there for feeding issues. I told them it wasn’t the greatest for accuracy and what it slugged at. They told me it was about in the middle to the high end for acceptable diameter tolerances. Both my 7600 and 336 chambered in 35 Remington slug at .357”. They both shoot sub MOA with hand loads. The 336 is the gun I shot the 100 yard group in my avatar. So I am guessing after trying way over a 100 ladder tests in my whelen and not get better than 1.5 MOA that I need to start thinking outside the box. I wish cast would cycle. Gave up on cast with that gun along time ago. It went back to Remington because it wouldn’t cycle jacketed right off the bat. Came back right during the bankruptcy. It now cycles jacketed but still not cast. Not going to even try to go down the cast road again. Same with my 450BM. Some guns just won’t cycle cast reliably. Figured if I powder coated jacketed bullets to increase the diameter to .359 or .360 I might get better accuracy? Not a test I plan on doing any time soon because rut is here and bucks are running. Most my free time is being spent in the woods because it’s archery season. So I have time to get some helpful suggestions. I’ll have to tumble a few and try them worse case scenario. Just didn’t save any load data was not ONE load I tried imo that shot worth a darn. All I know is my 336 is super accurate sized at .3595” and slugs at .357”. I figure PCing over .358” jacketed ammo will bump it to .360”. Not planing on sizing them of course…just tumble coating and baking like I would cast. Figured it would grab the rifling a lot better and increase the accuracy in my 7600? I can tell you the 180 grain TSSX tipped all copper Barnes bullets were the worse for accuracy…as usual in all my gun tested over the years. It made me think of these just like cast because they aren’t like soft lead in copper jacket that ecpands a little in diameter when firing. Figured a PC coat on my cup and core bullets would help with a diameter build up and increase accuracy overall…the copper Barnes I won’t use but gave me the idea.

I’m guessing the 35 whelan caliber is not a probably better than 1.5 MOA in most guns as I looked at an average group size in this article…

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editor...rtridge/464067

I just would like to get some better accuracy out of it if possible than what it is currently producing. Realistically it was bought for a fun extra deer hunting gun. But I have alot of other deer rifles that will shoot all in the same hole (or close to it) at 100 yards with a lot less recoil so imo if I can’t get it to tighten up I’ll never end up using the gun. Just hoping for some accuracy suggestions. I’ve seen these guns going for an arm and a leg lately on gunbroker so if I can’t get it to shoot I’m sure I could get enough out it for a custom rifle but imo I don’t think the whelan probably shoots any tighter know matter how much coin gets dumped into it.

[white eagle]

try a heavier bullet, the Whelen shoots better with heavier bullets (in my rifle anyway)
also is the 7600 a pump? If so not the best platform for accuracy.

[Tripplebeards]

Yep it’s a pump. I get tighter groups with my pump 7600 30-06 than I do with some of my bolt guns. I’ve shot .2/.4” groups pretty consistently with hand loads it likes. With my pump 7600 35 Rem I get .7/.8” groups at best so far with 180 Speer hot core hand loads. Never tried any other projectiles in it. I have some 220 grain speer and I think I might have a few 250 grain jacketed bullets to try. Just didn’t want to go that heavy since I planned on using it for deer hunting and wanted a little flatter trajectory. I’m sure a longer/heavier bullet would stabilize better in it. I still think increasing bullet diameter would help as well. Gotta a feeling it’s just going to end up being a close range novelty gun if I can’t get it to shoot MOA or better. Normally all my goto hunting loads all shoot all under a half inch.

[Kosh75287]

What keeps the rifle from feeding cast projectiles?
Back when I envisioned the need for a fast-handling "back up" gun for hunting dangerous (non-African) animals, I seriously considered getting a 7600 in .35 Whelen. 1.5 MOA would have been more than enough accuracy for short-range emergencies.

[Tripplebeards]

They feed high and to the right if I remember…and not consistently. I even sacrificed a magazine. I played with the feed lips and modified the feed ramp with zero luck. If I could get cast to feed in it. I planned on using our group buy 200 grain HP boolit that I use in my 336. My 200 grain HP loaded for my 336 feeds and cycles like butter in my 7600 35 Rem but I’ve never fired or tested the load for accuracy in the pump. The Whalen just won’t feed. Jams every time no matter how short or long the OAL is in my test dummy rounds. Beat that project like a dead horse and and gave up a few years back. Guns been sitting ever since.