Question about hardness [Archive]

lockinload

03-21-2014, 07:52 AM

If a bullet is going to be jacketed or plated or powder coated, how important is the
hardness of the lead?

bangerjim

03-21-2014, 01:50 PM

Jacketed are usually soft lead because they are swaged.

Home-brew plated one are very thin and that plating is basically worthless. Lead should be whatever you use normally. Some slugs that are commercially rotary plated can get relatively thick.....for electroplating.....but not like J's

PC'd allows you to use a bit softer as the coating adds some protection. The lead still needs to be tough and do what you want it to at the end of it's journey! I use 9-10 for subsonic and ~14 for rifles then PC.

banger