Bo cast pc boolits 1st try

[sixgunner452]

Hello my name is Randy. I am a Gun-a-holic. I recently purchased my first AR 300 BO upper. I felt my LLA coated boolits might not be up to the task. A few forum members here explained PC might be the way to go. I emailed Smokes and asked which colors covered the best, he gave advise. Being a Motorsport fan, I chose Ford blue. So I ordered up some powder from Smokes, and gave it a try. Here's how it went.........

Powder coat with Smokes Ford blue.

1. Loosely followed Smokes directions. Placed 100 ea pre-heated Boolits in an old Cookie dough plastic container, that displayed the #5 recycle symbol.
2. Placed a level teaspoon of PC powder in container. No air-soft-balls. Won't be here till next week. Shook vigorously, round-n-round, and up-n down for 1 minute.
3. Placed freshly Pc’ed Boolits in a wire basket I made that had a sheet of parchment paper place inside.
4. Placed basket in a pre-heated (400 degrees) (Cheapest they sell) toaster from Walmart. Waited 20 minutes
5. Removed after timer went off. Dunked coated Boolits in a water vessel.

Lessons learned.

o Do not touch freshly PC coated boollits before oven heat cycle. Only after! It will remove PC coating.
o Note to self- Don't throw parchment paper in the water with boolits, BIG MESS.
o Will try aluminum foil next, as Smoke's suggested. Parchment paper NO Bueno!!
o 1 Teaspoon of PC powder is way more than needed.

Over all I am pleased with the results. Just need to fine-tune process. I believe I could load the already sized 311” boolits as is. If I hadn't dunked the still hot boolits in with the parchment paper. Some parchment paper clung (cosmetic's only) to rapidly cooled boolits.
291275

Found I did need to size again, as the PC coated boolits had grown in size. I might add, I did not clean lanolin/alcohol lubed boolits, prior to coating boolits. Still covered well. I guess it ain't rocket science. Randy.,

[oley55]

I might add, I did not clean lanolin lubed boolits, prior to coating boolits. Still covered well.

That's interesting. Did you do the smash test to a couple to make sure you have good adhesion?

PCing surely is way more easy than I had feared.

[sixgunner452]

Sir. I have not done smash test. I figured running them through a 311" then 309" sizer was enough test, might try tomorrow. If I understand correct, just smack with a hammer? Thanks. Randy

[cwlongshot]

I couldnt get .309's ta shoot even .310's was so so .311 made it shoot better. But I always said Fat Bullets rule!! If it fits I shoot it more often then now a fat cast bullet will be superior accuracy wise.


Good luck!! Love the lil 300!!! but.. NOne of maine are really good Cast Bullet launchers. My 30/30's own that title. Thats OK, I dont "NEED" them to be everything to me.

[sixgunner452]

cwlongshot, This is a new gun. I have only fired 60 rounds so far. All loads were the Lee 312"/155 boolit. My first test loads were with LLA, sized 311. Three out of 60 failed to fully chamber. I need to determine if it was the converted 5.56 brass, or too fat of boolits. I saved the 3 rounds that would not fully chamber. Two out of the three were the same make, (5.56 range brass). These three had shiny rings around the case close to the boolit crimp.

None of the once fired 300 BO brass loads failed to chamber. I will be doing an autopsy. Possibly pulling boolits to see if they have thick necks.

Although my fastest load was only 1700 fps, I had zero leading GC LLA coated boolits. About half of the 60 rounds were not gas checked, just LLA. The slower of the loads, approximately 1400-1500 fps.

You are right, I too load my boolits as fat as my chamber will allow. Randy.

[mehavey]

1. What alloy did you use ?
2. What (type of) sizer did you use?

[sixgunner452]

mehavey, my alloy was WD'ed wheel wts. My sizer's are all Lee push through. Her are a couple pix of my smash test I performed this morning. The PC seams to have adhered. Although my blows with the Tonya Harding, ain't exactly straight. Thanks, Randy.

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291301

[mehavey]

1. Push-Through = :bigsmyl2:

2. I suggest you not water drop at all -- PC'd wheel weights will hold their own just fine.

3. Suggest also you let the bullets completely cool before pulling them off the parchment paper
(I actually put the pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes after the oven)
The cool/cold bullets literally fall off the paper at that point
(ps: I'm a big fan of parchment)
:cool:

[sixgunner452]

mehavey, I might give that a try. I was trying to over come the boolits getting scraped up going into an AR chamber. PC alone will probably do. Thanks, Randy.

[358429]

Nice bullets

[mehavey]

OOC: Those bullet appear to have a GC shank in the pic. Is that correct?

[sixgunner452]

mehavey, yes they do have a gas check shank. Thought I would try them without GC. Since I PC'ed. Randy.

[sixgunner452]

To all that are interested/on the fence about Powder coating Boolits. It appears to be a cheap, and trouble-free process. I'm in it for 19.99, toaster oven from Walmart. And 25 bux for the 1 lb PC powder from Smokes. 1LB of PC powder will coat a lot of boolits. Randy.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Looks like you are coming along nicely. I started PC over LLA to fix a problem gun and like it so much I went ahead and PCed everything. You might consider getting a chamber gauge for the 300.

[sixgunner452]

Silvercreek Farmer, I know getting a chamber gauge would be the "right thing to do". This will probably be the only 300 BO I will ever load for. Ammo that chambers in my gun will be good enough. Just have to experiment a little. Randy.

[sixgunner452]

Today I cast up a few more of the Lee 6-banger, 312/155. I've Lee-mented it. Beat it with a hard wood stick. 3 inner cavities still have hanger's. It' starting to just shape up though. Getting better.
I also cast up a few of the Lee DC, 230 gr mold boolits for the first time. This mold whipped into shape easy. I was about to size them to 309". I am glad I stopped to measure a few. As-cast diameter is about 308"-3086". Might have to use PC with this mold. Might not be an option. Glad I got into PC boolits now. Thanks for the encouragement. Randy.

[sixgunner452]

Update. As cast, 230 gr, PCed boolits measue 310. Should be perfect.

[Smoke4320]

Looking good there my friend

[sixgunner452]

Smoke4320, Thanks you Sir. I attribute my success to your great product. I still have an unused/new container of HF powder. Have had, for a year or so. Decided to try some of your product, to ensure success. Glad I did. I was surprised a baby tap with my 12 lb sledge hammer was no match for your PC powder. Thanks, Randy.

[WinchesterM1]

Randy, I’m a gun-aholic also, I have 4 300blks a Ruger ranch a 7.5” AR pistol, a single shot, and a 16”AR.. I use the NOE 310-130rn for all of my supersonic uses. And then I use the NOE 310-225 NLG for my subsonic uses. One thing I have learned with PC is this, prettiness doesn’t matter, I bought a silver wear holder tray that’s wide mesh that fits in my oven I shake(no BBs) then I dump into the tray and shake over parchment paper and then throw it all in the oven for 23 min, when it’s done I dump them into a cake pan from the dollar tree and shake then let it sit for a min shake let it sit for a min and shake untill it’s cooled down, I can bake 2-300 in one cycle. Sure they have bare spots…who cares, sure they are ugly….who cares…they shoot good, I GC and size to .310 for the supersonic. I’ve killed deer with them, and ground hog and they always do well

Good luck

[mto7464]

Randy, I’m a gun-aholic also, I have 4 300blks a Ruger ranch a 7.5” AR pistol, a single shot, and a 16”AR.. I use the NOE 310-130rn for all of my supersonic uses. And then I use the NOE 310-225 NLG for my subsonic uses. One thing I have learned with PC is this, prettiness doesn’t matter, I bought a silver wear holder tray that’s wide mesh that fits in my oven I shake(no BBs) then I dump into the tray and shake over parchment paper and then throw it all in the oven for 23 min, when it’s done I dump them into a cake pan from the dollar tree and shake then let it sit for a min shake let it sit for a min and shake untill it’s cooled down, I can bake 2-300 in one cycle. Sure they have bare spots…who cares, sure they are ugly….who cares…they shoot good, I GC and size to .310 for the supersonic. I’ve killed deer with them, and ground hog and they always do well

Good luck

THis right here is what I do as well. Plus size after not before, waste of time at least for every boolit I have done.

[charlie b]

Welcome to the club :)

I second the suggestion to not water drop. Not needed with PC. I size before and after with most of my molds cause they are a bit oversize for PC. Easier on my arm :)

I use silicone baking sheets instead of foil or paper. They last a long time and I have found you can even scrape off old PC 'globs'. Mine have more than 100 cycles on them so far.

[mto7464]

2 reasons not to water drop from the mold if you are going to be Pc'ing, 1. You will temper them, so water dropping from the mold is a waste of time but water dropping after PC will harden them 2. Putting them on a cloth towel instead keeps them from any contamination that you might get from water dropping and waiting for them to dry.
I PC the same day or next then size when I get time.

I forgot to add, I do quench after powder coating to get my hardness.. I left that major part out, my bad.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’m a big advocate of PC, but you can push boolits pretty fast with LLA and gas checks. I tumble lube, let dry, then size while putting on the gas check and then tumble again. I stand up my PC boolits and got tired of my skinny boolits falling over.

[cwlongshot]

Dont be fooled here. Choosing to quench is COMPLETELY DEPENDANT upon the hardnes that you want.
Quenching AFTER coat simply KEEPS that (closer then air cool) hardness. This is tested and factual no assumptions.

Now NOT quenching after bake will give you a softer overall result. Conversely you can harden a alloy with much longer baking times and a quench. But a relatively (shortish 20min) does a NICE JOB SOFTENING a bullet! (If air cooled after)

As a rule I rarely quench out if the mold. (Water drop) as I prefer to mix the alloy I need.

Again as a rule I quench out of bake to retain that hardness. BUT handgun HP, always get a AIR COOL as harder ore brittle is farthest thing I want.

So know the factual reasons to quench or not.

Dont trust me, im just a guy on the internet. DO THIS AND TEST FOR YOURSELF! I DID!

CW

[oley55]

Are Bo bullets different than other cast bullets or is the the title meant to confuse old guys into wondering why someone would cast and powder coat "body odor"? :kidding:

But seriously, some times the use of abbreviations and/or acronyms only create confusion. Says an old retired Air Traffic Controller who spent 35 years immersed in the world of acronyms. Quiz question: what does the acronym RADAR stand for?

[mto7464]

https://www.thereloadersnetwork.com/2018/11/05/does-cast-bullet-hardness-change-after-powder-coating/

[AndyC]

But seriously, some times the use of abbreviations and/or acronyms only create confusion. Says an old retired Air Traffic Controller who spent 35 years immersed in the world of acronyms. Quiz question: what does the acronym RADAR stand for?
Radio Detection and Ranging (but I was an ATC too for a much shorter time).

[oley55]

Radio Detection and Ranging (but I was an ATC too for a much shorter time).

You mean it's not actually a secret word spelled backwards? LOL