Coating GC rifle boolits... specifically, .30 cal

[Beagle333]

Today I wanted to try out something I had read about... using fender washers. I had previously tried using some 5/16 nuts under non-stick foil, and that was a complete failure. So today, I got a box of fender washers from HD and tried a new method.

I lined the washers up on my piece of aluminum. (Which is just the bottom, cut out of a cookie sheet):


A closer look:


Then covered it with non-stick foil and pressed it down:


Inserted the boolits, "popping" them down through the foil. I am using the MiHec .308 hunting boolit today. One nice thing about using washers vs just sitting boolits on nuts.... they don't fall over when bumped or during moving.


Sprayed it down with powder. This is Candy Apple Red.
I was intending to use HF red, but I can't tell the difference when it is in powder form. I was surprised later, when it started curing.


I got the little B&D toaster up to 400 (see casting thermometer inside.... it was all I had to use as an indicator) Dial on toaster reads 480 at this point. Obviously wrong.


And here they are! Not HF, but a nice Candy Apple.... oh well.
I do not know why the candy colors migrate away from the boolit on the foil when curing.... my PB pistol boolits do that with candy colors as well.



Ready for gas checks!


(Note: this color shouldn't bake at 400, so as soon as I noticed it was not HF red, I turned it down to 350 and shortened baking time to 13 minutes.)

I will stop here. I figure you know how to install gas checks.

Happy Shooting!

[RickinTN]

I know nothing about powder coat but have been thinking of studying up on it. Your bullets look great! The one question mark I have in my mind is "how much will the additional diameter of the nose effect the seating depth of the bullet?
Take care,
Rick

[Beagle333]

It won't, on mine, because I size the nose.

Here's the link.... see post #9 (which is actually using this very boolit.)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...er#post2489203

[RickinTN]

Thanks for the link. I read some of it. PC sounds like the perfect "fix" for my 30 cal bullets that drop @ .298-.299, or at least those bullets sound like the perfect candidate for PC.
Thanks,
Rick

[Beagle333]

Yes. It does add about .002, so it really does help on undersize boolits. I had a 358429HP that I really liked, that drops .3575 exactly, but I like to shoot .3585 and so I was "beagling" the mold to get it to size, but now with PC, it is resized back perfectly from .359-.360 after coating.

[bangerjim]

Excellent examples of perrrrrrrrfect boolits coated! You cannot achieve results like that with the liquid slopping or dry fumbling methods! I know......I've tired. I still use ONLY the ES application.

I have a bunch of 30's I need to do and I will try your method over mine. I punch holes in Al roof flashing with the correct size HF gasket punch and stick them in. Works great, but the washers may be faster! Glad you posted good pix.

Now I need to do a bunch of 223's!

Keep up the good work!

banger

[Solus]

hmm Ill have to try out those fender washers for my 30 cal bullets thanks!

[Tech2]

Does anybody have any data on how fast you can push a PC rifle bullet without a gas check and how much faster will it go with a gas check? My thinking is that a LEE tumble lube design with microgroves properly powdercoated probably doesn't need a gas check. It should conform and seal on its own. I am looking at .308 size boolits.

[Garyshome]

Looking real fine!

[sparky45]

Be careful of Beagle333, he's an enabler.

[Bullshop]

Please let us know how they shoot and at what velocity.

[David R]

I am shooting good groups with my 308 using 115 gr powder coated bullets from Bayou bullets @ 1825 chronograph fps. 1 1/8 @ 50 yards, 3.5 @ 100 yards.

[C. Latch]

I use those exact washers to ESPC my .311-165s for my 30-30. Shot some today. I need to chronograph them.

How fast does a .30-30 flat-point (.25" nose) need to go to blow a hole in a deer?