Does anyone PC for accuracy?

[jhunter77]

Just wondering if anyone powder coats for accuracy. It seems like most PC for pistols and large volumes. If I am after accuracy is PC bullets the way to go in a rifle? Thanks for the help!

[Yodogsandman]

I like to think of it more as another "tool in the toolbox" in the quest for ultimate accuracy. PC works very well to increase a boolits size in a particular area easily as opposed to lapping out a mold. PC'ing boolits (for rifles) is still in it's research and development stage. I suspect that the few that are getting ubber accuracy from PC'd boolits would do just as well or better with lubed ones. Or paper patched boolits for that matter. More research needs to be done by folks that really know what they're doing, with bench rest techniques and really shoot great to begin with. My own experience, so far is that I can get better accuracy with the lubed rifle boolits.

Pc'd boolits are prettier, though and garners a lot more interest from shooters at the range. All the various colors available do make it fun!

[Beagle333]

If I am understanding that you want to improve your accuracy over lubed boolits, rather than get your PC boolits to shoot just as good as lubed, here is my two cent opinion.

I think PC would add more uncontrollable variables to a rifle boolit that would complicate getting better accuracy than a lubed boolit. I do coat rifle boolits, but I don't shoot for accuracy with them. (I don't shoot a lot of paper)
With PC, the thickness of the coat can very, especially from side to side on the same boolit, you can get imperfections added to the very important bases (dings, flashing or lumps, depending if you tumble or spray) and if you were to get enough difference in the coat on one side vs the other, what will that do to your center of gravity as the boolit spins along off-center? I don't know how much wobble it would take to throw a rifle boolit off by any noticeable amount, but it is very easy to get a thousandth difference in the coating thickness from one side to the other. All are just more variables introduced.
Even on my boolits that I suspend from wires and coat them from all sides, I suspect that I do not improve the concentricity of the boolit any by doing so.






Even then, the only bare spot is down inside of one lube groove and doesn't touch the barrel, but a couple of questions remain..... did I move the center of gravity off to one side or the other? Did I change any flight coefficient of the nose or the base?





(btw..... this was a test. I do not coat all of my rifle boolits this way. 'Talk about labor intensive!)

[nekshot]

I shoot only for accuracy period. I have found PC needs more attention to detail than Lubed boolits to shoot tight but I also am finding I can get about 400 more fps out of the groubs than with lube till the groubs open up. I would never want to say PC is better than lubing but for me it is better. I am satisfied after 2200 fps I go to jacketed bullets if I need tight groubs.

[Smoke4320]

I can post at least 6 different rifle calibers that I load for that get very good to extremely good accuracy
right off the bat 6.5x55, 300 Blackout, 308, 358 win, 458 socom and 45-70
most are at or near low jacketed velocities
once I find an accurate load I don't try to push to max velocities
Attachment 135851Attachment 135852Attachment 135853
Pic 3 is a 7TCU Pistol at 50 yds

Attachment 135855

Thyis is a 5 shot 200 yd group with a Milhec 312-159HP out of a 10.5" Noveski 300 Blackout SBR running 1900 FPS

Now with all That Said and some pics posted .. right now we have not been able to push to full jacketed velocities .. we have only been doing PC'ed bullets for about a year.. what discoveries will we find as more and more experiment ???

[Smoke4320]

Just did this Easter Sunday
Attachment 136159Attachment 136160Attachment 136161
5 shots 50 yds , 4shots at 200 then moved sights for a center shot , chrono results at show very good velocity

[nekshot]

Just did this Easter Sunday
Attachment 136159Attachment 136160Attachment 136161
5 shots 50 yds , 4shots at 200 then moved sights for a center shot , chrono results at show very good velocity

That is fine shooting! You have things working for yourself and we can all get there with work. I find when I install GC first (I dap boolit base in a sticky alox glob then instal GC and size) then PC and resize before I insert boolit into case I get good results. I made blocks of wood and drilled for the nose of boolit so I can bake them upside down and keep the base and area that fits into cartridge intact with P I get exellent looking boolits and good results and my hands stay clean and equipment stays clean.

[jhunter77]

Thanks for all the input

[StromBusa]

We need a mag lev tray

If I am understanding that you want to improve your accuracy over lubed boolits, rather than get your PC boolits to shoot just as good as lubed, here is my two cent opinion.

I think PC would add more uncontrollable variables to a rifle boolit that would complicate getting better accuracy than a lubed boolit. I do coat rifle boolits, but I don't shoot for accuracy with them. (I don't shoot a lot of paper)
With PC, the thickness of the coat can very, especially from side to side on the same boolit, you can get imperfections added to the very important bases (dings, flashing or lumps, depending if you tumble or spray) and if you were to get enough difference in the coat on one side vs the other, what will that do to your center of gravity as the boolit spins along off-center? I don't know how much wobble it would take to throw a rifle boolit off by any noticeable amount, but it is very easy to get a thousandth difference in the coating thickness from one side to the other. All are just more variables introduced.
Even on my boolits that I suspend from wires and coat them from all sides, I suspect that I do not improve the concentricity of the boolit any by doing so.






Even then, the only bare spot is down inside of one lube groove and doesn't touch the barrel, but a couple of questions remain..... did I move the center of gravity off to one side or the other? Did I change any flight coefficient of the nose or the base?





(btw..... this was a test. I do not coat all of my rifle boolits this way. 'Talk about labor intensive!)

[kryogen]

IMO cast bullets are not for accuracy... when I want accuracy I buy match bullets, and I can get those in a group that touches at 200 yards....

[bangerjim]

I agree. Commercial FMJ boolits designed, built, and sold for dead-on accuracy will beat cast most days (repeatability). I cast, coat, and shoot for fun only and am VERY happy with the performance and accuracy of PC in hand guns AND rifles. Nothing over ~70 yards.

If you are "natt-picker-offer" at 500 yards or so.....stick with commercial (and pricy!) precision made boolits. Use PC for fun. And to save tons of money.

banger-j

[kryogen]

I agree. Commercial FMJ boolits designed, built, and sold for dead-on accuracy will beat cast most days (repeatability). I cast, coat, and shoot for fun only and am VERY happy with the performance and accuracy of PC in hand guns AND rifles. Nothing over ~70 yards.

If you are "natt-picker-offer" at 500 yards or so.....stick with commercial (and pricy!) precision made boolits. Use PC for fun. And to save tons of money.

banger-j

I shoot match 308 bullets at 700 meters but I like cast for pistol.

[docstodd]

for me PC bullets are for developing the skills necessary to get the full benefit of those pricey more accurate bullets

[MBTcustom]

In other words, PC is a real kick in the shorts in the accuracy department, and leans totally on it's shocking good looks?
Hmmmm
I will be trying a few things. I think trying to get away from lube is a bad idea. I'm going to experiment with several lubes and see if I can get the PC to be a little more plug and play.
My experience with PC so far is that it at least doubles the group size vs. a standard lubed and checked bullet (in rifles), and I don't think that's due to imbalances of the bullets.
Maybe it will do better with a lubed bullet.

[Beagle333]

For long shots in your rifle, I believe you'd fare better with a lubed boolit. You don't vary the center of gravity and concentricity as much when you fill a symmetrical groove (or three) and push that through a sizer of known diameter so that you know that the lube is perfectly distributed around the boolit and evenly. There is just not a good way to spray on a coating and keep everything perfectly distributed when it is done by a human and usually outdoors.

It looks good, is very clean during loading and shooting in my 6-guns though! It doesn't appreciably vary the path of my 250gr .45 slug going 8-900 fps.

[bilmac]

That is fine shooting! You have things working for yourself and we can all get there with work. I find when I install GC first (I dap boolit base in a sticky alox glob then instal GC and size) then PC and resize before I insert boolit into case I get good results. I made blocks of wood and drilled for the nose of boolit so I can bake them upside down and keep the base and area that fits into cartridge intact with P I get exellent looking boolits and good results and my hands stay clean and equipment stays clean.

I had the same thought, stand the bullets on their noses to bake but I thought 400degrees might be close to setting wood on fire. You haven't had any problrms???

[10sandxs]

Regarding accuracy, this was a big concern when I started PC. I shoot bullseye, and accuracy is something you can never have enough of. I loaded my standard 45 acp accuracy load with lubed and PC bullets from the same casting session. The loads were tested in a 6" Rock River bullseye gun mounted in a ransom rest at 50 feet in an indoor shooting range. Accuracy was indistinguishable between lubed and PC.

I'll be casting some 7mm 145 gr RCBS bullets in the next month or so to try out in two XP100s and a few Tc contenders. Will report results when I get them.

[StromBusa]

Regarding accuracy, this was a big concern when I started PC. I shoot bullseye, and accuracy is something you can never have enough of. I loaded my standard 45 acp accuracy load with lubed and PC bullets from the same casting session. The loads were tested in a 6" Rock River bullseye gun mounted in a ransom rest at 50 feet in an indoor shooting range. Accuracy was indistinguishable between lubed and PC.

I'll be casting some 7mm 145 gr RCBS bullets in the next month or so to try out in two XP100s and a few Tc contenders. Will report results when I get them.

Good to know! thank's for sharing.

[gunoil]

I dont know much but coated then run thru the star lube & a gas check too. Just alot of fun making them.

[robertbank]

That is fine shooting! You have things working for yourself and we can all get there with work. I find when I install GC first (I dap boolit base in a sticky alox glob then instal GC and size) then PC and resize before I insert boolit into case I get good results. I made blocks of wood and drilled for the nose of boolit so I can bake them upside down and keep the base and area that fits into cartridge intact with P I get exellent looking boolits and good results and my hands stay clean and equipment stays clean.

I use 7.62x25 pistol cases riveted to cut cookie sheets and place the bullets nose down into the case. They usuallly fit down to the driving band. I do that with 9MM and 38spl cases using riveted 9MM cases on the same sheets. Works great. Never thought of using wood.

Take Care
Bob