Hi-Tek vs. Powdercoating

[mongoose33]

I think I've more or less mastered the powdercoating approach. Can't recall exactly why I started with that instead of Hi-Tek--probably because I could get the equipment immediately from Harbor Freight instead of waiting for shipping w/ Hi-Tek.

Anyway, judging by the number of threads, far more people are using PC than Hi-Tek. I'm not sure that's a great indicator, it is what it is.

So--why do you choose one over the other? Is there an advantage to one or the other?

[RP]

I tried PC like you I could pick it up without ordering and I PC other things now besides bullets. Never tried Hi Tek and I think that would be the tipping point on why more are PCing

[ryokox3]

I have done both. PC is easier than hitek in most situations, especially for pistol boolits. That is not saying hitek is bad, actually it is quite good when done properly. There was a hazmat fee (or a ground only fee- either way it cost more) for the hitek but as I understand there now is a solid/powder version that negates that. I have not used it so I can't comment to that version's effectiveness.

The advantages of pc are the numerous colors, and a bulk method (asbb) and a more precise method (espc) so you can choose which is better for your application. I personally feel that I can make more boolits with PC in a given amount of time than hitek and still have the same or better quality. 9mm Pistol rounds through my sbr mp5 clone showed the pc as having an advantage. For rifle, I only tried 300 blackout, and both seemed to perform equally. That said, I'm still making PC boolits, and it has been well over a year since I used the hi-tek. Hopefully that helps you determine what works best for you.

-RY

[Maximumbob54]

I've bought Hi-Tek coated bullets a few times now and they work but to do it yourself you have to have wet chemicals in the process. I prefer PC since it's all dry in the process so I don't have to worry about fumes except for cooking. The cooking is done in the garage with the door open so no worries there. I equate Hi-Tek's process similar to that of the old wet tumble PC with lacquer thinner. You have to wait for the thinner (or acetone in Hi-Tek) to flash off which means you are going to breath at least a little of that stuff each time. At this point, that's all that's kept me from trying Hi-Tek myself.

[Love Life]

Pick your poison. Both work, both work well.

[popper]

HiTek works great in pistol fps, not so good for HV rifle. Windy today so I stayed at 50, compared (300BO)144gr FNPB (ESPC black @~1800), 155 Amax (slower) and factory Rem 120 gr SP ammo (2200?). With HiTek I get a lot of fliers in rifle. My shooting still sucks, but no fliers with ESPC.
Attachment 152071Attachment 152072

[fredj338]

As popper notes, hi-tek doesn't play well at high vel, above 1500fps. I find hi-tek easier on some ways; easier to handle the bullets & faster to apply for baking. You do have to bake twice though, so pc ends up being about the same time involved. Using hf red, it's pretty cheap too. I like both & will probably use both, just for diff apps.

[leadman]

I picked HT over PCing because more boolits could be coated at a time than with PC.
I do not know where the idea that HT does not work at high velocity. I have exceeded jacketed velocities with HT coated boolits in the 223 Rem, 30-06, and 41 mag. revolver. I do admit that when the jacketed velocity is exceeded the groups do open up some in the 223 and 30-06. The 41 mag. is more accurate with HT than jacketed with a 215gr boolit over 1,500 fps. This is with no GC.

It does take work to get high velocity sometimes and not all firearms cooperate. This is also true when the boolits are lubed with the wax based lubes. I did not try to exceed jacketed velocities with the PC because it is too slow for my purposes. I was coating several thousand boolits at a time with the HT.
The change to the powdered HT enabled the boolits to be water quenched after baking to a higher BHN reading than with the liquid as it does not seem to be affected by additional baking as much as the liquid.

Both coatings work and the individual has to determine what coating suits them. Most members seem to still using wax based lubes.

[popper]

Leadman, not disagreeing with you, just could not get reliable shots with HiTek 308 or 300BO. Too many fliers. I think it is due to first coat coverage, maybe I just can't do it right. With everything else the same, I get more fliers with HiTek. Last target post is 13 ESPC, no fliers. Got lots of HiTek targets, many fliers.

[fredj338]

I picked HT over PCing because more boolits could be coated at a time than with PC.
I do not know where the idea that HT does not work at high velocity. I have exceeded jacketed velocities with HT coated boolits in the 223 Rem, 30-06, and 41 mag. revolver. I do admit that when the jacketed velocity is exceeded the groups do open up some in the 223 and 30-06. The 41 mag. is more accurate with HT than jacketed with a 215gr boolit over 1,500 fps. This is with no GC.

It does take work to get high velocity sometimes and not all firearms cooperate. This is also true when the boolits are lubed with the wax based lubes. I did not try to exceed jacketed velocities with the PC because it is too slow for my purposes. I was coating several thousand boolits at a time with the HT.
The change to the powdered HT enabled the boolits to be water quenched after baking to a higher BHN reading than with the liquid as it does not seem to be affected by additional baking as much as the liquid.

Both coatings work and the individual has to determine what coating suits them. Most members seem to still using wax based lubes.

Well I can bake a whole lot more HT than PC, they don't need delicate handling Just coat & dump in to the wire baskets I use. So I can do far more bullets at one time vs PC, but do have to coat & bake twice for HT.
As to vel, my own testing proves HT just doesn't cut it for accuracy above 1500fps. My 6.8 with PC will shoot under 3" groups @ 100. The HT doesn't even the 8x11 paper!

[mongoose33]

Thanks all! Just trying to learn more about the two methods. I've been working to perfect a system to reduce the time needed to PC, getting there. If it takes roughly the same amount of time, and PC will allow for greater velocities than HT, then I think I'll stick with PC.

Having said that, my brother sent me some some bullets from Acme bullet done in HiTek (9mm 124gr lipstick bullets). Very accurate sitting on top of Universal. So they do work there.

I haven't done any high velocity PC'ing or even casting as of yet; I've got a gas-check mold for .357 magnum, going to start playing with that this weekend. And I have a .270Rem rifle I'd like to cast boolits for, just can't decide on a mold (any suggestions?). That's on the horizon.

[Gremlin460]

Having fooled around with PC for the first time, I find that both work well, however HT is faster, much much faster volume wise.
I coat 3-4K 9mm at a time. if you were to do 200 ,then the turn around for PC would probably be faster.
Its really personal choice.. PC is only "perfect" when ESPC. Tumble works but as we all know is slightly less pretty.
both work, both are fun.

[fredj338]

I just did a few 100 yesterday. The Hi-tek allows you to load more in one basket for me. If they are touching, not a big deal. If the PC bullets are touching, they are going to stick together. The extra baking step of HT offsets the add'l handing of PC. So for me, HT for bulk pistol & PC for rifle or maybe higher vel handgun. I haven't yet run the HT or PC out of say a 357sig.

[leadman]

As the velocity of the boolit increases the strength of the alloy has to follow in order to maintain accuracy. It is no big deal to get very accurate loads up to about 1,800 fps to 2,000 fps. An alloy of around 18 BHN with a gas check will do this. Also the condition of the barrel needs to be excellent in most cases.
The loads with the Lee Bator that I shot in my Contender 23" Rem bull barrel were heat treated linotype with copper gas checks with the velocity over 3,600 fps. These loads did have accuracy that was around 2" at 100 yards, which is not bad but not up to what the gun will do. It shoots bulk Hornady 55gr SP bullets in groups around 1/2" at 100 yards most of the time. If you want to heat treat linotype install the gas checks before doing so, especially if you use aluminum checks. They tend to extrude up the side of the boolit due to the 35 BHN alloy.
In my 1960s era Savage 110CL 30-06 the Lyman 314299 is more accurate than the Hornady 150gr SP jacketed or the Speer 150gr BTSP.
Richard Lee's second manual has a great section on alloy strength versus velocity that helped me understand what is needed to shoot high velocity.
Most of my loads for 30 or 31 caliber rifles is around 1,500 fps to 1,900 fps and the alloy is around 16 BHN with SR4759.
If I weight sort the boolits for best accuracy they shoot better and almost no fliers versus unsorted boolits.

[fredj338]

What about rifle vel w/o a gc? Alloy would be even more important at that point. I am still conviced the HT doesn't do well at higher vel, but then I am not using a gc.

[Brotherbadger]

Pick your poison. Both work, both work well.

Agreed. I go with PC because of the range of colors and the cost.

[ioon44]

I have done both coatings and like the Hi-Tek better. Lots of color choice and less time over all to do higher volume's of boolits.

[fredj338]

Do you guys really care about the color options? As long as it isn't pink, I can live with just about any bullet color. They all hit the berm the same.

[jmort]

"Do you guys really care about the color options?"

I do. Some don't. I like RAL 6001 Emerald Green and 6002 leaf green.

[Maximumbob54]

I do and don't care about colors. I don't want garish bright colors but I don't mind otherwise. I have a bunch of gloss red that I've been mixing with black just because I'm tired of silly looking lipstick bullets.

And it may sound bad but I really don't care for the attention they bring. I'm just done with every other guy at the range that sees them having to ask about them, argue that I'm killing my gun, blah blah blah about how they know better, and explaining how it's done. It would help if EVERY SINGLE ONE of them didn't have a stick in their behind about it but that's been my luck so far.