Powder Coating and lead hardness?

[charlie b]

PC is not a magic thing. Yes, it will prevent leading most of the time (if the bullet is fitted properly) but it does not make the bullet harder. And at some point in the velocity spectrum you will need a gas check. I use them above 1500fps.

Pure lead is a problem when casting bullets with grooves and such. Round balls it works well, but, it needs some tin to better fill out more complex mold shapes. How much tin depends on your needs. Many pistol loads are lower pressure and can be made with softer lead. If you think you might want to heat treat you'll need to add some antimony.

I saw mention of rifles and >2000fps. At those pressures a soft bullet will be slammed hard and deform in the barrel. The PC will prevent leading but will not keep the shape from getting messed up. The higher the chamber pressure the harder the bullet needs to be.

So, my recommendation. Find someone who has a muzzleloader and trade some of the lead for tin to help you alloy your batch for making bullets. Might even find someone with some linotype to trade with if you are lucky. For pistols you can get away with just adding some wheel weight alloy (50-50?). Of course you can always go to Rotometals and buy some tin and/or antimony alloy.

Then make up your alloy to match what you are shooting. FWIW, I use Lyman #2 for my rifle shooting. It works to at least 2200fps.

[Grayone]

I think for most pistol shooting, too many worry about bhn. While pure lead may not cast well, it will shoot fine with low pressure loads like 38sp or 45acp. As pressure goes up, your alloy needs to be a bit tougher. I find range scrap, about 9-10bhn shoots fine in 9mm & 40 minor as well as 45acp & midrange mags. Powder coating just makes it less messy.

Ditto, these are my findings too. I cast ~12-15 BHN on rifle rounds powder coated up to ~2200 FPS. I have had no leading issues and get hunting accuracy.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I shoot pure dead soft lead all the time. All my self-defense hollow points are made of the stuff. For 38spl and 45 Auto PC is all that is needed. For 9x19 I found that I need to add a gas check with the PC. In 308win and 7.62x39 I use very soft range scrap with PC and a gas check. They shoot really good. Maybe add a little tin to rifle loads other than that dead soft is fine.

[charlie b]

I would be curious what vel your rifle loads are and how accurate at range.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

In 308win I shoot a Lee RNGC that weighs 176gr and I load with 22.0 of 5744 and I get 1761fps or 1211 ft/lbs. 2.551OAL/0.20jump/2.005" trim.

In 7.62x39 I get best performance with a Lee boolit that weighs 165gr loaded with 19.0 of 5744 and I get 1721fps or 1058ft/lbs with a 2.170COL.

In 308win I get better accuracy without the PC with 7.62x39 I get better accuracy with the PC so go figure.

[405grain]

Super Sneaky Steve: On your 308 loads; It takes very little tin to help the castability of an alloy. You might try adding just a little bit of lead free solder into the pot: not enough to really change the hardness of the bullets, but just enough so that you get more complete fill out in the mold. This might give you some improved accuracy with that load. It will still be "dead soft", just possibly a little more uniform. I've been casting 148 grain solid base wadcutters for 38 Special, and PCing them. I want them as soft as possible, but I was getting some "rounding on the corners" until I added about a 3" piece of lead free solder into the mix. That gave me good definition on my bullets, but I could still dig a fingernail into them.