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Thread: Powdercoating bullets for semi-auto service rifles, Recommendations?

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    I use up to 1/2% Cu with Pb, Sb and As H.T. after PC. 3 shot MOA @ 200 on steel from 1:10 carbine @ 2400 fps. 24" upper, same accuracy (100) but 2700 fps. Didn't have the rifle upper with me at the farm.
    Whatever!

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    I've alloyed the copper in by first adding tin the dipping a piece of tinned copper in the melt at some elevated temp. It takes a while but eventually the copper dissolves into the lead-tin alloy. this way one can limit the copper uptake. I found that it toughens a soft alloy and seems to keep a harder alloy less brittle or not brittle at all. Yhat determination was by means of the hammering a boolit on the nose into a coin shape. I had no hardness testing means so I can't put numbers on it. Now that I've been forced into retirement I might get the time to do more experimenting.
    Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)

    ''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''

  3. #23
    Boolit Mold
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    Do you even need the GC if you're going with powder coat?

    -Physics

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    I haven’t tried without but would think it would be best with gas check to give the bullet a better flat base to push against? Don’t know since never tried without. I hear some say it doesn’t make a difference but don’t know if they are just guessing or if they speak from actual experience.

  5. #25
    Boolit Man
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    In my experience, a GC boolit will be more accurate than one without.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    I have done all three. GC bullet with GC, GC bullet without GC and plain base, all powder coated.

    The GC without the GC were ok as plinkers, ~1000fps. Above that and they made patterns instead of groups.

    Plain base will do ok but I have found them to lose accuracy sooner than GC bullets with GC's. I can get ok accuracy, 2" groups, at 1700fps. Note: in my bolt rifle I routinely get less than 1" at 100yd with PC and GC bullets.

    GC bullets with GC, Lyman #2 alloy, powder coated I have fired at 2400fps in my .308W bolt gun. As mentioned above the twist rate of 1:10 works against it. I find the most accurate groups to be between 1700 and 2000fps.

    I have fired two cast bullets in my Garand. The NOE 165gn XCB and the Acc 21-210E bullets at up to 2000fps. Both functioned the gas system without any malfunctions. Caveat: my M1 is a 1944 production so the spring may be weak and the gas port may be eroded to a larger dia than new.

    I was surprised that the 210gn bullet fed well. It is a long cartridge and has a truncated cone nose that I thought would hang up. I have not played with the loads much but both are 2" or less at 100yd (part of that is my eyes and peep sights).

  7. #27
    Boolit Mold
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    Thank you for answering this. Much appreciated.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kraschenbirn View Post
    +1 on this. I use the RCBS 165 SIL w/Smoke's Clear in my Garand and, at around 2050 fps, it will match ball accuracy out to 200 yards.

    Bill
    He ain’t kidding. That boolit with Smoke’s red & blue mixed and IMR 4350 shot real well in my Garand just today.

  9. #29
    Boolit Mold Plunker's Avatar
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    Hi group, I am new here and new to cast bullets too.I got excited and bought the arsenal mold elvis 77 223 6 cavity mold. I now have made about 40lbs of beautiful powder-coated bullets. Can someone with experience recommend a safe OAL? I have watched all of Elvis Ammo you tube videos and found nothing. I have grown weary searching the internet too. Im hoping to find some help here. I am really enjoying working with PC 9mm loads in my PCC, but Ive never loaded rifle cartridges. Please let me know what works for you. Im using an Anderson 16" mil spec AR15.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    As long as you can make them so that they will still fit the magazine yet not jam up against the rifling origin, close but not so that the bolt doesn’t have to force the boolit into the rifling I’d say for starters.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Plunker: Welcome along. Lots of ifs here that have to do with your rifles barrel. At 77gr you will an eight or nine twist. The Elvis 77 bullet looks to have a crimp groove so I'd start there for an overall length. Also this bullet looks to be a bore rider, Will your barrel accept the greater girth of a powder coated bullet without nose sizing? Gp

  12. #32
    Boolit Mold Plunker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gpidaho View Post
    Plunker: Welcome along. Lots of ifs here that have to do with your rifles barrel. At 77gr you will an eight or nine twist. The Elvis 77 bullet looks to have a crimp groove so I'd start there for an overall length. Also this bullet looks to be a bore rider, Will your barrel accept the greater girth of a powder coated bullet without nose sizing? Gp
    Thanks GP for the quick reply.
    Im not sure I understand about "Nose Sizing". Are there dies for that? I sized my bullets with a Lee sizing die to .224 after powder coating.
    Heres more about my concern.
    When I seat at the crimp ring, I get a touch of chamber contact. I determined this by using a sharpie on a seated powder coated bullet. If I sink the bullet just deep enough in the case to eliminate the contact, I end up with a lotta bullet way past the neck tension area of the case. The bullet base is way deep in the case body.
    It seems that the bullet is fat at the radius where it begins to slope to the rounded nose. I feel like selling the mold, re-melting all the bullets and starting over> Ive only been at this casting/reloading for about 6 months but i have learned a bunch and dont plan to give up any time soon. I welcome any and all advice and experience with the elvis 77gn bullets for 223
    Plunker

  13. #33
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Plunker: I'm not a fan of deep seated bullets either, especially those that have gas checks. I don't own the Elvis 77 myself and had to google a look at it. I powder coat all my cast bullets but one has to remember that the coating will change the dimensions of the bullet by a thousands or two everywhere and while sizing may well take care of the drive bands if the nose is too fat to enter the bore you'll have chambering problems. Yes there are specialty dies (Noe for one) that do nose sizing but, that's a whole "nuther" rabbit hole I wish I had avoided. For MY AR the 55gr. Lyman 225546DV Powder coated and sized .225 over 20gr. 4895 is my go to round. Gp

  14. #34
    Boolit Mold Plunker's Avatar
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    I am thinking I may stop this arsenal 77 idea. Arsenal makes really good molds. About 85-90% were passing close inspection I will try something more widely tested and accepted in the cast community. I hope the Lyman 55gr mold is currently available. So much gun stuff is now backordered.
    GP, your reply has been very helpful but I may have posted in the wrong forum to get replies from people who are actually shooting the Elvis 77 bullet. Can you suggest another place for me to post?
    Knocksville Tennessee, "Where we never have problems...At least very few"

  15. #35
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Plunker: Maybe Molds M&D This spot is likely good as any. Seems you're getting a few replies and suggestions. Gp

  16. #36
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    I don't have an AR, but I have shot my PC'd cast bullets in my old AK and SKS with no problems. I do have to load max charge to function the actions. I just had to work up to the charge that functions my actions and didn't have to try going over max. Thank God cause I don't like that idea at all.

  17. #37
    Boolit Man
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    I have pushed smokes clear powdercoat over water quenched wheel weights +2% tin to 3150. In a 300 win mag. With accuracy lee 309-200. Also works well with 308 velocities with lee 312 155 sized down to 309. I seat GC and size then powdercoat and size again.

    The lee 225-55 on the other hand i can only get to 2500 then the groups open up dramatically.

    Why? I don't know but its repeatable. Might work if i cast super hard little buggers. At 55 grains each it might be worth using the last of my monotype to try it. You can make a heck of a lot of 223 55gn bullets with 10lbs in your pot

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check