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Thread: Best Cheap PC?

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Feb 2019
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    Best Cheap PC?

    I've used eastbrook and harbor freight; I seemed to have better luck with the HF, but what are some folks favorite cheap PC?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Oct 2012
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    It is all cheap when you consider how little it takes to coat 1000 bullets.

    I stick with Eastwood or Smokes'

    PS I tried HF powder. Waste of money for me. Tossed it in the trash and bought the Eastwood.
    Last edited by charlie b; 03-03-2021 at 09:26 PM.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Hard to beat for price the HF price especially with the 20-25% off coupons.

  4. #4
    Banned
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    If you like HF ...use it. I still use it. My Powder coating experience is that here in Wisconsin humidity make ALL the difference. Harbor Freight works fine when powder coating works. It makes a thinner coat but it is thick enough and a person can always put on another coat.
    I use other stuff also. Smokes...I use the clear and the translucent copper. I find that the clear put's on about three times the thickness of HF. That is neither bad or good...I just have to allow for the thicker coat.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy elginrunner's Avatar
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    it depends on how much aggravation you enjoy... i don't so I bought some eastwood. Stick to the hi gloss and you should be pleased....

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Smokes!

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy


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    Cheapest? I don't know, I value my time and resources too much. Smokes is the best quality and easiest to use that you can get. The clear works so well I have dry tumbled without BBs in a Florida rainstorm and it turned out perfect.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Smokes works great and it's not like the stuff is expensive. $30 in PC will last much longer than $30 of lead, powder, or primers. The cost per bullet is measured in fractions of a penny.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master


    AndyC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by reddog81 View Post
    the cost per bullet is measured in fractions of a penny.
    ding-ding-ding!
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  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have some of Smoke's that I really like. Prior to that I used HF red; never tried their other colors. Always had good coverage with it. As other have said, cost per bullet in very minimal.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

    Kraschenbirn's Avatar
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    Looking for 'cheap'? Remember that you (usually) get exactly what you pay for. I started with HF because it was available OTC just down the road but soon switched to Smoke's and haven't encountered any cause to change. So far approx. 15-1600 boolits from last pound of 'Clear Gloss' I purchased and still have 3/4 of a pt. Mason Jar left.

    Bill
    Last edited by Kraschenbirn; 03-05-2021 at 05:16 PM.
    "I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."

    Jimmy Buffett
    "Scarlet Begonias"

  12. #12
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by Tripplebeards View Post
    Smokes!
    What he said!

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

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    Smokes clear gloss with a pinch of black. Nuff said.
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    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    high standard 40's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oley55 View Post
    Smokes clear gloss with a pinch of black. Nuff said.
    That looks good. Very nice. I'm not much of a fan of the gaudy colors.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    exactly. I bought a pound of white and 1/3 samples of clear, black and blue. 2:1 white and another color makes for some purty fancy/gaudy bullets, but I'm thinking the clear and a pinch will keep the "hey, what's that, how did you do that?" folks mostly away. Haven't tried a pinch of other colors yet, but assume it will still work and provide enough color for gun/loads coding.

    A note on the pinch of black. Any flaws or tiny wrinkles seem to attract the black in what I thought had already been inspected bullets. Not sure if that's a plus or a minus.
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I got 2 sample packs of powder from Smoke and it does go a long way.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I stopped using colors a year or two ago. Bought a bunch and normally just use smokes clear because it coats evenly year around.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    May 2015
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    Powder Buy The Pound
    Sort by price then move upwards looking at attributes. $9 a pound is all it takes for perfection - assuming the color contributes nothing to the function.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


    Burnt Fingers's Avatar
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    https://roseyspowdercoating.com/coll...ucts/ink-black

    $9 a lb. It's an awesome black. I use it all the time. Also the Astatic Red. It's a bit more money.
    NRA Benefactor.

  20. #20
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Texas
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    As others have said you get what you pay for. I had some HF white that I never got to work. I have some eastwood black that works better then the HF but Smokes blue work great the first time. I'll stick with Smokes.

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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