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Thread: Is There A Downside To Powder Caoting Bullets?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Is There A Downside To Powder Caoting Bullets?

    Mainly interested in ~2000-2200fps gas checked rifle bullets.
    Last edited by scottnc; 12-18-2022 at 11:12 AM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    white eagle's Avatar
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    If there is a down side I haven't found it yet
    the only thing I can think of is you keep trying different colors
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    Only downside I see is the time investment if you insist in standing your boolits up for baking. I shake and bake and get sub MOA performance in 30-06 @ 1900 fps vs the 1.5-2 MOA I was getting out of tumble lube. Haven’t been able to break Sub MOA at 2100-2300 fps 1-10” and 1-12” rifles (30-06 and 358 Win) with PC, but stay under 2” with fairly soft alloy.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Time it takes to powder coat , stack and bake then and there is more time needed in sizing the coated boolits and there are times when the coated unsized part of the boolit is too large because of the coating and now something must be done to get that part of the boolit to fit .

    Although everyone will tell you PC'ing is all wine and roses , will heal the sick and raise the dead and cure hives ...it can create problems of it's own . You need an oven , you need powder , it has to be applied correctly and stacked on a tray and baked ... I see it as more time consuming . My Lyman 450 was paid for in 1972 and one cycle of the handle ... pull down - tweak lube flow handle - push up and out pop's a sized and lubricated boolit ...
    The only thing faster is unsized tumble lubeing ... but all my boolits seem to benefit from sizing . I discovered a good lube decades ago (Lithi-Bee) have the recipe and the Lyman 450 lube/sizer paid for ... so I'm not going down the PC rabbit hole .
    Now that said I mainly do Handgun reloading and a few 30 cal. rifles that can get by with Lithi-Bee lube at low velocity .
    Powder Coating may be just the ticket for small bore high velocity loads ...
    Let you needs be your guide ... and your pocket book ... I see a Lyman 4500 sells for $240 now ... out of stock at midway ! I bet Wally Mart has a Toaster Oven in stock !
    Yeah ...$75 will get you a nice toaster oven from Wally Mart and they got plenty in stock ...
    Get your powder from Smoke and don't look back !
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
    …there are times when the coated unsized part of the boolit is too large because of the coating and now something must be done to get that part of the boolit to fit .
    Gary
    Good point! I’m not interested in nose sizing, but have generally been able to adjust seating depth a bit to get my PC’d boolits to chamber reliably. If it really came down to it, I wouldn’t mind buying a custom mold for a high volume caliber with the appropriate sized nose for PC, if needed.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Everything has negatives and positives, just depends on what you are looking for. I have to size some powder coated bullets and can use others that were too small. Being retired don't really worry about a little extra time, I don't shoot large volumes and I'm having fun tinkering around. All I needed to buy was a couple pounds of powder and silicone mats.

    If I didn't have a couple sizers and all the dies I needed I would try PC before buying at the current prices. A toaster oven from a thrift store, a couple silicone baking sheets, a pound of powder and maybe a couple Lee push through dies will set you up.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy SoonerEd's Avatar
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    I both PC and lube. I use both trying to use the process that fits my need the best.

    Here are the issues I've had with PC.

    1) On my Lee 358-200-rf mold I use in my Marlin 336 35 Remington, it made the nose too fat as it was already slightly engraving before PC. After PC it wouldn't chamber.
    2) on high volume pistol bullets I have yet found a fast way to stand them up, so a little tedious and slow. For some reason I don't mind feeding bullets through a luber but standing up bullets is just boring to me.
    3) when a bullet is casting fatter than I need, the extra PC just adds to even more the lead being displaced during sizing. I can't prove it but I think the less you move / size the lead, the better.
    4) it seems my PC bullets are not as accurate in my rifles as lubed. But this probably due to my lack uniformity in my PC and not getting neat edges on the bases.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    jmho ! - time consuming, expensive, + complicated solution for a much easier solved problem - absolutely no tangible benefit that i can detect over simple tumble lubing of good lead bullets -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master
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    For me, it is about time and accuracy. PC will always be less productive. PC has not proven to give a more accurate bullet. So, no advantages for what I need/do.

    I have concerns about off gassing as the coating "cooks". I do not want to work in a garage.

    If I had leading issues, PC would be worth looking at.
    Don Verna


  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    You don't get the pleasure of cleaning the lead out of your barrel as often.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by pworley1 View Post
    You don't get the pleasure of cleaning the lead out of your barrel as often.
    Or lube. I think a lot of fouling attributed to various powders is exacerbated due to mixing with lube.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
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    My powder coated boolits don't oxidize in long term storage.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slim1836 View Post
    My powder coated boolits don't oxidize in long term storage.

    Slim
    jmho - neither do the liquid alox lubed ones at 1/3 the effort + cost of powder coating with equal or much better accuracy + no leading or residuals in bore -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    My blood lead level has fallen below 5 mcg/dL for the first time since I've begun powder coating my pistol loads. It was pushing 2X that when I was shooting lubed boolits. Not so much airborne lead with the PC loads, I assume.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    jmho - airborne lead in it's solid form has no bearing on it - lead primer residue can do it or spatters from steel plates or back stop can - particle's of lead dust must be inhaled or ingested to show in blood levels - do you use proper ventilation when casting or spraying ? -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    Much less smoke comes out of the gun and my lead levels have measurably decreased. Why look further?

  17. #17
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sknhgy View Post
    Much less smoke comes out of the gun and my lead levels have measurably decreased. Why look further?
    again jmho - to logically find actual cause for level reduction without guessing - if the smoke was lead bearing it would have to be melting + atomizing the bullet lead - many factures can cause reduction in lead levels + i seriously doubt that bullet coating has much effect -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  18. #18
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    I've been playing with a pair of auto loaders in 30X39. One shoots one inch at 100 the other 3/4". A different mold is required for each rifle. I don't shoot much volume these days, at least not compared to my IPSC days where 1200 rounds a month wasn't unheard of. With powders running $40+/lb. I currently enjoy tinkering with a gun to get it to shoot while working up a load for it. A bullet I'm working with currently needed to be seated out and crimped in a lube groove, the grooves being on the small side and being reduced in count from three to two got me looking at PCing - just in case. Guess I'll watch for leading issues before gearing up. Besides, getting a tray of a couple hundred 30 caliber GC bullets standing doesn't sound all that much fun.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by scottnc View Post
    I've been playing with a pair of auto loaders in 30X39. One shoots one inch at 100 the other 3/4". A different mold is required for each rifle. I don't shoot much volume these days, at least not compared to my IPSC days where 1200 rounds a month wasn't unheard of. With powders running $40+/lb. I currently enjoy tinkering with a gun to get it to shoot while working up a load for it. A bullet I'm working with currently needed to be seated out and crimped in a lube groove, the grooves being on the small side and being reduced in count from three to two got me looking at PCing - just in case. Guess I'll watch for leading issues before gearing up. Besides, getting a tray of a couple hundred 30 caliber GC bullets standing doesn't sound all that much fun.
    I got some 1/4" fender washers from Lowes and drilled them out to match the shank of my gas checked boolits and glued the washers on my tray. The fender washers are larger around than normal washers and glue is not necessary but helps to keep them spaced and not move around on the tray. I put my non-stick foil on top of the washers and pushed (or mashed the foil down) and insert the boolits, then powder coat them. I apply the gas checks after powder coating, so the shank area is not powder coated and makes for easier application. You can stack the washers for better stability if need be, or simply drill the tray to proper size and forget the washers. I do both. Take sample boolits to the hardware store to find the closest washer size for your needs.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    Not attempting to go you one better Slim, I have access to a 3-axis knee mill. It'd make short of work taking a piece of sheet aluminum or whatever and rendering it full of holes.

    Question; how much handling will a unbaked bullet stand after being coated before the raw coating gets smudged to uselessness?

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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