I started casting and powder coating my own bullets a little over a year ago now. Up to that point I had a fellow nearby casting & lubing the traditional way for me (but he sold out, retired and is no more).
Long story short, the bullets I had been getting cast by him previously were a home blended alloy made up to be as near to Lyman #2 & 15BNH as a guy could get. On my hardness scale I have measured many of them to be very close to 15 as they were supposed to be, and I know I could trust their performance. By experience, those harder blended bullets worked well on both cows & bulls having heavy bones, thick skin and layered muscle to penetrate past at times. This was-too my alloy for loading ammo while carrying (revolvers) remotely where bears were a concern ... so going forward, what degree should I adjust (or not adjust) my alloy to NOW, by Powder coating vs traditional lube, that will still keep a hard, malleable enough bullet integrity to break and pass through large bones in heavy large animals?
The general consensus with powder coating is go as soft as you can, the powder coat will allow the soft alloys to shoot regardless. But in contact with big heavy bones, where is the line for hardness and alloy?? I can't see it being wise to cut the hardness by much. But lots has been argued around the powder coat acting like a jacket and that it-does allow some adjustment down in hardness. So what is the real answer(?)
What are you guys who have hunted buffalo, or bears, moose/Elk etc (using revolvers) all using for an alloy to retain bullet integrity to make sure it isn't deforming too bad, and indeed does hold its shape after breaking bones still intact enough to continue-on rather than stop or mash into a mushroom? 10-12BNH wheelweight, powder coated going to be sufficient , or is it wiser to stay 15+BNH using Lyman #2 regardless whether its powder coated? I'd love to hear some actual field evidence and comment on that if there is any on the forum.