Coated Bullet Thoughts?

Every gun I've used powder coated bullets in have shot very good. No fouling

I use powder coated SWC in my 44's and have not had a fouling problem.

Shot thousands of them in both my 625 and 627 without issue. Most of mine have been from https://www.ibejiheads.com/. Very cost effective bullets for practice and competition.

From Missouri, I've ran their softer lead, hi-tek in 38 and 44 special, both shot perfectly. I just ran some of their hi-tek 115g 9mm and like the others, perfect. I'm currently have some very minor leading issues with their harder magnum coated projectiles at 44 magnum velocities...not to the bottom of that just yet.

Outside of Missouri, I've ran Berry's copper coated in 9mm and like the others, they've shot perfectly.

Typetwelve said:

From Missouri, I've ran their softer lead, hi-tek in 38 and 44 special, both shot perfectly. I just ran some of their hi-tek 115g 9mm and like the others, perfect. I'm currently have some very minor leading issues with their harder magnum coated projectiles at 44 magnum velocities...not to the bottom of that just yet.

Outside of Missouri, I've ran Berry's copper coated in 9mm and like the others, they've shot perfectly.

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One potential cause is if you're over-crimping them. Over-crimping can strips the powder coating off them as they come out of the case and cause leading problems.

I recently started shooting Bayou coated bullets in my 9mm. I *love* them. Inexpensive. Easy to load (once you flare the mouth a bit more than for jacketed bullets). Shoot well.

The product Tubb is selling is for jacketed bullets used in precision shooting. Don't know if it would work with reducing leading in lead bullets.

I've used them for my 45 Colt from MBC. No fouling, shoot well enough. As already stated to not over crimp.

-Jeff

I liked the commercial ones well enough that I started powder coating my own cast.

They're a pretty good development for the high-volume handgun shooter.

Good points:

• Usually slightly cheaper than good-quality plated, a lot cheaper than jacketed.
• No leading in the barrel.
• No lead handling.
• Cleaner than lubed lead in terms of fouling and (if you worry about it) vaporized lead to breathe.
• Usually gets you a few extra fps for the same load versus plated or jacketed.
• Less sensitive to crimp issues than some plated.

Bad points:

• Probably not quite as much accuracy potential as high-quality jacketed or very well-fit bare lead.
• Dirtier in terms of fouling than plated or jacketed.
• Smokier to shoot than jacketed or plated.
• Not generally designed for any kind of terminal performance.
• Easier to damage the base during seating than plated or jacketed.

They've become the default for USPSA shooting, particularly in any minor PF division.

I got some MBC HiTek coated bullets awhile back when I bought some brass from a fellow. I liked them fine, and if I bought cast bullets I'd probably pay the extra $$ for them. But the coating process, especially the HiTek process, is too time consuming compared to sizing/lubing with a push-thru lubrisizer.

35W

mcb said:

One potential cause is if you're over-crimping them. Over-crimping can strips the powder coating off them as they come out of the case and cause leading problems.

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Not to derail the conversation....

But I thought about that, but can't get consistent results to prove that. I shot some 240g SWC yesterday and did find that 2400 (22 grain) was causing very slight leading about 20% into the barrel, H110 (23.5 grain) was causing much heavier leading at about 60-70% down the barrel. The problem with that is I cannot really reduce H110 that much and I'm just about at the ceiling for 2400.

i casted and powder coat bullets. what i have found is if you push them to fast you can have some leading. off the bench i can get one hole groups out to 100 meters in a marlin 1894cb in 357 mag. you got to open the bell a little more to get them in the case. crimp them the same as you crimp plated bullets. powder coated bullets will give you more fps over plated/fmj bullets using the same load.

i like them for plinking / practice 9mm right now I am deciding if I like acme or blue bullets more , I have found coated are just as accurate as I can shoot just keep in mind you need to flare the case a bit more then normal as to not damage the coating

My experience with Hi-Tek is that it has its limitations. The coating goes on thin and can only handle so much velocity and pressure before you can breech the coating and begin to lead. I reverted back to powder coating rather quickly and it's a lot easier. My PC on average goes on at about .003 thick, and the only limitations I have found with a non-GC'd powdercoated bullet is the pressure limitations of the alloy. No leading, but accuracy does fall off. Apply a gas check with powdercoat and you can run in J-word territory very easily.

Powder coated snd Hy Tek are not the same process. Hy Tek is the biggest advancement in lead bullet technology that I've seen in 50 years of pistol shooting with lead bullets. Fast clean up too. No more crud rings in .357's sfter shooting .38's.

I began powder coating bullets for 9mm when I couldn't figure out how to get cast to keep from leading. It works great but I still prefer traditional lube with every other cartridge for which I load. I still have to size for 9mm so its really just a quick fix for me.

If you have a new gun that has not been fired yet breakthen it in with 25-50 rounds of jacketed or plated bullets before using coated bullets. Trust me.

All i shoot in my pistols and blackout are coated bullets. I cast and coat them myself.

Powder coat even works on cast rifle bullets up to 2500 fps or more.

Lots of bullseye shooters are using them now. So they must be plenty accurate. I got them since we just had out first child and my wife asked me to minimize the lead exposure in the house. Coated bullets and wet tumbling later and we're good!

Eddy19 said:

I like the reduction in leading they claim.

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Not an empty claim, but the honest-to-goodness truth.
I've had 'em from Missouri Bullet & Acme Bullet up in Wisconsin.
Very good results - no leading what so ever.

I also cast my own, but use w/o powder coating.
I think I'm gonna have to learn how & get the supplies to coat.
Wish I had someone local to show me how.

I started powder coating my cast lead bullets for both rifles and handguns several years ago, powder coating never had to solve the problem of leading in my rifle and pistol bores because I never got leading to begin with. A properly fitted cast lead bullet with a good lube cast from an alloy that matches the velocity and pressure of the load should not lead your bores.

What powder coating does for me is it allows me to coat lots of cast bullets, size and gas check them where needed in a short period of time that can be stored long term in less than ideal conditions like my shop where other form of lube can be affected by heat or cold, PC doesn't get soft or tacky, melt of dry up over time and leaves you hands and dies clean.

As to any negatives I can't think of any, my coated bullets in both rifle and pistol don't smoke, they are just as accurate as any non-coated lead bullet I've ever used that I previously used tradition forms of lube with but now PC. Most bore cleaning after shooting my coated bullets basically entails one wet patch follow by a couple dry patches mainly to just remove any powder residue.

In general most commercial cast lead bullets coated or not are too hard with a few exceptions. I use a 50/50 mix of pure lead / wheel weights with a pinch of tin. Powder coated and air cooled right out of the toaster oven the cast bullets especially my HP handgun bullets are soft enough to give good expansion at 45 ACP handgun or carbine as well as +P 38 Special velocities. They are also fine for my 9 mm RN and TC style bullets. In rifles air cooled powder coated bullet are fine for light plinker loads or mid range velocities with gas checks applied. For HV rifle loads I powder coat my bullets an water quench them right out of the toaster oven and let them age for about three weeks before loading, I shoot these bullets out of my 30-06 at 2300 fps. with excellent accuracy and no leading. I shoot the PC quenched bullets in all my 30 cal. rifle loads in all actions types including gas operated gun with no issues.

If you want a coated cast lead bullet that give terminal performance expansion wise you pretty much have to buy a mold that will cast a bullet designed to expand, cast and coat them yourself or purchased a coated or non coated non-expanding cast lead bullet with a large meplat that creates a large wound channel.

Here is my home cast 45 ACP HP's


They expand well with my alloy and powder coating.


30 Caliber coated bullet in several colors.


50 yd. test target using the above powder coated bullet in my budget Rem. 30-06 at 2995 fps. 5 shot average.

No issues using HiTek coated from MBC in .45acp. No leading. I also use MBC's "Elmer Keith" .44mag HiTek coated in my SBH at magnum loads-- no leading.
I like Acme 9mm HiTek coated RN for plinking but for faster carbine loads (1456 fps over chrono) I use RMR 95gr plated. I have observed no leading.