Advice on plated vs. jacketed bullets

[jval]

I'm a new reloader experimenting to improve my 40 cal Glock 22 accuracy using reloads. I've use Unique powder and 155 gr bullets with varing powder loads and plated bullets. Thinking about switching to TG powder.

Some of the other threads I've read seem to indicate an "adjusted" powder load for plated bullets and an expectation of lower accuracy. Can anyone offer any insight or advice?

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

I have recently started using plated bullets in my 9mm loads and have found them to be as accurate as anything else out of my springfield XD.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

In a caliber that runs moderate velocities and uses a taper crimp(like your 40), plated bullets work fine.

It's when you run them in high horsepower loadings such as 357, 41, or 44 mag that you get into trouble. What happens is this:

The magnums usually run a roll crimp instead of a taper crimp. So when you light them off the roll crimp literally peels the thin "plating" off the slug like you would peel potatoes or carrots. Then the now undersized slug goes bouncing down the barrel without really running in the rifling grooves. So now you have a slug that has little or no spin and is undersized to boot, accuracy goes to crap real quick.

You can run plated all day long in most calibers if you use a taper crimp die and keep the speeds down under 1400ish. Makes for cheap practice ammo.

 

[Mikul]

This never worked out in my 9mm's (H&K USP and CZ-75). Unless velocity was kept below 800fps, the plated bullets would enter the target sideways.

Jacketed or hard-cast lead were non-problematic.

 

[Gary H]

I've been trying to sort this one out myself, but plated vs. lead. I've noticed that out of my 1911 my West Coast Bullets have more flyers .. the Western Nevada LRN doesn't seem to have flyers. That makes me wonder if the plated bullets are deforming in an inconsistent way upon leaving the barrel. Velocities/bullet design/weight are the same .. ah .. except for the copper plating and possibly softer lead underlying the plating.

 

[Cal4D4]

I think West Coast plateds have fairly hard cores, but I would maybe question whether some are a little undersized or something. They appear to be sensitive to too much taper crimp, also. Get a few keyholes I can't really account for. Does not happen with lubed hardcast (smoky) or jacketed (expensive).

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Guys whats going on most likely IMO:

You're partially losing the plating when the bullets overcomes the crimp. This leads to at best a bullet that doesn't have correct aerodynamics due to the torn plating edge, or at worst it tears enough off that the bullet never engages the riflings correctly to get stabilizing spin.

Easy way to test: Load a single round with very little or no crimp. Load it in the gun by hand to avoid setback, and light it off. If your problems gone, you know what was happening. If not, look elsewhere.

If they are really cheap the plating can be thin enough that the rifling can tear it off when they leave the case mouth and slam into the riflings trying to go from 0 to somewhere near or above 80,000 rpm in a millisecond or so. So if the crimp isn't the problem, try slowing them down a little.

If niether of these ideas solve your problem, it's most likely a bore size vs. slug size issue.

 

[WESHOOT2]

best 'safe'

sized W-W nickel case, CCI500, 4.0g Bullseye, Rainier 180g TCJ-FP, OAL 1.122", LEE Carbide Factory Crimp die (but not too much)

Real accurate. Lower felt recoil. Minor. Goes around 800fps.

 

[stans]

I have tried Berry's plated 0.357" truncated cone 158 grain and 0.452" semi-wadcutter 200 grain offerings. I have found them to be slightly out of round. My last batch of 45 swc's would measure 0.451" to 0.452" depending upon where the bearing surface was measured. This cannot aid accuracy and I do get far better accuracy from cast lead or jacketed bullets.

 

[jval]

I experimented again this past weekend with plated bullets. I separated the seating from the crimping using my Hornady Seater die and a Lee Factory Crimp die. I believe I'm getting a more consistent crimp. but still no noticeable improvement in the accuracy. I totally miss the 5.5 inch target at 7 yds most of the time while hitting 3 inch groups every time with factory loads.

I am beginning to give up on the cheaper plated bullets. Where can I buy reasonably priced FMJs?

 

[MoNsTeR]

Accuracy that poor sounds like something other than a problem with plated bullets. I mean seriously, that is B A D!

 

[Stealthfixr]

No problem with plated here

I use plated Berry's 9mm bullets in my CZ 75BD almost exclusively, and they are very accurate at anything up to about 1200fps. My favorite USPSA load is a 124gr RN plated Berry's bullet traveling at around 1125 fps, and I can shoot ragged holes with that all day (I know that's above the Production PF; I like to shoot something close to real life defensive ammo--more honest practice IMHO). I use a Dillon SDB to reload, and a medium crimp.

Now, when I tried plated 158gr bullets in my 357 Magnum, they did not work too well, even under 1200fps. Not badly, just not terribly accurate. I shoot jacketed in that caliber now.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

I use West Coast plated bullets exclusively. They have a cannelure and I put a roll crimp into it.

Most of my shooting is .38 spl and there are NO problems. I have loaded some .357 magnums to up over 1300 fps and did not notice problems, but that was some time back and I would need to do a couple of runs to feel confident in making absolute comments.

By the way, one realoader claimed to have sectioned Rainier, Berry and West Coast bullet and found that the West Coast bullets had the thickest coating. The WCB are also double struck like the Rainier.