anyone tried polymer coated bullets before?

[OpticsPlanet]

Ran across this company/product

Q: What are the advantages of polymer coated bullets?
A: There several disadvantages to plain hard cast lead bullets, as well as plated and jacketed bullets.
Plain, lubricated hard cast lead bullets, while inexpensive and capable of exceptional accuracy, can leave lead fouling in your gun's bore, and can cause even more fouling and poor performance if they are loaded to higher velocities. The lead and lubricant use can also cause excessive smoking while shooting, particularly with hot/fast burning powders and rapid fire.

Plated and Jacketed bullets can perform well at both lower and higher velocities, but can be expensive and also wear out your bore faster than softer metal projectiles.

Polymer coated bullets combine several of the advantages of hard cast lead and jacketed bullets. They smoke less, are inexpensive, are more accurate, and won't lead your barrels even in hot pistol loads.

looking for any input...id love to try em but i dont have a press setup yet

-Matt S.

 

[anothernewb]

If you're speaking to the Hitek coated bullets, several people here, including me use them

Personally, I love them. I've been so pleased that I have replaced all my traditional waxed lead bullets with them. Accuracy has been identical to lead so I wouldn't believe the claim that they're MORE accurate, but aside from that - I have yet to find any detractors or disadvantages over regular lead. Price is so close to the same for me as makes no difference. I was able to lower some of the powder charges a tad. .1 to .3 grains with respect to maintaining velocity.

There is one semi-local range which had banned exposed lead, that has been successfully convinced to accept coated bullets as well.

Many people also report success with powder coated bullets.

As to moly or other forms of coating - there, I can offer little. If you're looking for a recommendation, I say grab some hi-tek ones to try. Not to promote one business over another - but I know that bayou bullets offers 100 count sample packs for a low budget experiment. I suspect others do too, but I am unfamiliar with them. I have ordered from Bayou and Missouri bullet with excellent results personally.

That being said, I do not try to push the envelope with my coated bullets. I shoot them at the same velocities that I shot regular lead.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I recently switched to Hi-Tek coated bullets and will never go back. Most all the smoke is gone. All the leading is gone. I have shot 800+ through one revolver without cleaning it. It has no signs of leading.

 

[groundsclown]

Never used hitek before but I'm part of that powder coating crowd. Been coating & shooting my own for over a year now. Zero issues.

 

[Sam1911]

In the competition circles I mostly shoot in 'everyone' has gone to polymer. A few to plated, but most polymer coated. Very happy with the results.

 

[Walkalong]

I recently tried some Hi Tek coated 158 Gr SWC bullets in .357 mag and will stick with them over plated or jacketed for general shooting in this application.

 

[SouthernDawg]

They work great for me.

Dawg

 

[Stewie72]

They are just up the road. great company to work with.

 

[sauer1911]

loading Bayou Bullets 150gr lswc in 9mm. They are coated and pushed by about 3.1gr of titegroup.

They seem really really good. My Sig p226's will eat em up in any type of brass. But for my Glock in shooting matches I use new starline brass. Otherwise they dont plunk in the barrel.

enjoy em and be safe.

 

[JamieC]

I've shot thousands of the coated bullets, (Bayou Bullets, 9mm), in my handguns and carbine. Virtually no smoke, no leading, love 'em!

 

[steve4102]

I coat my own cast bullets with H-TEK coating and will never go back to "Lubed" bullets.

That said, I'm not sure what the Eggleston linked bullets are coated with. All they say is "Polymer", duno what that is.

 

[jmorris]

I have shot precision coated bullets for more than a decade always liked the results. I now coat my own cast bullets with hi-tek.

 

[tyeo098]

Make em myself:

 

[Ex]

For those of you who have built lots of coated bullets...
Are they less prone to deformation than Berrys?


Thanks

Ex

 

[jmorris]

Only time I have had problems with plated bullets were over 1400 fps (supposed to be good to 1200 fps or so) and with AET gain twist barrels.

The coating I use won't crack like plating will, even hit with a hammer.



Will stand temps enough that the lead inside will melt before it will.

 

[Ex]

I'm asking because I've had problems with them (9mm and .45) squishing when simply removing the seating flare.

 

[jmorris]

I seat and crimp in different stations, on plated/ coated bullets I really don't do anymore than remove bell. I don't crimp "into" bullets, maybe a cannelure but if you can pull a loaded round and the bullet is distorted, you need to change your process. The bullet is in the top 5 list of important to accuracy, can't have it messed up during the loading process.

This is what my PC bullets look like before and after firing. Not sure why I don't have a photo of the HT coating after firing.

 

[Schwing]

I'm asking because I've had problems with them (9mm and .45) squishing when simply removing the seating flare.

It may be that you are not flaring the case enough. When I first started loading cast 9MM bullets I had a huge problem with this. The case actually swages the bullet down in diameter and kills accuracy.

Someone here suggested using a .38 S&W expanding plug instead of a 9MM. That took care of 90% of the problem. I then switched to a Lyman M-Die and it solved it completely. I have a couple of very oversized 9mms (around .358) so I size my bullets to .359. For most folks, I think the .38 S&W expanding plug will do the trick.

I have never had this problem with .45 but I suspect a similar issue.

 

[popper]

Go for it. HiTek or PC, both shoot equally well. HiTek everything but 308W and working on that now. You need the proper expander no matter what lube you use.

 

[Eb1]

Can you load to standard 30-30 velocities with these coatings, or are you still limited to the limitations of lead without gas checks?

 

[Lj1941]

Hi Tek

I have a question for the group. Have any of you checked velocities with and without the Hi Tek coating? I love their accuracy and cleanliness as well as shootability and lack of smoke. My reason for asking this is is the possibility of cutting back on the charge while still maintaining the power factor and also saving powder in these days of unavailabilty of certain powders. My powder supply is adequate but not all have a good stock that I have.

 

[popper]

Lj1941 - A test was done with PC over-coated with a 'good' lube, 50 fps gain, 30 cal rifle. So basically, no.
Eb1 - I shoot 140 gr coated PB @ 1750 in 300BO, 170 GC coated @2500 in 308W carbine, near MOA @ 100 for both. I'm not a great shot. I've had better luck with PC on WDWW Experimenting with the gold 1035 & 308W now. ACWW @ 2500 lost accuracy.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Currently running 10mm PC I cast and coated through an Elite Match with a Polygonal barrel. No issues with leading and some loads over 1250fps. In fact some may have been a little on the hot side by accident (more on that coming after testing tomorrow). Also have ran many 9mm and soon to get some 44 magnums up and going.

Others (as have already noted) have loaded rifle bullets (under 2,000 FPS Many state) with PC with great success.

 

[Toprudder]

The only comparison I have is between HiTek coated and plated bullets. I got higher velocity and lower standard deviation with the coated bullets. I'll have to go back and find the actual numbers, but I remember thinking that I could lower the charge 0.2-0.3gn with the coated bullets.

 

[Hondo 60]

Just finished loading a box this morning.
I used Missouri Bullet Co's 41 Trooper Hi-Tek

A tiny bit better accuracy than my own casts & no leading.

What's not to love?
Well they cost more than my own casts