Docendo Discimus
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Powder coat is like wet tumbling, try it and you will probably like it. I use Eastwood powders with good results.
Casters- Which Powder Coat?
- Thread starter gifbohane
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doubleh
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I stared a few years ago with Harbor Freight red and it did------I'll say Ok. Then the red disappeared and I tried their black which resulted in me throwing the powder in the trash and melting the coated bullets down to recast. Then I tried Eastwood red and white. The red is great, the white a bit splotchy. I will stick with red as I have no interest in multiple colors of bullets an my RCBS Lubrisizer is now in a box in my storage building. I may try one bottle of the clear powder in the future just to see how it works but PC is the way I roll 100% in casting now.
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WeekendReloader
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I have a number of colors, but I think the clear is now my favorite. Ammo looks like ammo.
I also started out with Harbor Freight powder coating. But it was the white since the red had been discontinued. The HF white was completely worthless even after multiple applications. I wound up with very leaded revolver barrels. I gave away the remaining HF white to a fellow shooter that mixes it with another powder coat product.
Instead of recasting those projectiles, I powder coated over the HF white with Eastwood Ford Light Blue. That did the trick, and those projectiles are good to go with no worries about leading.
FYI - simply be "on guard" about using HF white for projectile powder coating.
Bayou52
AJC1
Member
.I was curious if reloaders created enough demand to be a respectable part of the market, but with the thousands of bullets I PC and the bag showing no signs of use I cant immagine so. A pound of powder seems to last forever.
WeekendReloader
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I bought a number of colors in 1 pound bags. I probably have a lifetime supply now. A little goes a long way.
Barbaroja
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I got my powder from the user Smoke4320 over on the Cast Boolits forum. Sells a 1# “sampler” of 1/3 of a pound of any 3 powders for the same price as a single pound. It’s a good way to try other colors as they all seem to work a little differently,some being more sensitive to relative humidity than others.
That said I’m not even close to done with my first pound. I prefer the clear pc he sells for the traditional look and the Carolina blue coats soooooo easy it’s almost cheating. He also sells airsoft BBs.
armoredman
Member
Powder coat, shake and bake method, works great with larger and flat base bullets. Not so good with tiny ones like .223.
I've used some clear and it has worked well. And, yes, it looks like ammo.I have a number of colors, but I think the clear is now my favorite. Ammo looks like ammo.
But the colors are cool. Nothing like a patriotic mix of red, white, and blue in a magazine of cartridges.
I have a 22 caliber mould to try with my 22 Hornet and maybe 221 Remington Fireball rifles. I figured they would be difficult to powder coat due to their small size.
I have not tried casting them yet but some day.
armoredman
Member
It depends on whether or not you want it to look right. I have seen people powder coat and just let them roll around on the baking sheet when they get cured. That leads to oddities and deformities in the coating. I stand them up, with a set of forceps, and VERY VERY carefully move the tray to the toaster oven. About 25% of the time I will dump at least one, which means start over. There are some enterprising guys who built tarys with wleded on nuts that you form the non stick aluminum foil to, which will keep a lot of bullets upright without issue.
I don't have a mold, was sent a bunch to try from a member on another forum, some powder coated, some not, and found the odd Bator bullet to work quite well.
Obturation
Member
Hi-tek for me. The choice was simple, no leading regardless of hardness (within reason ), no lubrisizer to buy - just a toaster oven from goodwill, no selecting the proper lube for application, no need for gas checks and on and on.
I've pushed hi-tek coated bullets to about 2000 fps, no problem at all . I haven't done much above that velocity so I'm not sure where it becomes an issue but it's the same struggle you'd have with any cast bullet.
I've pushed hi-tek coated bullets to about 2000 fps, no problem at all . I haven't done much above that velocity so I'm not sure where it becomes an issue but it's the same struggle you'd have with any cast bullet.
So if a person shoots 25,000 rounds a year; how would keep up with that volume using a coating. Just Asking.
AJC1
Member
A lot of guys use a basket. It's not my style. Loads of bacon and fortunecookie45lc have done tons of high volume PC. I'm trying for small groups. If I was ringing steel I'd just basket coat.
But I can run bullets using my Star every 10 to 15 seconds, so pc is just to slow a process for me doing high volume.
jmorris
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See post #5.
Don't doubt it can be done I will just leave it to the younger guys.
I love casting, went over 200,000 bullets last year, but with that said I can still run a mold and sizer fast even at my age, but I pay dearly the next day. Tried powder coating it has it's merits but the humidity in the deep south does put a damper on it most of the time.
I measure by the quart can each can holds just about 500 rounds, so there's about 9,000 on the self.
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