Hi-tek Coated Bullets

[Ironbar]

Hello all! I'd really like to try loading some 9mm from one of the companies making Hi-tek coated bullets, but there seems to be a real lack of solid info about them.

The only thing that seems to ring true in all my looking is that the case mouth has to be flared a bit more than FMJ or plated in order to prevent shaving the coating off while seating the bullet. Beyond that there's conflicting information regarding things like barrel fouling, using powder that burns too hot for Hi-tek, keyholing with too much velocity, etc.

I'm only interested in these bullets as a cost savings over copper, and to use strictly for target shooting. I have quite a bit of Shooters World Clean Shot powder which I'm told is on par with Accurate #2 as far as burn rate.

Any advice would be much appreciated- thanks!

 

[edwardware]

HiTek coating puts the bullets velocity envelope somewhere between cast/lubed and plated. Treat them like cast, and they're an outstanding value. They don't lead or smoke, and they're less sensitive to bore fit than lubed.

Go for it, you won't go back.

 

[kidneyboy]

I have loaded tens of thousands of coated bullets without issues in loading or shooting. No issues with Glock barrels. No issues with leading. All the 9mm I ever loaded have been with Titegroup with zero issues. If you can find any give them a try.

 

[Walkalong]

Coated bullets are great. They are limited more by powder choice more than anything else. They are not going to lead unless something is really wrong, and can take 9MM velocities easily.

 

[Ironbar]

THANK you gentlemen!

 

[Jonesy814]

Switched from plated to hotel coated a few years ago and have not regretted it. Never had fouling from them, in guns or dies and they shoot fine. I used data for a cast lead bullet, usually somewhere in the midrange

 

[rfwobbly]

Some notes on Hi-Tek...

• The Hi-Tek coating does vary in application thickness from vendor to vendor. Some of it looks dense like powder coated paint, and other vendors make it look more like a wash. So not only do results vary, you really don't want to lump results from all vendors into a single description. And because of that, you really don't want to jump around changing bullet vendors with every order.

• Yes, if you have only loaded plated or jacketed up to this point then you will need to increase your "belling" slightly. This so that nothing gets taken off as the bullet enters the case. If you see tiny crescents or "eye lashes" piling up around the seating die, then you don't have enough belling.

Hope this helps.

 

[forrest r]

A lot of urban legend/internet myth's with coated bullets.

Powder doesn't matter
Flare the cases the same for cast and coated bullets
Velocity doesn't cause keyholing with coated bullets.

The #1 issue with coated bullets for reloaders is the reloading dies they use. Couple that with the inability of the reloader to understand what they are actually looking at.

There's a lot of excellent reloaders on this website, I wish there was a thread for reloading 9mm's that was made into a sticky explaining the differences in the reloading die components. Reloading jacketed, plated & coated/cast bullets and what bullet styles/designs to use.

 

[lordpaxman]

The only thing that seems to ring true in all my looking is that the case mouth has to be flared a bit more than FMJ or plated in order to prevent shaving the coating off while seating the bullet.

This is one of the major points. If you’ve not loaded lead bullets before, be aware you can swage lead bullets during the crimping process and that would be undesirable. Some slug their barrels so they have a more accurate bore dimension (or grove dimension) and get bullets sized appropriately.
You specifically mentioned Hi-tek coating, but their are others like Blue Bullets that have a different polymer coating but still work in the same manner. I believe Federal syntek is a polymer as well.
I have found the coated bullets have a faster velocity than a lead bullet at the same load data. For the competition crowd that’s a bonus. Most of those loads use Uber fast powders and yes, quite a bit of Titegroup without any problems of burning or leading or keyholing.
I haven’t had any problem with the dies I’ve used, RCBS, Hornady or Dillon, but your mileage may vary. Good luck and let us know how they fly.

 

[drband]

I’ve loaded and shot thousands of HiTek coated bullets from Acme and MBC with no coating-related failures during the loading or the shooting process. As long an you set up your dies correctly, they’re good to go, and a great value over FMJ and plated prices.

When I started using the coated bullets, I would get funny looks and questions at the range... now they are a little more familiar to folks and seem to be generally accepted.

Edit: I use the coated bullets in 9mm. .45acp, and in .44magnum with great success.

 

[CMV]

I'm into my 5th(?) case of 3k of 115gr ACME coated 9mm. I have no issues with them and no jacket to come back at me from steel targets is a plus. At about 6.25 cents shipped, hard to find any fault with them. At some point they changed the profile a little and I had to readjust seating die, but that's it. I sighted in & zeroed my Scorpion at 50 yds and saw no issues with them at that distance vs typical pistol distances either - they seem to perform as well as any commercial 115gr FMJ range ammo (WWB, UMC, Am Eagle, etc)

 

[Single action shooter]

i have used mbc 115gr coated with titegroup with great accuracy in a sig 365,p938 and an old s&w model 39 only had 1 issue when i didnt bell case mouth enough shaved some coating and caused a failure to go into battery...my fault for not catching it after i seated the bullet

 

[Riomouse911]

I’ve also loaded thousands of coated revolver bullets from Acme, Missouri Bullet Co., Eggleston, Brazos Bullets, Ibejiheads and The Blue Bullets using low end to high end lead bullet loading data for years.

So far Ibedjiheads 165 gr .358 RN bullets are the only ones that showed any real “smokiness” indoors, which is my primary location for shooting. The others I’ve shot are really good at reducing lead-bullet smoke, and so far I haven’t had a leading issue at all.

Stay safe.

 

[EricBu]

Tons and tons of them through all my guns. Mostly gallant 147 gr 9mm and 217 grain 300 BLK. This is hands down the cheapest path to shooting suppressed. The only change I made was for the 300 blk, I replace the normal powder funnel in my dillon (which is the AK powder funnel) with the powder funnel for the .30 M1 Carbin, which bells the case. Other than that, I use basically the same load data as I do for 220 SMK and 220 Berry's plated. The 9mm I don't bell any more than I do normally, and use pretty much the same load data as I do for 147 gr FMJ. Full disclosure, I don't load any coated bullets at super velocities...not because I worry they can't handle it.....but because these are my goto plinking suppressed bullets, so my target velocity is ~ 900 fps at 3500 ft elevation and 80 degrees....that's what I load up to, and stop. Because that gives me rounds that won't crack if I shoot when it's cold, plenty accurate, and nice and quiet. I buy the gallant 217's 2500 at a time, but they are badly backordered right now.

 

[Outdoorsinwisconsin]

I have loaded tens of thousands of coated bullets without issues in loading or shooting. No issues with Glock barrels. No issues with leading. All the 9mm I ever loaded have been with Titegroup with zero issues. If you can find any give them a try.

So you run coated bullets in a stock Glock barrel? I have used coated bullets in my USPSA gun but that has a Faxon barrel in it. The stock Glock literature says not to use lead or coated bullets with their stock rifling, so I have been considering getting an aftermarket barrel for my carry gun so I can shoot coated bullets at the range.

 

[derek45]

they are fine, I prefer them over plated.

 

[kidneyboy]

So you run coated bullets in a stock Glock barrel? I have used coated bullets in my USPSA gun but that has a Faxon barrel in it. The stock Glock literature says not to use lead or coated bullets with their stock rifling, so I have been considering getting an aftermarket barrel for my carry gun so I can shoot coated bullets at the range.

They also tell you not to run reloads........
I did replace the barrel in my G34 for one that was more accurate. I don't think the G19 ever saw a non coated bullet.

 

[EricBu]

So you run coated bullets in a stock Glock barrel? I have used coated bullets in my USPSA gun but that has a Faxon barrel in it. The stock Glock literature says not to use lead or coated bullets with their stock rifling, so I have been considering getting an aftermarket barrel for my carry gun so I can shoot coated bullets at the range.

I am not much of a glock fan, but I do have one as my truck gun (only because my friends might have found out if I used a Hi Point as my truck gun). I bought a forty dollar threaded barrel for it from BCA during a sale. That barrel must have tens of thousands of coated bullets through it by now. I shot plenty through the oem barrel, and the replacement was only to get a threaded barrel for it. I would have kept on shooting the coated bullets in the OEM one without a worry.