Yellowjacket,

I have yet and probably won't go there! The deciding factor for me would be to see many reports, all very concise and well documented that might prove to me that there is a decided and clear increase in accuracy.

Have yet to see that.

Some folk list "no smoke" as one of the reasons for powder coating. I'm not shooting indoors, so let er smoke and I could care less.

I have sized and lubed for many years and as said not likely to change unless the accuracy factor entered in with valid proof.

Makes no sense to me to powder coat and then size. Why the extra step.

Out a couple days ago shooting test loads from my RUGER 77/44 as I'd like to take a deer this Fall with that rifle and my cast bullet loads.

I am seeing adequate accuracy for 100yd. critters, but have continued testing to hope and find better.

I'll say, that those 275 - 280gr Wide Flat Nose cast starting about 1600fps sure do SMACK the rock face I was using for a back stop! A 100yd. deer will be no contest if I do my part.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

don't know about a good or bad idea, I'm with cdoc not sure it is worth the trouble. I DO NOT cast my own bullets but buy a lot of commercial cast from lasercast, Missouri bullet company and dardas. truly I have seen not difference in the coated mbc and the lasercast lubed bullets for accuracy. that being said I am only pushing the bullets about 1700 fps in the 32spl and the 4570 and soon gonna try them in the 35 rem. I am sure others involved in this process can elaborate further from their experiences but for me, don't see any real benefit other than my fingers don't get as dirty when reloading......................................

dardas are softer bullets so I don't push them as fast.

 

What do you think of Missouri 35 cal pug nose bullets. I may try em in my 35 rem

 

I powder coat 357 mag and 44 mag cast boolits, it's a very cheap easy to do process once you get the hand of it... took me about 3 shake and bakes to get a good coating, and figure it out... just a learning curve like anything else.

Powder coating seems to hold up better than lube from the limited amount of lubed bullets I have shot, with powder coating I have never got any leading pushing 357 mag 125 gr cast boolits pretty hard. Sizing after powder coating has not been a hindrance for me, but I have just recently started casting, and didn't sink the money into a lube sizer... I purchased the lee sizing die, and opened it up to what gave me good results. It's hard to compare powder coating to lube... powder coating is similar to a jacket.. that's what it is is a polymer jacket, and using a hammer I have beat a boolit flat the powder coating stayed in place... the advantages of powder coating are cheap easy startup, high velocity if that's what your after, no leading, you don't have to worry about it coming off.

It's cheap enough to buy a bottle of red at harbor freight, and some airsoft bb's to give it a try. Edit to add I sent Ret_Eng some 357 mag cast boolits powder coated to try, and he may have pushed them even harder than I did... regardless a cast boolit sized to .3595" powder coated has worked well in two different Marlin 1894c's

I have not had as good luck with my 1894s 44 mag, out of several cast boolits 215gr, 245gr, 310gr, 260gr only the 215gr will stabilize. That has nothing to do with the powder coating, and I have not gotten any lead from powder cast powder coated boolits in the 44 mag either.

 

Leading ------------------ Well it is many times and issue of proper bullet to bore fit, or not.

During my earlier testing with my 45/70, I tested to a bit over 2500fps with my cast bullet and fired a BUNCH at over 2000fps.

NO LEADING issues with just a gas checked/lubed bullet.

Have tested to as high 1900 with my RUGER 77/44 and no leading issues.

So, if the barrel is good and you have proper bullet to bore fit, you have another "problem" that needs to be addressed if leading is an issue.

Now leading, Some folk might consider any streaking in the barrel as leading. I do not! If there is a continuing and increasing layer of lead then you have "leading" but light streaking that never gets worse and quickly comes out, to my way of thinking there is no leading problem.

To this point, with the RUGER 77/44 the barrel is always bright and shinny after shooting. With my RUGER #1 - 45/70, there is at times some light streaks just behind the muzzle. A non issue.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

 

I appreciate your response. Great information.
I have tried a sample in my 1911 with good results. But those are loaded to ~800 ft/sec MV.
I am thinking of trying .44 Mag at hunting load velocity, and leading is my main concern.

 

I have never seen as clean a bore, after shooting, as I did when shooting powder coated bullets in my .45 Colt 1894. The barrel looked like it hadn't been fired. There was less residue left than when shooting jacketed bullets. That reason alone is enough to make me continue using them.

 

Two reasons for me to consider PC bullets.

1. Can change different colors to identify loads. I load for my wife, my father, and myself. Sometimes we have caliber crossover with different loads.

2. My AR-15 does get plugged up with lead from shooting at high velocities. PC removes that problem and let's me continue to shoot cast bullets in it.

 

I have been powder coating for 4 years now and don't plan on going back to grease lubing ever, I never enjoyed lubing with grease and now I enjoy the powder coating so much I actually cast boolits so I can powder coat. powder coating is so much easier and no grease to mess things up, like dies and such. Some like it some don't so give it a try and see. right now I am powder coating for .44 mag. .45 colt, .45-70 and .30-06.

 

Yellowjacket,

Leading, not to say it can't and doesn't happen, but it simply IS NOT something to worry about if your ducks are in a row.

Years back my oldest son and I were both shooting RUGER BlackHawks with home cast bullet handloads.

Jeff's BH seemed to lead a bit with mag loads while mine didn't with the same load/bullets.

I went to a gas checked bullet for Jeff's and problem solved.

If I had known then what I do now, I'd likely looked towards the bullet to bore fit issue.

I was sizing at ,429 in those days, but since I have shot .431 sized cast bullet for years with no issues.

Years back, was looking at a used RUGER single action .357 and the barrel was so badly leaded that the lead looked to be flaking off the bore in some places. Didn't buy it.

But in those days, with more factory loaded magnum lead bullet loads available, I have the feeling that most of those bullets were swaged of soft alloys.

While a person does not need really hard cast bullets, most of our bullets are cast of a better alloy then those used for swaged bullets of that day.

Size at .431, good alloy and good lube and I doubt you'll have any "leading" to worry about!

Go for it, don't over think the "problem" as with a little bit of thought process there won't be one.

CDOC

 

I think it's a waste of time...HOWEVER, #2 son swears by it in his .30 cal bullets in his Black Out and .30-06. Stops leading for him and good for him...I have enough to do without fooling with it. Don't need no stinkin plastic coated lead!!!

 

I use powder coat exclusively and don't plan to go back to using my old lube sizer. It is faster and cleaner than using traditional lubes and I don't have to worry about gunking up the inside of my suppressors.

 

I been using pc bullets in the 327,357, and 44. I pay the same price for coated bullets as I would for lubed. I really am liking them more, and more, as I use them. They are ALOT cleaner while reloading. The dies don.t get all gummed up. As far as shooting, I didn't have problems with leading before, so I can say they are miracle bullets in that dept. I will say that in the 327 the pc bullets really work good. But that could be that I was using 100 gr, lubed, but am using 115 gr pc bullets. For the same cost, and the cleanliness while loading, I will continue to buy them.

 

Seems the powder coating would be an abrasive.

 

I HITEK coat the Lee 210RNFP and a 240gn RNFP for the Marlin 1894 of mine. Pushing them with 19gn 2400.

Zero leading. Barrel is shiny clean.
I swap between coated lead and JHP with no issues.