I'm getting ready to place a .45 acp bullet order. I've shot many thousands of rounds of jacketed and cast bullets in various calibers, but I have never shot any plated bullets. I'd like to hear from some gents that have used both plated and jacketed as to any differences, positive or negative, on plated .45 acp 230gr RN. These will be for my 1911s and 625.
Thanks,
Stu

Most of the info I have is to use lead bullet data with plated bullets and be careful not to crimp too hard as this can cut into the plating and cause a problem. I have fired a lot of plated bullets through my .45's and 9mm with no issues. Cost is usually between jacketed and lead.

+1 on the crimp for plated bullets. No issues with a light crimp.
I use berry's and they have been a good alternative vs lead or jacketed. Just purchased 500@ $66 from lgs.

I've used both in my 1911's and 625. Load the plated bullets to low/midrange jacketed data and you are totally safe. In the case of the 45 ACP with a 230 grain bullet you can load all the way to the top of the jacketed chart because there is no way you'll break the 1200 fps velocity limit recomended for plated bullets.

BTW, I've compared 180 grain plated and jacketed bullets using a chronograph. With a load of 5.4 grains of IMR SR7625 both types of bullets produced velocities within 10 fps of 950 fps. My experience is that plated bullets respond exactly like jacketed bullets as long as you don't try to push them too fast. Personally I play it a bit safe and use loads that keep the velocity at 1100 fps or below.

I use plated (Berry's and Xtreme) 230grn RN for practice to keep the cost down. However, I feel that jacketed are more reliable in my 1911 and what I use in competition.

Plated make for a very nice "Target load" at standard or lower speeds. Some say you can use a light crimp.

I agree on this since the company that I get my plated bullets from also has a Cannelure" on some of their bullets.............

Good shooting.

5.3gr of HP38 under Berry's and Hornady 45ACP 230gr RN perform without noticable difference from a rest on paper at up to ~15 yds, the furthest I've tested them against each other.

The Hornadys ran ~800fps; haven't run the Berry's over a chrono yet.

I am relatively new to reloading and based upon my limited experience, both are easy to reload in 45acp or 9mm. I don't shoot any competitions, but I have not seen a noticeable difference in accuracy. (I am more of a factor than the bullet may be.) I have only used Xtreme plated bullets which I believe are of very good quality. I tend to load mid-range or under for my charge.

Plated can be fine. Mess up the crimp, accuracy goes to hell prtty quickly. Not a factor in the 45acp, but plated can't be pushed much beyond 1250fps with good accuracy. Just watch the crimp, pull a seated/crimped bullet & measure it along the bearing surface, the dia should be the same as when it went in.
Also load data is NOT identical to jacketed of the same wt & shape. A plated bullet is softer, tends to obturate a bit & you'll get higher vel using jacketed data. At midrange & below, no big deal, but if you are loading the top end, you need to work that load up.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

If you are looking at ordering bullets,

Look at THE NEW IN THE USA coated Bullets (Polymer).

Google,

SNS Casting, Bayou Bullets, Gateway Bullets.

The coatings are ALSO THE LUBE.

Clean Barrels and NO LEADING.

The Coating COMPLETELY ENCAPSULATES the lead also, which is a concern of INDOOR SHOOTERS.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

I've been shooting plated .45 slugs for a decade...they chamber equal to jacketed. They don't lead the barrel and for all intents and purposes they can replace FMJ. I've chambered plated .45 ACP ammo repeatedly with no issues.
As for velocity limits...I shoot Rainier plated slugs from my .500 S&W's around 1,500 fps...no leading.
Copper "plating" is actually a MUCH stronger bond to the lead substrate than any sort of jacket BECAUSE, a jacket has no actual "bond" to the lead other than compressive force. PLATING is the result of an electro-molecular bond which means the copper plating is VERY hard to separate from the lead.
Some might suggest jacketed feed better due to the thick copper jacket being harder and more resistant to deformation...well...perhaps, but this has not been my experience. I've loaded thousands of SWAGED lead RN .45ACP that chamber with such reliability as to make me wonder why anyone ever though a jacket was needed! Plated do just fine.

One other point...there is this notion that "plating" is by definition "thin"...that it cannot be "thick" which is of course not true. A copper plating can be made as thick as any copper jacket and you will find many makers are now advertising extra thickness plating for high velocity rounds. The only reason jackets are thicker than plating is because of the mechanical issues involved with working with copper sheet.

I can't speak for gateway but both bayou and s&s casting have excellent products. I've used them successfully in 45acp and 9mm.

Top notch all the way around !

I've shot it all at one point or another over the years. I'm currently shooting SNS coated. Very clean and accurate. You can use cast data with the coated stuff.

Plated bullet manufacturers say to use midrange jacketed data. I have run thousands of Barry's plated bullets through my 1911 using 5.4 grains of Bullseye and a very light taper crimp. Yields about 800 fps and great accuracy.

Besides Bayou Bullets, SNS Casting, and Gateway Bullets,

BBI (Black Bullets International) have now switched their

process to J&M Specialty Products (HI-TEK Polymer Lube COATED BULLETS).

The list of COMMERCIAL CASTERS using this process continues to grow.

Basically a HANDGUN LUBE (the coating IS THE LUBE),

but USA testers are RIFLE EXPERIMENTING.

The PROCESS was developed in AUSTRALIA years ago and

HAS BEEN IN USE BY AUSTRALIAN COMPETITIVE SHOOTERS FOR YEARS.

The POLYMER COATED PROJECTILES, work fine in my 1911 and S&W 625.

CLEAN BARRELS, NO LEADING.

***UPDATE!*****

Newer HI-TEK COATINGS and PROCESSES are being developed at the present time IN AUSTRALIA.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

I've been shooting plated bullets for years and no complaints.

Recently been using my buddy's cast bullets that has the Bayou Bullets coating. Again, no complaints and the price is right.

I tried Ranier 230 gr plated bullets, didn't like them. I think they are undersized - .451, should have been .452. I had setback issues, and accuracy was unmpressive.

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Common sense isn't so common.

johngalt,

You DIDN'T USE a LEE FACTORY CRIMP DIE did you?

The LEE can cause UNDERSIZED BULLETS to occur.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

All I buy in .45 ACP anymore are the .452 200gr berry bullets. Cast my own lead bullets.
I use HP38 and don't try to turn it into a magnum, loading to power factor 170.

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Science plus Art

No, I gave up on the FCD long before I started experimenting with plated bullets. I quit using it because of the resizing bullet issue.

I've never had leading problems with cast bullets, so I quit using plated.

__________________
Common sense isn't so common.

Berry's plated or Hornady FMJ 230 grain. I shoot both interchangeably, and notice no difference except in price.