My two revolvers picky about coated bullets....

[fortyshooter]

Well I know my Model 69 doesn't shoot the PC Missouri bullets clean and today I had my 629-2E out and the bore after 6 rounds looked terrible.
My Ruger SBH seems to love them with the bore looking spotless after shooting many of them.
Note the cylinder throat size is the same on the Ruger and the other 2 S&W's. Is it something with the 5 groove rifling?
Checked for bore restriction where the barrel is threaded to frame and nothing there.

 

[Protocall_Design]

Maybe a rough or too small forcing cone?

 

[fortyshooter]

But as I have mentioned before my 69 shoots the standard 230 gr lead SWC GC bullets as clean as the Ruger shoots the coated bullets!
Guess the Ruger will get the coated feed.

 

[BigMuddy]

I tried MO Bullet coated in several 45 Colt revolvers. ALL of the them leaded terribly. These same guns shoot other lead bullets, including those from MO Bullet just fine.

Dan

 

[Al W.]

I just solved a similar problem by lapping the barrel with bore paste, a felt pad and some cutting oil.
De leaded the barrel and improved my accuracy.
Very helpful.
Some folks also see a lessening of subsequent fouling because it smoothes the bore surface.

 

[Echo40]

Maybe the coating has effected the overall dimensions of the bullet? The bullet may be slightly larger or smaller in diameter than usual due to either overcompensation for the added thickness of the coating or lack thereof.

In other words, if you usually shoot the typical .429 diameter bullets and these coated bullets are say .428 or .431 in diameter, then that could account for the changes you're seeing on target because if the bullet is smaller in diameter than the usual .429 then obviously it's not going to engage the rifling as securely which in turn effects accuracy or if it's larger in diameter then chamber pressures/muzzle velocity are going to be affected accordingly, thus effecting accuracy as well.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Hi-Tek Coated Bullets

About 3 years ago I started trying coated bullets. The first ones I got were from Missouri Bullets for 44Mag & 45 Colt. While they shot fine I noticed inconsistent coatings on some of them & minor leading at the FC.

The reply to my email to them stated they had made changes to the coating process & I shouldn't have any problems going forward so I ordered some 41Mag & 500Mag bullets.

However those bullets gave minor leading with moderate speed (<1250fps) loads too. Using fast burning powders was noticeably worse than when using slow burning powders.

While I had good success with two out of three of the coated bullets I bought from Acme, it became my opinion that the "manual" coating process left too much room for errors & shortcuts from commercial casters so I switched to plated bullets & have never gone back.

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[dogdoc]

Coated bullets and a bevel base have not been good for me either with leading. The worst has been 357 magnum at midrange velocity around 1050 FPS. I think a good soft lube with a flat based bullet is the best but I am a long term bullet caster and you have a lot of smoke. I buy commercial cast bullets due to lack of time but I hate bevel base bullets that are real hard. They lead the worst. You can coat with liquid Alox and most will do ok but damn the smoke. Flat based coated bullets from blue bullets have done well in my USPSA competition 2011 40 s&w with little leading at about 950 FPS . I have shot thousands of those.

 

[629shooter]

About 3 years ago I started trying coated bullets. The first ones I got were from Missouri Bullets for 44Mag & 45 Colt. While they shot fine I noticed inconsistent coatings on some of them & minor leading at the FC.

The reply to my email to them stated they had made changes to the coating process & I shouldn't have any problems going forward so I ordered some 41Mag & 500Mag bullets.

However those bullets gave minor leading with moderate speed (<1250fps) loads too. Using fast burning powders was noticeably worse than when using slow burning powders.

While I had good success with two out of three of the coated bullets I bought from Acme, it became my opinion that the "manual" coating process left too much room for errors & shortcuts from commercial casters so I switched to plated bullets & have never gone back.

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I'm a plated bullet fan too. Unless I'm going for maximum velocity and/or hunting ammunition.

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[fortyshooter]

Well could be the bore finish since both of my Smiths haven't been shot that much yet. My 629-2E even though made in late 80's wasn't used that much before I bought it.
Now my Ruger SBH has the longer 7.5 inch barrel which should give any coating a good test for durability and shows the HyTech coating from MB does work.
Maybe more FMJ or plated rounds thru the Smiths will smooth out any roughness over time. I have about 400 of the MB coated bullets left to load and some of the 300 gr. bullets as well.
Do have more standard lead and plated bullets to load also which the Smiths do well with.

 

[1sailor]

Maybe it's a .44 magnum thing. Maybe it's your pistol, maybe it's something to do with Missouri's coatings. I don't know but, I can honestly state that I have fired literally many thousands of rounds of hy-tek coated bullets from all 6 of my .357's with zero issues. I have fired an equal number of 9mm, .45 acp, and .40S&W again, all with no issues. I have never tried anyone's coated bullets other than S&S Casting's though so maybe not all coatings are equal. Try a hundred pack from SNS and see if you still have an issue. I used to shoot mostly copper plated but with the new coatings there hasn't been any reason to pay the higher price for plated. I've also found the coated bullets to be less finicky and if not more accurate then at least as accurate as plated.

 

[brjr51]

I guess I'm not alone. I've shot a lot of SNS coated through my .32 long, 90 grain, and .38/.357 revolvers, both 148 and 158 grain with no problems, and I would recommend them. When I tried their 240 grain in my 629, they leaded badly with mid-range loads of Unique and W231. I still have quite a few bullets left, but I switched to both plated and jacketed in .44 with no problems so I've been hesitant to try the coated again. But this was a newer gun with very few rounds so maybe the bore will smooth out some after more rounds have been run through it.

I've haven't tried any coated yet in my new 69, sticking so far with either plated or jacketed. So far, so good.

 

[fortyshooter]

Only thing about the plated bullets is the lack of a good crimp groove.
The Xtreme .44 plated bullets I use have a slight knurled area for a crimp location but I still have some bullet jump when using my low range 9.0 Unique loads.
Regarding the M69....I have really good luck with the 230 gr. SWC GC bullet which is 11 BHN hardness from Matt's Bullets. They shoot VERY clean with my 9.0 gr. of Unique.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I have been using coated bullets from Bayou Bullets since 2008 without leading problems. The calibers are 9mm, 38/357 revolver and 40S&W semiauto. However, to be clear all these loads are quite mild. I don't know if coated bullets have a velocity limit but perhaps they should. I believe some bullet platers suggest 1200 fps as maximun.

YMMV

 

[fortyshooter]

I have been using coated bullets from Bayou Bullets since 2008 without leading problems. The calibers are 9mm, 38/357 revolver and 40S&W semiauto. However, to be clear all these loads are quite mild. I don't know if coated bullets have a velocity limit but perhaps they should. I believe some bullet platers suggest 1200 fps as maximun.

YMMV

My loads would be under 1100 FPS.

 

[1sailor]

SNS recommends a max of 1500fps in pistols and 1750 in rifles. One of my favorite loads is just the other side of 1200fps with no issues.

 

[Eddietruett]

Maybe it's a .44 magnum thing. Maybe it's your pistol, maybe it's something to do with Missouri's coatings. I don't know but, I can honestly state that I have fired literally many thousands of rounds of hy-tek coated bullets from all 6 of my .357's with zero issues. I have fired an equal number of 9mm, .45 acp, and .40S&W again, all with no issues. I have never tried anyone's coated bullets other than S&S Casting's though so maybe not all coatings are equal. Try a hundred pack from SNS and see if you still have an issue. I used to shoot mostly copper plated but with the new coatings there hasn't been any reason to pay the higher price for plated. I've also found the coated bullets to be less finicky and if not more accurate then at least as accurate as plated.

That has been the case with me as well. I have shot thousands of coated bullets from Summers, SNS and Missouri and have been totally satisfied. Most of mine are .357 as well. Never had a bit of problems with leading and have shot some of the 130gr in the 1500fps range with my 8 3/8" 686. I would have to say I get better accuracy with coated than plated. I'll never shoot plated bullets again. I see no need when the coated are more accurate and about 2/3 to 1/2 the price. I've sold all of my 44 mags, but I shot a fair amount of 180 and 240 gr from Summers through my 8 3/8" 629 and never had a leading problem with the 44 but most of my loads were in the top end of the 44 special range. I did shoot several hundred full bore 44 mag loads without problems.

 

[mike campbell]

Just taking one bullet as an example...38 cal, 125 grain, I can get 1,000 delivered for...

Missouri coated = $80
Xtreme plated = $88
Montana Gold jacketed hollow point = $93

I've shot thousands of each but I now shoot only jacketed bullets in all calibers from Roze, Magnus & Montana Gold.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Only thing about the plated bullets is the lack of a good crimp groove.
The Xtreme .44 plated bullets I use have a slight knurled area for a crimp location but I still have some bullet jump when using my low range 9.0 Unique loads.

I feel the only thing the knurled ring on Xtreme's bullets is useful for is a reference seating point. I taper crimp all my plated bullets.

The 9.0gr/Unique load you mentioned is the best grouping charge weight (of Unique) I've tried with the Xtreme 240gr RNFP bullets in my 5" 629-6.

I only have jump crimp issues with plated bullets if I fire them in a lightweight Sc frame revolver (329PD, 325TR, 327TRR8, etc.), not the all Ss ones.

I was a big proponent of Xtreme bullets for a long time but in mid-2015 I got a bad batch of their 240gr .44's. The ones before, & after, were fine but those leaded. However I didn't start to use them, & find the problem, until mid-2017. After (4) months of back & forth I gave up.

Then earlier this year Xtreme wouldn't/didn't honor the Cabela's brass rebate for their bullets. Never got my 10mm brass even though they told me twice they'd take care of it.

I've switched to Rainier for plated bullets & ZERO for jacketed. No more Xtreme for me.

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Regarding the M69....I have really good luck with the 230 gr. SWC GC bullet which is 11 BHN hardness from Matt's Bullets. They shoot VERY clean with my 9.0 gr. of Unique.

That's what gas checked were made for but they're too expensive for moderate loads, IMO, even if you make your own from 2nds.

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[629shooter]

Only thing about the plated bullets is the lack of a good crimp groove.
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I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die.


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