Your choice for coated bullets?

Leatherhead bullets. Do a search and see what they offer. I have been very satisfied.

I don't buy bullets but I do cast my own, have since 1985. I use the traditional lyman 450 luber/sizer along with the tumble lube alox & 45/45/10. Started powder coating my own cast bullets in 2014.

The alox, 45/45/10 & pc (powder coat) use a lee push thru sizer (if needed).

The pc coating is a lot cleaner to use/shoot and doesn't gum up the reloading dies like the 45/45/10, alox & traditional lubes.

You can use softer alloys when casting your own bullets if you pc them. I've ran full house 357/44mags/9mm's with +/- 9bhn alloy with excellent results/accuracy.

PC'd bullets tend to have higher velocities than their traditional lubed or plated counterparts. Typical increase in velocity is 2% for traditional cast/lubed/sized and more for pc vs plated.

It's easier to find accurate loads with the soft pc'd bullets compared to their traditional lubed/sized counterparts & plated bullets.

At the end of the day the pd's bullets run cleaner, are not pressure dependent for the alloy of the bullet & are faster for the same load. A win/win/win that makes for quality range time.

500+ round range session using 125gr pc'd bullets/1100fps+ 9mm loads.

It took 1 wet patch (hoppe's #9) and 1 dry patch to clean the bbl. No brushing needed/required.



200 round range session using 158gr pc'd bullets/15,000+psi 38spl load. Didn't bother to clean anything.


While harbor freight pc will work it pays to spend the extra coin ($$$) and get quality power. Top of the line powder is finer, is easier to get to stick and the coats are flatter/evener.

I have used the Bayou and Missouri and find them both very good. I like the Bayou 138 gr. wadcutters for target shooting. They will print tight groups at 50 yds. if you run them around 920 fps. Never had any luck getting smaller than a shotgun pattern out of plated bullets. Jacketed, lubed lead and powder coated will all shoot small groups in my guns.

Forrest r said:

I don't buy bullets but I do cast my own, have since 1985. I use the traditional lyman 450 luber/sizer along with the tumble lube alox & 45/45/10. Started powder coating my own cast bullets in 2014.

The alox, 45/45/10 & pc (powder coat) use a lee push thru sizer (if needed).

The pc coating is a lot cleaner to use/shoot and doesn't gum up the reloading dies like the 45/45/10, alox & traditional lubes.

You can use softer alloys when casting your own bullets if you pc them. I've ran full house 357/44mags/9mm's with +/- 9bhn alloy with excellent results/accuracy.

PC'd bullets tend to have higher velocities than their traditional lubed or plated counterparts. Typical increase in velocity is 2% for traditional cast/lubed/sized and more for pc vs plated.

It's easier to find accurate loads with the soft pc'd bullets compared to their traditional lubed/sized counterparts & plated bullets.

At the end of the day the pd's bullets run cleaner, are not pressure dependent for the alloy of the bullet & are faster for the same load. A win/win/win that makes for quality range time.

500+ round range session using 125gr pc'd bullets/1100fps+ 9mm loads.

It took 1 wet patch (hoppe's #9) and 1 dry patch to clean the bbl. No brushing needed/required.

200 round range session using 158gr pc'd bullets/15,000+psi 38spl load. Didn't bother to clean anything.

While harbor freight pc will work it pays to spend the extra coin ($$$) and get quality power. Top of the line powder is finer, is easier to get to stick and the coats are flatter/evener.

Click to expand...

So your post now leads me to the next logical question about getting the best powder. As I read these posts and beings that I am kind of a do-it-yourself kind of guy and have the lead, I think there is an obvious next step. Just have to educate myself a bit more.

A lot of different places to buy quality pc. I bought pc from smoke over on the cast boolits website in 2014 and again this year. The powder he sells is top of the line and has coated countless 1,000,000's of bullets. A link to smoke's powders.

VS - Hi quality Powder for DT or Spraying bullets

Forrest r said:

A lot of different places to buy quality pc. I bought pc from smoke over on the cast boolits website in 2014 and again this year. The powder he sells is top of the line and has coated countless 1,000,000's of bullets. A link to smoke's powders.

VS - Hi quality Powder for DT or Spraying bullets

Click to expand...

I've been using Eastwood. Decent pricing for the quality and they ship quickly. Good selection. I really like the dark ford blue it matches my pickup . I like their bright white and vermillion. The fill out is great and they cover easily with the shake and bake.

I like using automotive powder coat that I buy from the Eastwood company. They are having a sale as of right now. When using the powder coating process, you don't need BB's to get the powder coat to stick to the lead. All I use is a #5 bowl. I usually save all of my wife's butter bowls when we empty them. I also use a powder coated trays that my wife got me from bed, bath and beyond which are usually under $5 bucks.

Hotcoat powder coat mirror red, I have pushed this powder coat to the 2000 velocity range in my 357 Mag lever gun with no leading. That is with no gas check either.

Want to learn about powder coating, check out Elvis Ammo on youtube.
elvis ammo
- YouTube

Powder Coating
http://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder-coating/powders.html?limit=all

Powder-Coated 6-Inch x 9-Inch Mesh Drawer Organizer
.ORG Powder-Coated 6-Inch x 9-Inch Mesh Drawer Organizer in Silver - Bed Bath & Beyond

Hotcoat Powder Coat Mirror Red
Hotcoat Powder Coat Mirror Red

I have been using Bayou Bullets for more years than I have counted....more than 5. Bayou was one of the first to the US market. I could call and get my bullets sized the way I wanted with very quick turnaround. I am currently using Bayou for 9mm, 38 Short Colt, 40 S&W and 45ACP. The ability to use lead bullets and still see the targets clearly on a humid day is invaluable. I will never forget shooting from prone at 50 yds. on a steamy hot humid day and completely losing visual on the target.

Bayou Bullets are great!

ageingstudent said:

I've been using Eastwood. Decent pricing for the quality and thay ship quickly. Good selection. I really like the dark ford blue it matches my pickup . I like their bright white and vermillion. The fill out is great and they cover easily with the shake and bake.

Click to expand...

Eastwood is having a sale on there powder coating right now. Eastwood powder coating is the only PC I use.
http://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder-coating/powders.html?limit=all

As an experiment I took one of my SNS bullets and flattened it with a hammer (see pic below). Not so much as a single chip. No coating failure at all.

I have been using Hi-Tek coated from Bayou initially then later numerous suppliers that used the Hi-Tek coat. Good stuff! Hardly any to no smoke at all. Not even remotely close to lubed lead. On a few rare humid windless days I may notice a faint burned wire insulation smell only with the initial few shots, but then it goes away. It typically is not noticeable and way more pleasant to load/shoot than lubed lead. I prefer Bayou, SNS, ACME, Blue Bullets, BBI & Missouri.

Coated is modestly slower than lubed lead, so if you run an old favorite recipe it will be a tad slower.

yeti said:

Coated is modestly slower than lubed lead, so if you run an old favorite recipe it will be a tad slower.

Click to expand...

Are you using a properly sized coated bullet?

My chronograph has always given me a higher velocity using powder coated bullets. Even Hi-Tek(polymer) yields a higher velocity than lubed bullets.

Check out the DT method as described on MP-Molds.com in the tips section. I have been having super results. Follow those exactly for best results. I’m using Smoke’s clear and silver white. The colors he recommends for DT or Shake & Bake work well too but I’m over the candy colors. The HF matte black looks great for ES method, don’t try it otherwise. Smoke has done all the trial and error for us so follow his suggestions and save your money!

I use Bayou 185 grain swc's in my bullseye pistol and they work well and leave the barrel very clean compared to plain lead bullets.

Depending upon the bullet style selected, my top 2 are:
#1 Bayou
#2 Missouri Bullets

Bayou
SNS
Missouri

or powder coat your own