So I have gotten into reloading and like it a lot. I load a lot of 45 colt and a moderate amount of .357 mag. I load in the mid-range, not a lot of really hot stuff. I have used a variety of bullets including lots of cast, some jacketed and many copper plated bullets. I was thinking about switching to all copper plated bullets such as Rainier or Xtreme. I have not found a huge cost difference between good cast bullets and plated. I am not interested in casting my own. I am considering a switch primarily due to the mess of bullet lube and lead. I find that after loading cast bullets, I feel that I need to wipe down each one to get it nice and clean. Has any one else made this switch? Any thoughts or words of wisdom would be appreciated.
Thinking about changing to all copper plated bullets
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Moonman
Member
NRA DOC,
Many Commercial Casters are now also coating with HI-TEK coatings developed in Australia 20 years ago instead of WAXY LUBES, GOOD STUFF.
Australia approved it for INDOOR USE ALSO.
Some members here have been using it with great results also.
It completely encapsulates the lead, No Muss, No Fuss, No Leading, CLEAN HANDS AND DIES.
What's not to like.
People is the USA are now rifle projectile experimenting with up 2000 fps results,
Present coatings are seeming to fail at about 2500 fps.
I cast and self coat myself, Easy Peasy stuff if you ask me.
Many Commercial Casters are now also coating with HI-TEK coatings developed in Australia 20 years ago instead of WAXY LUBES, GOOD STUFF.
Australia approved it for INDOOR USE ALSO.
Some members here have been using it with great results also.
It completely encapsulates the lead, No Muss, No Fuss, No Leading, CLEAN HANDS AND DIES.
What's not to like.
People is the USA are now rifle projectile experimenting with up 2000 fps results,
Present coatings are seeming to fail at about 2500 fps.
I cast and self coat myself, Easy Peasy stuff if you ask me.
scattershot
Member
I use xtreme bullets for all my autoloading pistols. Haven't quite made the jump to revolvers, but I'm leaning in that direction. As you noted, they are cleaner to handle, and no leading.
As a caster, if you are getting lead bullets with lube in places other than the lube groove, you need to change suppliers... I can understand minimal lube, maybe, but not to the point of having to wipe every loaded round. That is nonsense!
One other thought: you will never wear out a handgun barrel shooting lead. You can do it with copper...
I don't know about this powder coating at all; red bullets just don't look right to me!
One other thought: you will never wear out a handgun barrel shooting lead. You can do it with copper...
I don't know about this powder coating at all; red bullets just don't look right to me!
I switched over totally to plated bullets in my wheel guns and my 1911's. I buy them directly from Xtreme Bullets.
In.38 and .357 I use Zero brand bullets which are jacketed, not plated.
They run $102.00 per thousand shipped for 158 grain JSP or JHP.
In.38 and .357 I use Zero brand bullets which are jacketed, not plated.
They run $102.00 per thousand shipped for 158 grain JSP or JHP.
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I love xtreme. I've been using their 158 HP it has 2x the thickness plating and can be run up to 1400 fps, been using it in all my .357/.38 loads and it is great. It is about .358 thick so it gets sized a little to from throat to forcing cone, I think slightly oversized plated bullets are better than undersized for that reason.
I reallly loved their 200g LSWCS in my .45 1911 but I traded that. Hoping to try some cast in my 686P see what size works so u can start ops wrong .38 special cast bullets from them. Prices are very competitive too!
I reallly loved their 200g LSWCS in my .45 1911 but I traded that. Hoping to try some cast in my 686P see what size works so u can start ops wrong .38 special cast bullets from them. Prices are very competitive too!
Mcwsky09
Member
Everything I have on hand at the moment - aside from a handful of 22lr - is plated - seems to work well enough. The price difference per projectile from xtreme was something on the order of 1 penny per projectile - which is well within what I am comfortable paying.
If I ever get into bare lead projectiles it will likely be through casting my own to get the price per projectile to about half or less of copper plated. (and then I would have to rework all my loads - some of which I need to do anyway since the powder I have used before hasn't been available).
If I ever get into bare lead projectiles it will likely be through casting my own to get the price per projectile to about half or less of copper plated. (and then I would have to rework all my loads - some of which I need to do anyway since the powder I have used before hasn't been available).
venomballistics
Member
I smell what your stepping in.
Where pistols go, I can't justify a true jacketed bullet most of the time.
Coated cast is a good option as well. Keep an eye out for which is the better deal on any given day.
In the pistol bullet arena, coated, and plated stand on equal ground.
Rifle shooting, coated starts to pull away and take the lead.
As soon as I found out about it, I gave powder coated an honest run, followed by a brutal run with several experiments still in progress.
I am not going back to greasy sludge any time soon. It's been less trouble across the board.
As an aside. Given the ever growing collection of powder colors due to testing them, my current ammo stocks look like I'm trying to shoot the rainbow.
It's getting a little out of hand.
Where pistols go, I can't justify a true jacketed bullet most of the time.
Coated cast is a good option as well. Keep an eye out for which is the better deal on any given day.
In the pistol bullet arena, coated, and plated stand on equal ground.
Rifle shooting, coated starts to pull away and take the lead.
As soon as I found out about it, I gave powder coated an honest run, followed by a brutal run with several experiments still in progress.
I am not going back to greasy sludge any time soon. It's been less trouble across the board.
As an aside. Given the ever growing collection of powder colors due to testing them, my current ammo stocks look like I'm trying to shoot the rainbow.
It's getting a little out of hand.
I reloaded 500 DEWC and swore never again, the smoke and the soot was nasty both indoors and out.
I only shoot copper plated bullets and will never look back.
I have thought about trying the powder coated bullets once I run through my stock of plated bullets.
Chris
Moonman
Member
Chris,
I shoot HI-TEK COATED DEWC all the time, you need to give them a try.
Donnie at Bayou Bullets sells sample packs of different HI-TEK coated projectiles.
His sample packs run $7/$10 per 100, with up to 300 shipped for $7/8.
Your SMOKE and SOOT will go away INDOORS.
The lead is also COMPLETELY ENCAPSULATED.
I shoot HI-TEK COATED DEWC all the time, you need to give them a try.
Donnie at Bayou Bullets sells sample packs of different HI-TEK coated projectiles.
His sample packs run $7/$10 per 100, with up to 300 shipped for $7/8.
Your SMOKE and SOOT will go away INDOORS.
The lead is also COMPLETELY ENCAPSULATED.
Do you guys find better results with larger that throat copper plated, kind of like how you would size cast for you throat diameter? Anyone have crappy results with plated bullets being too small? Just wondering if accuracy is affected by the size of the plated bullets..
venomballistics
Member
This gets into about four ballgames.
Traditional cast and lubed your obviously aware of.
Copper plated negates most of the fuss. Treat it like jacketed, but watch the crimp so you don't cut through it.
Powder coated negates all the fuss, and don't care about crimp as much.
It's hard to cut the stuff.
Hi tek is moonmans ballgame, but I well imagine it is very similar in end results.
Tex1001
Member
Ranier advises keeping velocities under 1400fps. That's a lot of leeway with 357 mag. Ranier makes an outstanding hollow point plated bullet.
Berry's Mfg. usually has free shipping on plated bullets.
When crimping plated bullets, use the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die. It doesn't roll the case mouth into the bullet plating.
_______________________
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Coaltminer
Member
All I use are plated. They're clean, very accurate, not too much more expensive than lead if you don't cast. Been using them exclusively for about a decade, Rainier, Berrys, Xtreme. Very happy with them in my 38's, 44's, 9mm's and 45ACP. Load costs run about $7 for 38 and 9, $10 for 44 and 45.
Nothing wrong with copper plated bullets for most all modern revolvers, but, over time, you will almost certainly increase your reloading costs. First, try to keep loads at the range below 800 fps and you should not get leading. I shoot over 30 S&W revolvers regularly and have yet to get leading in any calibers fro 32 S&W to 45.
When punching holes in paper, try a load that runs 725 to 750 fps. As added protection, coat your lead bullets with Alox and you should eliminate your leading completely.
There are other theories on leading being caused by the wrong bullet size for the barrel, but give the slow loads a chance and coat with Alox to determine what happens before moving to resizing your standard bullets.
When punching holes in paper, try a load that runs 725 to 750 fps. As added protection, coat your lead bullets with Alox and you should eliminate your leading completely.
There are other theories on leading being caused by the wrong bullet size for the barrel, but give the slow loads a chance and coat with Alox to determine what happens before moving to resizing your standard bullets.
bananaman
Member
I switched back to copper for my 625JM. I always loaded 9 & 40, with plated. For 38's, I use both plated and lead. I have 2 .45 acp's that don't mind lead.
I can't pass up a deal.... Sunday I was at a flea mkt, and bought 700, 158 gr. Hornady & Vance Bullets (both lead) for $20.
RMR (Rocky Mountain Reloading) runs some good deals on plated & jacketed bullets. Ship quickly. Bob
I can't pass up a deal.... Sunday I was at a flea mkt, and bought 700, 158 gr. Hornady & Vance Bullets (both lead) for $20.
RMR (Rocky Mountain Reloading) runs some good deals on plated & jacketed bullets. Ship quickly. Bob
I was just a tad premature......
When the shortages started, I stocked up on lead bullets with the conventional lube in groove. They are really smoky on indoor ranges (ventilated range is kind of an oxymoron). I've wondered why with modern materials, they couldn't lube a bullet with something cleaner, not like Alox or any of the stuff people have been using. Lo and behold, now they have ADVANCED COATINGS. I'd coat the bullets I have but they are already lubed.
When the shortages started, I stocked up on lead bullets with the conventional lube in groove. They are really smoky on indoor ranges (ventilated range is kind of an oxymoron). I've wondered why with modern materials, they couldn't lube a bullet with something cleaner, not like Alox or any of the stuff people have been using. Lo and behold, now they have ADVANCED COATINGS. I'd coat the bullets I have but they are already lubed.
Moonman
Member
rwsmith,
NOTE!
HI-TEK CANNOT be applied to any projectiles that have been conventionally LUBED or SIZED prior to using HI-TEK.
It will NOT ADHERE and the coating will FAIL.
YOU CANNOT SATISFACTORILY REMOVE CONVENTIONAL WAXY LUBES FOR THIS.
NOTE!
HI-TEK CANNOT be applied to any projectiles that have been conventionally LUBED or SIZED prior to using HI-TEK.
It will NOT ADHERE and the coating will FAIL.
YOU CANNOT SATISFACTORILY REMOVE CONVENTIONAL WAXY LUBES FOR THIS.
venomballistics
Member
I suspect powdercoat might have an edge here.
it seems to achieve adhesion with less than ideal surface conditions.
I haven't tried it ... its been easier to just remelt the bullets and have them born again pure and colorful.
it seems to achieve adhesion with less than ideal surface conditions.
I haven't tried it ... its been easier to just remelt the bullets and have them born again pure and colorful.
