Experience with powder coated handgun bullets?

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Sevens

New member
I've never tried these and I know some of you guys are using them. My first attempt will be with a 9mm slug, 122gr round nose, and my supplier says:
They are sized .356, coated with Hi Tek supercoat. You will notice there is no wax lube in the lube grooves, none is needed. Hi Tek supercoat encapsulates the bullet reducing smoke, leading and lead in the air. I use foundry alloy of 2% tin, 6% antimony and 92% lead
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I'm curious with the experiences of folks who have shot similarly coated pistol and/or revolver bullets, please share anything relevant.

What I am hoping to see... is that shooting these on an INDOOR range gives an experience that is absolutely nothing whatsoever like shooting cast lead. In my experience, even one single shot of cast/lubed lead or swaged lead bullets indoors makes an absolute cloud with every shot fired. :eek::(

My secondary hope is to find the kind of target accuracy indoors with my finest 9mm pistols that I cannot seem to do with plated 124's -- as in, the kind of shooting I can do with my finest .45 pistols and plated 200/230 slugs.

Yes, for the record, I am fully aware that true Bullseye-level shooters laugh hysterically at the accuracy level of plated bullets, but my demands are not to the top-notch level of Bullseye shooters... and I can do some fine shooting at 8-12 yards with my .45's, and my 9mm targets just can't hang. I realize that this is DEFINITELY ON -ME-, THE SHOOTER but if I can get an edge with my ammo it will give me a chip of confidence that will also improve my targets... because I know how my mind works. :D And sure, I could investigate some high quality jacketed slugs and perhaps see an accuracy boost there, and I genuinely intend to do that also, but I am starting this project with coated cast lead.

Please add any thoughts! Who doesn't love a new handloading project?! :D
 
R

reddog81

New member
I believe Hi Tek is different but similar to powder coat.

I have powder coated my own cast bullets. There is no cloud of smoke since there is no lube burning off/spraying out of the gun. The fouling on the gun and leading in the barrel is also dramatically reduced.

Accuracy will depend more on the load, proper bullet fit, appropriate loading procedures and correct sized dies than any difference between lead and PC'd bullets
 
F

Fine Figure of a Man

New member
I have used SNS and Bayou coated bullets in several calibers. They are accurate, economical and clean. I almost never shoot indoors but I hate the mess of lead and lube when loading. Bayou, and probably others, sell sample packs of assorted weights.
 
M

Mike38

New member
I just started using powder coated bullets made by the Standard Bullet Company DesPlains Illinois about 6 months ago. Glad I did. Improvements in accuracy and much lower bore leading in 9mm, .38Spcl and .45acp. In my Kart barreled M1911, there is virtually no leading at all. I can fire 90 rounds at a Bullseye match, and the barrel looks almost as clean as before the first shot. Seriously, I still have problems believing it myself. The bullets must be a perfect fit for the Kart bore. Not quite as clean in my 9mm and .38Spcl, but better than lubed lead for sure.
 
S

Sevens

New member
Accuracy will depend more on the load, proper bullet fit, appropriate loading procedures and correct sized dies than any difference between lead and PC'd bullets
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Oh, I agree -- suppose what I am looking for is more the typical accuracy abilty of a cast lead bullet versus or directly compared to high volume production, economically priced plated bullet. Not really comparing coated to uncoated cast lead.

Thanks for the posts, folks. Looking forward to punching paper with these and I will definitely report back after I've done so.
 
K

KEYBEAR

New member
I also use bullets from SNS 240gr COATED lead and like them a bunch . No lube on my hands when loading and no smoke when shooting .
 
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dahermit

New member
Along with not producing as much smoke as grease lubes, powder coated bullets do not foul the internal workings of the guns and does not build up in the seating die causing changes in seating depth like the grease lubes do.
 
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shootniron

New member
I have powder coated for over 3yrs...I absolutely love it. It certainly does away with the lube smoke...and soot that is left in and on the gun. Accuracy is great, too.

But, it sounds like you need to buy some and try them yourself...answer your questions, for yourself.
 
P

P Flados

New member
I started casting in the 1970s as a teenager. For decades, I found that I still needed to buy jacket bullets for a lot of my shooting. This came to a screeching halt when I discovered powder coat. I really have no plans to every buy another bullet.

Now all of my shooting is either tumble lube (BLL) for light stuff and ASBB HF red PC for loads that tumble lube can not handle. I also shoot indoors. The BLL lube does smoke some (less than the wax based stuff) but with PC the only smoke (if any) is from the powder. Note that for all of my guns, I have been able to find leading free full power loads with coated bullets. This is zero traces of lead for hundreds of shots with no cleaning and it includes 327 Fed, 357 magnum, 357 maximum and 44 magnum loads. Powder coat is even getting the job done in my 30 Herrett and 30-30 contender barrels.

I have looked a various commercial cast bullet suppliers and found that many are supplying coated bullets at great prices. Their coating should perform just as good as my powder coat. Since these guys use slightly different molds, alloys, etc. any one may be a less than great match for a given gun. If I did not cast, I would just sample around until I found a cast bullet supplier that could provide a coated bullet that my gun likes. There is really no reason why you should not find something that is just as reliable and accurate as quality jacketed bullets in a 9 mm.
 
C

chris in va

New member
As I stated in the bullet casting section, powdercoating has revolutionized my shooting. I simply don't worry about cast lead issues any more. I only use jacketed for my 223 and 30-06 now.
 
T

Tsquared

New member
I haven't found a coated bullet for my 9mm's that I am happy with but I am still looking. I do shoot the Blackmax coated 200gr SWC in my 45 with great success. It is a great bullet that is cheap and I have good accuracy with.

For me powder is the biggest cause for any smoke in an indoor range when I am shooting my 45. If I am using Universal there is no issue. If I use BullsEye there will be some smoke. Blue Dot will give even more.:D
 
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Wishoot

New member
Can't add much to the comments already been made. I've been using Acme coated bullets for some time and they do everything coated bullets are supposed to do.
 
B

BillM

New member
Switched from Montana Gold 147 CMJ to Bayou 147 Hy-Tek coated for
my USPSA Production/9mm Minor power factor loads.

Equally accurate. Had to put a bit more bell on the case mouth to
avoid scraping the coating. Biggest difference is powder charge.

Dropped from 3.7 gr to 3.4 gr for equal velocity with Vihtavuori N320.
 
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