Plated vs coated

[Kram]

Happy Sunday afternoon to all. I'm a big fan of the Hi-Tek coated Missouri bullets but there isn't a whole lot of information on them as far as load data. Is it safe to start with the plated data that I have ? Maybe you can share a website that will have load data for these. I'm looking for 9mm and 45acp.

Thank you

 

[kmw1954]

My experience has been that when I look at data between Cast lead and plated bullets while using the same powder and the same weight bullet you will see a lot of overlap between the two.

Also what I have experience is when using the starting load for a lead bullet with a plated bullet in an auto feed pistol I normally do not get full and consistent cycling until I bump the charge up .1 or.2gr

I haven't used any coated bullets as of yet but I believe they will perform closer to cast lead than plated.

 

[Hammerhead]

I use lead data for coated and jacketed data for plated.

 

[Kram]

Thank you...my experience with Hi-Tek coated bullets has been with .357 and 45c through lever guns. This will be my first experience with semi auto

 

[David R]

I have been through many thousands of coate dbullets. I use thesame data as lead. I get great accuracy and no leading.

I get beter accuracy from coated than plated.
David

 

[joneb]

I have been through many thousands of coate dbullets. I use thesame data as lead. I get great accuracy and no leading.

I agree ^

 

[BBarn]

Coated bullets are made from cast lead alloy bullets. So cast bullet load data is probably the most accurate data to use. Some coated bullet makers suggest using cast lead bullet loading data, while others leave seem to offer little, if any, suggestions for loading data. Missouri Bullet Company suggests the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook as source for reloaders, which contains numerous cast bullet loads for both rifle and handgun calibers.

Even though they cost slightly more, I generally prefer plated bullets over the coated ones because they tend to leave a bit less shooting residue. But for revolver loads I use a roll crimp, which often means coated cast bullets with a crimping groove since many plated bullets have no crimping groove or cannelure.

I've used Missouri coated bullets, Acme coated bullets, Berry's plated bullets, X-Treme plated bullets, and Rainer plated bullets - all with reasonably good results.

 

[Unique]

Never tried a coated bullet before. But have shot thousands upon thousands of Rainier plated with extreme accuracy when you find that sweet spot where your pistol loves. I couldn’t see where a coated round could be anymore accurate but like I said I only have experience with what I described.

 

[reddog81]

What source has plated data but not lead data? For years and years there have been post after post of people wondering what data to use for plated bullets, but I've never heard of anyone having plated data but not lead data.

 

[Jim Watson]

With the same powder charge and 147 gr 9mms I found jacketed to give the highest velocity, plated next, coated lowest. Below maximum it is not enough difference to bother with changing the powder measure.

 

[Unclenick]

Coated should respond well to cast bullet data. They are, as already mentioned, just cast bullets with a different lube.

Plated bullets are trickier because they aren't just one thing. I've seen sub-paper thin copper plating, kind of like on high speed .22's that didn't stand up to anything a plain, unlubricated cast bullet wouldn't. At the other extreme are the Speer Gold Dot bullets which have plated jackets that are harder than plated pure copper, but softer than a formed cup jacket. The Speer tech I spoke with about it said it is not uncommon for Gold Dots to be comfortable with a higher charge of powder than same-weight, same dimension jacketed bullets use because the lower start pressure from the softer exterior means you need more powder to get to the same peak pressure and they are still hard enough to withstand jacketed peak pressure. The extra powder holds up post-peak barrel pressure better, so Gold Dots can get more velocity than jacketed bullets of the same weight and size can when driven to the standard maximum pressure.

The thick-plated pure copper from Berry's or others may behave like that, but I would use a Pressure Trace to work the loads up to be sure, while simultaneously checking that groups didn't start opening up from distortion. It will depend on the chambering as peak pressures vary by chambering. But the bottom line is, I don't think plated bullets can be generalized about as easily as jacketed bullets are.

 

[AzShooter]

I switched to coated bullets years ago and never went back. Gun ran much cleaner and the barrel showed no signs of leading. I use the same data as standard lead bullets.

 

[mikld]

I cast, PCed and shot just a couple thousand bullets, mostly in handguns but a couple rifle bullets (7.62x54 and 308). I used lead bullet data for starting loads and worked up, just like any reloading work-up...

 

[higgite]

I switched to coated bullets years ago and never went back. Gun ran much cleaner and the barrel showed no signs of leading. I use the same data as standard lead bullets.

I had the opposite experience. I tried two popular brands of hi-tek coated 9mm bullets about 5 years ago and they left a lot of residue in the barrel. I didn’t have a chronograph at the time, but I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t pushing them too hard, 124/125 gr coated LRN, 4.0 gr of W231 @ 1.14” COL. The coating seemed pretty fragile and I don’t handle bullets with kid gloves, so maybe my fault. Anyway, I went back to FMJ until I found some plated ones I like, now at 1/4 cent more per bullet than the coated ones. ymmv

 

[Kram]

Thanks guys. After I'm done with this box of X-Treme plated bullet I plan to stop using plated and switch to mostly coated cast bullets for range and desert fun. I will work up some JHP rounds for home defense too. I purchased a couple boxes of Speer Deepcurl 45 colt 250 grain bullets. Those are some nasty looking bullets.

I appreciate all the help

 

[joneb]

I had the opposite experience.

I agree with you, the coating is very thin, the advantage I see is lead exposure maybe reduced when loading???
With a lubed cast bullet I would assume we are handling lube and not lead???
I load coated as cast lead and this works.
I do think some plated bullets can be pushed harder without leading and fouling.
But there are a lot of variables to consider.

 

[Unclenick]

We had a member with a friend who did lead testing who tested everything around his loading equipment, including his bullet casting equipment. The only place that tested positive for toxic levels was around his tumbler, due to primer dust.

Metallic lead isn't very active chemically (the reason hydrofluoric acid, which etches glass, used to be kept in lead containers before plastics were invented). It is ingesting or inhaling water-soluble lead compounds in primer smoke and residue and oxidized lead that presents a more direct hazard. Wash your hands after handling lead and before picking up or eating something to keep your exposure to essentially nil.

 

[T. O'Heir]

Plated and coated is not the same thing. Plating is metal. Usually copper. Coated is usually just paint.
Both use cast bullet data. Neither is very thick or hard.

 

[higgite]

Plated and coated is not the same thing.

Who said they were?

Both use cast bullet data.

Not necessarily so for plated in all cases, but that is certainly a safe, conservative starting load.

Have you ever loaded coated or plated? How did you like them?

 

[jetinteriorguy]

I've mostly specifically use one brand of coated and one brand of plated and will relate my experiences from shooting thousands of each in semi autos,revolvers,and some lever actions in pistol caliber. The calibers are 9mm, .38sp, .357 mag, and .41mag, both magnums also used in lever actions as well as revolvers. The two brands are Acme Coated and Extreme Plated. In a nutshell I will load starting at mid lead levels and top out at mid jacketed levels while carefully watching for pressure signs. Also as a general rule I find my best results around the upper limits of lead loads or the lower limits of jacketed loads. After years of shooting these I have settled on just using the copper plated bullets, no particular reason since they performed about the same, I just wanted to simplify my process and liked the Extreme bullets better. Maybe because they just look more traditional, who knows, pretty much an arbitrary decision. One other note, I have shot a pretty good number of the Berrys hollow base heavy plate and do like them best for my lever actions,they can handle a heavier load and are very accurate in my rifles. They are a bit more pricey but I don't shoot as much in my rifles so I don't mind the slightly higher price.