Plastic Coating vs Lube

[Reverend P. Babcock Chase]

Howdy Shooters,

 

Although they smell like burning plastic when shot, are the plastic coated bullets better at reducing leading than normal lubed variety. I normally shoot Chey-Cast 200 gr. .454 dia. bullets. Hard cast, the bullets generate some blow back and apparently little upset on firing. If the coated bullets are a better choice, I guess I can live with the burning plastic smell (kinda reminds me of an automotive wiring short - ugh). Please let the opinions begin.

 

Reverend Chase 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I much prefer moly coat, like the ones from Bear Creek Supply.

OLG

[Sedalia Dave]

For CAS I use Hi-Tek coated bullets from Cimarron Bullets. Excellent quality control. I have loaded over 10,000 of them and have yet to get a bad bullet.

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

The hytech coated bullets have become very popular in action shooting sports. Even at 125 pf and 165+pf they generally shoot very clean. Also they don't gum up your reloading dies and your hands are pretty clean. You can use different colors to identify  different loads.

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

never noticed the smell of plastic from Moly or Poly (bullets that is).  I have purchased thousands from both above mentioned, fine bullet makers.    

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

1 minute ago, Smokin Gator SASS #29736 said:

The hytech coated bullets have become very popular in action shooting sports. Even at 125 pf and 165+pf they generally shoot very clean. Also they don't gum up your reloading dies and your hands are pretty clean. You can use different colors to identify  different loads.

Exactly.  The color ID I get from Cimarron is a appreciated advantage in my reloading habits.

[Warden Callaway]

Coated bullets have become popular and probably over half the shooters at our matches are using them.  I've never noticed a burnt plastic smell.

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

I've been coating my own for a number of years now (5 years at least) and it has become another hobby in itself

 

My barrels are cleaner and usually just need a wipe or two to get the crud out

[Brazos Bo]

I was curious if the coated bullets made a difference in regard to the lead build up I had been fighting with, so I decided to see for myself.

30 rounds with Coated bullets and 30 rounds lubed bullets. This was the results. Hands down winner was the coated bullet. See pics below.

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, Brazos Bo said:

I was curious if the coated bullets made a difference in regard to the lead build up I had been fighting with, so I decided to see for myself.

30 rounds with Coated bullets and 30 rounds lubed bullets. This was the results. Hands down winner was the coated bullet. See pics below.

That is exactly the issue I had with hard cast bullets as in Chey-Cast. Went to Ringer Bullets and Missouri with a BHN of 12 and no more leading at all. Also good luck with Desparado Cowboy, but too much lube on em kept clogging my seating die. I now use coated and haven't had an issue except for fouling in the middle of my pistol barrels. Not sure if it's the coating or if I'm over crimping and getting blow by B4 the bullet obturates. It cleans out easy, so it's not lead. I'm using C45S cases with a taper crimp & wonder if I'm crimping too much and shrinking what little bullet there is in the case. Using 160gr. bullets. Softer bullets make an amazing difference in leading at our velocities.

[twelve mile REB]

An esteemed member of our forum is Happy Jack, HJ spent his working life as a Chemist.  His thoughts concerning plastic coated bullets was if shotgun wads leave plastic residue in shotgun barrels.  Why wouldn't plastic coated bullets leave plastic residue in pistol barrels? I shoot both lead and plastic and have found that in my guns lead is more accurate with all other things being equal.  I just bought 16,000 coated bullets, I'll let you know later this year how it went.  

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

I think there's a big difference between the Hitech coating and the plastic in shotgun wads. I get the wad residue shooting real black powder in the shotgun.

[watab kid]

that is a noticeable difference , thanks for the info and the photos , it made it far more understandable , 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

1 hour ago, Smokin Gator SASS #29736 said:

I get the wad residue shooting real black powder in the shotgun.

 

That's from melting off the plastic of the wad with the hot fouling on the barrel bore.   Same wad in a smokeless load does not melt off hardly any plastic,  just a little bit of barrel friction rubs off some plastic - especially at the choke area.   The only difference - the black powder fouling roughing up the barrel walls and considerably higher barrel temperatures when shooting BP.

 

But the same mechanism that deposits plastic with a smokeless s/g load, can quite easily be what leaves some plastic fouling in a cartridge gun barrel when shooting polymer coated bullets.

 

I too  have been hearing lots of  reports of less accuracy with polymer bullets.  If a shooter has a fairly low level of concern about top notch accuracy, the conveniences of polymer bullets can be attractive.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

I've seen poor accuracy with polymer-coated bullets and Triple Seven.  Only one of ten bullets hit a large target at forty yards.  However, polymer-coated bullets give adequate accuracy at CAS distances when loaded with appropriate powders.  I intend to keep using them for that purpose.  For long range and black powder I will use uncoated bullets.

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

14 minutes ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

I've seen poor accuracy with polymer-coated bullets and Triple Seven.  Only one of ten bullets hit a large target at forty yards.  However, polymer-coated bullets give adequate accuracy at CAS distances when loaded with appropriate powders.  I intend to keep using them for that purpose.  For long range and black powder I will use uncoated bullets.

Certainly not my finding with Trip 7 2F and 105, 125, 135, & 147 (Cimarron) at CAS distances in .358

Maybe you are using wrong color.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

The bullets were maroon-colored from Chey Cast.  I prefer gold-colored bullets myself.  Since the Lone Ranger shot silver bullets I think I need to up my game and use gold. 

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

 

11 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

 

That's from melting off the plastic of the wad with the hot fouling on the barrel bore.   Same wad in a smokeless load does not melt off hardly any plastic,  just a little bit of barrel friction rubs off some plastic - especially at the choke area.   The only difference - the black powder fouling roughing up the barrel walls and considerably higher barrel temperatures when shooting BP.

 

But the same mechanism that deposits plastic with a smokeless s/g load, can quite easily be what leaves some plastic fouling in a cartridge gun barrel when shooting polymer coated bullets.

 

I too  have been hearing lots of  reports of less accuracy with polymer bullets.  If a shooter has a fairly low level of concern about top notch accuracy, the conveniences of polymer bullets can be attractive.

 

Good luck, GJ

I don't do the work that some shooters do as far as testing dozens of different bullets, powders of different weights and testing for accuracy. I have a buddy that is really into it and he tests for accuracy at 50 yards with a ransom? rest for ICORE.  ICORE has a standards course of fire that includes 50 yd shots with a 4" center X that is a - 1 second bonus if hit. He gets great results with the coated bullets.

In USPSA they do equipment surveys at nationals and many shooters have switched to coated lead including shooters who used jacketed or copper coated lead. Much more accuracy is required then for SASS.  Of course you do have to eventually clean your barrel no matter what bullet you use.

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

22 minutes ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

The bullets were maroon-colored from Chey Cast.  I prefer gold-colored bullets myself.  Since the Lone Ranger shot silver bullets I think I need to up my game and use gold. 

Guess that is their "go Aggies" color. I have shot some gold colored coated bullets that Naildriver used to sale. 

Color coated bullets are a real plus if you load different weights...or perhaps a different load for spouse.  I also chamber check and visually check rifle ammo which is Candy Apple Red (125s)  and Red Copper (135s RFN & 147s cone shape)....pistol ammo gets 105s in gun metal color and less inspection unless for major match ammo.

Just lots of good bullet makers out there.  I would not mind trying some coated 115 grain bullets like those by Precision or Black Bullet International ("Dangit Dan" 115 SPC).  Looked at some of Scarlet's bullets at EOT this year and those certainly looked like some fine bullets.....and they are certainly scarlet in color.

[Ripsaw]

I've been using Missouri Bullet Co, BHN 12  bullets for 4 years. I just went back to order some more, and looked at my order history. I've ordered over 50,000 bullets from them, have shot over 40,000 with zero leading issues.  I just wish they had a 160g .45 bullet. Need to go to Red River for those.