Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Soft Cast

Has anyone here tried really soft cast powder coated bullets. I have and I have been impressed with expansion even in flat nosed bullets and weight retention in soft cast hollow points has been surprisingly good. I have been using pure lead with just enough tin to fill out the molds then dropping g onto a towel.

Yes, I have, but didn't find an application where they worked better than ww alloy for my uses.

I experimented with pure lead (coated and not) in 300 Blk subsonics; the round nose and SP designs didn't give any significant expansion, and my hollow point molds were already designed for ww alloy.

In handgun rounds, I always got better accuracy with ww alloy than pure lead, and am using hollow points designed for that alloy anyway.

Haven't tried any PC coated pure lead but I shoot lots of pure lead bullets with just a light coat of thinned Alox right up to sub-sonic levels at 1K fps. with no leading.

Next time I cast up a bunch of those little 90 gr. SWC I'll put some PC on them for sure.

Scott, I know nothing at all about powder coat and don't have a clue if my experience is of any use, but.........

I load 300 grain swagged pure in a .44 Mag with max loads. 2 wraps of 9# onionskin is good for MOA precision up to about 1600 fps. As you experienced, weight retention is in the 95%+ range and expansion is significant. Stuff dies, pretty much on the spot.



The bullet is a round nose form with a petite flat point of about 1/4" diameter.

Also have the following observations about the use of 180 grain 30:1 alloy with my Sneezer project. MV in the 1025-1050 fps range, demonstrated precision hovering in the MOA range as well. The closer parallel to your PC treatment here is my method of lube. I use dilute Alox and dust it with a mix of mica and graphite while still slightly tacky. In the photo below you can see the thin color of the Alox prior to my version of powder coating.

Impressive.

This looks like expansion from sand or dirt. Ever tried it on meat, or something that more closely simulates meat like water or wet paper?

It is and I have not. Dry sugar sand berm about 10 yards behind the target frame. It was about 18" deep. Will send along a pic first time it's blooded if a) I recover one and, b) it will transit bone so that will skew the results as well. I don't fiddle with test mediums...they are as hokey as sand.

One thing to keep in mind is the bullet has a fairly high SD of .276. That plays significantly in terminal performance.

Dan I see that you documented Lil Gun in the photo above. Is that the powder that gave best results?

I call it good enough but after a bit of further testing it appears that SR4759 might do a bit better. Finally got enough of it in the case to banish large ES numbers and it seems to be doing about .5" for five at 1050 fps over 50 yards. It is burning cleaner than LG at this point as well. Regardless, both are minute of pig brain certified. Charge is 7.8 gr, WW SPP, .001" neck tension, no crimp and about 85% load density.

Have you tried SR7625 for that, or is it too fast? (I'm not up to speed on what cartridge you're using). I've found 7625 to be very consistent for certain subsonic cast bullet loads, particularly in moderate case sizes with heavy bullets. My application is probably a little smaller case though, with about 50% more bullet weight so YMMV.

It's what I call the .30 Sneezer. .357 case necked down about 1/2" of length. Single shot suppressed

Is that case hard to form. Reaming, etc?

I quit using Lil Gun because it was very dirty in my Hornet until I went to a CCI small rifle magnum primer. Speed improved as did SD. Hells bells, your Sneezer looks like a Hornet on 'roids. Have you tried any other primers?

A couple of guys around her were doing that to a 38 special and calling it the 30 Badger.
Ronnie

You can run a 38 sp or 357 case through a 30 luger die. I'd been considering such a wildcat and having a revolver and lever action built to house it. But just too much $ for a novelty combo.

There be three variants of the same idea that I am aware of...the Badger mentioned above, the .30 Reece and the Sneezer. I have no bones to pick with any of the others but the essence is the Sneezer has a longer neck and was geared from the start for cast bullets and subsonic velocities only.

I have tried both CCI and WW primers (SRP and SPP) and find best success with the CCI small pistol primer. I also find Li'l Gun to be one of the cleanest burning powders tested with exception of 800X. 800X was also the only powder that acted a bit squirrely and gave some leading on occasion. Cases are easy enough to form. Anneal and run them thru the sizer, done deal.

Powders tested to date:
Bullseye
700X
800X
WW231
Li'l Gun
IMR4227
SR4759
2400
Goex 3fg

Bullet was a custom design from Steve Brooks, reamer by Dave Manson and barrel by Bullberry.

The 800X was a teaser...



Look close and see the lead on that patch. No rhyme or reason, but about every 3d group it would lead the hell out of the barrel.

The leading pic mirrored an experience with one of my long heavy .338 cast bullets..No matter what seating depth or powder/primer combo I played with the problem wasn't going away anytime soon.Had another custom cut with a tapered design that solved the problem..Musta been the forward band at full dia causing the problemo best that I can figure.The new tapered design shoots extremely well with no leading.

Two words Dan, POWDER COAT.


Send me some bullets and I will send them back coated. No leading.

Scott, I do appreciate the offer, but the only time leading has been an issue was with the 800X powder. Good with what I have at present. I can run 50 rounds through it without a trace of leading with the other powders.

When I get around to making a compression die the 3fg will get another trial. Cleaning a suppressor in the dishwasher cracks me up for some reason.

Leading is a general term, but can come from several mechanisms. The base of the bullet can be melted by the hot powder gasses and lead the barrel, the lube can fail to do it's job either due to an undersize bullet or insufficient lube causing the bullet to lead, or the rifling can be too fast for the bullet hardness and the rifling can shear the bullet causing leading. Not to mention the peak pressure the powder generates and velocity which play into the mix.

If you have a bullet that is just on the verge of leading and you are using a powder that is squirrely, i.e. causing pressure spikes. Then that occasional round with a pressure spike can cause leading.