Getting back into it

[gruntbull]

I had been loading for about 6 years and then my favorite place to shoot SC near Elsinore was closed... Kinda lost the urge once it took over 1.5 hrs to get to a place to be free and shoot.

Fast forward to now and I miss the ca-chunk of the LNL Progressive advancing, the smell of lubricant and beer (before you go all - safe reloading on me, you ALL have or had done it) and the satisfaction of having an affordable accurate round made by your own hands.

Ok - on to the question - I have noticed people POWDER COATING their cast boollits... which I can immediately see reasons to throw out your old boollit lube and sing from the mountain tops but is the extra cost worth the squeeze?

[rsrocket1]

Cost?
The extra cost would be the time. A pound of powder coat powder costs between $5 and $20+/pound and you use about a teaspoons worth to coat 200 bullets. I cast, coat and load about 10k/year and a pound will last me more than a year.



The extra time spend over and above the sizing portion of the bullet making (assuming you used to lube your bullets when you sized them) is the powder coat process. I now use 2 toaster ovens (cost was $5 for one and $3 for the other) and shake coat the bullets in a #5 plastic tub or 1 gallon Ziplock bag. Sometimes I use airsoft BB's sometimes not. Then I place them in bullet trays (the ones that come in store bought ammo) nose down. I then arrange 4 trays on one oven tray, put another one on top and flip. 200 bullets lined up and ready for baking. 20 minutes at 400F and they are done.





By leap frogging ovens, I can do 1000 in an hour by baking while stacking. With only one oven it would take about 1:40

Harbor Freight red powder is the cheapest and easiest to get. Over at Castboolits there is a guy named Smoke4320 who sells the best powder in lots of colors but it's $23.75/pound. Then again, it will likely last you over a years worth even if you shoot 200/week. Someone can probably find his source and buy it cheaper but maybe not unless he buys large quantities. Powder coat powder has a limited shelf life because it can absorb moisture which makes it not stick with static electricity. I knew that so I went to a local powder coat shop and asked if he had any old powder he would like to sell. I got 3 pounds of Sherwin Williams purple for $6. While the pigment does not coat the bullet uniformly, the polymer does and it still works as it should which is all that matters to me.

Barrels do not lead and any soot in the rifling cleans up with a single pass through with a paper towel dampened with your favorite cleaner (RemOil, CLP, Hoppes, just about anything)





If you don't size your bullets, tumble lubing with 45/45/10 is the quickest and simplest lube. 30 seconds in a ziplock bag and overnight in a wax paper lined cardboard box and you're done. They do shoot more smokey however. Powder coated bullet shoot as cleanly as plated or jacketed. The BHN of the coating is about 22 in terms of surface toughness.

[jessdigs]

I started reloading about 4 years ago. When i started casting, i was reading about sizing and lubing, lubrisizers, top punches, etc. I read about powder coating and push through sizers from lee and decided to give it a try before investing in a lubrisizer and dies, and top punches, and mixing lubes, etc.
I got great results my very first time with HF red powder. Used that for a while, then bought a few sample packs From smoke. I have 6 colors and it is great powder that gives Ann amazing result. You should try it. Craigslist toaster oven and some harbor freight powder and your set for $12. You probably already have sizing equipment.
I will never do anything but pc.


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[anyracoon]

Yep

My lube sizers just collect dust now!

[NeilMo]

To put it in perspective, powder-coating boolits is cheaper than drinking beer.

[oddjob]

I don't cast and/or powder coat my own bullets (9mm).....I buy them. My friends that do swear by powder coating. In my case and theirs there is no leading problem (proper sizing though) and cost is minimal. I do use moly coated bullets (Bear Creek) too in 40 cal.