Plated vs Jacketed

[powaybob]

I loaded up several hundred rounds of .45 ACP this weekend, mostly using Rainier plated 200 gr round nose, but I decided to break into the 1000 rounds of 185 gr Hornady XTP I got for buying the Hornady Lock and Load press last year (it is only 500 bullets this year).

With the Rainier I am consistently having trouble when seating the bullet shaving off some of the plating resulting in either a bulge in the case or the plating bunched up outside the case. These won't feed, so I reject them and disassemble them and salvage what I can. The problem happens every 15-20 rounds with no obvious cause. I have fiddled with the expander, the seater, and the crimp and have not solved the problem yet.

I have ordered a powder through expander so I can use a separate crimp step, so we will see if that improves the problem.

However, when loading the Hornady bullets I had no problems at all. In that sense I like jacketed better than plated. When my current supply of plated bullets runs out I think I'll get some jacketed bullets. The reduced waste should make up for the extra cost.

I do think I have not quite mastered the adjustments to the LNL press so that contributes to the problem, but I also think the plated bullets offer a predilection to this seating problem.

Am I just a klutz, or do others have problems with plated bullets?

[joelogic]

sounds like you are not belling the case out enough for the plated bullets which are softer than the jacketed ones.

[sargenv]

The jacket on jacketed bullets are thicker than plated... Plated usually only gives about .005" to .006" of plating.. where jacketed gives you a "cup" of actual copper sheet that likely is in the .010" range or even maybe a bit thicker depending on the construction. They both generally use soft lead as the core, but in the case of the jacket material, it is usually harder by far than the plated stuff (yet soft enough to take the rifling in your firearm).

I load and treat plated the same as lead.. and unfortunately you need be careful with how you crimp it. Jacketed does not have as many issues in that light..

Have you measured the width of your plated bullets to see if maybe they are a bit over or undersized? The Hornady's will likely be exactly as they state on the box. Two different procedures in making them end up with two different results. When plated bullets were a bit more than lead, they were an ok deal, now that they are the same price as jacketed, and if it were me, I'd just get the jacketed... Montana Gold's are similarly priced via the case as plated are, otherwise I'd just shoot lead.

The Powder through expander might solve your problem if you are flaring the case mouth enough.. if they are shaving plating like you say they are, it appears that you may not be flaring the case mouth enough for an easy fit. Overflaring will tend to wear out brass faster, but giving it enough flare will tend to not junk as many bullets.. I think I might get one or two rejected lead bullets in the manner you are describing every 1000 rounds.. and usually less often.

[ireload]

Powaybob I've loaded Rainer and Berry's 200 gr. FP plated bullets and never experienced any problem with the bullet. Does your .45 brass have the same trim lenght? Do you have enough flare on the brass? Besides not having enough flare is chamfering the inside of the case mouth.
The 200gr. FP I have has a bevel at the heel of the bullet.

[Bug Splat]

I'll echo what everyone else has said. It sounds like you are not flaring the mouth enough. Try running the case up deeper into the expanding die.

[f4tweet]

Try seating and crimping using separate operations.

[Mstnpete]

I'll echo what everyone else has said. It sounds like you are not flaring the mouth enough. Try running the case up deeper into the expanding die.

+1 and if you are getting circle markings on the bullets invert the bullet seater. I am loading the same bullet but in 230 gr rn.
Over all length should be .1265-.1270"

[Waldog]

Buy one of these: www.powderfunnels.com

Your case mouth belling issues will disappear. It's a dream to use and is very easy to adjust. VASTLY SUPERIOR to Hornay's "Powder-thru-Expanders". I know!! I own both

[Fyathyrio]

Bob,

IIRC, you're using Hornady dies like I am. While I can't recall if I've ever measured how much the mouth has belled, I do know that the expanding die is pretty close to touching the shell plate when the ram is raised. I've also used the Hornady XTP and Berry's plated at the same setting on the expander. No probs with either projectile except for the rare case of letting the bullet tip over as it enters the seating die.

Is this with new or previously fired brass? My good results have been with new Starline stuff, but I've loaded all that and will be recycling when I load my next batch.

[ivanimal]

I use Dillon and there is the occasional gathering of copper plating. Usually it is something I can flake off with a knife. I use Berry/s manufacturing plated the most.