plated vs jacketed?

[tiller]

There was a time when you could save significant amounts of money by buying plated vs jacketed, even buying jacketed from Montana Gold or Precision Delta.
However, unless they have gotten much better in the last 5 years, plated totally suck in terms of accuracy compared to jacketed or good cast lead bullets.
Since I can buy 2000 jacketed bullets from Precision Delta or a case from Montana Gold for the same amount of money and be assured of superlative accuracy, plated are not on my buying list.
My only "complaint" about others using plated is whether they have ever tried jacketed or good cast bullets. If so, and they are some how getting just as good accuracy with plated, then they have made a wise choice for themselves.
I just don't understand buying plated when jacketed are running the same price and are so much more accurate...
I do understand, though, that you can find plated at your local gunshop for a lot less than Hornady or Speer jacketed, but that is for a very limited shopping universe.
Even if all you do is blast away, I would still vote for good cast bullets for training and then use jacketed for action pistol competition.
However, there is no real risk in terms of safety. Just be sure that you crimp doesn't cut the plating and that you stay below 1200 fps.
If they weren't safe, they wouldn't be able to sell them.

this is what ive come to realize ^^

plated from berrys 87.00 per/k

fmj from precision delta 87.00 per/k

the only thing is you have to buy 2k from precision in order to get that price (from what im reading from there site)

[Cheap Shot]

also noticed...

that berry's now has a couple of bullets with thicker plating and higher velocity limits.

[mjmagee67]

Xtreme Plated are mighty fine boolets I have shot them in 9mm, 40, 38, 357, & 45 no complaints. I have also been able to push them pretty hard and crimp pretty hard in my Marlin 1894 357Mag. 1400-1500fps! You really can't beat their prices.

[Cowboy T]

Nothing wrong with plated, as some others have said.

However, with the exception of .22LR, everything I shoot, I reload, and that's now exclusively with my cast boolits. Great performance.

[jgringle]

My Test of Plated vs Jacketed

I shoot 45 ACP and just started reloading. I loaded some plated rounds and some FMJ rounds. I shot them at a local indoor range to test the accuracy.

I am still learning but would assume from this that plated are as accurate as FMJ at least for the loads I tested so far. If I can save some $$ using plated I think this is the way for me to go.

I have been told that shooting lead and keeping it under 1200 fps would not cause any leading so I hope to test load some of those as well and compare this way. Thoughts?

[Bill Steele]

I shoot 45 ACP and just started reloading. I loaded some plated rounds and some FMJ rounds. I shot them at a local indoor range to test the accuracy.

I am still learning but would assume from this that plated are as accurate as FMJ at least for the loads I tested so far. If I can save some $$ using plated I think this is the way for me to go.

I have been told that shooting lead and keeping it under 1200 fps would not cause any leading so I hope to test load some of those as well and compare this way. Thoughts?

Leading is predominately a function of bullet fit. There are many other lesser elements than can contribute to or help limit leading but getting the fit right is most important.

[bandook]

... BTW, when is the next xtreme group buy? I'm about due for some 45's

Depends on your location... We had one for xtreme bullets go through (sf east bay) last week. I'll probably run one early next year (again SF East Bay), but if you're not local, set one up yourself.

X-treme needs only 25K bullets for dealer pricing and while that appears to be a lot, the group buy usually fills up quickly.

[JNunez23]

This ^^^ Both are great bullets. BTW, when is the next xtreme group buy? I'm about due for some 45's

Hmmm, good question. Might get a list going for the L.A/O.C/I.E areas. I need to start reloading .223, so time for me to stock up.

[gregshin]

U also use less powder charge on plated as well even more if use lead.

[Cowboy T]

Leading is predominately a function of bullet fit. There are many other lesser elements than can contribute to or help limit leading but getting the fit right is most important.

Agreed on the need for proper bullet fit. Proper lube is the other major factor; I learned this the hard way. Not only does there need to be enough of it, it also must be the proper type for the application. Those hard blue crayon-wax lubes don't do diddly in short-barrel handguns; rifles may be different. Basically, the softer the lube, the better, and make sure to use enough of it!

[M27]

I was shooting berrys for a while then there prices drastically went up. I then went to x-treme for a while with bullets being $0.116 each. Recently I moved to precision delta FMJ for $0.14 each. At only $15 more per 1000 I found it worth it.

On thing I did like about berrys is with only a slight chamfer I could get away with not belling and thereby no crimping either.

This was all in 45acp