Powdercoating reloads

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  • themurseman

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Nov 11, 2012
    66
    6
    Greenfield
    Someone was showing me that they were carrying reloads that had the bullets powder coated. I do not know anything about reloading. It just seems like a whole lot of trouble. I was wondering what the benefits were.
     

    billybob44

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    383   0   0
    Sep 22, 2010
    3,426
    27
    In the Man Cave
    Just did some today...

    Here is a good link that explains the whole process.

    Coatings and Alternatives

    Today I painted (Shake+Bake Method) over 600 .38/.357 projectiles.

    Benefits: No more smoke than a Jacketed/Plated bullet load
    Will shoot, without lead problems in ANY barrel, with GREAT accuracy!
    Because they are so "Slick", they will feed when some jacketed/plated bullets will give problems..
    I have personally loaded MY Powder Coat bullets faster than some jacketed loads, with GREAT success.

    Since I started powder coating about three years ago, I will NOT load/shoot any standard lube cast bullets...Bill.
     

    oldpink

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 7, 2009
    6,660
    63
    Farmland
    FWIW, if you don't want to go through the task of powder coating them yourself, there are companies who sell them already coated and ready to load.
    I've yet to try them, but I'll probably pick up a box of .452 caliber to see how they go out of my Blackhawk and 1894.
     

    EvilElmo

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Feb 11, 2009
    1,235
    48
    Dearborn Co.
    I've been experimenting with this for roughly the past month and so far I'm pretty happy with the results. I have a few tips I can share:

    First off you'll find tons of comments and videos online talking about Harbor Freight's red powder coat. It's tempting to try because it's only about $7/lb but don't waste your time with it. It just doesn't stick to the bullets. I've tried both dry and wet tumbling multiple times each with the HF red and it's just not worth the hassle. Spend a few extra bucks and buy some Eastwood "Hotcoat" powder. The only color I've tried so far is Ford Light Blue but it works exceptionally well. One pound will run you about $19 delivered but it's worth it just to save yourself the aggravation. The powder itself is about $10.50/lb so if you decide to stick with it the shipping won't hurt so much if you buy more powder coat at once. Plus Eastwood has just about any color your could want.

    Second, I find the "wet" tumbling method to be unnecessary with that good powder. I'm getting excellent coverage just using a cheap ziploc plastic container and about 1 tsp of powder coat for 200-250 bullets. The process is this simple:
    1. Put bullets and powder in a cheap plastic container. I use the disposable ziploc containers you can buy at the grocery store. Seal the lid and shake for about 1 minute until they're fully coated.
    2. Dump everything onto a screen and shake off the excess powder. Put that powder away for future use.
    3. Dump the coated bullets onto a cookie sheet lined with something it won't stick to. I use parchment paper. Also, I don't bother taking the time to place each bullet individually as some videos will show - just dump them and they'll be fine.
    4. Bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I use an old toaster oven.
    5. Wait for them to cool and run them through my Lee sizing die.

    Here's the video I followed to try this process. You can basically skip to about the 9:00 minute mark if you just want to see the process itself.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGqLzWzKfes
     

    71silverbullet

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    36   0   0
    Oct 30, 2010
    736
    43
    Southern, In
    If anyone wants to experiment and you are not too particular about the color I have thousands of pounds of powder. I wouldn't charge much more than shipping. Colors are limited, some gray, white, black, maybe some blue and red.
     

    billybob44

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    383   0   0
    Sep 22, 2010
    3,426
    27
    In the Man Cave
    71silverbullet is AAA +++

    If anyone wants to experiment and you are not too particular about the color I have thousands of pounds of powder. I wouldn't charge much more than shipping. Colors are limited, some gray, white, black, maybe some blue and red.

    I want to give a "Shout Out" and extra THANK YOU to 71silverbullet..He sent me some samples of His powder coat paint, and I will get it on some bullets ASAP...THANKS again!!...Bill.
     
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