Getting Better I Think

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  • Last Post 23 May 2019
pondercat posted this 11 May 2019

Well I got that new powder I ordered off of Ebay and tried it out.  I had two different companies, Axaita and Diamond Vogel.  I was not real happy with Axaita yet because the powder adhered, but not very well, it baked OK but required that I coat it twice  However the Diamond Vogel had a strong adherence after only tumbling a few minutes and looks good after cooking.  I attached a picture.  These are the first decent ones I have gotten, but until  now I was using Harbor Freight's powder. I am still such a neophyte with powder coating and still have a LOT to learn.  I shot some of the .45 250 gr bullets and .44 mag 310 gr pills and had no issues at all.  Accuracy was not changed from 45-45-10 or straight Alox and cleaning the barrels was quick and easy.  I think I'm going to like this method.

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BigMan54 posted this 13 May 2019

I have had the best of Luck with EASTWOOD. Only tried the Squirrel Gray. Bought 1/2 lb to start. Shake & Bake was EASY. powder adhered easily and stayed on, Flowed out perfectly as it heated up. Cured perfectly.

Tried Smoke 4320 Sample:Flame Red, Carolina Blue & J.D. Green. Shake & bake went perfect. Beautiful stuff. Same as Eastwood.

Harbor Freight Red. The container is a great place to store my other GOOD Powders.

 

Tried something new today. The Lee sizers have been scraping off the PC from my bullets, so I've been polishing the inside of the dies and their entryway. Tedious

Tried 50 PC'd bullets in a small container, add 2 squirts of DAWN dish soap. Shake and size, slicker then snot. Of course then you have to rinse off the bullets and clean and oil up the die.

Still this will work until my dies are all polished well enough to not need any type of lubrication.

 

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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harleyrock posted this 19 May 2019

 Accuracy was not changed from 45-45-10 or straight Alox and cleaning the barrels was quick and easy.  I think I'm going to like this method.

 

If accuracy has not improved why powder coat when it is so much more trouble than tumble lubing with 45-45-10?

Lifetime NRA since 1956, NRA Benefactor, USN Member, CBA Member

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harleyrock posted this 23 May 2019

I can think of another reason to powder coat that is not mentioned very often and that is when your mould drops bullets too small to fit your chamber throat.  It is sure easier than beagleing or lapping a mold or as costly as getting a custom bumping die or a new custom mould altogether.

Lifetime NRA since 1956, NRA Benefactor, USN Member, CBA Member

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David Reiss posted this 11 May 2019

Good results and report. From everything I have read, the brand of powder makes all the difference. You have me on the edge now, I am tipping your way and may now try again with the Diamond Vogel. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
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pondercat posted this 11 May 2019

I am going to order some of the Eastwood powder and give that shot as well.  I have been reading a lot of good stuff about Eastwood.  I went to their website and the prices are quite reasonable.  Shipping seems to be a bit high for just a pound but is still a good deal if it is as good as I have been reading.  However, Ido like the way The Diamond Vogel works, looks, and shoots. At least the red.

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GP Idaho posted this 11 May 2019

I've been up on the pulpit here at the CBA preaching the benefits of powder coating for about three years now. Glad to see a few converts begin to trickle in.Gp

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delmarskid posted this 13 May 2019

DAMN ,wrong link!

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pondercat posted this 14 May 2019

Been having a bit of trouble getting that Axaita powder to adhere strongly enough to the bullets.  Thought I'd just try anything, so I tumbled the bullets without powder for about 15 minutes hoping to build up an initial static charge.  I then added the powder and tumbled for about a half hour while I took care of our animals and discovered I had much better results.  The powder was still a bit "loose" but had a much thicker coating.  Only did it once so don't know if it is just an anomaly, but the results were quite good I think.

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pondercat posted this 14 May 2019

On another note I went ahead and got one of those HF guns and my initial experience was dismal at best.  I did finally mange to get a few bullets coated, but only after I wasted about half a pound of powder.  luckily it was the cheap HF black i chose to experiment with so it was not not that big a loss.  What I discovered is that the HF powder containers look like they fit the gun and do attach but it turns out the neck is just slightly smaller that than the bottles that come with the gun.  As soon as I pulled the trigger it popped the container of powder off and powder went everywhere.  Afterward I did get the gun adjuste dright and coated a few trial bullets and they turned out OK but not great.  Another lesson learned the hard way!

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GP Idaho posted this 19 May 2019

Terry; Another Harbor Freight lesson  LOL The mismatch of the bottle threads and the ones on the gun have caught more than one guy by surprise. The coating on the blue bullets above looks way heavy. With quality powder and using the shake n bake method it should only take about thirty seconds of shaking to get an adequate coating. I won't use any powder that requires a second coat. PM me your Email address or your cell # and I'll try and get some pictures to you of my spray booth and other items I use.  Gp

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pondercat posted this 20 May 2019

Harley,

The reasons for me are pretty much straightforward.  (1).  Reduced chance of leading (hopefully.  Ihavent shot enough of these to be 100% positive, but so far it seems to bworking). (2). Even alox seems to have an affinty for dust so I guess that would be cleaner storage of bullets.  (3). I can use the bullets immediately if I need to rather than waiting for a day so.  For me that means less preparation time (4).  I can color code my bullets for immediate identification how ever  I want.  For example: by type of alloy. (5). The potential to increase range and flatten trajectory with cast because of the capacity to increase bullet velocity and (6) - this is the most important for me -  it presents another aspect of this hobby and I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with new ways and means. 

Terry

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pondercat posted this 20 May 2019

Gp -

Yeah, the coating did turn out a bit heavy.. Maybe I should of shaken them off a little more aggressively But they are actually quite serviceable and sized down quite nicely.  Just did some more the same way except for tumbling them for in the vibrator for a long time and they turned out nice.

Terry

Check your PM

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harleyrock posted this 20 May 2019

Harley,

The reasons for me are pretty much straightforward.  (1).  Reduced chance of leading (hopefully.  Ihavent shot enough of these to be 100% positive, but so far it seems to bworking). (2). Even alox seems to have an affinty for dust so I guess that would be cleaner storage of bullets.  (3). I can use the bullets immediately if I need to rather than waiting for a day so.  For me that means less preparation time (4).  I can color code my bullets for immediate identification how ever  I want.  For example: by type of alloy. (5). The potential to increase range and flatten trajectory with cast because of the capacity to increase bullet velocity and (6) - this is the most important for me -  it presents another aspect of this hobby and I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with new ways and means. Terry

1. Even you are not sure about that happening.

2.  If 45-45-10 is applied warm to warm bullets it dries very quickly and if applied thin enough (as it should be) is not at all sticky.  I use Ben's Liquid Lube but it performs about like 45-45-10.  It dries in about the same amount of time as cooking and cooling your PC bullets.  I like the Ben's better because it has carnauba wax which gives the lube a dry hardened surface.

3. see 2. above.

4. This is the only reason that PC wins.  Hands down, no contest.

5. I am not so sure about this one.  I think think a given alloy can be driven only so fast no matter it's coating unless it is metal or paper.

6.  That is unquestionably the best reason to go to the trouble of powder coating.

Lifetime NRA since 1956, NRA Benefactor, USN Member, CBA Member

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pondercat posted this 21 May 2019

1. Even you are not sure about that happening.

2.  If 45-45-10 is applied warm to warm bullets it dries very quickly and if applied thin enough (as it should be) is not at all sticky.  I use Ben's Liquid Lube but it performs about like 45-45-10.  It dries in about the same amount of time as cooking and cooling your PC bullets.  I like the Ben's better because it has carnauba wax which gives the lube a dry hardened surface.

3. see 2. above.

4. This is the only reason that PC wins.  Hands down, no contest.

5. I am not so sure about this one.  I think think a given alloy can be driven only so fast no matter it's coating unless it is metal or paper.

6.  That is unquestionably the best reason to go to the trouble of powder coating.

 

All valid points Harley. I do sometimes get carried away with lube and go a bit too heavy.  as to point #5 I have been reading on some other forums that high velocities are attainable, but with greatly diminished accuracy.  It seems one can expect an increase at most of 300 to 400 fps before accuracy begins to fall apart.  If the weather breaks for us I have some 22-250s loaded to test that idea.  I am starting at what should be around 1900 - 1950 fps I think (57 grain bullet in front of 12.5grns IMR4227) and will increase to about 2200 in this first volley see what happens and go from there with that rifle.  They are pretty little bullets. 

Oh and that brings me to another reason for PCing bullets.  My wife likes the green ones and wants me to make some to load in her personal carry pistol laughing

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Brodie posted this 21 May 2019

Terry,

I think that your last point is easily the most valid.  Happy wives give their husbands more time to hunt, fish, cast, reload and shoot.

B.E.Brickey

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pondercat posted this 23 May 2019

Brodie,

AMEN!

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