Things I've learned about powder-coated, gas-checked rifle bullets so far:
- The bullets don't need lube up to and beyond equivalent jacketed bullet speeds.
- Full-power, full-pressure loads can be used in ordinary, production-quality barrels without leading.
- Light carbon-fouling akin to shooting jacketed bullets is all I get at high-velocity, one wet and two dry patches gets it all out (five rifles tested so far, repeatedly).
- The first shot from a CLEAN barrel goes in the group, usually in the center. Very predictable.
- Powder coating allows full-power rifle loads with reasonable hunting accuracy in ordinary hunting rigs using bullets of HALF the BHN normally required, making for more effective expansion at extended ranges. This, of course, extends the minimum hunting range if you don't want excessive meat damage.
- Powder-coating drastically reduces the lead fouling of muzzle brakes and suppressors and virtually eliminates leading of both piston and DI gas systems.
- The coating hasn't proven any gilt-edged, match-winning accuracy yet, but then again I haven't (nor am I inclined to) pursue it to that level given the velocity and alloy concessions that will likely be necessary. This quest was for usable hunting accuracy with appropriate alloys and particularly for semi-automatic rifles which we don't see at many cast bullet shooting matches.
- And for the biggie.....After all this testing at both extremely low and high velocity, I consider the Quest for Extreme Bullet Lube 100% fulfilled. Our dear departed friend Felix Robbins was right all along when he kept indicating that some sort of polymer was the solution to the bullet lubrication challenge. Who knew all those years ago that it would take the form of a TGIC-crosslinked coating?
Oh, and I guess that means this quest, for speed and accuracy with powder-coated bullets, is fulfilled as well. Happy shooting!
With the exception in point #6 regarding muzzle brakes and suppressors neither of which I have on any of my rifles, I can personally attest to your findings being spot on with my limited HV powder coated cast bullets as well. My newly acquired budget Rem. 30-06 got me started pushing the envelope with cast lead at higher velocity using the same Lee 170 gr. FN bullet I was already shooing at factory velocity in my Sav. 30-30. I'm pretty confident I can push the 170 gr. Lee, powder coated, gas check bullet past the 2300 fps. range I'm at now with 3.5 grs. of usable charge weight left before I hit Max. load but I'm getting MOA accuracy and for around here with the limited shooting ranges that's plenty good at where I stand now.
My Sav. 99 in 300 Sav., M44 an M91/30 in 54r followed by my three SKS rifles will be my next HV cast lead projects. They all are cruising along at a comfortable clip in the 1700 to 1800+ fps. range at the moment using 170 gr. bullets in the 300 Sav. and 185 an 215 gr. bullets in the 54r's and 155 to 160 gr. in the SKS rifles but I'm going to see how far I can push them as well an still maintain accuracy, but I like my upper mid-range loads as well so they will always be on the to load list.
Your post #253 was spot on as well, I personally have nothing agents them but I never buy grooveless bullet molds for handguns or rifles, something just always told me to buy the ones with grooves and it's proven to be a good choice, plus I can always revert back to using my RCBS Lube A Matic for lubing bullets if needed if PC is not an option as I have all my fallback loads using all the bullets I shoot using traditional lube.
I apply my gas check after the bullets are coated, standing all my bullets on the base to be cured and I cull any bullets with bad dimples that I plan on checking before they ever make it to the coating process, the few that have dimples left by the sprue plate go into the plinking bullet pile, they still get coated and are just shot with no gas check as low-velocity loads. I will gas check a few bullets and coat them and see how they turn out if the coating on the base of the check is not even I will just use my Dremel tool mounted on my bench and a fine wire brush and clean it off.
Fouling with PC'ed bullets has never been an issue, it was hardly even one with traditionally lubed bullets either, regardless of how few or many rds. I shoot the bores are always nice and shiny when I'm done shooting and as you said one wet patch and a couple of dry patches are all that is needed for cleanup, traditional lube did leave the gun a bit more dirty overall but the bore was fine.
It's funny that you mention bullet dia. In general, I usually size my 30 cal. bullets to .311" and with all the rifle I usually shoot those dia. bullets in they shoot great but with the 06 a .311" dia. bullet was a bit snug to chamber so I size them to .309.5" which is what my sizer actually sizes them to and it shoots just as accurately with an identical load and the bullet chambers much more easily with no fuss.
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The Basement Articles #5: Alloy for accuracy and hunting I pretty much switched to 50/50 about a year ago for all my shooting needs, I air cool for pistol HP bullet and water quench for the HV loads. The HV 30-06 load is cast from 50/50, PC'ed and water quenched right out of the toaster oven after curing then checked and sized and allow to sit for a few weeks to age harden. If that alloy and powder coat can hold up to that it want be a problem with anything else I'm shooting.