Plated to Blue bullet load change - how much?

Jeffm004

New member
I see on thebluebullets.com you can get a discount for being a member of this forum. Nice. I've been running Xtream plated 124s, judging by the empty 8 lb. Bullseye container, about 13,000 of them. Blue would save me another $130-$150 over 13,000 if I switched.

Has anyone made this switch? How much did your load data change? Any Chrono change? I'm going to order a sample pack and run a chrono myself but what say you? I found 8 Ibs. of Bullseye on sale for $110. So it is the powder for another 13,000.....
 
First off, great score on the 8 lbs of Bullseye!

I don't shoot coated lead in 9mm, but I do in .40 S&W for my competition gun, and in .45 ACP for my 1911s.

I did make the switch from plated to coated in .45, and I found that the coated lead shoots a bit faster using the same load. I would back off your normal plated loads by at least 5%, and then work up.

Once again, I have never loaded 9mm in coated lead, so you may need to reduce your load by slightly more than that, I am only guessing here based on what I saw with my .45 loads.
 
I reloaded plated and PCed or Hi-Tek coated bullets the same as my cast lead bullets. Same load data, same sizing, etc.. I had zero problems and was able to wring out some good accuracy from them all...
 
Hammerhead has good advice:
You start over and work up the coated load.
I have been using CFEpistol and have a pet load of 4.5gr with Xtreme RN plated 124gr bullets. I have been using Bayou 124gr RN coated lead with 4.7gr of CFE. I have also used Summer's Enterprises coated lead 124gr RN with 4.3gr of CFE. All three loads chrono 1055 to 1077 fps.

My point is different manufacturers all making a round nose bullet at the same weight and diameter will react differently because of the density and hardness as well as the coefficient of friction of the outside coating.
 
A bit off in some way but yesterday I shot some loads I made FOR the Blue Bullets. I must have miscounted or something as I didn't have quite enough to finish loading all the cases I had prepared (I use a single stage RCBS RockChucker press). I also was loading for .45acp not 9mm.

7.5 gr of HS-6 using a 230gr RN bullet. So I used up the Blue Bullets and scrounged around my storage area and found some 230gr RN lead and some 230gr RN copper plated bullets. So I figured same weight and same bullet profile - good to go.

All shot fine and there was no noticeable recoil difference. If I hadn't seen the blue, grayish and shiny copper bullets in the box I wouldn't have guessed there were 3 different bullet-types. So take that for what it's worth....
 
Matt Dardass of Dardass Cast Bullets used to give forum members that discount, but he has retired and his business is closed. I didn't know about Blue Bullets offering a discount to us, either, but it is posted under the Sponsorships and Discounts tab on their site along with other forums and along with following them on Facebook, etc.
 
What is the difference in the polymer coating and HyTek Coating? I went from plated to HyTek Coated that I get from SNS, Missouri and Summers Enterprises. Will never shoot another plated bullet. The Blue Bullets look interesting, but there is no style selection and the price is about the same as HyTek. Does the polymer coating perform different?
 
What is the difference in the polymer coating and HyTek Coating? I went from plated to HyTek Coated that I get from SNS, Missouri and Summers Enterprises. Will never shoot another plated bullet. The Blue Bullets look interesting, but there is no style selection and the price is about the same as HyTek. Does the polymer coating perform different?

Look here. They have the answers to all your cast, powder coat, and Hy Tek questions: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?184-Coatings-and-Alternatives&
 
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