Cast or plated
- Thread starter JayCarver
- Start date
Cast are generally cheaper.
Plated generate less smoke (no bullet lube to burn).
Plated can reduce or prevent leading in most firearms.
If you are using thinly plated bullets, you are limited to the same velocity as cast. Most plated bullets have very thin plating, often .004" or less.
Thicker plated bullets (like CamPro) are in between cast and jacketed in terms of maximum velocity. I think they are around .008" of copper.
Cast need to be matched to your bore or throat size or they can cause leading. You want .001" or .002" above groove diameter.
Undersized plated bullets will often reduce accuracy and velocity (doesn't seal the bore) but don't usually cause leading.
If you are buying retail bullets I would just go with plated as it's easier. I shoot mostly cast because I cast my own and it's significantly cheaper.
There are also some retail powder coated bullets available. They work like plated.
Plated generate less smoke (no bullet lube to burn).
Plated can reduce or prevent leading in most firearms.
If you are using thinly plated bullets, you are limited to the same velocity as cast. Most plated bullets have very thin plating, often .004" or less.
Thicker plated bullets (like CamPro) are in between cast and jacketed in terms of maximum velocity. I think they are around .008" of copper.
Cast need to be matched to your bore or throat size or they can cause leading. You want .001" or .002" above groove diameter.
Undersized plated bullets will often reduce accuracy and velocity (doesn't seal the bore) but don't usually cause leading.
If you are buying retail bullets I would just go with plated as it's easier. I shoot mostly cast because I cast my own and it's significantly cheaper.
There are also some retail powder coated bullets available. They work like plated.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Confirm the dimensions of the forcing cone... read up on how that dimension relative to the bore can really affect your performance.
THEN decide which bullet you have to use.
Jerry
THEN decide which bullet you have to use.
Jerry
Armored Metal
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The People's Republik of Kébekistan
Like Hornady bulk?
Hornady has some lead bullets with some sort of coating on them but it's not powder coating. By powder coating I mean the bake on paint used in a lot of heavy duty applications. There is at least one company making powder coated bullets for retail sale where as previously it was exclusive to guys doing it themselves. There is a 9 page thread on it in the bullet casting section.
Powder coating is paint. Hornady uses moly coating on some rifle bullets, as I recall. No pistol calibres though.
You shooting inside? If so, your club range rules might decide for you. Otherwise, it makes no difference which you use. There is no lead poisoning issue with cast bullets. There is a bit of dirty finger tips though.
You shooting inside? If so, your club range rules might decide for you. Otherwise, it makes no difference which you use. There is no lead poisoning issue with cast bullets. There is a bit of dirty finger tips though.
The hornady lube is a bit smoky if shooting indoors, and they are swaged. Cast are not usually as bad depending on the lube. Cam pro suggests loading at the mid range for jacketed, so they might be a bit too fast for what you want. No leading from the plated bullets of course, but I find they leave a lot more copper in the bore compared to jacketed.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Either cerrosafe cast..
or pin gauges.
Jerry
or pin gauges.
Jerry
Cast bullets will be lubricated. Plated bullets are just cast bullets with plating on the outside so they don't need additional lubricants like a plain cast bullet does. Either will work fine.
Thanks for the help guys, I ordered some cerrosafe and will take a cast to see what the dimensions are for sure.
Does anyone have any experince with "the bullet barn" cast bullets? Looks like its either those or "Missouri Bullet Co" for cast bullets.
Does anyone have any experince with "the bullet barn" cast bullets? Looks like its either those or "Missouri Bullet Co" for cast bullets.
The Bullet Barns products are good quality but they don't offer too many oversized bullets which many who shoot cast prefer to use and also have relatively high prices. They are often only a few dollars less than jacketed bullets per hundred if you do the math.
For the money I would go with Berry's plated from some place like Budget Shooter Supply if it's only for 44 special velocities. If going for higher velocities I'd go with CamPro.
There is also R&R bullets near Kingston Ontario which are very affordable but shipping out West could kill the savings.
For the money I would go with Berry's plated from some place like Budget Shooter Supply if it's only for 44 special velocities. If going for higher velocities I'd go with CamPro.
There is also R&R bullets near Kingston Ontario which are very affordable but shipping out West could kill the savings.
