Paging Lutnit

[fingers284]

The following is from a post you made in a powder coating thread a while back, I searched for your report back but couldn't find anything...did the BP experiment take place or is it still pending...or has anybody else got experience with BP and coating.

I am going to try powder coated bullets with black powder cartridge though; don't know if anyone has tried this before. Loading 55gr of Goed FFg, 1/8" .460" fibre wad, 32ACP case of melted SPG lube, and 340gr powder coated .459" bullet on top. Same recipe I use for my 400gr paper patched which work great so I figured I'd give it a go. Will report back.

 

[Tazzy]

It should work fine. I've gone above 1700fps with my 45-70 and powder coated bullets.

 

[LUTNIT]

Had me worried when I saw my name in a thread title... ;D

I guess I forgot to post about that. I eventually did try it and the accuracy was horrible. Could barely hold 3 shots on an 8.5x11 piece of paper at 50yds. I tried the same PC'ed bullets with smokeless powder in the same rifle and got similar results. I think that rifle (H&R BC) just really doesn't like those bullets (Lee 340gr RFN) when PC'ed for some reason. The same bullets tumble lubed with alox (no PC) shoot great with smokeless and BP loads in that rifle. The same bullets, both with alox or PC'ed, shoot very well in my Marlin 1895 guide gun so it really does seem to be an incompatibility between that specific bullet, when PC'ed, and my H&R Buffalo Classic. I've been avoiding using black powder loads in my 1895 because I'm lazy and don't want to have to clean a lever rifle of black powder; easier with a single-shot.

I didn't do any more experimentation after that as my PP'ed 400gr bullets and pan lubed 500gr bullets both work very well with BP loads so I kinda gave up.
I can't conclude that PC'ed bullets don't get along with black powder; only that those bullets, when PC'ed, don't get along with my specific rifle no matter what powder is used.

If I get around to finding a bullet that works well in that rifle specifically when PC'ed, I may give it another go, but I have no immediate plans to.

 

[fingers284]

Thanks for the answer and sorry for the apprehension...

I have a menagerie of different guns I want to try BP/PC in and like you say accuracy will be up to the specific guns preference. I hear what you say about cleaning the Leverguns, 5 of the guns I will be trying BP in are levers the other an orig. RB with an interchangable 3 barrel set 45-70 , 50-70 and a 50-90.

One question, did you incorporate a BP lube into your mix (grease cookie or otherwise) with the PC bullets to help soften the fowling or just shoot them dry. Most of the articles I've read from the BP guru's all say hard fowling kills accuracy in 3 rnds or less.

 

[LUTNIT]

For bullets that don't get pan lubed, I normally put a wad, .32ACP case of melted SPG black powder lube, and then seat the bullet. I don't remember if I did this or not and there's nothing in my notes either way.

For black powder cartridges I clean my bore (wet patch then dry patch) after every shot when testing a load for accuracy. Any that are successful are tested again in 3-5 shot strings without cleaning. I only did preliminary testing so it would have been cleaned after every shot.