Question about bullet type

[JDoorn]

I picked up some 9mm copper plated bullets. In the lee loading manual it differentiates between jacketed and plated bullets. On the Hodgdon website it does not. If I want to use a recipe from the Hodgdon website should I use the recipe for the Lead round nose or the Gold Dot Hollow Point?

Thank you for your time.

 

[josquin]

I picked up some 9mm copper plated bullets. In the lee loading manual it differentiates between jacketed and plated bullets. On the Hodgdon website it does not. If I want to use a recipe from the Hodgdon website should I use the recipe for the Lead round nose or the Gold Dot Hollow Point?

Thank you for your time.

I think the general consensus is to use "lead" data for plated. The plating is relatively thin, compared to a copper jacket, and therefore has less friction/resistance than jacketed. There might be small differences between lead and plated, but as far as reloading goes, they would be inconsequential compared to the differences between the hardness of various lead bullets, the profile (= bearing surface) of various bullet designs and of course the differences between the barrels of the guns they're fired in.

 

[4n2t0]

............................................

 

[stampede]

If they're CamPro bullets use FMJ data. If they're a different brand I'd start near the max lead load, plated bullets need a little more oomph than lead.

Campro specifically states on their website to use jacketed data for their plated bullets. However their plating thickness is considerably thicker than most plated bullets.

If plating thickness is unknown, I would treat them as lead bullets as outlined by josquin above.

Situations like this is where having a chrono is useful to tell what is happening.

 

[RePete]

The best place to find this info is on the bullet manufacturers web site.

 

[Hitzy]

I picked up some 9mm copper plated bullets. In the lee loading manual it differentiates between jacketed and plated bullets. On the Hodgdon website it does not. If I want to use a recipe from the Hodgdon website should I use the recipe for the Lead round nose or the Gold Dot Hollow Point?

Thank you for your time.

Hodgdon addresses it here
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/rel...a-do-i-use-when-my-specific-bullet-not-listed
Speer Gold Dot is actually a plated bullet, but far thicker plating then any other plated bullets available..18thou+ plating which is approaching jacketed bullet thickness.
Bullets designed for slower cartridges will have thinner plating..ie 45acp 230gr could be 3.5 to 6thou and that's plenty. Cartridges capabable of around 1200fps will have 8thou plating generally. Higher velocity will have even thicker plating still.

 

[Ganderite]

Use max lead data or mid-level jacketed data.

Try a range of power charges and see what your gun likes.

 

[JDoorn]

Thank you for your responses. I have a follow up question. In regards to COL would manufacturer data supersede Lee loading manual data? Or, because COL in the Lee manual is seemingly dependant on powder type, would the more specific Lee manual data supersede the manufacturer?

 

[RePete]

The Lee manual is nothing more than a compilation of already existing data from other sources. Plus it's been out of date for years.

Go to the current bullet/powder manufacturers sites.

 

[Ganderite]

Ignore published COAL data. It has nothing to do with YOUR pistol.

I should record this response. I seem to make it about once a week, at least.

The OAL in the book is just a mention of what THEY used in THEIR pistol. It means NOTHING about what you seat your bullet to (unless they borrowed your pistol for their testing).

The OAL for your pistol is determined by your mag length and the chamber throat in YOUR pistol. Each pistol is different. And the throat erodes as you shoot it, so each year you might find you have to seat your bullets longer.

Load a round with the bullet seated long (shallow). Take the barrel out of your pistol. You will use the chamber as a gauge. It is the only gauge that matters. Drop the round into the chamber. The case mouth is supposed to bottom out on the end of the chamber. If it does, it will make a definite plunk sound. (Hence the name of this tests – the PLUNK test.) If the bullet is engaging the chamber throat, it will make a different sound; it will feel different and there will be marks on the bullet. Now turn the seater a quarter rev deeper, and seat the bullet some more. Does this chamber ok? Probably not.

Load another round and seat the bullet another quarter rev deeper and try that. Keep doing this until a round chambers without rifling marks. Each quarter rev seats the bullet about 12 thou deeper.

Then load one more round, seated another quarter rev deeper and measure it. That is the max OAL for that exact bullet.

Make a note of that OAL in your log book. It is about 20 thou off the rifling. Now take all the "long" rounds made for this test and seat them to the new setting.

If you change bullet brand or weight, you have to repeat this process. Make a note in your log book.

 

[big cal]

go by grains wht

 

[dodgecrew]

I am reloading 124gn Campro plated projectiles with jacketed load data. I downloaded the load data sheet from Campro.

 

[unstableryan]

go by grains wht

There has been some very good information here, if you don’t have anything to add to it or you want to muddy the puddle with bad advice, please hold back from responding.

The physical construction of the bullet, bullet shape, jacket thickness, etc all play roles how well a load performs inside and outside of the firearm.

For example, my old .40 ipsc minor load was perfect with even cam pro plated 180gr Bullets. I ran out of them and subbed in 180gr gold dots. I wonderfully made about 500 rounds of ammo that worked alright for practice out of a glock 22, but bulged the barrel in a JR Carbine.

No one got hurt except my feelings as I turned a 900 dollar gun into a 400 dollar gun. Lesson learned.

 

[dodgecrew]

Good advice that's why I work up a load and test it. I usually am only plinking at steel gongs and use the minimum loads for my brass to last longer and wear on my rifle. There is a lot of different info on the net and you can't take it all as truth. What works for one firearm may not for others. I use Frontier plated bullets for 38spl and 357mag lever action rifle loads and couldn't find any reloading data for them so I have been using jacketed bullet of the same shape and weight reloading data from my books. Again using minimum loads and chrono checking.

 

[heliace]

I am reloading 124gn Campro plated projectiles with jacketed load data. I downloaded the load data sheet from Campro.

Me too. And I have split some dry birch fire wood and retrieved a couple of the 230 grain plated Campro bullets, launched at around 750 fps. The bullet is completely intact and looks like it could be used again! The plating(JACKET!!!) is completely undamaged, other than some light grooving from the rifling. I use jacketed recipes for my 45 and less than full magnum, jacketed recipes for my .44 magnum. I love Campro bullets.