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#Post#: 18--------------------------------------------------
Coated Bullets
DIR By: allmanav
Date: March 17, 2017, 2:20 pm
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WARNING: All technical data in this publication, especially for
handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using
specific tools, products, equipment and components under
specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported
in the article and over which the National Rifle Association
(NRA) has no control. The data has not otherwise been tested or
verified by the NRA. The NRA, its agents, officers and employees
accept no responsibility for the results obtained by persons
using such data and disclaim all liability for any consequential
injuries or damages.
There has been a revolution with lead bullets. No, they don’t
now have Go-Onto-Target guidance systems to help you score a
perfect hit every time (but that would be nice), it’s what
they’re lubed with. The traditional lube is a dry, waxy compound
that fills the lube groove(s) of cast bullets or is applied to
the outside of the entire bullet, cast or swaged. The wax
prevents the lead from sticking to the bore.
Figure 1. Traditional lead bullets are cast (left) or swaged
(right). Both are lubed with a waxy lube.
Another method is to coat the bullets with a non-waxy
lubricating compound such as nylon, molybdenum disulfide (moly),
polymer and other compound. Moly coated pistol bullets have been
around for a while, so it’s not new. Moly is also applied to
jacketed rifle bullets, though the formulation and procedure for
applying them are different.
Polymer is the hot, new coating for lead bullets. Well, that
should read relatively new. Polymer is relatively new to the
U.S. market, having been around a couple of years, but it has
been used in other countries for some 20 years. But it’s
catching on here in the U.S. and is quickly becoming the
lubricant of choice by many lead bullet manufacturers.
There are several types of polymer coatings, but the most common
is Hi-Tek coating made by J&M Specialty Products P/L in
Australia. This coating has been used Down Under for some 20
years, but has only been used in the U.S. for a couple of years.
But if you search the web for bullet-makers that use polymer
coatings, the Hi-Tek brand is the most commonly listed. Hi-Tek
coating compounds are also available to individuals who cast
their own bullets and want to apply it themselves.
Some companies use their own proprietary polymer or non-polymer
coating and are rather tight-lipped about its formulation,
except to say that it is not the Hi-Tek brand, or to say whether
it is a teflon, moly or polymer coating.
Coated bullets have also been used in factory ammunition.
Federal loaded a nylon coated lead bullet, named Nyclad, for
many years, but they have been discontinued (as per email
communication with Federal). Most recently, Federal has
marketed a new polymer coated bullet that goes by the name
Syntech.
Figure 2. Prior (Nyclad) and current (Syntech) coated bullets in
Federal ammunition.
From the user’s point of view, there is not a huge difference in
the appearance of most coated bullets. They cover the bullet
completely, with some exceptions that don’t cover the base. They
might be offered in a range of colors from some manufacturers,
from white to black and everything in between. I must say that
the variety of colors is pretty cool, and adds some fun to an
otherwise fairly dull subject.
Figure 3. Coatings come in a variety of colors.
The use of coatings instead of waxy lubes means that the bullet
no longer needs a lube groove. Many manufacturers have changed
or added molds to their lineup that offer bullet designs with no
lube groove.
Figure 4. Some coated cast bullet makers include a design with
no lube groove in their lineup (right) in addition to the
traditional design with a lube groove (left).
There might be some differences in the maximum velocities that
these coatings should be limited to. Generally, the coatings are
good for velocities in the 1200-1500 fps range, similar to
copper plated bullets, which covers the speeds of most handgun
cartridges. Some polymer coatings can reportedly be driven to
2000 fps or better, such as claimed by Eggleston Munitions,
which makes them a possible choice for some rifle loads.
Many, but not all, of the coated bullets can be used in Glock’s
polygonal barrels, according to the manufacturers. Check the
bullet manufacturer's website for details.
Generally, one can use lead bullet data for load development. My
experience has been that they produce about the same velocity as
cast bullets with the same powder charge, but may be a little
slower.
Advantages
Coated bullets offer several advantages for handloaders.
Coatings that cover the entire bullet, including the base,
reduce or eliminate the exposure to lead during handloading and
airborne lead particles when shooting. It also means you no
longer have to scrape out built-up wax lube from your seating
and crimping dies.
Figure 5. Waxy lubes can build-up in dies. Coated bullets
eliminate this problem.
Smoke is reduced or eliminated. Most of the smoke from shooting
traditionally lubed lead bullets comes from the waxy lube. The
smoke can be so bad you might think you’re shooting black
powder. Sometimes the target disappears in the smoke after a few
rapidly fired rounds. Coated bullets reduce or eliminate this
smoke. They might not be as smokeless as copper jacketed or
plated bullets, but they’re darn close.
Some coated bullets smell a little funny when fired. People have
likened the smell to burning plastic. I don’t find it
objectionable, and sometimes don’t smell anything at all. It
might depend on which brand of coating you’re shooting, and
which way the wind blows.
Considerations when handloading
The coating is thin and some precautions must be taken during
loading to prevent the coating from scraping off. First, be sure
the case mouth is sufficiently flared. Poorly flared cases can
result in the coating being damaged when the bullet is seated.
Second, use a minimal crimp. Like plated bullets, too much crimp
can damage the coating. You want the coating to remain intact so
it can properly encapsulate the bullet to prevent bare lead from
coming in direct contact with the bore to prevent leading.
Donny Miculek from Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings made the
following comments with respect to Hi-Tek coated bullets.
Miculek used to own Bayou Bullets and sold the company not long
ago, and is now concentrating on selling the coatings.
Hi-Tek bullets must be sized properly to the bore of the
firearm they are being used in, just like every other lead
bullet out there.
Care must be taken not to remove (scrape) the coating off
the bullet as it is being seated.
If the bore of a firearm is rough due to poor maintenance or
poor machining, Hi-Tek will not work as intended.
Care must also be taken not to undersize the bullet while
crimping. This destroys bullet fit and decreases accuracy and
increases fouling.
Sometimes a gun doesn't like a particular bullet/load, and
it takes time to find a combo that works, be it cast, coated or
jacketed.
Finally, it is up to the maker of the bullet to apply
coatings correctly for best results.
How do they shoot?
The burning question is how well coated bullets will shoot
compared to the traditionally lubed bullets that we are used to.
I tested this by using the same bullet design made by the same
manufacturer who offers the bullet in two forms, traditionally
lubed with wax, or coated with a polymer coating (in this case
Hi-Tek). I tested this in two calibers, 9mm Luger and .45
Automatic. For the 9mm, I loaded 125-grain SWC cast bullets made
by Missouri Bullet Company with 4.0 grains of Vihtavuori N340
loaded to 1.065-inch overall length. They were fired from a
1911-type pistol with a 5-inch Kart barrel. For the .45
Automatic I loaded 200-grain SWC bullets from SNS Casting with
4.2 grains of Bullseye loaded to 1.240-inch overall length. The
guns were 1911-type pistols with 5-inch Kart barrels. Testing
was done at 25 yards with the guns mounted in a Ransom Rest.
Velocity was recorded with a Shooting Chrony chronograph at
about 10 feet.
Figure 6. Traditional wax lubed and identical coated bullets
used for accuracy comparison.
The velocity, an average of 15 shots, of the two types of
bullets was nearly the same though the coated bullets were a
little slower. The 9mm wax-lubed bullets averaged 1080 fps and
the Hi-Tek coated bullets averaged 1071 fps. The .45 Automatic
wax-lubed bullets average 799 fps and the Hi-Tek coated bullets
averaged 777 fps.
The figures show 15 rounds fired into a single group for each
bullet. The wax-lubed and polymer coated groups are nearly the
same size, but the coated bullet groups are smaller. I’ve
repeated the 9mm comparison with another barrel (Rock Island
Armory) and another powder (Power Pistol), and found the same
result: the polymer coated bullets shoot a slightly smaller
group. The bottom line is that the coated bullets shoot at least
as well as the wax-lubed variety.
Figure 7. The polymer coated bullets produced slightly smaller
15-shot groups than the wax lubed bullets.
I’ve checked the bore for leading after firing coated bullets
and have been amazed with how clean it was. Really. In some
cases it looked like a brand new barrel off the production line.
In one instance I had fired around 200 rounds through a .38
Super at 1200-plus fps. The barrel was so clean that if not for
a few flakes of gunpowder reside, it looked like it had never
been fired.
I’m a fan of coated bullets. No more waxy lube on my hands or
reloading dies, less smoke, no leading, non-abrasive and
excellent accuracy. And the colors are awesome. What’s not to
love? If you haven’t tried them, give them a shot. They might
just be your next favorite bullet.
The links below are a partial list of companies that offer
coated bullets. Check their websites for details and any
precautions about their use, including the appropriate
gunpowder.
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