Coated Cast Rifle Bullets (First Impressions)

[alamo5000]

I am new to 300 BLK but I have been surveying the landscape for all options for a way to shoot subsonics without breaking the bank. I reload so there will be a bit of reloading talk in this 'first impressions' thread. I have learned quite a bit in the past few weeks.

The bullets

The bullets I have been testing out are cast bullets that have a coating applied to them.


The coatings

There are numerous different types of coatings out there. The two that I have been learning about are 1. Powder Coated bullets and 2. Hi Tek coated bullets. These products are NOT the same. Powder coat is pretty self explanatory. Hi Tek coating is a brand name of some kind of coating that was I think developed in Australia.

The bullets I have been using have Hi Tek coating on them. From what I gather the coating methods are somewhat similar but after that it's not really the same stuff (or so I'm told).

The purpose

The purpose behind using these coatings are several fold.

You can shoot bare lead. People do that all the time. There are though issues with using hot burning powder and bare lead which basically leads to leading up your barrel and other things of that nature. Also if shooting bare bullets through a suppressor it can leave deposits of lead in your suppressor. Hence using the coating is better.

People also can make their own bullets and experiment with different bullet designs. One guy for example pushed the envelope and made a 265 grain coated bullet that is for subsonic use in 300 BLK. All reports are that it hits extremely hard, cycles in almost every gun, and it is actually quieter (or so I'm told). If you are limited by velocity why not increase mass?

Most of these bullets are all oversized. For a .308 caliber the range is typically .309 to .311. They also come in varied and odd grain weights. The bullets I got are 217 grain.

These coatings basically prevent metal on metal contact and when reloaded properly prevent the gassification of the lead and hence preventing a lot of issues. The Hi Tek coating also acts as a lubricant. All of that together reduces or almost completely eliminates fouling when compared to bare lead. I am not expert enough nor do I have the gear to examine that on any useful level.


Reloading

I have reloaded untold numbers of jacketed and plated bullets over the years. These Hi Tek coated bullets are a thing of their own though. Any load data you have, toss it out the window. You're basically going to have to use a completely different data set. With less powder you get A LOT more velocity.

When reloading there are basically two extra steps that need to be done and they have to be done with care. The first step is you need to slightly bell the case mouth out using a special die. At first it was kind of fiddly, but after about 20 rounds it wasn't a problem at all. The reason you have to bell the case mouth out is because the coating will scrape off if you don't do it. The other thing that is needed is to add a very slight crimp.

Accuracy

I am finding these bullets to be pretty accurate. At over 50 yards away I did shots using random charge weights ranging from 7.9 all the way to 9.5 grains. I haven't tuned it all in yet but I was right about an inch or less at that distance. Some people say that after they finished their work ups using better powders that they can hold about 1.5 MOA at 100 yards. I definitely believe it.

Suppressed shooting

I have not shot these bullets suppressed yet. The main reason for that is that I haven't developed a good load yet. I need different powders to make a better round so I am holding off on that for now.

Everyone with out fail says 'never shoot a bare bullet through a suppressor'. Conversely a traditional jacketed bullet is still the best option. The only real fouling you get is the carbon from the powders you run. But where do these other bullets come into play? Some people claim they experienced a slight bit of fouling in their suppressor with powder coated bullets. Notice I said 'slight'. Apparently it's not too horrible.

With the Hi Tek coating most people say the fouling is minimal at best. Based on what I hear it's light years better than bare lead, better than powder coating, but not quite as good as copper jacketed.

Conclusion

I think these bullets are actually great, but there is some unknowns still until I get more experience.

So far the only real 'downside' is there is almost no load data around. It's hit and miss. Also the reloading process adds a couple of vital steps.

Shooting subsonic fully functional, fully feeding, reliable fully loaded up ammo for a grand total cost of around 15-16 cents per round is quite attractive. Buying these bullets in big 2000 count boxes is a good way to stay in full supply for a while.

Now consider that most major bullet manufacturers are going down the ultra high BC route for their new offerings, and at least at present getting big bulk boxes of heavy grain jacketed bullets is not really happening, these are a good alternative for anything 1,300 fps and under.