Down side to plated bullets?

[Cherokeewind]

I've been loading for many years, rifle and pistol.  Have loaded thousands of jacketed and cast/swaged bullets.

 

It seems that the price for good cast/swaged pistol bullets is about the same as for plated pistol bullets.  Why would I want to used cast or swaged rather than plated bullets?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

Edit to add, primarily asking about .38/.357 and .44 bullets.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Cherokeewind

[Hi-Power Jack]

You really have to try them in Your gun, and see how they shoot.

 

Solves the problem of lead exposure, thought.     

[herky]

Don't over crimp plated bullets, can have an effect on accuracy, especially if the plating is cut.

[zzt]

It depends on the accuracy you want.  I find that Dardas hard cast, lubed lead bullets shoot the best in my bullseye gun.  Zero 185 SWC swaged are also accurate.  I use plated bullets for all my competition loads.  IMO, Rainier makes the best plated bullets.

 

 

[Hi-Power Jack]

33 minutes ago, zzt said:

 Rainier makes the best plated bullets.

 

Rainier may be The Best, but I've heard a lot of guns

will not shoot them accurately.  

 

You just have to try them in Your Gun ....   

[herky]

I've had very good luck with RMR plated, both 9mm and 45.   Price is reasonable with shipping included. 

[ChuckS]

I have used Rainier in a couple 40 open guns with great results for more than 70,000 rounds. In fact, I remember a guy on this forum being confused as to why the Rainier .40 135 Grain bullets were more accurate than his MG 155 .40. Good bullets!
 

[Flatland Shooter]

I bought a couple thousand plated bullets last Fall.  It took me 5 guns before I found one that liked those bullets.

 

I've had better luck with coated bullets but for competition I'm sticking with JHP's.

[AzShooter]

Once I found Coated Bullets there was no  going back.  All the advantages of plated but cheaper.  No lead on the hands to worry about and they shoot better than some of the  plated bullets I've tried.

 

Of the plated, I like Precision and Rainer.

[Cherokeewind]

7 hours ago, AzShooter said:

Once I found Coated Bullets there was no  going back.  All the advantages of plated but cheaper.  No lead on the hands to worry about and they shoot better than some of the  plated bullets I've tried.

 

Of the plated, I like Precision and Rainer.

When you say "Coated Bullets"  are you referring to a particular brand?

 

Thanks.

[AzShooter]

I like Blue Bullets, Acme Bullets and SNS.  Do a search and there are many more companies producing excellent coated bullets.

[zzt]

14 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

Rainier may be The Best, but I've heard a lot of guns

will not shoot them accurately.  

 

You just have to try them in Your Gun ....   

 

That may well be Jack.  They shoot extremely well in both my 40s- Limited and Open.  Same hole at 15 yards.  I can't say the same for the other plated I've tried.  My Limited gun also adores the Precision Bullets poly 180 RNFP.

[Cherokeewind]

57K,

 

One of the reasons I am asking is that I have tried the MBC cast 240 grain flat nose .44 bullet and have not been able to find a moderate load that doesn't lead in my Smiths (3 different guns).

 

If you have a .44 load that works, please share it:)

 

Also, I don't see much price difference between cast, coated, plated.

 

 

[noylj]

1) lead exposure is a primer issue and not a bullet issue

2) If you try them, get them the same diameter as your cast bullets

3) NONE of them have ever been accurate for me, so, to me, they are a complete waste of money.

I much prefer buying jacketed bullets from Precision Delta or Zero (Powder Valley or Roze Dist.). I don't really use cast bullets any more, except for .40 S&W. For .45, I use swaged (Zero or Magnus) or swaged and coated (from Precision Bullets) and JHPs for 9x19, 9x21, and .38 Super (0.356-0.357").

[rustybayonet]

On Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 2:48 PM, Cherokeewind said:

Why would I want to used cast or swaged rather than plated bullets?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

Edit to add, primarily asking about .38/.357 and .44 bullets.

 

I have used berry plated in 9mm, .45acp, .380acp and .223 and no problems. They seem more acurate than cast, and I use cast load data for them. The only reason I shoot cast now is because I am casting my own.

[NickAument]

I've always been please with Extreme plated bullets. their plating is so thick it's almost like shooting jacketed rounds.

Never had any issues with them in 38,9mm,40, or 45

[Absocold]

As to the original question, the downside to plated bullets is that the plating is thinner than a jacket so is more easily damaged. And that's it.

 

Anyone that finds plated bullets give poor performance is either doing something wrong or their gun just doesn't like that particular bullet. Every gun is different and each has its own likes and dislikes. Otherwise we'd all be shooting the same exact combination.

[Sarge]

On 7/16/2017 at 12:25 AM, NickAument said:

I've always been please with Extreme plated bullets. their plating is so thick it's almost like shooting jacketed rounds.

Never had any issues with them in 38,9mm,40, or 45

 

23 minutes ago, Absocold said:

As to the original question, the downside to plated bullets is that the plating is thinner than a jacket so is more easily damaged. And that's it.

 

Anyone that finds plated bullets give poor performance is either doing something wrong or their gun just doesn't like that particular bullet. Every gun is different and each has its own likes and dislikes. Otherwise we'd all be shooting the same exact combination.

I found Xtremes plated much less accurate than Jacketed and coated(BBI)in both of my Open guns, my XDM and my PCC. I pulled some to check crimp and just a nice little indentation was all I found.

  So it seems there must be something going on with the bullets as opposed to the guns.

[Livin_cincy]

I found that Xtreme 38 Bullets are sized to the bore and not the Revolver Cylinder throats.   Since they are to be loaded using ‘Hot Lead Data’ . That implies that they need to be sized like lead Bullets.  They size them like FMJ bullets.

 

I found a noticeable increase in accuracy with coated Bullets.   The Xtreme will hit an 6” circle all day long.  The coated Bullets go into a much smaller & tighter ring.   

 

So accuracy is relevant to what you are shooting at.   Steel goes ping no matter where you hit it.  Bullseye Shooting has points based on where you hit.

 

So just have fun doing what you enjoy and select your Bullet based on that.

[Joe4d]

Tried them a few times over the years. West coast,, which were so bad they changed their name to Xtreme I believe... which were also bad. Sizing was all over the place on them, was no way to get your crimp adjusted. Finally miked some and they varied by a few thousandths in diameter.
Berry's seem to work fairly well, but then their prices went insane.
I ended up with Precision Moly coated and been using them ever since. Now it seems their are new coatings out. Will probably stick with Precision coated, or Precision Delta FMJ's for my Hipower. Havent shot them in 15 years or so, but IIRC I dont think I ever got them shooting cast lead well.

[Absocold]

8 hours ago, Sarge said:

 

I found Xtremes plated much less accurate than Jacketed and coated(BBI)in both of my Open guns, my XDM and my PCC. I pulled some to check crimp and just a nice little indentation was all I found.

  So it seems there must be something going on with the bullets as opposed to the guns.

 

I'd wager that has to do with the manufacturer doing something wrong with that bullet type or batch. If plated didn't work at all for anyone, no one would buy them which would result in no one making them anymore. But people seem to have ok luck with Berry's and better luck with Rainier. Even with Rainier it's about half and half so it's not like plated bullets are awesome, just decent. Haven't heard much either way with other manufacturers.

 

I use the Rainier's for 38 SPL mouse fart loads, they work fine. Most of the issues I've heard with plated are from overcrimping, trying to use them in an imperfectly timed revolver (shaving) or trying to push them at magnum velocities (the plating is blasted off during firing or flung off from centripetal force after exiting bore).

[Apollo99]

I have been a stickler for Plated and FMJ in my 1911 45 auto. I have already switched to poly coated for .44 and .357. A couple of months ago I was given a boat load of cast .45 ammo and cast bullets to reload. I was hesitant at first, but I have found them extremely accurate, and they haven't fouled the bore. I keep them about 810-850 FPS by my crony reading. Actually I have been shocked at the accuracy improvement over plated and even FMJ bullets. When I exhaust this supply I will try some coated .45 230 grainers and hope for the same results. I haven't shot anything but copper jacket and plated for over 20 years, but with the improvements in the coated bullets and my slowing down the velocity of my lead loads, I think I will be saving money and improving accuracy in the near future. 

[blueorison]

On 12/13/2017 at 2:25 PM, Joe4d said:

Tried them a few times over the years. West coast,, which were so bad they changed their name to Xtreme I believe... which were also bad. Sizing was all over the place on them, was no way to get your crimp adjusted. Finally miked some and they varied by a few thousandths in diameter.
Berry's seem to work fairly well, but then their prices went insane.
I ended up with Precision Moly coated and been using them ever since. Now it seems their are new coatings out. Will probably stick with Precision coated, or Precision Delta FMJ's for my Hipower. Havent shot them in 15 years or so, but IIRC I dont think I ever got them shooting cast lead well.

 

Interesting!

I've shot Xtreme 135gr at 25yds and have gotten great (2inch, 5 shots) groups out of a G34 and several CZs.

 

My Glock (factory bbl) also liked Bayou coated and Blue bullets; you'll find more than a few mfg has gotten the coated thing down.

 

I'm not picky as to what I shoot, to be honest.  The coated will save you the most $; the pros and cons of others have already been covered by others, here.