PC'd/HiTek smell bad?

[mchapman]

I have been reading some post about other shooters at ranges being bothered by the smell of PC'd, or Hi Tek coated rounds being used. Some say it smells like burning electrical wire or plastic smell and they say it bothers them a lot, . I cast and PC my bullets and shoot quite a bit and have never noticed any different smells, it's way less smoke and a whole lot cleaner than when I was shooting lubed lead rounds. Have anyone else noticed those types of smells while shooting with people that are using PC'd or Hi Tek bullets?

[Sarge]

Yep.

[Rustygun]

I have tried a few different brands and they do have a slightly noticeable odor but I do not find it to be bothersome or offensive at all. I typically do not have a strong sense of smell and am certainly not sensitive so I am not a good reference point. In order for me to even notice this odor the conditions have to be just right. You are correct in saying the smoke and odor are considerably less than with lubed cast bullets.

[Bummy425]

Mine smell like firecrackers

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[B_RAD]

I've shot several brands. All of them have a smell. I can tell when other shooters are using lead just by the smell.

Does it bother me? Not really but there's a smell.

[Steve_53]

I noticed the smell when I first switched to coated bullets (SNS 230gr. NLG .45's), but I seem to have become totally desensitized to it after the first few times shooting them, I don't even notice it anymore. Having said that, I have had other shooters (new to our weekly shoots) comment on the "funky smell" of my ammo...

[techj]

It's a slight odor for me with the Hy Tek...I haven't noticed any real odor when shooting blue bullets.

[mchapman]

Like I said in my original post that I don't smell anything , but I'm using PC coated rather than Hy Tek . On another sight someone mentioned that with Hy Tek if the process is not done correctly it will smell when shot, but I don't know that's why I was asking folks here.

[Yeti]

I sometimes notice the burned wire insulation smell on foggy days with still air. Even then, it is usually only at the start of the range session/string of fire and it dissipates. Very minor issue and honestly it doesn't even smell bad.

It can be more pronounced when a batch of coated bullets has not been cured fully. There will be other signs if your supplier rushed pre-bake drying or bake time on a batch, applied coating to thick instead of in multiple thin coats, or mixed the Supercoat components incorrectly. The process was fairly new to many mass production bullet manufacturers some years ago and a few had to go through a learning period, but nowadays nearly all of them have the process dialed in.

If you suspect you have an issue, here is a decent test to help determine whether or not you have an improperly cured batch...

Do a quick wipe of a test bullet with an acetone moistened bore patch. If the coating comes off in a smear....you have a problem. This test only applies to Hi-Tek 'Supercoat'.

Just because you get a hint of electrical insulation on occasion doesn't automatically mean your Hi-Tek bullet manufacturer got it wrong.

[moonman16]

Yeti makes some good comments. ^^^^^^^^^^^ I have been using HI-TEK coated both commercially and self coated for a few years. There was a learning period as the mixture and catalysts have been changed over the years (FOR THE BETTER).

I have used various manufacturers but currently have settled on ACME BULLETS.

Others in my gun club have started reloading with HI-TEK coated projectiles after I exposed them to them.

They like their results with them.

I HAVE NO SMELL FROM ACME BULLETS AND I SHOOT INDOORS WEEKLY WITH THEM. (9mm, 38 spec, 45acp)

Edited August 6, 2016 by moonman16