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Coated bullets most similar to syntech?


datderecelltech

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Hi, 

 

I currently use plated bullets for my loads but I am interested in diversifying my bullet selection.

I really like how syntech rounds perform and how clean they are. While I am aware that powder and primer have significant contributions (federal pls sell catalyst primers) I want to purchase coated bullets with closest characteristic to syntech. Unfortunately federal does not sell 9mm 124 gr bullets so I am looking for the closest option, and I would appreciate some help. 

 

Thank you! 

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I think blue bullets are more similar to syntech than hi-tek coated boolits.

But blue bullets have a long wait time right now. I have two orders & I can't even remember if it was summer2020 or fall2020 when I placed them.

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35 minutes ago, edison said:

I think blue bullets are more similar to syntech than hi-tek coated boolits.

But blue bullets have a long wait time right now. I have two orders & I can't even remember if it was summer2020 or fall2020 when I placed them.

Thanks for the response! Yea I heard that both powder coated and hi tek still smoke and lead up given time.

Any opinions on eggleston or BBI also? 

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5 hours ago, datderecelltech said:

Thanks for the response! Yea I heard that both powder coated and hi tek still smoke and lead up given time.

Any opinions on eggleston or BBI also? 

I've used Bayou Hi-Tek coated bullets since the beginning and never had any leading issue. If you have leading issue it's because you didn't bell the case enough and scrapped the coating off when seating the bullets. Bullet have been shot out of rifle at 1750 FPS with no issues. If you looking for a similar load to Syntech, just use a coated bullet with a clean burning powder like AA#2, N330/340, Sport Pistol, or CFE. 3.8gr of Sport Pistol @ 1.130" will give you approx 1025-1050 fps. Group size in my TSO was 2.07" at 25 yards for 5 shot avg, 10 shots 2.34"

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I bought some 10mm 165g Syntec from Midway, must have been second’s because they looked like crap and were in a midway labeled box. They shoot ok but are ugly, lumpy things. Shot some over at a friends and he was amazed when he found some out in his field that they looked like he could reload them again.  I haven’t tried Blues but have had good luck with Precision Bullets. 

Edited by Farmer
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ACME  or Eggleston 124 and your powder of choice.  I like Sport Pistol & N340, but there are many options.

 

10 hours ago, datderecelltech said:

Thanks for the response! Yea I heard that both powder coated and hi tek still smoke and lead up given time.

Any opinions on eggleston or BBI also? 

Not if you do it correctly.  Bullet sizing must still be correct at preferably at least one thousandth over bore.  Some barrels may prefer more.  

Eggleston 124 and BBI 125 have worked well for me. 

 

Powder choice matters too.  I like Titegroup, but not with Hi-Tek bullets due to too much heat. 

TG gave me a pronounced burned wire smell and crisped fiber optic inserts way. 

Edited by Yeti
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26 minutes ago, Yeti said:

Also....choose what you can get without a 6mo wait.  

This. BBI I believe is still shipping same week, I picked up 2 cases this past fall and the bullets perform as they should. I only shoot outside so smoke doesn't bother me but I can't say I've noticed any more than any other reloads. I've been mainly using 231 but have some sport pistol and aa2 coming up next.

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Thank you everyone for your inputs. So far I am willing to try BBI, Eggleston, ACME, and Blue,  whichever ships first.... 

I think I have a good idea on bullets so far. Just make sure cases are belled enough so coating does not get scraped, and make sure it is at least a thousandths in larger than bore (so .356). I already bell my cases to about .385 to allow sufficient room to seat and crimp with factory crimp die to prevent plating separation for plated bullets so I think the transition should be ok. 

 

Regarding powder... this is the part that I seem to struggle with the next. I use winclean 244 because the guy at the reloading store said it is an all around good powder. It seems to burn a bit faster than win 231 and seems ok for what I am using right now, but am wondering if there will be any issues when converting to coated? Is there anything else other than burn rate I should look out for? The smoke produced so far with plated has been minimal which I can greatly appreciate. 

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Right now it’s whatever you can get. The Win 244 works good and I think it will probably replace 231 eventually. I haven’t noticed any excess smoke with coated bullets on the ones I’ve loaded.  Another one for minor that works well is Alliant E3. It is faster than 244 but not peaky. There’s no metallic loadings for it but lots of info here or use Hodgdon Clays data. Many of the real popular powders are out of stock so we have to improvise. 

Edited by Farmer
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On 1/24/2021 at 12:23 PM, datderecelltech said:

Thank you everyone for your inputs. So far I am willing to try BBI, Eggleston, ACME, and Blue,  whichever ships first.... 

I think I have a good idea on bullets so far. Just make sure cases are belled enough so coating does not get scraped, and make sure it is at least a thousandths in larger than bore (so .356). I already bell my cases to about .385 to allow sufficient room to seat and crimp with factory crimp die to prevent plating separation for plated bullets so I think the transition should be ok. 

 

Regarding powder... this is the part that I seem to struggle with the next. I use winclean 244 because the guy at the reloading store said it is an all around good powder. It seems to burn a bit faster than win 231 and seems ok for what I am using right now, but am wondering if there will be any issues when converting to coated? Is there anything else other than burn rate I should look out for? The smoke produced so far with plated has been minimal which I can greatly appreciate. 

Don't use a factory crimp die with coated bullets, it will swage the bullet down and cause accuracy issues. Use standard taper crimp die, set crimp at .378-.379. I bell my case to .390 to ensure I don't scrape the coating off or shave lead. Found that out the hard way when testing some DG bullets, The Bayou's did fine belled .385 but now I stick with .390 for everything.

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On 1/23/2021 at 10:22 PM, edison said:

I think blue bullets are more similar to syntech than hi-tek coated boolits.

But blue bullets have a long wait time right now. I have two orders & I can't even remember if it was summer2020 or fall2020 when I placed them.

Just curious, which bullets are you waiting on? I've been receiving my 9mm 125's rather quickly over the last few months.

 

My guess is they are concentrating on the bigger volume orders before changing over equipment for lesser popular sizes.

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8 hours ago, zombywoof said:

Just curious, which bullets are you waiting on? I've been receiving my 9mm 125's rather quickly over the last few months.

 

My guess is they are concentrating on the bigger volume orders before changing over equipment for lesser popular sizes.

Yea, they're sample packets. 250ct 125gr TC, 250ct 125gr RN, 250ct 135gr. -- Oct. 31, 2020

But I'm not complaining; I knew it was going to be a wait & the best strategy was to forget I even ordered them.

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My buddy shot a lot of factory Syntech and I’ve reloaded many brands of coated.  Having cut, filed some Syntech bullets, I can tell you they are unique and no  currently available coated is close.  They use a VERY thick polymer type coating, almost like they are dipped in molten plastic not a thin spray paint.  Think tool handle Plastidip vs. paint. The rifling engages this and the lead never comes close to the barrel.  That’s why the guns stay so clean.  They seem to be not quite as accurate as my jacked, plated, good coated loads but accurate enough.  If I could get something like this for a decent price I’d try for sure.  It would be interesting to see if they keep a comp clean.  I got tired of coated quirks and went back to RMR jacketed, and plated for my open gun.

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On 1/29/2021 at 4:13 AM, Darrell said:

Don't use a factory crimp die with coated bullets, it will swage the bullet down and cause accuracy issues. Use standard taper crimp die, set crimp at .378-.379. I bell my case to .390 to ensure I don't scrape the coating off or shave lead. Found that out the hard way when testing some DG bullets, The Bayou's did fine belled .385 but now I stick with .390 for everything.

Slightly off topic but do you recommend belling to .390 for plated bullets too? I do .385 right now and it seems ok but just curious. 

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15 hours ago, GMP said:

My buddy shot a lot of factory Syntech and I’ve reloaded many brands of coated.  Having cut, filed some Syntech bullets, I can tell you they are unique and no  currently available coated is close.  They use a VERY thick polymer type coating, almost like they are dipped in molten plastic not a thin spray paint.  Think tool handle Plastidip vs. paint. The rifling engages this and the lead never comes close to the barrel.  That’s why the guns stay so clean.  They seem to be not quite as accurate as my jacked, plated, good coated loads but accurate enough.  If I could get something like this for a decent price I’d try for sure.  It would be interesting to see if they keep a comp clean.  I got tired of coated quirks and went back to RMR jacketed, and plated for my open gun.

Yea seems like syntech is definitely one of a kind at the moment. 

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15 hours ago, datderecelltech said:

Slightly off topic but do you recommend belling to .390 for plated bullets too? I do .385 right now and it seems ok but just curious. 

you should be fine at at .386-.388, I just set mine at .390 for everything now.

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On 2/10/2021 at 11:53 PM, datderecelltech said:

Any word on precision bullets? Tried to search but nothing much came out. Apparently relatively recently they changed to a ploylube coating which seems unique to them..

These were my favorite coated.  Size .358 shot very well in my CZs with very little leading.  The coating to me seems to have a moly content and is a higher quality than the rest. I went back to jacketed because loading .358 had its own set of issues that added steps and slowed things down like some brass was a no go and even good stuff fussy about expander size.  Plus they are only $12 per 1K cheaper than RMR FMJs or Matchwinners, which load in any brass without issue.  

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