Copper PLATED lead bullets.

Rock Knocker

Active member
Well I just bought 500 .401 copper plated cast lead bullets. I'm shooting Ramshot True Blue powder in the 40 s&w right now.

I've only loaded jacketed bullets before, do I follow lead recipes or jacketed recipes?
 
Originally Posted By: DoogerBerry's suggests low to mid range jacketed recipes...

Let us know how they shoot for you and the bore condition after firing. I am just finishing the last of 2k cast bullets from Dardas and I am wanting to try another bullet. Thanks in advance!
 
I have shot thousands of the Rainiers plated bullets in the 45acp with a mid to upper end load with NO issues... and they shoot great!
 

I have shot 10s of thousands of Berry's plated bullets.
I am particularly fond of their hollow base double struck
versions for 380(100 gr), 9mm(124 gr Thick Plated),
40 cal(155 and 180), and 45(185 and 200). I load mid-range
charges of Hodgdon Universal, in 380 Auto, 9mmx19, 40 S&W,
10mm Auto, and 45 Auto. They run well in my S&W, Glock, and
Springfield pistols. I shoot competitions, and never felt
the ammo or the bullets were part of any poor shooting I may
have had. I have run accuracy tests comparing plated(several
brands), and jacketed(several brands), and can't measure the
difference between jacketed, and plated hollow base double
struck bullets. YMMV

Squeeze
 
Originally Posted By: Squeeze
I have shot 10s of thousands of Berry's plated bullets.
I am particularly fond of their hollow base double struck
versions for 380(100 gr), 9mm(124 gr Thick Plated),
40 cal(155 and 180), and 45(185 and 200). I load mid-range
charges of Hodgdon Universal, in 380 Auto, 9mmx19, 40 S&W,
10mm Auto, and 45 Auto. They run well in my S&W, Glock, and
Springfield pistols. I shoot competitions, and never felt
the ammo or the bullets were part of any poor shooting I may
have had. I have run accuracy tests comparing plated(several
brands), and jacketed(several brands), and can't measure the
difference between jacketed, and plated hollow base double
struck bullets. YMMV

Squeeze

I was just wondering about cleanup. My cast bullet post-shooting regimen requires a lengthy soak in PB Blaster or Kroil, and, well, I'm getting lazier every day.
 
Originally Posted By: shankbone
I was just wondering about cleanup. My cast bullet post-shooting regimen requires a lengthy soak in PB Blaster or Kroil, and, well, I'm getting lazier every day.

Clean up is the same as jacket bullets. I give it a good
scrub with a nylon bore brush, to remove powder fowling.
Patch out the Hoppe's #9, and repeat with a bronze bore
brush. That usually does it, but then again I shoot mostly
Glocks, which do not have cut rifling. So they don't fowl
much. On the couple of other pistol that do pick up
copper, maybe after 500-1000 rounds, I do the above procedure,
and repeat with some Montana Extreme copper remover cream.
That is it for cleaning, with plated bullets.

Squeeze
 
I like to bell the case mouth a little more than for jacketed, if you scrape part of the plating seating them you'll know when you shoot them. These do great with taper crimps, haven't tried any rounds with roll crimp but I'd be worried about that. If you get flyers in your groups you probably broke the plating somehow.
 
I have shot both Rainier and Berry's and can't tell a difference in either. They both recommend you keep them at or below 1200fps to prevent shedding of the plating. I haven't shot either one for awhile since I have been casting my own.

Shankbone I don't know what size cast bullets you are shooting in your guns to require such a cleaning problem. It sounds like they could possibly be undersized for your bore and you are getting leading issues. I don't have any leading after shooting any of my cast bullets due to sizing them .02" over bore diameter. I can shoot full power jacketed velocities in all my handguns with cast bullets and not have leading. If you slug your bore it would help determine what size bullet you will need to use.
For instance my 9mm slugged at .355". My bullets drop from the mold at .357" so all I have to do is lube them, load them, and shoot them. I was running them through a .356" sizer but found it unnecessary.
 
Originally Posted By: Warboar_21I have shot both Rainier and Berry's and can't tell a difference in either. They both recommend you keep them at or below 1200fps to prevent shedding of the plating. I haven't shot either one for awhile since I have been casting my own.

Shankbone I don't know what size cast bullets you are shooting in your guns to require such a cleaning problem. It sounds like they could possibly be undersized for your bore and you are getting leading issues. I don't have any leading after shooting any of my cast bullets due to sizing them .02" over bore diameter. I can shoot full power jacketed velocities in all my handguns with cast bullets and not have leading. If you slug your bore it would help determine what size bullet you will need to use.
For instance my 9mm slugged at .355". My bullets drop from the mold at .357" so all I have to do is lube them, load them, and shoot them. I was running them through a .356" sizer but found it unnecessary.

.02" or .002"? Yes I am the decimal point Nazi.
tt2.gif
 
Maybe too high of speed was my problem with the plated bullets and accuracy in my .357mag, and trying to squeeze a plated .357 bullet down a 9mm barrel.
scared.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Warboar_21
Shankbone I don't know what size cast bullets you are shooting in your guns to require such a cleaning problem. It sounds like they could possibly be undersized for your bore and you are getting leading issues. I don't have any leading after shooting any of my cast bullets due to sizing them .02" over bore diameter. I can shoot full power jacketed velocities in all my handguns with cast bullets and not have leading. If you slug your bore it would help determine what size bullet you will need to use.
For instance my 9mm slugged at .355". My bullets drop from the mold at .357" so all I have to do is lube them, load them, and shoot them. I was running them through a .356" sizer but found it unnecessary.

I slugged my bore and sent the slug to Dardas, who measured and sold me the "correct" oversize bullets.
The leading wasn't bad, but it was there.
 
50/50 white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide will get rid of lead fouling with a one hour soak...learned this from a guy that shoots IDPA with lead bullets in glocks.
 
Originally Posted By: biggen0_8Originally Posted By: Warboar_21I have shot both Rainier and Berry's and can't tell a difference in either. They both recommend you keep them at or below 1200fps to prevent shedding of the plating. I haven't shot either one for awhile since I have been casting my own.

Shankbone I don't know what size cast bullets you are shooting in your guns to require such a cleaning problem. It sounds like they could possibly be undersized for your bore and you are getting leading issues. I don't have any leading after shooting any of my cast bullets due to sizing them .02" over bore diameter. I can shoot full power jacketed velocities in all my handguns with cast bullets and not have leading. If you slug your bore it would help determine what size bullet you will need to use.
For instance my 9mm slugged at .355". My bullets drop from the mold at .357" so all I have to do is lube them, load them, and shoot them. I was running them through a .356" sizer but found it unnecessary.

.02" or .002"? Yes I am the decimal point Nazi.
tt2.gif


my bad. Thanks for the catch. That would be bad if they were sized .02 over.
 
Originally Posted By: Widow maker 223Maybe too high of speed was my problem with the plated bullets and accuracy in my .357mag, and trying to squeeze a plated .357 bullet down a 9mm barrel.
scared.gif


I don't shoot .357" plated bullets in my 9mm. Only cast bullets. You would be surprised what some American 9mm barrels slug out at.
 
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