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I've been reloading for a while in a number of calibers - including 38/357.

For 38/357 I reload for a revolver and have been using a roll crimp with SJSP bullets.

I would like to switch to coated (which I have done for 9 & 45) but am unsure regarding crimp for a revolver load.

So, couple of question s as follows for those who do reload for 38/357, revolver, with coated bullets:

  1. Do you roll crimp your rounds?
  2. If you do not roll crimp (eg taper) do you have any problems with bullet movement in a revolver?
  3. How hot (FPS) are you pushing your rounds (FYI these are for a 6" revolver)?
  4. If you are roll crimping you are then using a bullet with a cannelure - which brand have you been using and which weight?

Thanks!
 
Ok - no personal experience with coated but I do use 125 gr. plated (HSM) and roll crimp in the cannelure. I can't imagine coated being much different and I do not exceed 1400 FPS velocities with the plated. I assume you have a specific taper crimp die for the .38/.357? I think I am going to get a Lee Factory Crimp die for .38/.357 though.
 
Currently I roll crimp with the FCD. What spurred my question was that a lot of the coated bullets do not have a cannelure and so if I stayed with a roll crimp I would only have a limited selection to choose from vs if it weren't a problem with a taper crimp.

Just didn't want to buy another die if it weren't needed...but was concerned over bullet movement (forward) that could bind up a revolver.
 
You can roll crimp bullets without the cannelure - done it for years. AND I have never experienced any bullet movement. You would need a lot of bullet movement to bind a revolver and even with a minimal crimping you shouldn't ever have any.
 
I coat (RAL) for 9, 10, 38/357, & 45 Colt.

For .357 I use a FCD, either with or w/o cannelure.
For 45 Colt I use the seating die, and have only crimped into a cannelure.

I'm not aware of any bullet movement, though I don't exceed SAAMI for .357.

Recovered bullets show no signs of the coating being stripped.
 
I've been using the Hi-tek coated bullets and love them. Roll crimp works fine. Good thing about the coated boolits, is they grab the brass. Think lead covered in truck bed liner. My 9mm sometimes squeek when I seat them. Makes them harder to pull though.
 
I've been using the Hi-tek coated bullets and love them. Roll crimp works fine. Good thing about the coated boolits, is they grab the brass. Think lead covered in truck bed liner. My 9mm sometimes squeek when I seat them. Makes them harder to pull though.

Interesting - I've found the opposite with RAL.
 
The coating on Hi-tek (at least this batch) are very thick. Some mic at 358 on the 9s. Just read your coated bullet thread. Very impressive! I may have to start doing my own. Love the red and green zombie pills!

Your coating looks much shinier and glossier than my hi-teks. Mine look kinda rubbery. Not nearly as pretty.

Mine also smell a bit like melted plastic while shooting. Anyone else have that happen?
 
The coating on Hi-tek (at least this batch) are very thick. Some mic at 358 on the 9s. Just read your coated bullet thread. Very impressive! I may have to start doing my own. Love the red and green zombie pills!

Your coating looks much shinier and glossier than my hi-teks. Mine look kinda rubbery. Not nearly as pretty.

Mine also smell a bit like melted plastic while shooting. Anyone else have that happen?

In the few thousand I've shot (9, 10, .357, & now 45 Colt) I can't say I've ever noticed an odor.
 
For those of you who roll crimp without a cannelure on plated or coated bullets - how do you avoid deforming the bullet or damaging the coating? Or are you just removing the crimp much like a taper crimp?
 
For those of you who roll crimp without a cannelure on plated or coated bullets - how do you avoid deforming the bullet or damaging the coating?

I crimp somewhere between 'removing the bell' and 'very light'.

My cast / coated 147gr .401 w/o cannelure & light crimps showed no signs of stripping the coating - and theses weren't light loads (1,350fps).
 
The coating on Hi-tek (at least this batch) are very thick. Some mic at 358 on the 9s. Just read your coated bullet thread. Very impressive! I may have to start doing my own. Love the red and green zombie pills!

Your coating looks much shinier and glossier than my hi-teks. Mine look kinda rubbery. Not nearly as pretty.

Mine also smell a bit like melted plastic while shooting. Anyone else have that happen?
-
Coated. I light chamfer inside mouth then use with 'crimp die ' on the coated .

( Odd Smell ) on the Coated bullets . I have also noticed as well as other person standing next to me shooting with Coated . I would not say it was melted plastic smell but it was a different odor .
Not sure if it was in Firing them . Or it was when the Bullets were vaporized on steel plate impact . but there is 'definitely' odor change from the normal Jackets & powder .
.
 
+1 on the smell with the Hi-tek (Bayou Bullets). I had the chance to run some test runs and it was almost a burning/hot wire smell to me. The Blue Bullets that I normally use don't have quite as pronounced an odor.

FYI - same range session (outdoors) where I ran the Bayou's in a 357 revolver with Bullseye powder and ran the Blue Bullets in a 45 also with Bullseye...so powder wasn't a factor in the odor.

Since I shoot almost exclusively outdoors it didn't bother me...just noticeable.

BTW, the Bayou's performed quite well. Only ran 20 and didn't have a chance to chrono them but no problems with clean-up or accuracy.
 

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