Cast, Plated, Coated, or Jacketed

[jordanka16]

After I got back from shooting today I found myself researching coatings and coated bullets. After a while it dawned on me that I already shoot cast, plated, and jacketed, and I was wondering if I really needed 4 different types of bullet. I figured I could probably pare it down to 2, Jacketed, and then one other.

So I was wondering what styles of bullet others preferred for various types of shooting and why.

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[ageingstudent]

If I didn't have terrible issues with tinkering I'd stick with jacketed and plated. I can't help trying to powder coat cheap cast bullets and fiddeling with the loads till I get some results. It's a sickness really. I just can't leave it alone.

 

[ChiefStealth]

For pistol rounds, I only shoot plated bullets. Its mostly cost related. Plated bullets work well for the plinking, SD practice, and informal competition that I do. Cast, coated, and jacketed would also work just fine. But jacketed would cost more. Cast would be cheaper, but not much cheaper, unless I cast my own. Coated is about the same cost as plated. Unless again, I coated my own. Mostly, I stick with plated because they are on the less expensive side, and they work well. Just don't have a big reason to change.

 

[Mistman]

I switched to coated over lead and plated simply for cost and ease of use. Lead w/a lube can get smokey, are a touch messier and are toxic. Plated can be relatively inexpensive but I've found coated to be cheaper and it seems like the finish is smoother than plated. Plus you get all those cool colors

 

[jordanka16]

I cast my own bullets so I though going to coated would be the right way to go, I just want to try some first, anyone have a favorite place that they get them from?

 

[Mistman]

I got some from SNS Casting that I like really well, pretty much shot up the 1st K I got last month.
Coated Bullets

 

[RVTECH]

I am really liking the HSM plated I get from SPortsman's WH - the plating is the smoothest and best I have ever seen- Berry's are my next choice but not plated as well but their 200 gr HBRN are incredibly accurate out of my 1911.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I like the HSM plated hollow point bullets too. They work great in my 40s&w and 45. I use them for bowling pin shoots along with the Hornady XTP jacket hollow points. However, I haven't noticed a difference in performance on the pins. Either bullet type works very well. With this being said, I like the price tag on the HSM's better than the XTP's. You can shoot almost twice as much for the same money, with similar accuracy and performance. The only reason I haven't all but switched is because the HSM bullets were pretty hard to find there for a while. The XTP's were usually attainable, even during the bullet shortages. You got to give Hornady some credit for keeping bullets on the shelves of the local gunshops.

 

[Member 5605]

I cast my own bullets so I though going to coated would be the right way to go, I just want to try some first, anyone have a favorite place that they get them from?

ARPC carries some Badman coated

 

[bbbass]

Plated reloads for target, jacketed HP production rounds for self-defense.

 

[Tilos]

After I got back from shooting today I found myself researching coatings and coated bullets. After a while it dawned on me that I already shoot cast, plated, and jacketed, and I was wondering if I really needed 4 different types of bullet. I figured I could probably pare it down to 2, Jacketed, and then one other.

So I was wondering what styles of bullet others preferred for various types of shooting and why.

I just recently switched from cast/traditional lube to coated, don't miss the smoke or goo/dirty gun, and won't be going back!

Are they slippery?...I can knife my hand to the bottom of a box of 500
I buy bullets without lube grooves because they work with a bullet feeding die.
Here's a "favorite coated bullet" thread:
http://forums.brianenos.com/index.php?/topic/240120-whats-your-favorite-coated-bullet/&page=1
These are popular:
Eggleston Munitions - Polymer Coated Sport Bullets
I buy mostly 38 cal. for 38/357, and push them thru a sizer for 9mm easy peesy.
just sayin'

 

[Certaindeaf]

To me there's store bought or self-made. I cast my own and if I buy ready-made (rarely), I invariably get high quality jacketed slugs.

 

[noylj]

Jacketed: always the best. Never found a plated to come close to the accuracy of jacketed.
Plated: For those who don't need the accuracy of jacketed and don't want to deal with lead.
Cast/swaged: Been serving us well for over 100 years. The cheapest and often as good as jacketed. Swaged is usually a bit more accurate, as it has consistent weight and dimensions.
Coated: new kid on the block. Only been around for about 25 years. For me, it is a good alternative to simple cast, but it does cost more. The main claim to fame is that it reduces smoke (never noticed) and eliminated leading (unless the coating is damaged, then it leads ever worse that an undersized hard alloy cast bullet).
Since I have been very happy with cast for over 40 years, I will probably stay with plain cast for the rest of my life (maybe 10 years?). I find the Precision Bullets' 200gn swaged and coated L-SWC to be almost as accurate as the Zero 200gn swaged L-SWC in my .45 Autos.
If I could only choose one, it would be the one I use most often anyway: cast.
However, when Zero or Precision Delta have a great deal on jacketed, I will stock up.

 

[techiej]

I use only coated for 9, 45, 38 & 357. For 44 I use jacketed.

The coated allow me to use less powder while achieving the same velocity as jacketed and are a LOT cheaper.

FWIW - I use the Blue Bullets for my coated bullets and Montana Gold for my 44 jacketed.

 

[Tilos]

I cast my own bullets so I though going to coated would be the right way to go, I just want to try some first, anyone have a favorite place that they get them from?

Lots of DIY powder coat/ Hi-Tek coating methods explained/discussed @ castboolits, if you plan to try it.
Coatings and Alternatives

 

[jordanka16]

The simplest one looks to be just dissolving the pain in lacquer thinner, swirling the bullets till dry and then baking.

I already cast so it should be a simple addition to the process.

 

[Papercidal]

I started with plated then found that jacketed from precision delta was cheaper,then tried some bayou coated and liked them enough that I bought some moulds and a casting pot and started coating my own.