Henry Rifle Forums

I've been trying different bullet types and suppliers for a while trying to find the right bullet at the right price. I load for .38 .357 and .45 ACP in pistol calibers.

Jacketed are expensive and aren't always the most accurate.

Plated are clean, and look good, but there is not much data for them, and you have to be careful not to underpower them. Accuracy can be very good, but you must use the right powder to get there.

Cast are cheap, and accurate, but are dirty to handle and I have a couple guns that lead rather badly with naked cast.

I've been trying various coated suppliers. When they get it right, they are great. Many suppliers have poorly applied coatings that do not hold up well. Some are great, but the company doesn't handle all the styles I want. Still others have QC problems such as damaged bullets from the sizing process.

This week I ordered some 148 grain button nosed wadcutters from Brazos. Ordered on Tues, delivered from TX to SC on Saturday. They look good. Weights are fairly consistent. Diameter is spot on. I loaded up a handful of them today and the coatings seem to stand up to a little abuse just fine.

I'll try them out at the range later this week. So far, I'm quite pleased with the quality. Price is quite competitive. Odd thing is that all boxes are $42, regardless of caliber/weight. They ship different amounts, depending on weight. For example, the .45 200 grain bullets come 525 to the box. The 148 grain wadcutters are 709 to the box. Shipping is USPS flat rate priority at $7 a box.

clovishound wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 14, 2019 1:23 am

I'll try them out at the range later this week. So far, I'm quite pleased with the quality. Price is quite competitive. Odd thing is that all boxes are $42, regardless of caliber/weight. They ship different amounts, depending on weight. For example, the .45 200 grain bullets come 525 to the box. The 148 grain wadcutters are 709 to the box. Shipping is USPS flat rate priority at $7 a box.

interesting and understandable concept .... looking forward to your ongoing reports

Well, we had a good time at the range today. Tried out the new bullets. They performed well. Accuracy was excellent. The only issue was they have a bit of a burnt plastic smell. Not uncommon with coated. Last supplier had a really strong acrid odor that was just a bit too much. Found out by accident that if I let them set for several months, they didn't have that smell when fired.

Part of the issue today may be that they had us on the pistol side, and I don't think the ventilation is as strong as the rifle side. Even noticed the plain cast .45s had a strong smell from the gunpowder. Don't normally smell that.

Just ordered some 45 colt 250 grainers to try out.

RP

Randy, coated? Hope they work. They should.
PM sent also.

Rifletom wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:27 am

Randy, coated? Hope they work. They should.
PM sent also.

Yes sir.
Hope so too.
I will let ya know.

RP

Plated are clean, and look good, but there is not much data for them,

Additional data is not really needed and most manufacturers of plated bullets address loading them similarly to upper end lead velocities to lower end jacketed velocities.

X-treme Bullets states:

Our Copper Plated Bullets can be run at mid-range jacketed velocities or higher end lead velocities. We recommend keeping velocities to less than 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and using only a light taper crimp

I use theirs, as well as others and load within these parameters.

Well, some powders have a big gap between max lead and start jacketed. Others have max lead higher than max jacketed. Makes things rather confusing, unless you carefully choose your powders for the specific plated bullet you are loading for.

I have loaded thousands of plated bullets, most with good results. I just like having clear loading data, so I decided to move to coated.

I will say one thing for them, they don't mess around.
I ordered these Wed. morning and they arrived today.
Wow.
RP

Let me know how you like them. A suggestion, you might want to open the package and let them air out a couple days. The ones I loaded up straight from the package when I first got them had a bit of a burnt plastic smell when shot. The ones I loaded a week later had little to no odor. As stated before it could have been the ventilation system at the range. The first time was on the pistol side, and the second on the rifle. Too many variables to be sure, but opening them up couldn't hurt.

I need to order a batch for .45 ACP.

I will be shooting these outside, but thanks for the info.
Had to leave and go look at a job.
I'll open it when I return.
I will be Trying these out tomorrow.
I'll let you know what I think.

RP