Increasing bullet diameter with pc or liquid

[burbank.jung]

I want to increase the diameter of some Barnes TSX at .311 to .312" using teflon, liquid enamel paint, or powder coating. Speer .311 and the Barnes aren't grouping well in my rifle while a Hornady .312 will. The barrel slugs at .3115". Has anyone heated a bullet, dipped it in powder paint and baked it? Or, has anyone painted it and then baked the bullet? I think model paint is an enamel base, yes?

 

[CZ93X62]

No experience with the processes you speak of above.

I do have quite a bit of time-in-grade with rifles shooting jacketed lead-core bullets and now with Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets in several calibers--22 Hornet, 223, 243, 6.5 x 55, 7mm Rem Mag in a friend's rifle, 30-06, and 8 x 57. Without exception, all of my rifles shoot 30% to 50% larger groups with the Barnes bullets than with traditional lead-core jacketed bullets--best loads vs. best loads with each bullet type. I accept it as a cost of doing business in Kalifornistan (hunting). It might not be a diametric question you are dealing with, it might just be the limits of the Barnes bullets' material make-up. It's not all bad news, though--I have seen several examples of bullets recovered from game and varmints--expansion is reliable and impressive. FWIW.

We have been dealing with this Condor Cuddler Bullet nonsense (Thanks to Stanford U's "Center For Biological Diversity") since 2008. We do what we must to stay in the field, despite the State's best efforts to frustrate our hunts and complicate our regimens.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Im not a fan of these Barnes copper bullets. Tried the X when they came out. They make nice mushrooms but there is more to a hunting bullet then a nice mushroom. I wont use them.
But Im aware you komiefornia guys need to use homogeneous non lead bullets.

Easy enough to have some powder costed to try your theory. (But making hot and dipping in powder is ok for jig heads not bullets)

The powder coat process involves "baking"
Bullets for 20-30 min @ 400 degrees. Im doubting that plastic tip would survive that. Then sizing could cause issue. Lead regardless of hardness is "soft" compared to copper. So where lead is forgiving to powder coat being sized copper my just sluff it off. But Im speculating as I haven't tried.
CW

 

[Spindrift]

The TSX is the non- tipped bullet, right?

I've never tried coating them, but can't think of any reason why it could be dangerous. I doubt you'll find anyone with practical experience with this concept.
I would run them through a .312 sizer after coating.
If you try this, please keep us posted on your results!

 

[Rick H]

I concur that the Barnes solid bullets I have tried have given me dismal accuracy compared to Hornady, Speer, or Sierra. I did not try anything other than molycoating back in the day. My 7mm Rem Mag rifle just didn't like them, yet will shoot most any appropriate cup and core into minute of angle or very near. It is my belief that the solid copper Barnes bullets just behave differently than our typical cup and core projectiles. After burning through way too many components I gave up on them. I wish you well in your endeavor. Never thought about PC on jacketed bullets before. Interesting.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Yes, The TSX are a all Copper hp & the TTSX is a plastic tipped copper bullet.

CW

 

[popper]

Might experiment with onion paper patching. Unsized! Teflon has a temp restriction of 700F. I would suggest a single coat of HiTek and NOT SIZED, let the barrel do it. I've never shot solids of any kind.

 

[Joshua]

Have you experimented with seating depth?

I’ve read that it can have a huge impact on accuracy with the Barnes products.

According to their literature some rifles shoot well with anywhere between a .050” up to a .250” jump!!!

Load Data - Barnes Bullets

Find reloading guidelines and data for your Barnes Bullets products.

www.barnesbullets.com

 

[burbank.jung]

I have the Barnes without the plastic tip. A member at my club recommended teflon tape like paper wrapping. I might first expand the neck size of some cases and try this but I think dipping a bullet shank in teflon paint and baking it in the broil setting is better. Black Talons bake teflon over a brass core, yes? Also, (here is a maybe), I think Barnes bullets are more accurate under high pressure because the copper bullet needs to deform to the rifling. With powder paint, the bullet will seal against the rifling easier. Has anyone dissolved their powder paint in acetone and painted their bullets? I can't experiment with seating depth because the chamber ( I think that's what it is called ) is too long from the point where the bullet leaves the case neck to the rifling. The 1/8" of the bullet holds onto the case when the bullet starts touching the rifling. I extend my bullet as far as the magazine box accept the cartridge.

 

[burbank.jung]

I concur that the Barnes solid bullets I have tried have given me dismal accuracy compared to Hornady, Speer, or Sierra. I did not try anything other than molycoating back in the day. My 7mm Rem Mag rifle just didn't like them, yet will shoot most any appropriate cup and core into minute of angle or very near. It is my belief that the solid copper Barnes bullets just behave differently than our typical cup and core projectiles. After burning through way too many components I gave up on them. I wish you well in your endeavor. Never thought about PC on jacketed bullets before. Interesting.

Have you compared the Hornady GMX to the Barnes TSX for accuracy?

 

[Rick H]

Have you compared the Hornady GMX to the Barnes TSX for accuracy?

No, my experimentation was before Hornady made the solid copper projectiles. I settled on the Hornady 162gr. BTSP and haven't looked back. It does everything I was looking for. I don't hunt where lead free rifle projectiles are required.

Barnes used to recommend a very large gap before the bullet hit the rifling. I seem to remember .050" minimum. It didn't help me at all.

 

[Hawk]

I have experience with the Barnes TTSX, TSX and the Hornady GMX.
I got a lot better accuracy with the TTSX and the TSX than the Hornadys GMX.
I couldn't get the Hornadys to group under 2"@ 100 yds and finally gave up on them.
Not saying others will have the same results, just stating my experiences.

 

[Ian]

Has anyone dissolved their powder paint in acetone and painted their bullets?

Yes. Berryman's chlorinated brake cleaner, actually, but straight acetone should work. It makes a fabulous paint which can then be oven cured at 400⁰F for 10 minutes AFTER the bullets fully reach 400⁰, so about 25 minutes for most countertop convection ovens.

I only tried the liquid application once and abandoned it because I was trying to coat cast bullets and wanted to do the whole bullet, tough to do with paint in a time-effective manner. However, if you want to coat just the body of the bullets, mix yourself a thin paint with a polyester-based powder coat and dip the bullets up to the nose and place on non-stick aluminum foil to dry, then bake as above. DO NOT cure powder coat in ANY appliance that will ever be used for food again, the fumes from the PC stick to surfaces and fume out again over time with cancerous stuff.

 

[popper]

Shooting a 303? Teflon™ industrial coatings can operate continuously at temperatures up to 550°F and can be used for intermittent service up to 600°F with adequate ventilation. Teflon vapors are TOXIC. Onion skin paper (non-crinkly) is 0.002 thick, maybe too thick for a proper wrap. HiTek coating is usually 0.001-0.002" thick, 2 very thin coats. I have dipped HiTek for just the bands, it does work. PC may get thicker, 3-4 thous, single coat. I've shot coated cast (BHN approaching that of annealed copper) and accuracy was good but they were slightly (0.0005) larger than bore. Something you might try is some Recluse tumble lube. 50/50 paste wax and LLA IIRC. It does add thickness (let it dry completely for 2 coats), maybe a thous? You say you have a really long throat in that rifle, probably large too. The onion paper might work OK.

 

[Hawk]

Are you saying powder coated bullet cooking fumes are cancerous or poisonous?

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Are you saying powder coated bullet cooking fumes are cancerous or poisonous?

I believe he is saying TEFLON is dangerous.
CW

 

[Hawk]

That and Ian's post about cancerous fumes.
I cook in a convection toaster oven in the garage.

 

[Ian]

I believe he is saying TEFLON is dangerous.
CW

No, the fumes from powder paint. Look it up. Also the uncured TGIC crosslinker in most polyester powders is a class 2 carcinogen and mutagen what's been banned in most every country except ours.

 

[popper]

Teflon is really bad, PC isn't good. Good ventilation will solve both but teflon problem - several sailors died pretty quickly in the 60s using teflon parts for an ash tray.

 

[Hawk]

Here's a pretty good link about PC.

Powder coat varieties

I take it that most people who are powder coating their bullets are using the polyester powders with the TGIC cross-linkers. The only drawback that I can see to that is that TGIC is the mother of all carcinogens and without a really, REALLY good mask and extreme care in handling it's really...

www.artfulbullet.com