I'm having trouble finding M33 Ball rounds for blasting ammo, seems there's a shortage going on. Since I'm an avid caster and reloader I figured I could cast and powder coat these bullets. Has anyone tried this?

I have 2 ranges set up at friends' farms and they like to shoot the 50 but due to the cost they only take 1 shot. I would like them to shoot more without feeling guilty about wasting a lot of money just blasting water-filled milk jugs into oblivion. This would also apply to me too.

They would only be shot at short range (50-200yrds) at milk jugs , watermelons, pumpkins, etc. from a Barrett 82A1. No need for super accurate, long range competition rounds, I have components for that, I just want something cheap so my friends can shoot a little more and have fun with it.

I posed this question in the reloading forum and didn't get much info there. I've also been looking at the CastBoolits Forum for info. Lots of info about powder coating but nothing specific to the 50cal.

Have any of you tried shooting powder coated cast bullets in your guns and if so how well do they work?

I  cant find it now but there was a company that makes 50 bmg bullet molds, Lee can make a custom bullet mold for about $150

If you are only fun shooting. maybe you could try Lee alox  lube, it would be easier and cheaper

so what you ask has been done before.

There are a few people in Ohio that list m33 on gunbroker.  Looks like about 300 bucks per 500 bullets.

Try Poly Gun Bags. They usually have a pretty good selection of pulls. I nought a bunch last year from there along with some 5.56 Mk318 bullets.

I have some loaded but no time to fire them. Maybe get to it this weekend. Regular lubed ones shot about as good as M33. The mold I got weigh in at around 850 GR. It's a Noe (Night Owl Express) mold.

I also have one of Al's molds from NOE, well made and casts great. Not powder coating them, but going to try the Hightec coating soon. So far been doing low speed 1400-1500 fps with just regular bullet lube. If you do powder coat them let us know how they do.

Greg

Just a word of advice:  a PC boolit will be larger in diameter than the same one given the HiTek treatment.  Generally, PC boolits can be driven faster w/o leading.  I have not yet been able to get my Windrunner to digest the powder coated boolits reliably.

OK, so it's been done before and it sounds like it works.

I'm going to be try this with 30-06 first to get some info on what works, what doesn't, speeds etc. I'll let you know how it goes with the 50 cal.

The only bullet I see NOE makes that is pointy is 580gr, will that do ? Remember, they're just for short range blasting.