Anyone tried HI-TEK-LUBE?

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bill_clancy posted this 15 October 2013

I've been casting for almost 30 years, mostly pistol these days, and I've tried lots of lube methods over time. This one seems to be the best of all! Hi-tek is a two part liquid that is applied much like Lee tumble lube, but you bake it in a convection for about ten minutes. Best done twice. It sounds a bit complex, but it really works well, and comes in several colors. It's hard coating, slippery, and reduces the leading in my Glock to nil. In addition it doesn't smoke! I use 3.9 gr of tightgroup with a 125 gr Lee TL mold, and couldn't be happier. I cast & lubed 300 bullets yesterday.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 15 October 2013

i have been following the discussion on BOOLITS (sp?) ... but havent tried it, mostly because it hasnt had reported success in rifles ...especially with both accuracy and velocity at the same time .

also, i dont get leading in any of my handguns with leeliq, nra50-50, or even walmart lithium ...

however, i might try it ...is there a source in the states for hi-tek ? i am interested in adding a filler ( g ) .

ken

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bill_clancy posted this 15 October 2013

http://www.bayoubullets.net/Coating.html

A little goes a long long way. You use a ratio of 1 part catalyst, to 5 parts color, to 5 parts acetone. Probably a tablespoon of the total mix did about 250 bullets.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 15 October 2013

thanks ...we would be interested in any results you might like to report using the hi-tek.

also, is the value of it because of better performance of some kind ...or because it's cleaner to handle.

do you think the extra thickness serves as a gas check ?

interesting ...

ken

i do think the colors look great too !!

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RicinYakima posted this 15 October 2013

Is there some advantage to smokeless? Ric

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apbluebass posted this 16 October 2013

We are in the process of opening up TomKat ammunition llc. We have been doing extensive testing on a variant of this technology and in certain applications it is superior to a copper jacket. It practically eliminates metal fouling in the barrel as well as lube smoke. chronometer tests were unbelievably consistent, 125 g 9mm with 4.2 gr of Titegroup pushing 1100-1120 fps. I will never shoot alox or wax out of my gun again and copper will only be as necessary.

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Wayne S posted this 16 October 2013

Ken Campbell, Iowa wrote: i have been following the discussion on BOOLITS (sp?) ... but havent tried it, mostly because it hasnt had reported success in rifles ...especially with both accuracy and velocity at the same time .

also, i dont get leading in any of my handguns with leeliq, nra50-50, or even walmart lithium ...

however, i might try it ...is there a source in the states for hi-tek ? i am interested in adding a filler ( g ) .

ken.especially with both accuracy and velocity at the same time   Isn't accuracy what  counts ?? There must be a reason, when asked for pictures of 100 yd groups with this stuff there were none posted   

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bill_clancy posted this 16 October 2013

I can only speak for pistol, And I doubt I could give you a 9mm 100 yard group from a Glock 19 :) Shooting cast bullets began as a cost savings for me when I began to shoot more. Little did I know it would lead me to shooting better and have a better understanding of ballistics in general. I started pan lubing with several commercial products, rooster red and blue and it worked ok, but it was slow and cumbersome, then LLA, which I mostly like except now I realize I was over applying. I also got some smoke, and light leading. This led me to exploring other options including HI-TEK, which I admit I'm new to, and not really finished testing. It seems to require two coats and a convection oven to bake it on, but it goes on fast only adds .001” and is absolutely non tacky or sticky, which I really like. (I used to tumble assembled rounds to get the remainder LLA off my pistol bullets)

http://www.bayoubullets.net/Coating.html

Is the vendor and I have absolutely no connection with them, except as a one time customer

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bill_clancy posted this 16 October 2013

Ricin, If you use a fast burning powder, cast bullet, and LLA, a lot of smoke can be generated, which I'm not too fond of.

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Pigslayer posted this 16 October 2013

bill_clancy wrote: http://www.bayoubullets.net/Coating.html

A little goes a long long way. You use a ratio of 1 part catalyst, to 5 parts color, to 5 parts acetone. Probably a tablespoon of the total mix did about 250 bullets.

Be careful with the acetone. Readily absorbed through the skin & heads straight for the liver. Careful guys!

Pat

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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bill_clancy posted this 16 October 2013

They recommend and I use gloves. Thanks!

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bill_clancy posted this 16 October 2013

So all these women who use acetone to clean off nail polish are rotting their livers?

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Pigslayer posted this 16 October 2013

bill_clancy wrote: So all these women who use acetone to clean off nail polish are rotting their livers?

Yup

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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sart256 posted this 19 January 2014

I have heard of this and it has been comments but, not impressed with the price. I may wait until it is in greater use and lower price.

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onondaga posted this 20 January 2014

A plastic or 2 part resin coating on a bullet does not have the strength to compensate for an undersize bullet. The shooters that love this stuff use bullets that fit regardless of the coating or they wouldn't be so happy.

Simple care in selecting bullet molds that cast large enough and bullet sizing dies the right size,  make bullet lube very low in importance. A plastic coating will not convince your firearm that bullets are the right size if they are too small.

Gary

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highstandard40 posted this 20 January 2014

I live within 30 miles of “Bayou Bullets” and have been in Donnie's shop. We had a good conversation about the coating and it's application process. In this area of the country the coating is VERY popular with action shooters. The reason being is that the resulting bullets can be fed through progressive presses just like a jacketed bullet without any greasy mess or caking up the loading dies. Handling the bullets or the loaded ammo is just like jacketed. And on match day, no smoke to obscure the sight picture. For these applications it is a blessing. For rifles at higher velocity with accuracy.........not so much. I understand that Hi-Tek is working on an new catalyst in an effort to bring the rifle performance up to par. But Gary is correct, the bullet still has to fit the gun.

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R. Dupraz posted this 20 January 2014

Sounds like an expensive and unnecesarily  complicated solution to a non-existant problem. I checked with my unused target stash and surprisingly, none said that they cared what “trendy” color the bullet was, only with little tiny little groups in the bullseye. But of course when one is trying to machine gun a basketball at three yds., I suppose it really doesn't matter.    Am eagerly awaiting some pistol machine rest groups at fifty yds.    

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highstandard40 posted this 20 January 2014

I'm with you RD. I have never had the slightest interest in the “action” games. I rather believe in one well placed shot. I don't own and will never own a Dillon or any other progessive press either. But sadly that is the mindset of the vast majority of todays shooting enthusiasts...at least around here anyway. The only organized shooting sport I have ever been involved with has been metallic silhouette....mostly handgun but some limited rifle as well. I tried some of the Hi-Tek coating in a last ditch effort to cure a very problematic 44 mag revolver I have. I had previously tried everything I could think of to get this gun to shoot accurately with cast bullets and not lead the barrel. You guessed it, the Hi-Tek coating didn't help it either.

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onondaga posted this 20 January 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6907>highstandard40 Your .44 is not lost and is curable. Use the size bullets that when unlubricated take a 1-2 pound with a pencil to push through a cylinder chamber. Looser or smaller diameter bullets will lead the gun up. You mayneed a bullet mold that drops bigger diameter bullets and a honed sizing die to get the right size bullets.

If the gun still leads up have a smith check your chambers and bore.  The tightest area in the chamber throats should be . 001- .002 larger than the groove to groove bore diameter of your bore for cast bullets . If bore is smaller or has a tight spot the same size as the chamber minimum spot, the gun will never shoot cast well till you remedy that with chamber honing or a different barrel to get the right differential for cast bullets to work. Your smithy should be very familiar with that size differential between chamber and barrel  for cast bullets if he is a revolver guy. This is not a NEW problem that is just your problem with that .44 of yours. it is common.

Gary

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highstandard40 posted this 20 January 2014

onondaga wrote: http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6907>highstandard40 Your .44 is not lost and is curable. Use the size bullets that when unlubricated take a 1-2 pound with a pencil to push through a cylinder chamber. Looser or smaller diameter bullets will lead the gun up. You mayneed a bullet mold that drops bigger diameter bullets and a honed sizing die to get the right size bullets.

If the gun still leads up have a smith check your chambers and bore.  The tightest area in the chamber throats should be . 001- .002 larger than the groove to groove bore diameter of your bore for cast bullets . If bore is smaller or has a tight spot the same size as the chamber minimum spot, the gun will never shoot cast well till you remedy that with chamber honing or a different barrel to get the right differential for cast bullets to work. Your smithy should be very familiar with that size differential between chamber and barrel  for cast bullets if he is a revolver guy. This is not a NEW problem that is just your problem with that .44 of yours. it is common.

GaryThanks Gary. I hate to take this thread off topic, but I have tried everything you have mentioned, plus more, and no success. Alloys soft to hard and everything in between. Slugged cylinder throats and bore and sized accordingly. Different lubes. Different bullet styles and powder types and load levels.  Plain base and gaschecks. Polished the bore using your method. Still no good. I can get loads that don't lead the barrel, and I can get loads that are accurate. I can't seem to find the sweet spot that does both. It shoots jacketed just great. It is a DW 44 and I even changed the barrel and started over.........nope. It is the only gun I have that I have failed to get a cast bullet load that works. My DW 357 is awesome with cast. Go figure. Some things just defy all logic. I even tried the the Hi-Tek coating and then lubed with traditional bullet lube. Nope again. I'm moving on to another challenge. I just bought an unfired Ruger Blackhawk “Buckeye Special” :D

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onondaga posted this 20 January 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6907>highstandard40

Size, gap and timing are the best fixes and if that isn't working, I just can't figure it either! You mentioned traditional lube, I'm assuming you mean pressure lube.  Tumble lube may be better with an additional step of enlarging your Lee push through bullet sizer even +.0005- .001” bigger. The larger size with a gas check and 45:45:10 tumble lube would be my next attack. The Lee bullet sizing dies are cheap and it would only take you 15 minutes to hone it up + .0005-.001” bigger and see if they will chamber that big. It is OK if you feel a good definite slide as you chamber rounds as long as they go in.

Gary

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