Plated vs Jacketed vs Cast Bullets
At Berry’s, almost all our bullets are copper-plated as opposed to jacketed or cast for a few reasons. Let’s take a look at the differences between the three.
Plated: plated bullets, as covered in the content above, are made by electroplating a thin layer of copper around a lead core. This complete plating process greatly reduces lead fouling in the barrel, which means less maintenance and improved accuracy. Further, you can generally find plated bullets at more affordable price when compared to jacketed. Plated bullets are great when used in ammunition for plinking, target shooting, and competition.
Jacketed: these projectiles are made with a copper or other metal jacket around a lead core. Jacketed bullets are typically stronger than cast or plated bullets, meaning they can be fired at higher velocities and from firearms with tighter tolerances without compromising the structural integrity. This makes jacketed bullets more suitable for applications like hunting. Due to this improved strength, jacketed bullets tend to be more expensive than cast or plated, which can be a drawback for some.
Cast: cast bullets are made by pouring molten lead into a mold or “cast.” The biggest advantage of cast bullets is their affordability. They are cheaper than most other options, which appeals to budget shooters. However, these projectiles tend to cause more lead fouling than other types of bullets. This will have long term effects on accuracy and require more maintenance.
Plated bullets are a happy medium between the performance of jacketed bullets and the affordability of cast.
