black bullets in 40 for glock and M&P

[paul gilman]

I would like to know which 180 and 200 black bullets they are using in glock 35 and M&P 40 full size. I know there are several post on this subject and I have read them I just am looking for the most current information.

Many thanks to all

[Jman]

Paul,

Who's they?

----------------------------------------

Black Bullets International

Precision Bullets

Billy Bullets

They are pretty much the players in black bullets

Buy a few, try them. Three fine outfits.

Jim

[paul gilman]

Jim I like your avatar,

I meet the people using them for these 2 guns and what was the best and worst things about each.

Thanks Paul

[raz-0]

I think the translation is:

Dear BENOSVerse,

Are any of you using .40 caliber 180gn or 200gn coated lead bullets in a S&W M&P full size or a glock 35? Which brands do you use, and what do you like or dislike about them. Is there a superior brand? I have tried to use the search, but find it cumbersome to use and make sense of. 

Sincerely,

original poster. 

[dsmw5142]

I think the translation is:

Dear BENOSVerse,

Are any of you using .40 caliber 180gn or 200gn coated lead bullets in a S&W M&P full size or a glock 35? Which brands do you use, and what do you like or dislike about them. Is there a superior brand? I have tried to use the search, but find it cumbersome to use and make sense of.

Sincerely,

original poster.

Classic

Personally I use the 180gr Black Bullets International with 5.0gr Unique seated to about 1.135" with mixed brass for about 172PF. I have also achieved something similar with a lesser charge of Unique and 200gr BBI. However, the difference in recoil impulse doesn't justify the additional expense for the 200gr IMO. I have also used Solo 1000 and Titegroup with these bullets. Honestly, best accuracy has been with Unique, and there isn't as much potential for dangerous pressure spikes.

ETA: This is out of my limited Glock 35 with stock barrel. Just as accurate as my Zero 180gr JHP's with Titegroup.

Edited March 12, 2010 by dsmw5142

[Dan Hefta]

I just started using Black Bullets International bullets and am very happy with them. 180gr BBI, 4.3gr Universal Clays, I am shooting a Glock 24 and am at 170+ PF. http://shop.blackbulletsinternational.com/main.sc

[twodownzero]

I use Bear Creek bullets. I am working on creating an online website where people will be able to buy them, because they're not currently available online (order by phone).

I use both 180s and 200s. I shoot their 9mms through my Glock and M&P as well.

Edited March 12, 2010 by twodownzero

[GISMap]

BBI is popular no doubt, but I'm sticking to jacketed bullets from Montana Gold.

[raz-0]

I'll be helpful since I'm plowing through my load notebook sorting stuff out. 

M&P 40 fullsize. 

Used 170gn precision moly coated with ramshot zip. I had all sorts of issues. 

1) There's not load data out there so lots of guesstimating. But heck, minor is very forgiving at guessing in .40 from a safety standpoint

2) POI vs POA for it vs jacketed 165, plated 180 and jacketed 180 was VERY weird. 

3) Accuracy was mediocre at best. (at first)

4) have to bell my cases more to avoid shaving off the coating. Which means shorter brass life. 

5) smokey

6) left a mess in my barrel (at first)

Upsides

A) cheap

get less dirty loading it (at leat my nitrile gloves, press, etc do)

C) has no lube groove, so you can load it to varying lengths without issue vs other moly coated bullets.

So 3 was really bothering me. My 165 jacketed loads were good for 6" plates at 50 yards if I didn't screw up.  At 20 yards, I was getting group sizes almost double my 165 load.  So read the FAQs from precision, and they claim to like my powder, but they don't like lee factory crimp dies, which I am using. They say it undersizes the bullets. Break out the mic, and sure enough it goes from .402 average to .391 average diameter. 

Pick up a dillon taper crimp, and take out some loads that are identical other than me switching crimp dies halfway through (yay hornady bushings). 

With the FCD I was getting 126.46 pf (it was way colder than when I worked up the load, which was about 130pf in warm weather) With the dillon die I was getting 130pf on the nose.  Also the gorup size at 20 yards was about 3/4 the size of my 165 jacketed load. 

Still smokey as heck.  But I'm moving to major and a 2011 platform. With the 170s, zip just isn't going to get there based on my chrono work and the look of the primers. 

Other guys at my club shootin gprecisions like titegroup  (feels nice but WAY smokey), and solo 1000 (seems to work pretty well).

[Vlad]

I'm the guy Raz-0 mentioned that uses titegroup with 170gr moly in a M&P. Yes it is smokey, but I never notice it even shooting indoor. I'm also not noticing any real barrel fouling.

[2MoreChains]

Hi Paul,

I've been running a lot of BBI 180 gr TC moly's thru my Glock that I bought last winter when Travis did that bulk order. Shot a few in practice, checked the barrel. No fouling, no deposits. Shot some more, re-checked. No issues. Got to the point where will shoot 300+ before cleaning, and no still no issues. Conclusion? BBI is good in Glocks.

See ya!

-Evans

[splashdown]

I've been shooting production recently with Bear Creek 140gr bullets from my G35. 4.0gr Ramshot Competition loaded to 1.135, factory barrel, and PF is 136. I also use their 180gr bullets for my STI. They're a couple grains heavier than nominal weights. I haven't shot groups but the accuracy is good enough to burn down a plate rack at 15 yards.

My old Masterblaster's 180gr bullet loads, from several years ago, so don't quote me on this:

Minor: 3.2gr Ramshot Competition, 1.135", G35 w/Barsto bbl, PF about 144.

Major: 3.9gr Ramshot Competition, 1.135", G35 w/Barsto bbl, PF about 167.

[paul gilman]

Thank you for the info, I am looking for less expensive bullets for my 40 and am looking at the black bullets have been shooting 180 lead with 231 powder that makes major in both my M&P and Glock 35, the glock makes major with about .3 grains less powder.

I found raz o info on the lee FCD interesting because I use one on my press, but the way I use it is with out the crimp pieces in the top and then follow it with dillion taper crimp die. I did not like the way the lee does the crimp so took that out of the equation I will have to test this with the black bullets. I have used berry plated bullets and have not had a problem with them.

I appreciate all of the information and will get back to you on the lee die the way I use it, with lead bullets it seems to make no difference in accuracy.

hope to see you on Sunday at the match Evan.

[raz-0]

Thank you for the info, I am looking for less expensive bullets for my 40 and am looking at the black bullets have been shooting 180 lead with 231 powder that makes major in both my M&P and Glock 35, the glock makes major with about .3 grains less powder.

I found raz o info on the lee FCD interesting because I use one on my press, but the way I use it is with out the crimp pieces in the top and then follow it with dillion taper crimp die. I did not like the way the lee does the crimp so took that out of the equation I will have to test this with the black bullets. I have used berry plated bullets and have not had a problem with them.

I appreciate all of the information and will get back to you on the lee die the way I use it, with lead bullets it seems to make no difference in accuracy.

hope to see you on Sunday at the match Evan.

Yeah, you will have to ditch the FCD. IT's the carbide ring that screws up the moly coated lead bullets, not the crimping fingers. The ring is slightly undersized because the brass will spring back, and you want it to spring back to .424. The lead doesn't spring back, and the portion under the brass is crushed until it is undersized. The moly coated lead bullets are swaged wire, and softer than good hard cast lead by a lot.

Edited March 19, 2010 by raz-0