Bear Creek Moly or any other black bullet experience

[tiger49931]

Was looking at switching from the normal jacketed bullt to the black moly bear creek or another brand moly for practical purposes ( cost mostly) anyone have good experiences with these ? also what do you load data do you use jacketed or lead data ? How is the accuraccy ?

[JimmyZip]

It's lead for all intents and purposes as far as load development. Use lead data and you should be good to go. What pistol/pistols you loading for?

I like the BBI130s, and the BC125s. Don't have my 9mm load data fully memorized. Will have to shoot for groups when I get my new pistol but these two have been more than acceptable for matches so far.

[tiger49931]

Loading for STI steelmaster , M&P pro 5" , also looking at using the moly bullets for my 40 and .45 . but was looking to see if anyone had any good bad reviews. i use titegroup for all 3 loads now so was hoping to stick with that powder.

[tiger49931]

do you get alot of smoke with these type of bullets ? im really trying to not get a smoke load going again ya know.

[JimmyZip]

Yeah, from what I hear, the only coated bullet that you might want to try with TG is Bayou Bullets. Supposedly they can run with the hotter powder like 231, and TG. I use SOLO1000, and I am happy with it. When I used TG, I was cleaning quite a bit of the coating from the barrel. SOLO, not nearly as much.

Yeah with TG you can look pretty smokey.

Edited January 21, 2013 by JimmyZip

[MikeRush]

I have used bear creek with bullseye and wsf in 9mm, not too smokey for me but I am used to lead for single stack.

[sroe3]

Bear Creek with titegroup smokes badly. With a slower powder it's tolerable. WST, Solo 1000, Universal are OK.

[LikesToShoot]

Was looking at switching from the normal jacketed bullt to the black moly bear creek or another brand moly for practical purposes ( cost mostly) anyone have good experiences with these ? also what do you load data do you use jacketed or lead data ? How is the accuraccy ?

I just picked up a bunch of black moly bear creek 125 gr ( weight 128 gr) bullets. The first thing I noticed is that with an aftermarket Storm Lake barrel these bullet need to be loaded at 1.090" vs the 1.120" that I use with MG 124 gr JHP. With the factory barrel the Bear Creek can be loaded out to >1.120" without bottoming out. (I have heard the aftermarket barrels can have shorter and tighter chambers, no big deal.)

I haven't actually tried Titegroup with this bullet, because I've had smoke issues with TG before using lead bullets, but I'm not having any smoke problem with Clays. I'm still dialing in a load for this bullet and haven't found a favorite yet.

[sroe3]

I load the BC 125 TC at 1.09 also.

[oldtrooper]

I have loaded and shot a large number of Bear Creek Molly bullets over several years. They work great given the right load and they are very accurate. I shoot 38's, 9mm, and 45's. The 45's are my favorite consistantly hold the Xring at 50 yards. The smoke is minimal with the black bullets and when you take the time to work up different loads they are extremely accurate. The barrel does not load up with crud even after shooting numerous rounds at a setting. These are being shot through a 5 inch 45 that has been tuned by an expert. Other than that it is the usual 45 with adjustable sights, nothing fancy that shows from the outside.

Oldtrooper

[fltbed]

I too have been using coated bullets for several years now in 9mm, 40, and 45 acp. I’ve tried Precision, Master Blaster (now BBI) and for the last few years, Bear Creak. IMO, Bear Creek’s are the best. (and cheapest) I’ve been using WST for the last two years with good results in all three calibers. (makes life easy having to have only one powder) They smoke very little and when the match director throws in a low light or dark house stage, the WST has an almost non existent flash signature.

I’ve tried the 125 gr. TC, 130 gr. RN but settled on the 147 gr. TC with 3.6 gr. WST in my S&W M&P 9L.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[LikesToShoot]

I too have been using coated bullets for several years now in 9mm, 40, and 45 acp. I’ve tried Precision, Master Blaster (now BBI) and for the last few years, Bear Creak. IMO, Bear Creek’s are the best. (and cheapest) I’ve been using WST for the last two years with good results in all three calibers. (makes life easy having to have only one powder) They smoke very little and when the match director throws in a low light or dark house stage, the WST has an almost non existent flash signature.

I’ve tried the 125 gr. TC, 130 gr. RN but settled on the 147 gr. TC with 3.6 gr. WST in my S&W M&P 9L.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

I've heard of people using WST with 9 mm and moly but Hodgdon doesn't list it on their website.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

What were you using w/ 125 and 130?

Thanks,Steve

[Jaxshooter]

I like the BBI 130 gr over N-320. You definately want to use the load data for lead bullets.

[sroe3]

Quote from another thread:

Very little smoke with WST 4.0g at 1.150 oal gets me to 1000 fps with a BC moly 135 in both my G34 and STI Spartan 9mm. Very clean and accurate.

No stink either with the above load. One of my buddies loads Universal with BC molys and his loads smell like rotten eggs.

Edited by Boxerglocker, 08 December 2012 - 10:43 PM.

[fltbed]

I've heard of people using WST with 9 mm and moly but Hodgdon doesn't list it on their website.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

What were you using w/ 125 and 130?

Thanks,Steve

Years ago, Hornady published 9mm data for WST with their 115 and 124 gr. bullets. I used that to extrapolate a start load for the BC 125 & 130’s. The 147 gr. data I got from doing a search on here.

BC 125 gr. TC

4.8 gr. WST (most accurate) Start: 4.2 Max: 5.0

OAL 1.145

Vel. 1080f.p.s.

BC 130 gr. RN

4.2 gr. WST (most accurate) Start: 3.8 Max: 4.7

OAL 1.145

Vel. 1025 f.p.s.

BC 147 gr. TC

3.6 gr. WST (most accurate) Start: 3.4 Max: 3.9

OAL 1.145

Vel. 910 f.p.s.

Their’s not a lot of velocity variations between start loads and max. with the 125’s & 130’s it was less than 100 f.p.s. and with the 147’s it was less than 50 f.p.s. What I found, was when you find that middle ground sweet spot, the velocities get very consistent and consequently, accuracy improves.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[blueeyedme]

If you are looking at other molly/polly bullets, you definitely want to keep Bayou Bullets under consideration. They have been my goto in 9mm & .45 for the last 18 months. Very happy with them.

[LikesToShoot]

I've heard of people using WST with 9 mm and moly but Hodgdon doesn't list it on their website.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

What were you using w/ 125 and 130?

Thanks,Steve

Years ago, Hornady published 9mm data for WST with their 115 and 124 gr. bullets. I used that to extrapolate a start load for the BC 125 & 130’s. The 147 gr. data I got from doing a search on here.

BC 125 gr. TC

4.8 gr. WST (most accurate) Start: 4.2 Max: 5.0

OAL 1.145

Vel. 1080f.p.s.

BC 130 gr. RN

4.2 gr. WST (most accurate) Start: 3.8 Max: 4.7

OAL 1.145

Vel. 1025 f.p.s.

BC 147 gr. TC

3.6 gr. WST (most accurate) Start: 3.4 Max: 3.9

OAL 1.145

Vel. 910 f.p.s.

Their’s not a lot of velocity variations between start loads and max. with the 125’s & 130’s it was less than 100 f.p.s. and with the 147’s it was less than 50 f.p.s. What I found, was when you find that middle ground sweet spot, the velocities get very consistent and consequently, accuracy improves.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

Thank you,

Steve

[19852]

I have been very happy with Bayou Bullets. BB's .38 160gr RN is very popular with the revo shooter around here. I use VV N320.

[LikesToShoot]

With the short chamber on the Storm Lake 9 mm conversion barrel in my M&P 40 Pro the Bear Creek Moly 125 gr RN (wt. 128 gr.) have to be loaded at 1.090" to keep them off the rifling.

At 20 yards, shooting off hand through a chrono everything grouped well in the -0 zone of an IDPA target with very little smoke

3.5 gr WST, 1.090 COL

1048-

1076+

1063 * average 136 PF

27.89 c

10.19

Thanks "fltbed".

Steve

[CenTX]

I use BC 40/180, 9/147 and 45/200 all loaded over N-320. No longer shooting 40.

I've been using them for over a year and I am very happy with them.

[tiger49931]

anyone have load data for BC and clays 9mm 125gr 147gr ,40s&w 180gr and 45 230gr ?

[twodownzero]

Do not load clays with heavy bullets in 9mm. I do not use it for 9mm at all.

I make major at 3.6 grains of Clays with a 230 bear creek in .45.

Clays is also not recommended for .40 Major.

Solo 1000 minor loads for 9mm:

125 grain BC round nose, 4 grains S1000, 1.120"

135 grain BC round nose, 3.7-3.8 S1000, 1.150"

147 grain truncated cone, 3.4-3.5 S1000, 1.120"

All should be in the 135 pf range.

Edited February 4, 2013 by twodownzero

[jkatz44]

Do you think solo is a better option than WST? (using bayous BTW)

[tiger49931]

Ok so whats a good powder for 9mm 40 major and 45 major .. using bear creek bullets is there one good powder or do you need different powders for all 3 ? trying to simplify my life but if i cant then i cant. lots of people talking solo and wst and 231.. is one good all around?

[judgecrater]

I have used bear creek with bullseye and wsf in 9mm, not too smokey for me but I am used to lead for single stack.

Those are the powders I use with Bear Creek but also have had great results with 147gr with 3.3gr Universal, OAL 1.12. I also have great luck with 135gr. Not quite as good with 124gr with my KKM barrel.