Bayou Bullets

[Tigereye]

I've been shooting 200gr swc in Single Stack for over a year and love them. Recently got the same sample packs as you to shoot in the M&P Pro. Mine liked the 135's the best and I use 231 with Tula sp primers. I'm currently waiting on an order to load for Production. I enjoy doing business with Donnie.

[TBeazlie]

I have used the 124 bayou with Titegroup indoors and no noticeable smoke. If you have titegroup already I suggest you load some und shot them to see for yourself before you eliminate it as a choice.

[Jeff O]

For M&P 9 Pro ditto the Solo 1000. 3.6 gr under 147 gr Bayou, BBI or Precision. 1.135 OAL for best accuracy.

Have used TG as well but it's smokier.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Jeff O

[ryan45kim]

I love Bayou Bullets and they are all I’m using for the foreseeable future. I think they are the best mix of quality bullet, smoking, and price available. They do smoke more then when I run a JHP but I describe them as producing the same amount of smoke as a FMJ with an exposed base. I tried Titegroup with them but was unhappy with the amount of smoke (same as I was when using it with FMJs). Below are the loads I developed for my M&Ps (40 pro and 9L).

OAL is 1.135 on all loads

9MM 135gr 4.0gr WST 135PF

40S&W 140gr 4.0gr Clays 135PF

40S&W 180gr 5.5 WSF 175PF

[9X23Guy]

M&P Pro, 5" Storm Lake barrel, 9mm. So what is the general consensus on accuracy, 124 or 135 grain. The price is very close between the two.

[ryan45kim]

I prefer the 135, not as sluggish as the 147 but softer then the 125.

[UTraab]

I love Bayou Bullets and they are all I’m using for the foreseeable future. I think they are the best mix of quality bullet, smoking, and price available.

Same for me. The load I use in my 9 Pro is 147 gr., 3.3 gr. N320, 1.135" OAL 133 PF.

[jkatz44]

So what do you all think the best powder is in terms of both cost and smokiness? Thinking it may be solo 1k?

[ryan45kim]

Depends on what bullet and what you want to do with it. I don’t believe there is one powder that does everything great.

[JWGlock26]

I shoot bayou 135's with titegroup out of a Glock 34. I do not notice any smoke at all when shooting. When I watch my videos I notice the smoke but it has never been an issue while shooting.

[toddrod]

TG is not optimal for coated bullets. Would be really smoky at a minimum.

Titegroup is not very smoky with Bayou's coating

[ryan45kim]

Most of the time I didn’t notice the smoke either but if you shoot them at certain times like afternoon squad at the nations this year with the sun going down in front of you the smoke is a killer.

[jkatz44]

Depends on what bullet and what you want to do with it. I don’t believe there is one powder that does everything great.

Probably 147gr out of a m&p 5in

[ryan45kim]

WST or Solo 1000

I would work with WST since I don't like the way Solo meters

[S391]

i LOVE Bayou Bullets!! I use WSF for my 124gr or 147gr 9mm loads and Clays for my 230 gr .45 loads.

Edited February 21, 2013 by S391

[BBBB]

I've had good luck with the Bayou 124 and 147 gr bullets in an XDM and more recently with a glock and the 147gr. I've used clays, titegroup, and WSF. All produced acceptable accuracy. Of the three the titegroup produced the most smoke but it was still acceptable for me. WSF produced the strongest recoil impulse, especially with the 147gr bullets. Like all coated and plated bullets you need to make sure you have enough case mouth bell during seating to avoid damaging the coating. Other than this I have not had any problem with them. In my XDM they generally required 0.2 -0.3gr. or so less than a jacketed bullet of the same weight when loaded to the same COAL.

[jkatz44]

I tried 147 gr bayous with titegroup and they were dead accurate. There was more smoke than with a CMJ but it was at night and in an enclosed space. I'm wondering if I will notice the difference if I'm shooting outside?...

I was thinking of trying solo but have heard a lot positive things as well as negative. Any thoughts?

[GlockCanMan]

I tried 147 gr bayous with titegroup and they were dead accurate. There was more smoke than with a CMJ but it was at night and in an enclosed space. I'm wondering if I will notice the difference if I'm shooting outside?...

I was thinking of trying solo but have heard a lot positive things as well as negative. Any thoughts?

While I have no first hand experience with Solo, I have been told by many people that it is very temp sensitive, and that not all lots of Solo are the same...meaning the 1lb powder that you use 3.4gr this time, might not produce the same PF the next jug you buy.

That is one of the many things that I like about VV. It is not temperature sensitive, and is always consistent, and clean burning. It just depends what you like the best.

But for the 9mm I rather spend a few dollars extra and stick with VV N320, but Titegroup Clays, W231 would be my 2, 3, and 4th choice in that order depending upon the caliber/bullet.

Buy a 1lb. container of each and try it out for yourself. What one person tells you might not be what you like yourself.

[atbarr]

Don't which powder you use, you need to chrono those loads.

[jsharum]

titegroup and bayous are not a good combo. TG is too hot and melts the coating. Try solo1000, or bullseye.

[toddrod]

titegroup and bayous are not a good combo. TG is too hot and melts the coating. Try solo1000, or bullseye.

Have you recovered fired bullets to prove this? I have shot many hundreds of these bullets with full TG loads and recovered bullets only to have a black ash of powder on the back of the bullet with all the coating still intact.

[Desmo412]

I have loaded several weights of Bayous in 9mm with Solo1000 and N320. Both powders produced very little smoke (shooting indoors) and very similar felt recoil. The N320 is a bit cleaner and more consistent, but Solo1000 is a great, cheap powder. I save the N320 for the 160gr loads (2.7gr under a Bayou 160 gives a 130+ PF out of a 4.5" XDM and feels like a squirt gun). You really can't go wrong with either

[nathandewalt]

I took some time when I got the first batch of Bayous and shot them with several different powders to see which produced the least amount of smoke. I tried Bullseye WST WSF and TiteGroup.. Watching the video titegroup smokes like a freighttrain. Bulleseye and Wsf were just about the same. WST produced a noticably less amount of smoke then the rest so thats what i shoot lead and bayous with. I shoot a 147 gr with 3.2 grains of wst now for a PF of 132 of so out of my M&P 9 PRO with the factory barrel.

[jsharum]

titegroup and bayous are not a good combo. TG is too hot and melts the coating. Try solo1000, or bullseye.

Have you recovered fired bullets to prove this? I have shot many hundreds of these bullets with full TG loads and recovered bullets only to have a black ash of powder on the back of the bullet with all the coating still intact.

Im relaying what many others have experienced.

[BBBB]

My experience with titegroup and bayou bullets was fine. It was my go-to combo for maybe 10k rounds. It is a little smokier than other cooler burning powders but nothing like titegroup with a lead or moly bullet. I think the smell of the coating (this was the older style coating) was a bit stronger as well. I have since moved on to cooler burning options which I prefer but the titegroup did produce an accurate reliable load with no real damage to the coating that I could detect. I did recover a few bullets from the berm to check for this.