BBI and X-treme Bullets 180gr opinions

[kmaultsby]

I would like opinions on Black bullets international and X-treme bullets. I have reloaded them both but would like to here from other with more experience on what like or dislike? Which did you feel was more accurate? I am using a XDM 5.25 and a regular XD tactical. Using them in IDPA and future USPSA limited 10. I know the X-treme is a little more expensive but to me they reload a little easier. Using a Dillon 650XL.

[jstoos]

I have loaded around 40k BBI. Great product and costumer service. Something would have to come along much cheaper for me to switch.

[blairmckenzie1]

Xtreme's can be very sensitive to over crimping. If you over crimp them the won't group well at all.

BBI's can tend to smoke just a little more. Seemed very accurate.

Both are good inexpensive bullets

[jhugh4]

I've shot a lot of Xtremes bullets and really like them. I had good luck with their 9mm hp, fn, & rn bullets. I've just recently started shooting their 40 S&W 180 gr flat nose and like them so far.

I've also been loading BBI and like them as well. I'll probably lean towards BBI just based off price. They do smoke a little but not bad. Both seem to be accurate. You'll like which ever you go with.

[kmaultsby]

Thanks everyone I have been going back & forth just trying to decide which way to go before making a large order.

[fmj3]

I've had good experiences with both, but I prefer the coated bullets. Cheaper and as mentioned above a little more tolerant on crimping - keep it light still.

I've found the coated 180gr bullets with no lube groove give me just a bit tighter groups in my gun - I haven't seen them on the BBI page yet, but SNS & Bayou have them now and I imagine BBI will have some soon as well.

Edited February 21, 2015 by fmj3

[zzt]

Before you make your decision, try the Xtreme HPCB (Heavy Plate Conical Base) bullets. The are available in 165 and 180gr in both RNFP and HP. They are very well formed and extremely accurate. BTW, all their hollow point are HPCB even if it doesn't say so in the order description. If you decide to order one of these to try, ask for sample packs of the other three and they'll send you 20 of each.

[BiggMike]

BBI is the one I use exclusively now, I switched from X-Treme. I haven't noticed a real difference in smoke between the two. BBI is a better value and my groups were tighter.

[Yeti]

BBI and also Bayou (165 & 180). For me, accuracy has been better.

[jhugh4]

Just got back from the range shooting both BBI and Xtreme. I chronod the Xtremes and am coming up with much less velocity with the same powder charge as my BBI 180's. Xtremes 180 over 5.5 gr n340 is averaging 866fps where as my BBI average 949fps. Not sure why that is, I expected a little difference but not that much. With that being said I really like my BBI load. Shot about 200 rounds and they all felt great.

[jaep1911]

Just got back from the range shooting both BBI and Xtreme. I chronod the Xtremes and am coming up with much less velocity with the same powder charge as my BBI 180's. Xtremes 180 over 5.5 gr n340 is averaging 866fps where as my BBI average 949fps. Not sure why that is, I expected a little difference but not that much. With that being said I really like my BBI load. Shot about 200 rounds and they all felt great.

Loaded at a same COL? The Extreme bullet might be shorter than the BBI's = slightly lower pressure? i have no experience with the Extreme but the Rainier bullet, 180grs, was a lot shorter than the BBI's

[xdnok]

Have used both, both are good but, honestly prefer the BBI due to less cost and slightly less powder used per round. My guns wanted another .2-.3 gr per round to hit major with Xtreme's over the BBI's and in 10k rounds that's a good savings in powder.

[MikeRush]

I've got access to excellent pricing on the extremes but I strongly prefer BBI. I make major with less powder, they are clean, very accurate and have consistent sizing and weight. When I want to clean the barrel that is basically effortless too.

It takes 4.3 GRS of E3 to make major with the BBI 165s for me, and I can make major with 3.5 and the 200s. Extremes take an extra 3 tenths or so. The BBI feels like it recoils less, to me, at the same power factor.

[Flash74]

Just got back from the range shooting both BBI and Xtreme. I chronod the Xtremes and am coming up with much less velocity with the same powder charge as my BBI 180's. Xtremes 180 over 5.5 gr n340 is averaging 866fps where as my BBI average 949fps. Not sure why that is, I expected a little difference but not that much. With that being said I really like my BBI load. Shot about 200 rounds and they all felt great.

You will find that coated bullets chrono faster than plated and much faster than jacketed. That is just one of The great things about coated. They shoot softer since it takes less powder to make PF, they are cheaper, IMO they are more accurate. What is not to like. I do agree that there is a little more difficulty in loading coated, but it's only a little more bell.

[zzt]

Coated may, or may not be more accurate. I watched a buddy doing extensive accuracy testing with poly coated, lubed lead and jacketed 9mm, 147gr bullets. Both the lubed lead and the poly coated were 21 BHN. Results were lubed lead by a hair, closely followed by jacketed with poly a very distant third. I still think it depends a lot on the gun and the barrel.

When the weather warms I plan to do a similar test in my 40. Lead, plated and poly.

[e-mishka]

BBI is the one I use exclusively now, I switched from X-Treme. I haven't noticed a real difference in smoke between the two. BBI is a better value and my groups were tighter.

Are you using them in your Tanfos?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[b1gcountry]

Coated may, or may not be more accurate. I watched a buddy doing extensive accuracy testing with poly coated, lubed lead and jacketed 9mm, 147gr bullets. Both the lubed lead and the poly coated were 21 BHN. Results were lubed lead by a hair, closely followed by jacketed with poly a very distant third. I still think it depends a lot on the gun and the barrel.

When the weather warms I plan to do a similar test in my 40. Lead, plated and poly.

I would be curious as to the details. Did he use the same load for each bullet, or did he find the most accurate load for each?

Same bullet weight? Same profile?

Edited February 22, 2015 by b1gcountry

[zzt]

Same weight, shape and load for the poly and lead. The jacketed was Federal Champion factory. Since he has a lot of them, he subsequently tinkered with different loads in the 135-140PF range. Those particular poly bullets don't pass muster in his pistol, so he's shooting them up for practice.

As I said, I'm going to do a test myself. Mike Rush uses the same powder I do, so I'll try his loads in my pistol. Since you are all raving about BBI, I'll try them. If I can get the same SDs and accuracy I get with my preferred 180gr LTC bullets, I'd gladly switch. It would solve two problems- smoke, and not being allowed to shoot plated or jacketed on steel at one club.

[ZombieHunter]

BBI hands down. I've used tens of thousands of both. Xtreme's have wild variations in many various guns over the chrono (SD's were well over 40-60 on average for 3 shot strings, which is what you'll have at a major match) and wouldn't hold any sort of decent group at 50 yards. BBI's are not uncommon for me to see 0-2 SD over the chrono and able to achieve 2-3" groups at 50 yards out of various guns. I notice no difference in smoke.

[deerassassin22]

BBI Bullets like most are saying are cheaper, faster and more accurate in all my firearms to include my Open Gun when I had one. Its also a company that you can send an email and get a response from the Owner himself usually within a few hours and he often offer match delivery for orders if he has the space.

[kmaultsby]

All thanks for the feedback.

[Mike21STI]

I'm happy with bayou bullets (similar to bbi) I tested the 200gr bayou vs 200gr Xtreme and the bayous were more accurate.

[MikeRush]

Same weight, shape and load for the poly and lead. The jacketed was Federal Champion factory. Since he has a lot of them, he subsequently tinkered with different loads in the 135-140PF range. Those particular poly bullets don't pass muster in his pistol, so he's shooting them up for practice.

As I said, I'm going to do a test myself. Mike Rush uses the same powder I do, so I'll try his loads in my pistol. Since you are all raving about BBI, I'll try them. If I can get the same SDs and accuracy I get with my preferred 180gr LTC bullets, I'd gladly switch. It would solve two problems- smoke, and not being allowed to shoot plated or jacketed on steel at one club.

You may need a touch more powder than I use, as I have a 6" KKM that is pretty fast. Either way I love the BBI/E3 combo. I've not only had good accuracy and low SDs, but also have had very repeatable results at different altitudes and temperatures. I've been loading a lot closer to the PF floor than previously as I get consistent velocities and weights.

[kellymc]

Just when I had decided xtremes were my go to bullet I read this post.

Ordered 500 BBI 180gr to try.

[jsg]

I recently tried 200 grain BBI, Xtreme, and Cajun in my recently acquired Trojan 5 (40 S&W).

Loaded all to 1.180, Win SP, mixed brass

The BBI and Xtreme were both very accurate. The BBI needed .2 less powder to make comfortable major. The BBI was more consistent over the chrono. Even using Titegroup the BBI did not smoke much.

I would say buy some sample packs and try them both your gun.