Bayou Bullets .38 Spec. 138 gr. Wadcutters?

Jeff423

Jeff423

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I thought I'd try some Bayou Bullets coated bullets but I noticed their wadcutters were 138 gr. instead of 148 gr. Is this correct? and if so, do you adjust the standard load of 2.7 - 2.8 gr of Bullseye. I emailed Bayou last week but no response yet.

Thanks,

Jeff
 
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Just looked it up. Interesting bullet.
I wonder if it is really a 138 or there's a typo on their site?
If its what they say it is, start at 2.8 grains of Bullseye and work up.
My guess that the sweet spot would be 3.0 or 3.1 grains.
 
I bought 1,000 of them. One weighs 140.2 grains with coating. I have not loaded them yet.

David
 
140 grs will have less felt recoil.............. a good thing.
Even better if they shoot well!!

You can use the standard load data for the 148gr lead target load and see what happens.

2.5grs of BE might be a minimum load, but I use a chrony with my loads...... and no two guns shoot the same, usually.

Should work great....... good shooting.
 
Hollow base wadcutters I load 2.7 bullseye. Solid base get a full charge of 231. They are a hoot to shoot.
 
I load my Zero HBWC bullets with either 2.8 gr BE or 3.0 gr. 231. I've got a slide mounted red dot on my 52-2 and it seems to like the extra .1 gr of BE better.
It looks like a fairly standard button nose wadcutter. I wonder why they decided to make their's 10 gr. lighter?
 
Last edited:
I have loaded over 1000 Bayou 138 WC in my .38's. I am very pleased with the quality of the coated round and the performance on target. Using identical data for other brands of DEWC.

My favorite load was 3.0 grains of VVn320. Makes for a mild and accurate load on target.
 
RussellD said:
I have loaded over 1000 Bayou 138 WC in my .38's. I am very pleased with the quality of the coated round and the performance on target. Using identical data for other brands of DEWC.

My favorite load was 3.0 grains of VVn320. Makes for a mild and accurate load on target.
Click to expand...

I have 500 of the Bayou 138 BNWC. If I may ask, how deeply did you seat them and what sort of crimp did you use? I'm planning to use Bullseye powder.

Thanks for any information you can share.
 
Last edited:
Broad Reach,

I shoot indoors with my own cast 148 BUTTON-NOSE WADCUTTERS.

I CAST and COAT with HI-TEK coatings that I purchase from Donnie at Bayou.

I load them with BULLSEYE, 2.5 grains (25ft and 2800 loads per pound)

up to 3.1 grains and I crimp lightly in the first crimp groove, leaving a bit of the full diameter showing.

The GOLD STANDARD Bullseye load was 2.7/2.8 grains for a 148 HOLLOW BASE WADCUTTER.

You can start at 2.7 and work upwards, best load will probably be 3.0/3.1, the target will tell ya.

ALWAYS DUE THE PUSH TEST FOR POTENTIAL BULLET SET BACK!

THE NECK TENSION OF THE BRASS HOLDS THE PROJECTILE, NOT THE CRIMP!

Good Shooting.:)
 
Moonman said:
Broad Reach,

I shoot indoors with my own cast 148 BUTTON-NOSE WADCUTTERS.

I CAST and COAT with HI-TEK coatings that I purchase from Donnie at Bayou.

I load them with BULLSEYE, 2.5 grains (25ft and 2800 loads per pound)

up to 3.1 grains and I crimp lightly in the first crimp groove, leaving a bit of the full diameter showing.

The GOLD STANDARD Bullseye load was 2.7/2.8 grains for a 148 HOLLOW BASE WADCUTTER.

You can start at 2.7 and work upwards, best load will probably be 3.0/3.1, the target will tell ya.

ALWAYS DUE THE PUSH TEST FOR POTENTIAL BULLET SET BACK!

THE NECK TENSION OF THE BRASS HOLDS THE PROJECTILE, NOT THE CRIMP!

Good Shooting.:)
Click to expand...
Thanks!
I've loaded a bunch of plated 148 gr DEWC but the Bayou Bullets 138 gr button nose are different enough that I question everything I thought I knew! I'm accustomed to a cannelure on the plated bullets but there isn't one on these 138 BNWC from Bayou.
 
David R said:
Crimp in the first groove
Click to expand...

I do it like this too.

FWIW, in my K38's this bullet is no more or less accurate than a "standard" cast 148gr WC, such as the H&G #50. Swaged HBWCs are always more accurate in my guns. Sure is nice handling the coated bullets though, no lube on hands/dies is a nice treat!
 
Black_Talon said:
I do it like this too.

FWIW, in my K38's this bullet is no more or less accurate than a "standard" cast 148gr WC, such as the H&G #50. Swaged HBWCs are always more accurate in my guns. Sure is nice handling the coated bullets though, no lube on hands/dies is a nice treat!
Click to expand...

I agree. I did not kind of an odd smell when shooting them. Sort of smells like a metal foundry.
 
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