NYLON COATED BULLETS - need recommendations please

chief38

chief38

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I am not new to reloading, been at it for 44 years now. Up until about 4 years ago I had been using hard cast lead for the most part but then in 2019 switched over to Nylon coated bullets - I have to say they are great! I had purchased 15,000 of them from Penn Bullets (in 6 calibers) and have to fill in now. I just found out that the owner (Bob Palermo) has passed away and the guy who took over is not reliable or honest, so Penn is no longer an option.

There are a plethora of manufacturers but I don't want to just roll the dice. Can you guys reco some good honest bullet makers of quality Nylon bullets that you have experience with? Thanks in advance.
 
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I can highly recommend the Hi-Tec coated bullets from Missouri Bullets. They were slow during the pandemic due to demand and staffing, but they make some of the best cast bullets out there. I've been loading their coated .358 158-grain semi-wadcutters for .38 Special with 4.0 grains of Winchester 231. Great target loads.
 
You are mistaken about "nylon coated" bullets. What you had is polymer coated of which coating brands the best known is Hi-Tek. There are numerous cast bullet makers that offer polymer coated bullets, just "Google" "polymer coated bullets for sale" and you will find many! One I would recommend is Gallant Bullets, use this link:Gallant Bullets - Match Grade TPJ (Polymer Coated) Bullets

There is also Bayou Bullets: Coated Bullets, Bullets for Reloading, Competition Bullets - Bayou Bullets

Bayou Bullets was, I believe, the first to offer the Hi=Tek coated bullets. The company is owned by the brother of S&W Exhibition Shooter Jerry Miculek.
 
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Anybody remember Remington Nyclad bullets? I saw one source that said production costs were the death of the Nyclad bullets. They were not Powder coated or Hi-Tek coated but used a Nylon "jacket" (for want of a better term). Very popular for police range and indoor shooting use.
 
mikld said:
Anybody remember Remington Nyclad bullets? I saw one source that said production costs were the death of the Nyclad bullets. They were not Powder coated or Hi-Tek coated but used a Nylon "jacket" (for want of a better term). Very popular for police range and indoor shooting use.
Click to expand...

...and for self-defense applications in their hollowpoint variations as well.

Cheers!
 
Nylon was an old Federal thing. I know that coating is available in 55 gal drum quantities. I'm not sure anyone has ever used the stuff since.

The current field of coated is divided between hitech and powder coating.
Both work splendidly.
In fact, either system is easily DIY attainable.
 
STORMINORMAN said:
...and for self-defense applications in their hollowpoint variations as well.

Cheers!
Click to expand...


I don't know about Remington but the few Nyclad's I have remaining from the mid 80's are of Federal manufacture and the 125 gr. HP was what I carried in .38/.357 revolvers. At that time it had a great field rep and they were very accurate from 2"-4" barrels. When they became unavailable I contacted Federal and they made the same statement that they could not make the profit line on the product. "I" believe they were just trying to finally close the door on the dreaded Teflon coated cop killer media rage.
Really, a soft swagged lead hollow point and nylon, can't make the price point? Seems a little out there to me...
 
Wasn't the nyclad bullet invented by another concern than Federal. I have a recollection of buying some for reloading. They were in a blue box and based in a northern state Mass?...if I haven't lost my mind. But...maybe I have
 
Skeet 028 said:
Wasn't the nyclad bullet invented by another concern than Federal. I have a recollection of buying some for reloading. They were in a blue box and based in a northern state Mass?...if I haven't lost my mind. But...maybe I have
Click to expand...

I'd certainly entertain the thought. Just as the hydroshok did not originate with Fed, it's clearly possible that the Nyclad technology was gleaned from somewhere else.
It's just another flavor of powder coating really. It's still available. It's just not practical due to the minimum quantities involved.
But then .... why? Even the worst coating I have tried was still better than it needed to be.
That said ... Toss a coin if you can't decide ... load pack and fire
 
The original NyClad ammunition was manufactured by Fiocchi and marketed by S&W in the late 70's & early 80's. Blue boxes, white lettering with large orange NyClad on the front.
When S&W stopped marketing ammunition, the NyClad went away. Bought & shot a lot of S&W branded ammo. Stil have some.
Later, FEDERAL started to produce & market several loadings with the NyCLAD bullet. Who holds the patent or copyright to the NyClad name??? Do not know but I would load it if it became available.
 
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If I recall correctly, (maybe not), S&W had some Nyclad bullets. I don't know who actually made them, but in a S&W branded blue box. I have shot thousands of polymer coated bullets and really like them.

Jerry's brother Donny was doing the Bayou Bullets for many years, but sold the business a while back. I haven't bought any of theirs recently, but all the ones I did get from there were 1st quality.
 
After S&W, Federal sold ammunition loaded with "Nyclad" bullets for a few years in at least .38 Special. I have no idea why either company discontinued that line!

Protocol Design, I knew Donny had sold out, but didn't recall that at the time I posted or I would have said "founded" instead.:D

I purchased a quart kit of Hi-Tec from Donny probably 25 years ago. Even double-coated I still got some leading in the guns I shot those bullets in. I concluded it was more trouble than it was worth and went back to my home-made version of "Saeco Green" bullet lube from the original formula I was given by a former Saeco factory rep. Best cast bullet lube I have ever used, and I have tried just about all of them, including the whiz-bang brands that cost as much as $8 for a 4 ounce stick including LBT Blue and several of the Rooster brands!
 
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Nylon was used back in the day. It was an idea ahead of its time actually.

The two main coatings used are polyurethane (Hi-Tek) and commercially available powder coatings which is polyester...mostly. Both work fine, but I prefer Hi-Tek coated bullets. Plenty of manufacturers offer them in traditional lube grooved and now grooveless options too.
 
Bayou Bullets was, I believe, the first to offer the Hi=Tek coated bullets. The company is owned by the brother of S&W Exhibition Shooter Jerry Miculek.[/QUOTE]


I was the original owner Bayou Bullets. I was also the original importer of the Hi-Tek coatings.
I sold the casting company about 6 yrs ago and the coatings company about 18 months ago.
Enjoying retirement for the time being.
 
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