Bayou Bullets Up Close

robhic · April 8, 2017, 05:27 PM

Just for fun: I took a trip down the highway to Bayou Bullets (http://www.bayoubullets.net/) today to get me some boolits. The owner was there and he gave me the grand tour! I got taken out to the work area and watched the Hi-Tek bullets being made.

He told me his lead is around 17 BHN and made specifically for ammo purposes. Then he took a 9mm round and BEAT IT FLAT with a hammer!!! The coating was still on it. Yep, they're pretty durable.

He told me he bought the business from Jerry Miculek's brother Donnie and has the rights to the Australian interests in the Hi-Tek coating. In fact, he supplies other bullet makers with the coating material. He said many, many competitive shooters have started using the Bayou Bullets due to their accuracy (he was a pretty smooth salesman, too...).

1) bullets get cast on a machine(s) set per caliber. 2) they get put in containers and separated from the "sprue". 3) cooled bullets are stacked and air-dried. 4) bullets get put in a machine like a small cement mixer and tumbled with the desired color coating. 5) baked in ovens then air-dried 3 times. 6) collected, separated by caliber and SIZED with the coating on. 7) packaged up for sale.

Very cool and interesting. I went to pickup some 38/357 and 9mm bullets and stayed about an hour and a half. But it went fast!

DaleA · April 8, 2017, 06:26 PM

Cool!
It's neat/reassuring/nice to find people actually making something.

robhic · April 8, 2017, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Cool!
It's neat/reassuring/nice to find people actually making something.

Good point. I had purchased some a while back and liked them. It was $7 flat-rate shipping. Then I noticed they were right down the road from me and figured I could drive 15 miles for less than $7. And .... maybe I could talk 'em into a "field trip/demo" while there. Worked out really well!

mineralman55 · April 9, 2017, 10:48 AM

I didn't know Donnie had sold the business. I liked dealing with him.
The BB bullets are consistently accurate in any weapon where I've used them. One thing, the red colored bullets have a distinctly funky aroma when shot. Not disagreeable, just distinctive.

g.willikers · April 9, 2017, 11:26 AM

Neat.
I, too, have had the opportunity to take a tour of a couple of bullet making facilities.
Fascinating, for sure.
If anyone ever gets the chance, don't pass it up.

gtrpickr · April 9, 2017, 01:51 PM

I have been thinking about trying some of their bullets, they seem to have good prices on them.

disseminator · April 9, 2017, 04:25 PM

Quote:

One thing, the red colored bullets have a distinctly funky aroma when shot. Not disagreeable, just distinctive.

Yes! I'm not crazy!

I just shot my first HiTEK coated (ACME) bullets yesterday in my 44 Mag and I thought I was smelling something. I assumed it was some type of reaction with the powder I used (TRAIL BOSS).

Good to hear.

They look GOOD in red.

TailGator · April 9, 2017, 04:35 PM

I get a sense that your host acted like a fellow with some pride in his product and his company. Have to be happy to see that - unfortunately not a universal trait these days.

robhic · April 9, 2017, 05:33 PM

Quote:

I didn't know Donnie had sold the business. I liked dealing with him.

The owner (Dennis) didn't say when it was sold, just that he had bought it. He talked about a 4-wheeler (?) accident Donnie had and he divested of the business thereafter.

mineralman55 · April 10, 2017, 11:41 AM

Part of what you detect is the Trail Boss. I use a lot of TB, and it does have a funky "cat pee" odor. The red BB coating has a slight, electrical-burn smell, not offensive, just distinctive.
Yes, I do like the red color!

disseminator · April 10, 2017, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Part of what you detect is the Trail Boss. I use a lot of TB, and it does have a funky "cat pee" odor. The red BB coating has a slight, electrical-burn smell, not offensive, just distinctive.
Yes, I do like the red color!

Good to know, I'll try a different powder and see how those are.

The smell was...... different.

FITASC · April 10, 2017, 05:10 PM

So, do these get loaded like plated or jacketed bullets as far as load data goes?

74A95 · April 10, 2017, 06:28 PM

Quote:

So, do these get loaded like plated or jacketed bullets as far as load data goes?

Use lead data.

April 8, 2017, 05:27 PM	#1
robhic Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2016 Location: Outside of New Orleans, LA. Posts: 313	Bayou Bullets Up Close Just for fun: I took a trip down the highway to Bayou Bullets (http://www.bayoubullets.net/) today to get me some boolits. The owner was there and he gave me the grand tour! I got taken out to the work area and watched the Hi-Tek bullets being made. He told me his lead is around 17 BHN and made specifically for ammo purposes. Then he took a 9mm round and BEAT IT FLAT with a hammer!!! The coating was still on it. Yep, they're pretty durable. He told me he bought the business from Jerry Miculek's brother Donnie and has the rights to the Australian interests in the Hi-Tek coating. In fact, he supplies other bullet makers with the coating material. He said many, many competitive shooters have started using the Bayou Bullets due to their accuracy (he was a pretty smooth salesman, too...). 1) bullets get cast on a machine(s) set per caliber. 2) they get put in containers and separated from the "sprue". 3) cooled bullets are stacked and air-dried. 4) bullets get put in a machine like a small cement mixer and tumbled with the desired color coating. 5) baked in ovens then air-dried 3 times. 6) collected, separated by caliber and SIZED with the coating on. 7) packaged up for sale. Very cool and interesting. I went to pickup some 38/357 and 9mm bullets and stayed about an hour and a half. But it went fast!

April 9, 2017, 10:48 AM	#4
mineralman55 Member Join Date: September 29, 2009 Location: deep south Posts: 99	Bayou Bullets I didn't know Donnie had sold the business. I liked dealing with him. The BB bullets are consistently accurate in any weapon where I've used them. One thing, the red colored bullets have a distinctly funky aroma when shot. Not disagreeable, just distinctive.

April 10, 2017, 11:41 AM	#10
mineralman55 Member Join Date: September 29, 2009 Location: deep south Posts: 99	Bayou Bullets Part of what you detect is the Trail Boss. I use a lot of TB, and it does have a funky "cat pee" odor. The red BB coating has a slight, electrical-burn smell, not offensive, just distinctive. Yes, I do like the red color!

April 10, 2017, 05:10 PM	#12
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,644	So, do these get loaded like plated or jacketed bullets as far as load data goes? __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

April 8, 2017, 06:26 PM	#2
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,384	Cool! It's neat/reassuring/nice to find people actually making something.

April 9, 2017, 11:26 AM	#5
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Neat. I, too, have had the opportunity to take a tour of a couple of bullet making facilities. Fascinating, for sure. If anyone ever gets the chance, don't pass it up.

April 9, 2017, 01:51 PM	#6
gtrpickr Junior Member Join Date: April 4, 2017 Posts: 1	I have been thinking about trying some of their bullets, they seem to have good prices on them.

April 9, 2017, 04:35 PM	#8
TailGator Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,809	I get a sense that your host acted like a fellow with some pride in his product and his company. Have to be happy to see that - unfortunately not a universal trait these days.