I have a couple boxes of bullets with the blue coating on them. Thinking about loading them up and using them. Good idea or not? 7MM 160 grain.

It's molly of some sorts....should be fine but don't fall in love

I think that ship has sailed

More like the black coating on Combined Technologies stuff. Easier to clean off the lands, but...

Choot 'em!

IF you can find the Barnes loading book that has data for the blue coated bullets you will see that they give a fair amount higher velocity...

It is the Barnes Number 3...

Remember that they are X bullets not TSX. Actually Barnes called them XLC if I remember correctly. I still have a box or two in 30 cal from when I tried them when they first came out. Never hunted with them because I couldn't get them accurate in my -06.
What are you going to use them for? Plinking would be fine but personally I would get TSX for the elk hunt of a lifetime.

Think I have some load data from them for these bullets in the .257 Wby. I'll send it to you if you could use it.

-John

I got a bunch of them. Higher velocity and shoot decently in my rifles. I stocked up when they were discontinued. .308, .338, .375, .458 and .475 sizes.

It was Barns answer to Lubalox from Nosler. It's an oxide based dry film bullet lubricant and not molly. You do get a little less friction and copper fouling and in some cases more velocity. However, what I found with these dry film lubricants was the velocity standard of deviation was pretty high as more rounds went down the barrel before cleaning. At distance, this altered the POI, and the reason why everyone quietly dropped the idea.

Cleaning was not a big issue compared to naked bullets or moly coating. But like many fads, the coated bullet thing did not last long.

The reason for the coating was to produce less fouling. The reason Barnes quit making them was cost and because going from the X to the TSX solved the fouling problem.

Personally, I like the XLC bullets and bought a lot of them when I knew they weren't going to be made any longer.

Load data is easy; just use the starting load for TSX bullets of the same weight and work up as usual looking for pressure signs. It's likely you'll be able to use a grain more powder in medium sized cases than you would with TSX bullets.

Smurf bullets