Making My Way To BARNES

[Divernhunter]

He is what I have. I retested and it was good.
I also have good data for the 130gr TTSX which I prefer in the 308win

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Definitely a great post!

I really don't consider myself a TTSX fan boy, but dang it they just work in my rifles.

Factory Vor-Tx ammo was accurate when I used it, and handloads even more so. And as @BRICKBURN states, they drop animals. The damage is always impressive as is the penetration.

I've mentioned here before but when I was really impressed was on a kudu at 165 range finder measured yards with a 30/06 and 180 grain TTSX. First shot was through the lungs and he turned dead away from me and stood. Second shot entered the right ham and went the length of the animal and rested under the skin left brisket. That's a lot of penetration....

I will use other premium bullets if they shoot better from a particular rifle, but I've never had a reason too yet. If only the banded solid would be allowed by ATF.... Perhaps it will be with the new administration.

Royal 27
I do like the weatherby Barnes ttsx in my 25 but in my 35 Whelen the 225grain accubonds are cheaper and give good penetration.
This i s a 225 grain accubond bullet from my Kudu shot from around 120 yards front on. The bullet was recovered from the ham. Total devastation inside the animal. One shot kill.

cheers mate
Bob Nelson

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Good point, Sheephunterab. I took my kudu with a suppressed 243 and a Burger 95 gr VLD Hunter. I really had my doubts when my PH handed me that rifle. "You want me to hunt big animals with a popgun??" I had to use the 243 because we hunted in an area where they were raising buffalo and they didn't want any loud noises to disturb them, so they said. It worked, much to my amazement. A one shot kill at 220 yards. He was going up a hill away from me and I hit him in the spine between the shoulders. Down and out, he never moved.

I've read several threads about what gun to use for African game and I was a little hesitant when my outfitter told me I didn't need anything bigger than 308 or 7mm for PG. So many hunters wrote that nothing under 4-- something would work. I found that my 7mm performed admirably and I didn't require a shoulder mounted howitzer of ungodly size and recoil. I guess it boils down to the right bullet in the right place.

Newboomer
My son shot all his game in Namibia including a big zebra and Oryx with a 308 using either a 150 grain accubond or 140grain outer edge mono.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have done a lot of research/testing of Barnes bullets and we have taken quite a number of animals. I have load data/testing/chrono results for a number of cartridges.
This is what I have learned:
Use TTSX and not TSX. They start opening sooner and are more reliable for expansion.

Select a lighter bullet as a Barnes bullet acts like a lead core bullet 30% heavier. This is very important.

Barnes bullets like speed and the faster you push them the more accurate they get. See above.

They give better terminal performance when pushed fast---Another reason to select a lighter bullet.

Seat the DEEP. Look at any box or Barnes factory loads and you will see the top relief groove just showing and they usually give excellent accuracy if you do the one other important thing before shooting them. I started measuring distance off the rifling(and having it close) and as I seated the bullet deeper accuracy improved. The deeper seating will also allow for a hotter load without pressure problems. I have a 257W with .250"+ jump and it will put 5-10 shots into one hole when I do my job. Other rifles do not have that much jump but .080"+ is not uncommon for great accuracy.............Start by seating the bullets so the top relief groove is showing and you will probably find no need to change it.

One important thing to do to avoid fouling and often better accuracy is to super clean your barrel. That means not using old #9! I use wipe-out foaming cleaner followed by Sweets 7.62 or Barnes CR-10. Then a finely I use Butches Bore Shine or another good regular cleaner. If you really think #9 does anything use it last. NOW that you have a super clean barrel ONLY shoot Barnes bullets. If I am testing different bullets I shoot the non-Barnes After shooting the Barnes NOT before. Any "fouling shots" need to be Barnes.

Use Barnes data ONLY for Barnes bullets. Sometimes Hodgdons has data for Barnes but be sure it is for TSX or TTSX(Data can be used interchangeably) and not the old X-Bullet or coated bullet. Sometimes Accurate has Barnes data. Barnes has data on their website and the newer manual has TSX/TTSX data. I have also gotten some data from mags and such.

I do not like to waste bullets so I pick the 2-4 powders with the top speeds and just load the max in the Barnes data. Not accepted method but never had a problem. Note some of the Barnes data is over 100% fill and I usually will not try the ones with 103%+ just because it is very hard(even with long drop tubes) to get it all in the case. Also I have spoke with(face to face) the Barnes people about starting at max loads and they told me there room to go above it. I do not do so usually but it shows that the max load is safe to shoot------Especially if you seat the bullets deep.

Follow these simple(but backwards from common wisdom) rules and you will have great ammo that is accurate and really puts down game.

I have data for 257R/25-06/257W/6.5X55/264Win mag/7-08/308win/30-06/300win mag/338win mag. I also have data for the Barnes VG in 204Ruger and 223. All data is over my Chrono and for accuracy........well as good as I can shoot on a given day If anyone wants data for these cartridges I have Barnes/Swift/Nosler/Hornady data and I have data minus the Barnes for other cartridges. PM me with an email and I can scan it to you.

@Divernhunter
I am interested in what velocities you are getting out of the 25 cals with the Barnes TTSX . Could you PM me with your loads please.
I load my 25/303 Epps Newton improved with a healthy dose of Hogdon superformance for 3,670fps. I was using ADI 2213sc/ H4831sc for 3,480fps. The superformance gives better accuracy and terminal performance.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

As far as seating deep with max loads:
Most of the time the case is filled with powder so air space is not a concern.
The extra jump lowers pressures. Weatherby has a lot of "freebore" AKA jump in their rifles to be able to have more powder and thus more speed without excessive pressures.

Yes I understand it goes against common wisdom BUT as I have said before when loading Barnes forget all the accepted procedures and rules. It is a almost completely different game.

I have no fouling troubles with the TTSX bullets. I have a 7-08 with over 200 rounds thru it and still gets super accuracy. The 110gr TTSX is the only bullet I will shot out of it as it is the most accurate(compared to other bullets) and fastest. Deer, pigs and elk have been taken with this combo.

Yes you MUST not shoot normal bullets before or intermixed with Barnes for best accuracy. If you shot regular bullets shot them after the Barnes......THEN super clean the barrel before shooting again. She above comment.

Believe me about using max loads and seating deep. I have been doing so and with a bunch of different cartridges.

@Divernhunter
My rifle must be a freak because I can use 110 grain Nosler combined technology silver tip and Hornaday SSTs as well as 100grain Barnes TTSX interchangeably with zero loss of accuracy and all shoot to the same point of impact at 200 yards. After 200 tho the TTSX takes over trajectory wise.
Bob

 

[rookhawk]

@Divernhunter has some great observations above. Thank you for your post. My two favorite nuggets:

1.) Treat a barnes as though its 30% heavier...that's the volumetric lead equivelant.

2.) Clean barrel

On the topic of clean barrel, my go-to for barrels is to us JB bore compound around a bronze brush then wrapped with cloth and coated with Kroil. I do this over and over, about 50-500 passes. Then just clean it all out. The super, super fine polishing compound is lapping the bore and elimating micro blemishes and the kroil is seeping under molecules of rust and debris which nocks them loose.

Once your bore is truly better-than-new spotless the fouling accumulation moving forward is much, much less whatever type of bullet you choose. I've had 3 MOA guns turn into sub-MOA guns many times by just cleaning out the decades of filth the prior owner assumed was a "shot out barrel".