Keyholing with Barnes TSX 120 grain copper solid

[Gunfighter25]

Thanks for all the info. Plan to start up reloading after New Years. LRRPF52 - BHW's being getting bad press lately, but my barrel seems to be pretty accurate with spitzer-type rounds. The Amax 123s open up a little but are still sub-MOA. Running a Noveske KX-3 on the end and it helps keep my friends happy. Took a little teasing from the office guys - what? can't afford three more lands? but so far everythings working well with the Noslers and Sierras.

fanofflyin - will start with your suggestion of 0.050" off the lands with whatever charge my Harrells will throw closest to 28.0 grains of BLC-2.

thanks again

Gunfighter

[LRRPF52]

What do you mean about BHW getting bad press?

[fanofflyn]

Gunfighter, yes that was my experience too. The Barnes takes up a lot of case capacity. I think the most Leverevolution I got in as 29 grains (with a very low SD and a velocity around 2400 fps in a 16 inch piston gun). I went to the 100 gr TTSX until I could get things worked out. My loads with H335 run around 2800 with that bullet. I'm working on the 120 grain for my 24 inch gas impingement barrel, but I haven't got it gassed right and I'm still only getting 2400 fps. I haven't tried BLC-2, which I think burns close to the leverevolution, but I may have to try it next at your suggestion, since I already own a batch.

[BlackHoleWeaponry]

Greetings,

I just spoke with Carl, our shop owner, and he has informed me that based on our field testing of this caliber we have found that one needs to increase velocity to obtain proper stabilization.

However, if that does not work, please feel free to contact us directly and we can help trouble shoot further. This will also help us to assess whether or not it is a problem with your BHW barrel. If it is in fact a barrel issue, we do have a no questions asked replacement policy and would be happy to replace your barrel at our expense.

To get in touch with us directly you can call or email Andy, our shop foreman:
509-793-5374
andy.bhw@gmail.com

Please let us know if you need any further assistance!

Krystin
Illustration and Web Specialist
Black Hole Weaponry
Official Black Hole Weaponry Website
BHW Customer Support Forums

[Gunfighter25]

LRRPF52 - on certain other forums, there are some guys who like to bash anything that goes against their grain. I got the BHW barrel to try out some ideas using a polygonical, 3-land barrel, one of which was to use a bigger caliber, magazine-length round with the potential for accuracy at 800 meters or better. What I've found is using spitzer-type hunting bullets with this barrel and BLC-2 powder is plenty accurate on paper for hunting distances from 50 yards to 450 yards.

The other ideas were to try out the Barnes TSX round on game like mouflon sheep and hogs. One, I like the idea of not having to pick out lead and jacket frags from the dressed meat and the other idea came from a plinking session shooting bowling pins with the 70 grain 5.56 TSX rounds. The round pretty much destroyed the pins after two hits. Couldn't find the rounds after the shot but the remnants of the pins made me think this was the good penetrator and game stopper I saw on videos. Still looking for game to cooperate but that's another story.

Bottom line - I'm still working with this rifle/round combination but the results have been more than favorable to date. Part of the fun of trying new stuff and watching the successes grow.

[LRRPF52]

Greetings,

I just spoke with Carl, our shop owner, and he has informed me that based on our field testing of this caliber we have found that one needs to increase velocity to obtain proper stabilization.

However, if that does not work, please feel free to contact us directly and we can help trouble shoot further. This will also help us to assess whether or not it is a problem with your BHW barrel. If it is in fact a barrel issue, we do have a no questions asked replacement policy and would be happy to replace your barrel at our expense.

To get in touch with us directly you can call or email Andy, our shop foreman:
509-793-5374
andy.bhw@gmail.com

Please let us know if you need any further assistance!

Krystin
Illustration and Web Specialist
Black Hole Weaponry
Official Black Hole Weaponry Website
BHW Customer Support Forums

I looked at the website again and noticed all the .264 LBC barrels are 1/9 twist, so it makes sense to me that more velocity is needed to stabilize longer pills. I would like to see a tighter twist for the longer bullets myself, but I'm looking for faster velocity anyway.

[Gunfighter25]

Bill, nice to know I'm at the cutting edge (well, maybe not close to it) of Grendel riflery in using a polygonical barrel on the AR platform. Know anybody else out there using one? Could start another thread, sharing ideas.

[Gunfighter25]

I wanted to use a caliber larger than 5.56 in an AR platform that fit in the magazine. At the time Carl Caudle and company was offering this 3-land, 18" barrel with a 1-8" twist so I jumped in with both feet.

Maybe they could do a 20" barrel with a 1-8" or 1-7.5" twist? Or you could go like Fanofflyin and push lighter bullets faster. Would be interesting to see accuracy vs velocity for a 100-120 grain round at each twist rate from 1-12" to 1-7.5" at 200 meter zero.

Will check the OAL length later this week with the OAL length gauge. I should be able to crank out some TSX test loads by this weekend based on what I've learned here. I should have time to test fire some groups by the 15th or so. Let's see what happens...

[Deezil]

DId you get this working?

[Gunfighter25]

D - Finally got some time to punch up the powder charges and got one to work pretty good at 100 yards. Worked up from 29.4 grains BL-C2 to 31.5 gr. Had a few keyholes but everything past 31.0 grains were real clean holes. Seems to be a very narrow range between too slow and fast enough. Just finished reloading to find out if I need to back off the charges to get a better group. In a 10-15 mph wind from 1300 (1 o'clock), managed to get a 0.75" group from the 31.0 grain load and a shade over 0.5" group from the 31.5 gr group. Got a few flattened primers, no ejector marks at 31.5 gr. Checked the groups with the Hornady Amax 123 round as my control group - 0.5" at 100 yards.

If I can free up some time early Sunday, I'll test out this new batch.

One benefit from the poly barrel - easy to clean.

[Texas Sheepdawg]

How does the Barnes 120 Triple shock perform out of a AA 24" barrel with the button rifling? I just got a box of these to load.

[LRRPF52]

That 120gr TSX is so long, that it needs a tighter twist to stabilize. Same with the Hornady 120gr GMX.

[Deezil]

120gr barnes TTSX next to a Nosler 120gr BT

[sneaky one]

I was handed a dozen 120 TTSX's to try-too long . I turned the bases down , they weigh 105 gn. now. This should be a great bullet compared to the 100 TTSX. , A tad longer, plus the extra groove. Should buck the wind well. I'll be working up a load using IMR 3031. Hopefully get to 2850--2900 fps.- Barnes TTSX's aren't my favorite bullets, the TSX is easier to load closer to the rifling=no tip. .025-.030 off works great with them.