244AI and varmint grenades

[Seabeeken]

While case forming for 244ai, I was shooting 62 gr varmint grenades using both N-140 and TAC. The tac loads got up to 3722 fps and We noticed no impacts on paper or dust at 300 yds. We thought they just werent getting there. Emailed Barnes about a speed limit and they said I was indeed over the limit of 328,500 rpms. Mine were running at 333,000 rpm in my 8 twist barrel. 80% never got there. They said back em down to 3650 and I should be ok.

 

[quigley257]

MV x 720 / Twist Rate = RPM
Most(I'll edit this to say"some") cup and core bullets don't do well over 320,000rpm. I built a 22 Creedmoor with a 1/7 twist for shooting the 95gr SMKs, which it did very well. Lighter bullets pushed much faster than 3200fps would often disappear into the signature gray poof of too much rpm.

 

[quigley257]

I did end up trying some of the CEB 79gr MTACs in the 22CM but never got the accuracy that I got with the SMKs. My final 95gr SMK load settled in at right around 3025fps using H4831SC. I never thought I would see the day when a 22 caliber bullet would be supersonic beyond 1400 yards. On the other hand, I have a 1/7 twist 223 Rem that I regularly run 40gr VMAX at over 3700FPS which gives an RPM of over 380,000 with no issues or blow-ups. I think the type and quality of the rifling in the barrel has a lot to do with whether bullets blow up or not. The early Hornady .264" 147gr ELD-Ms were known for blowing up in some rifles and not in others while running the same velocity, which lead me to believe they were sensitive to the bore finish. Hornady claims to have sorted out the issues with that bullet as I haven't heard of any failures recently.

 

[Panhandlin Pat]

I had this happen with Barnes varmintors in a 22 nosler, proof research barrel. Did load work up on a cool day and got great accuracy with a near max load of cfe223. Go to shoot prairie dogs and 40% wouldn't make it to 100 yards. Occasionally you'd see a puff of dust way off target, I guess bullet fragments landing about. Those bullets were so explosive they wouldn't cut old barb wire! There was an ancient cross fence 30 yards from where we set up and I caught it one shot. The wire shook about, I unloaded and went to inspect it to fix it for the land owner. It had a quarter sized mark of lead splatter but neither wire was broken. I guess since it was so old and hard, and loose it stayed in tact.

 

[del2les]

While case forming for 244ai, I was shooting 62 gr varmint grenades using both N-140 and TAC. The tac loads got up to 3722 fps and We noticed no impacts on paper or dust at 300 yds. We thought they just werent getting there. Emailed Barnes about a speed limit and they said I was indeed over the limit of 328,500 rpms. Mine were running at 333,000 rpm in my 8 twist barrel. 80% never got there. They said back em down to 3650 and I should be ok.

Not uncommon with some thinly constructed varmint or other bullets at very high RPM.

 

[Seabeeken]

Tested some Berger 108 elite hunters in the 6ai today. 3238 fps, ES 13.2
Here is the hottest load I shot today. I wonder if it will perform as a varmint bullet

 

[VinceMule]

95g Nosler ballistic tips hold up just fine at 3550 in the AI, Reloader number 19. A pard shoots the 70g Ballistic tips on deer, and he shoots a lot of deer.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

While case forming for 244ai, I was shooting 62 gr varmint grenades using both N-140 and TAC. The tac loads got up to 3722 fps and We noticed no impacts on paper or dust at 300 yds. We thought they just werent getting there. Emailed Barnes about a speed limit and they said I was indeed over the limit of 328,500 rpms. Mine were running at 333,000 rpm in my 8 twist barrel. 80% never got there. They said back em down to 3650 and I should be ok.

We saw this post and was curious about the "Grenades". We picked up 1,000 50gr Grenades for our .223 RRA 20" - 1:8 twist. Will put on top of H-4895 and have not shot them yet but guessing to get at least 3k ++ fps. They should hold together. Sorry to hear that they were exploding. Hence "Grenades".
We usually always us SBK or Hornady ZMax for PD & Chucks but wanted to try out the Grenades.
We have about 20K+ in .224 bullets and have three categories - One Varmints (50-55 gr), Two Hogs & Yotes, (65gr), and Three long distance 1K (70-85.5gr).

 

[Seabeeken]

We saw this post and was curious about the "Grenades". We picked up 1,000 50gr Grenades for our .223 RRA 20" - 1:8 twist. Will put on top of H-4895 and have not shot them yet but guessing to get at least 3k ++ fps. They should hold together. Sorry to hear that they were exploding. Hence "Grenades".
We usually always us SBK or Hornady ZMax for PD & Chucks but wanted to try out the Grenades.
We have about 20K+ in .224 bullets and have three categories - One Varmints (50-55 gr), Two Hogs & Yotes, (65gr), and Three long distance 1K (70-85.5gr).

Barnes told be to slow them to 3650 fps and they will stay together. I think you will get some amazing hits