Barnes 30 caliber 150/165 gr TSX bullet seating questions

[vancewalker007]

I won a Savage 30-06 at our local NRA Banquet a few months ago, and I'm working up some loads for it.
I managed to acquire some Barnes TSX bullets, I heard they are like lightning on deer, so I got some. They seem pretty consistant at 100 yds, printing one inch groups, but I know this rifle can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yds with 150 gr Sierra Gamekings.

Has anyone here played with seating depth to shrink groups down? The 150's have three, the 165's four grooves the top one I have used for seating with a crimp. Would it cause any unwanted results to use one of the lower groves instead? What have you guys found to work well with these bullets?

Presently I'm loading to the recommended OAL, 49.5 grs IMR 4064, and CCI200 primers.

Thanks for any help in advance.

You don't need to crimp a 30-06. Those grooves are there to make the bullet foul less and to reduce pressure. We used to shoot the old Barnes without grooves and they would build pressure really fast relative to cup/core bullets using the same bullet weight and powder.

Like someone said earlier, start at 50/1000 off your rifles lands and move out for the safest reloading when testing bullet seating depths. The 180gr TTSX shot really good in my old 300 WSM at 75/1000 off.

 

[Alibiiv]

I don't know about the .30 caliber Barnes, I have some but haven't got to loading them yet. What I can say is the the Gamekings shoot better then the Barnes bullets shoot in my .35 Whelen

 

[Seabeeken]

Don't recall if I mentioned it earlier but I switched to tsx when I saw a TTSX roll across the bench and the tip wobbled. Got to looking at others in the box and 1 was broken off and a number of others also wobbled. Emailed Barnes but never got an answer. That and their bullets being so hard to find led me to move to hammers and I won't be going back to Barnes.

 

[redleg1013]

I won a Savage 30-06 at our local NRA Banquet a few months ago, and I'm working up some loads for it.
I managed to acquire some Barnes TSX bullets, I heard they are like lightning on deer, so I got some. They seem pretty consistant at 100 yds, printing one inch groups, but I know this rifle can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yds with 150 gr Sierra Gamekings.

Has anyone here played with seating depth to shrink groups down? The 150's have three, the 165's four grooves the top one I have used for seating with a crimp. Would it cause any unwanted results to use one of the lower groves instead? What have you guys found to work well with these bullets?

Presently I'm loading to the recommended OAL, 49.5 grs IMR 4064, and CCI200 primers.

Thanks for any help in advance.

First off, I also have a Savage 30-06 and using Barnes 150 TTSX I have lucked into a 3/8 MOA load. The biggest thing is to find the lands and START .05" off the lands. I then did an Audette ladder, after establishing my initial seating depth. After finding a promising powder range I began increasing the distance to the lands, am .07 off the lands with H4895 on top of WLR, and getting right around 3k fps. Yes, it does hit whitetail like a bolt of lightening.

I switched up to the 165 gr TTSX and to be honest, haven't finished up with development; my goal is less than 1/2 MOA but settle for anything less than 3/4 MOA since my plot of land doesn't afford a shot past 600 yards.

Best of luck to you, my best advice is to measure, and not use the grooves to determine seating depth.

 

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

3006 165gn tsx shot great with one full band showing .. there is one thing i would check .. which is, hold a loose outta the box bullet up to a seated bullet and verify the inner recessed grooves do not leave too little of bearing surface ( easy to knock loose & out of line = runout ) looking to see whether recess band or high band is at the shoulder side start of neck

a 3006 has hella lengthy neck compared to a 300wm so youll lilely not have a problem with the 06 ..where you stop in seating, matters alot on a 300wm. you may only get 2 bands touching the neck , depending on what grain bullet

id run the 165 in the 06

 

[flintlock hunter]

I want to thank everyone who offered their help during my load developement.

Here is the end result, and every option offered was explored:
The stock had been drilled for the pillars slightly off center, but enough to cause movement when an action screw was loosed. Did some sand paper alterations, and rebedded the action with Accraglas, and was cergtain to end with a floated barrel.
Result. four loads now shoot interchangably at 100 yards, loads which had differrent POI previously.

The seating depth. If I eliminatethe crimp, and seat the 165gr TSX to 3.220", (first groove showing), I have two powders that will consistantly group .700" at 100 yards using three charge wts.
IMR4064 49.5/50.0 Grs CCI200
IMR4831 58.5grs CCI200 (this is max for the rifle)

The only discernible difference between them is noticibly heavier recoil with IMR4831.

You fellas have been a great help, and I hope to return the favor one day.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Good work - I'm glad everything worked out well.