Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

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Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby blindbirddog » Fri Oct 19, 2018 10:51 am

Started to load the 450 bm for bear hunting in New Brunswick.

Heard good things about the Barnes txs 275 bullets.

Loading info from Barnes indicates a c.o.a.l of 2.225. If you use the first cannula, loading into starline cases the c.o.a.l is 2.3344. The magazine easily takes the longer cartridge and it loads and ejects fine. If I push to spec. c.o.a.l., the crimp will be above the cannula. I can see that as an advantage for head spacing as crimps in cannulae tend to need special attention so they protrude enough.

Anyone load these bullets and have experience with them in a Ruger American rifle?

thanks,
BBD
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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby Hoot » Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:46 am

Welcome Aboard BBD!

With Barnes TSX and XPB bullets, whenever possible, crimp down into the driving band groove. If you almost bury it, leaving it barely peeking above the mouth, the crimp will discourage the bullet moving in either direction as a function of recoil and chambering. You will have lower chamber pressure with the longer COL but you'll still be pleased with the result.
For the record, I don't use a bolt action 450b but common sense supersedes action type. ;)

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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby Al in Mi » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:17 pm

I seat them out to around 2.410ish for my #1 and 700,

Dunno what powders you have but 45gr 300MP really shines in my guns.
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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby blindbirddog » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:14 pm

Have lots of choices for powders:H110, Li’l gun, IMR4227, AA#9, win296, Accurate 1680, I load lots of different calibers.

Gonna work up, TSX Barnes 275 gr, and Hornady 210 gn and 250 gn FTX bullets.

Need a 50-100 round for black bear. Something with good expansion and 1000 ft lbs energy at shooting distance.

Saw one post with 275 Barnes and 34/grains Li’l gun.
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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby Hoot » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:26 pm

I realized that I didn't address the 2nd part of your question. Taper crimp down into the groove to yield a diameter, measured as close to the mouth as humanly possible, of .474-.475. Don't worry about compromising the headspace at that diameter. In an experiment, I took the taper crimp down on a dummy round to .460 and it still caught the lip at the end of the chamber with authority.

for the benefit of onlookers: that doesn't mean to actually try .460 on a live round...

On smooth sided bullets like the 250gr FTX or if you're crimping on top of the driving band in the Barnes, I recommend a taper crimp of .476. The FTX will cave in to an hourglass shape but a harder, monolithic copper bullet will thin the brass at the mouth as it fights back against an excessive crimp pressure. I recently bought a case wall micrometer and it does happen, especially with relatively new brass that hasn't work hardened yet. The good news is that I've found the less expensive Starline brass to be a little harder than the Hornady. I don't know if that is on purpose to allow Starline to make their brass a little thinner walled, but they are.

Speaking of micrometers. I prefer to check my crimp diameter with a mic versus a caliper. The mic is more accurate. Not a case wall mic, just a regular flat faced one. It's also what I prefer for checking case head growth, for the same reason. Measuring COL is not as critical and a caliper works just fine. Every reloader should have a flat faced mic as well as a caliper.

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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby blindbirddog » Fri Oct 19, 2018 7:27 pm

Thank you. As a recovering scientist I still can’t get enough data.
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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby Bmt85 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:39 am

I don’t have any experience with a Ruger bolt gun, but I have seen a few run the 275’s long. Just check where they hit the lands, and stay back from it. I have a few AR barrels that I load it in and they all hit the lands around 2.4xx”. With a windowed mag, I can load to the first cannelure, which as you found is about 2.335ish (depending on case length). The 275’s seem to handle a pretty good jump to the lands.

As far as powder, I run lil gun at the moment, but it’s a pretty fast powder. With a 1:16 twist Ruger, you might want to try a little slower powder. For reference purposes, I usually start off at 35gr and end up hitting max case head growth around 39-40gr. That’s for my AR’s, and I’m also stab crimping them.
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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby Al in Mi » Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:25 am

I just checked mine, 2.410 oal which keeps them about .050 off the lands. Of the 4 calibers I've tried with Barnes, they all seem to like .050-.075 off the lands for best accuracy.



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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby blindbirddog » Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:06 pm

Great info. Thank you
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Re: Barnes solid copper bullets and c.o.a.l

Postby blindbirddog » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:55 am

Thanks to those who provided information.
Final load: 36.5 gn H110, 275 gn Barnes TSX, c.o.a.l., 2.41xx inches, crimp .470-.475 inches, Winchester small rifle primers, starline cases at 1.690 inches. American Ruger rifle, 450 Bushmaster with muzzle brake and Vortex crossfire II scope (2-9x). The fps at about 6 yards was an average of 1986. This was from a very solid rest. Will provide shooting stick, off-hand results (if they are good).

The top pic is at 25 yards, top hole is first cold barrel. Bullseye is second shot. The lower pic is from 50 yards. About 2 inches high. Gonna zero at 50 yards as it is hard to move down 2 inches when all you are looking at is black hair in a dark conifer woods.
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