Issue with Barnes long Range x in 260

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Wendyj

New member
Went to Cabellas today and picked up some bullets for my 308. Noticed the 127 grain Barnes x Long Range bullet and decided to buy a box. My Barnes data only has 120 and 130 grain listed. I'm going to start with 39 grains of H 4350. Seating depth for 120 or 130 Barnes calls for 2.705. My Hornady 129 sst are seated at 2.80. And finally got some decent groups.
If seated to the cannelure they measure oal at 2.875. They fit in magazine and chamber but are snug. 2.705 looks awful short to me but I'm no expert. Shooting out ofTikka CTR 8 twist. Does anyone on here know anything about true seating depth of these bullets. I'm at a loss on this one.
 
Thanks Sako. It took me forever to get the ssts to finally group right. I think the 2.80 should work good if these need a jump like my 243 and 308 did. I'm hoping I'm correct in going 1 grain above the 130 grain load they show. It gives me 3 grains to work with as I watch pressure signs when laddering some loads. It shows 38 grains for a 130 grain so I was going to start with 39 grains of H4350.
 
Barnes bullets almost always shoot more accurately seated deeper than standard bullets. I had to get 130's in my 308 very deep before accuracy started to get where I wanted it. I'm right at 2.75", but with a slightly longer bullet.

I'd start shorter than 2.8" with them.
 
Thanks Mountaineer. Appreciate that. Jimro I've been shooting the ttsx 180 grain out of my 308 Savage Hog Hunter. I know they call for 1-5thousandths off the lands but mine just didn't shoot good that way. I backed them up to 2 810 and they shoot cloverleafs now. You are most likely correct. I would imagine backing up a tad more would be worth trying. Both guns I've shot them out of they have liked a good jump for accuracy. I think this 127 is the longest bullet I've seen. My rifle shoots 140s great but they are back ordered. Hoping the extra length will compensate. I've only loaded 3 to just check a group at low velocity. I'll load about 6 more coming up in powder some to check them out. I know I'll have to be more consistent but you can go through a box of 50 real quick doing ladder tests. I don't think I'm going to shoot for a few weeks so I'm hoping to get a chronograph before going back to the range. I really want to know what the 20 inch barrel on these things is really pushing out. Would help to know if I'm getting close to pressure levels too.
 
Not saying this might be an issue with your loads, but usually Barnes recommends the added jump due to the bullets being solid. This gives them a bit more room to get going before they slam into the rifling, rather than starting right up against it. It can give you some spikey pressures with some powders when you seat them up close to the lands.

I have shot a TON of Barnes since back in the early 80's and tried them from .010 off all the way back to around .125" off. In all but only a couple of cases the further back they were, the better and more consistent they shot.

All rifles are different as are lots of powder, but I feel your probably be better off seating a touch deeper than further out. Like you mention these are LONG bullets from the get go, so they will have room to get started good anyway.

Good luck I hope they shoot well for you. I have looked at them hard to try in my daughters 6.5x55, but I just haven't had time or a real need to play with them yet. I picked up 10 boxes of all things, Privi Partizan in the 140gr soft points for her to shoot pigs and practice with. The first time out with them, I shot three, she shot three and my oldest grandson who was 8 at the time shot three. All groups combined were in a nice cluster of just under an inch at 100yds. We still have most of those left to shoot up and it does so well I haven't decided to play with anything since.
 
Mike I agree with you. I know they recommend 1/1000 from the lands but mine look like shotgun patterns in my 308 and 243 seated that way. Seated them to mag length and they are super tight. I kept saying I wasn't going to buy anymore but $17.00 for a box on sale I couldn't resist. I'm not banned from lead here so I've pretty much stayed with Sierra and Nosler. Just thought I would try these. I don't know if Barnes has a manual showing seating depth on these. All I could find was 120 and 130 grain.
 
Barnes website has the same c.o.a.l from 110 to 130 gn bullets. I would start with the same length as the hornady's the go shorter and longer to see what it likes.
 
Hey Sako. I did seat one at 120-130 Barnes specs. Looks like a varmit bullet out of a 243. I'm going to try a few and then start seating out some. I need to call Barnes as this bullet isn't listed in my manual. I loaded a few to the lengths of the ssts also. It is a long bullet for sure.

Mike in tx. Cabellas had the sample packs of these. I wish I had bought one instead of a whole box to start with. They are great in my other rifles though.
 
Seated them to mag length and they are super tight.
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If they shoot there, that is where I would keep them. I usually start at the longest length that will function from the magazine. Some of the plastic tipped ones however will hang up just as they start to rise up in a couple of my rifles. In those cases I have to go just a touch deeper to get them out of the mag well and popping up into the chamber.

I don't have any rifle that is touching or even within .030" of hitting when seated like this so it usually works out I am between there and around .075" off the lands depending on what I am working with. I know that in most cases the Barnes have shot better backed off a touch, and usually it is real close to their recommended .050" off the lands. Their .257" 115gr is a long critter for sure, and I seat them to an OAL of 3.250" which puts a LOT of the bullets base in the case. Even so they will fit the mag just fine and they shoot within an inch or so at 200yds right in with the Nosler's I usually hunt with.

Keep up the good work and don't get all worked up one you get that chrony. As has been said many times, a solid hit from a slower bullet is far better than a miss with a faster one. I like fast, but I like accurate MUCH better. Sometimes those loads you "think" are really something aren't really goin what you think they should be. Not an issue if they are printing together. The best two things a chrony will do for you is help you track your load as you work up, and once there help you develop a solid drop chart. They will also allow you to compare your loads to factory loads if you happen to shoot something that is really working well.
 
Thanks Mike. I won't lose any sleep over speed. I'm reloading for accuracy and in most cases that's on the low end of the powder charts but I'll take 1/4 inch groups over 2 inch groups all day.
 
If seated to the cannelure
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I do not crimp bottle neck cases. I am the fan of 'all the bullet hold I can get'. Some bullets have cannelure. I have a machine that applies a cannelure, again, I do not crimp bottle neck cases. If I did and I had bullets with a cannelure I would be forced to crimp at the cannelure. I believe crimping bullets without a cannelure is a bad habit.

Now, if you decide to load for the 30/30 use the cannelure when crimping. I know, when the using a crimp on a bullet with a cannelure seating the bullet at, to of off the rifling is not an option unless the reloader has a way to apply a cannelure.

F. Guffey
 
Mr. Guffey , I wasn't going to crimp them in my bolt action. Just most bullets with a cannilure is the bullet seating point. I was just experimenting with it from the 2.705 info being so short. Barnes service was excellent since this bullet is newer than any data I have. Called them today and they emailed me powder recommendations and list oal as 2.750. I had already seated about 3 at 2.80 just to get close to the sweet spot I found on the 129 ssts. I loaded a few about 8 percent from max at their recommended 2.750 so I'll get a close idea of which length it may like and go back and run a ladder test on the powders. I know that's probably backwards from how most hand loaders do it but so far this rifle does its best around 2500-2700 fps. And unfortunately I'm going off load data for those speeds. I will own a chronograph before I get back to the range again. I hate guessing.
 
I've been loading the LRX bullets in my and my cousins 7mm for a couple of years now and I have found them to be unforgiving when it comes to COAL, unlike the TTSX. I believe this is due to the more secant ogive since I've seen the same issue with Bergers and Nosler Long Range Accubonds in my rifles. I think you're smart to look for a acceptable velocity, make sure the load is safe, then trying different lengths to get the best accuracy.
 
Thanks Allenj. I'm not going to push a thing at max until I can see how it performs. Some of my most accurate loads in various bullets have been the lowest they recommend. I definitely want to try and keep at least a thousand pounds of energy out to the 300 yard range if at all possible. I'm hoping to pick up a chrono this Friday. Acadamy Sports has one for $99.00 that comes with 15 ft cable to plug into iPhone. Has app to download so when you see your speed you can type in powder charge bullet primer Ect. Thought it might come in handy. I'm kind of at a loss without one since most ballistics are shown out of a 24 inch barrel and 2 of mine are 20 inch barrels. It's so far just been a guessing game.
 
130 grain data is close enough. Three grains will not matter.
"...If seated to the cannelure..." Forget the cannelure and seat to the OAL you need/want.
 
I think ills stick with the sst. Finally got to a 700 yard range today. I've got a lot of work to do to get out to 700 but 100-500 was a breeze in the 260. I've got to get a chrono. 20 inch barrel shooting 129 sst in 10 mph winds. I love this rifle.
Got a 2 inch group on steel at 500 yards. Couldn't get anything at 600 and 700. Started dropping into the dirt. Picture file says it won't let me upload due to size of file. I have to say I love shooting at steel.
 
Finally got it to upload. Now I need a good spotting scope and a chrono. Two in same spot on red and one outside 10 ring. Even a little wind is a doozy past 200.
 
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