Thread: Copper Projectile Accuracy... Barnes GMX etc..

Originally Posted by Sidney

I can get em to shoot OK, but typically if I have a load with an amax or nosher BT that fires 3 shots touching, (10-15mm) I seem to end up settling at 20-25mm with Barnes pills after a lot of effort. That just pees me off... I do clean copper before developing Barnes loads after using conventional cup n' core

Generally I start at 50 thou off the lands as per recommendation, and work forward and back to optimise after selecting the best option from powder weight choices..

This is less about my reloading that it is about what I have found generally, and it wouldn't concern me if it varied... I would really like to bump into a Barnes projectile that was simple to develop for and was accurate from the start, across different powder selections etc.. I just find them fussy and was wondering if that was the experience with other solid copper pills?

Have you worked with the TTSX or the previous TSX and Barnes Original?, might make a difference - I've only worked with the TSX once, in .243, that worked out really well, the rest has always been TTSX. Have always started load development at 40 thou off and at ADI book max, usually wind up a few grains over, and always in light for calibre weight:
-.257 100gn (2506 at 3400fps and .257 Wby at 3600fps)
-.270 110gn (.270 Win at 3300fps and .270 ShortMag at 3400fps)
-.284 120gn (.280 Rem at 3200fps and 7mmMag at 3500fps)
-.308 110gn (.308 Win at 3300fps and 130gn at 3100fps)
So, essentially my rule of thumb is: jump it and drive it really fast.

I think all the major bullet manufacturers make accurate bullets nowadays, there are just lots of variables and some guns are fussier than others,I have had lots of good results with Sierra, Hornady, Berger too, Berger currently my favourate, some people think they are fussy to load for but they keep working for me, so who knows, sometimes you just get lucky