Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Barnes X bullet jump

Hello,

Do you find better accuracy Barnes TTSX bullets using the max COL or having some bullet jump to the rifling, like .050-.100? Barnes recommends trying different lengths, just wanted to know if you have had better accuracy with more jump than lead core bullets.

Yes--in general.

Do you think Barnes doesn't know their own bullets?

Well, when I look at the reloading data in my Barnes book, the COL they list for a given cartridge is near or at max. They don’t seem to reduce the recommend length any in their data.

I treat the Barnes like other bullets when working up a load. I try three seating depths. Usually, one of the three will work fine without any further work on seating depth. In most of my rifles, these bullets are seated pretty far off the lands for best accuracy, as suggested by Barnes, but not always.

If you go to Barnes' website and click on "Load Data" on the tool bar, the first thing that appears is this:

1. Where do I seat the TSX, Tipped TSX and LRX bullets?

When loading a Barnes TSX, Tipped TSX or LRX bullet, your rifle may prefer a bullet jump of anywhere between (a minimum of) .050” up to .250” or more. This distance off the lands (rifling), aka "jump" may be limited to the rifles throat length, magazine length and bullet length.

When selecting the cartridge overall length (COAL) we recommend starting with a minimum “jump” of .050” off of the lands. You can test different seating depths and find a “sweet spot” that your particular firearm prefers. We suggest working in at least .025” increments as follows seating the bullet deeper to allow a further jump. Your test plan could look something like this:

1st group- .050” jump
2nd group- .075” jump
3rd group- .100” jump
4th group- .125” jump
5th group- .150“ jump
6th group- * see below

For general hunting accuracy (3 shots in 1 MOA), I have pretty much loaded the first groove even with the mouth of the case. If that doesn't give me MOA, then I will play with depths but usually that yields stellar accuracy. Bullet jump in various rifles/calibers varies anywhere from .050 to a 308 that jumps a looooong ways because of mag length but generally you can just load em up and kill stuff.

I LOAD EM IN 4 DIFFERENT CARTRIDGES AND HAVE SHOT THEIR FACTORY AMMO ALSO. THE FACTORY AMMO PRODUCED DECENT GROUPS SO I QUIT MESSING WITH SEATING DEPTH AND TRIED LOADING TO TOP GROOVE AS FACTORY DOES AND IT WORKED VERY WELL......9.3X62 IS LIGHTLY CRIMPED .

sorry for caps.....running one handed

I loaded just to the front of the first driving band on everything.

I loaded the Barnes 130gr TSX for my 30.06 years ago and i couldn't get them to shoot because i was loading them like i did cup and core bullets starting at .010. After taking the little paper out of the box and reading that Barnes recommended starting at .050 i loaded up some at that distance and it was like magic, they started grouping great. I never even tried any other distance because they shot so good at .050.

I did the exact same thing. I finally started seating the 140 TTSX at .050 off the lands in my 7 RSAUM and magically they all nearly went in the same hole. I got the same result with my 257 Roberts and the 90 gain X bullet.

Thanks everyone.

When I reload Barnes bullets I start seating them at the shortest channel with a light crimp. Works great most of the time.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all

Yep me too. Always seems to work well.

+1 more on the experience of behind the first band with ttsx in my .280 Rem with 140s and Barrett '06 with 168s. However, I had better results with 225gr TTSX from my 338 and 55s in my .223 by seating just in front of the first groove.

Anyone here loading the Barnes .451 275 TSX for 450 Bushmaster or 45 Raptor/460 S&W? I am interested in sharing results...

.050 has always been a good starting point. I usually go .050, .070, .100 and tweak from there.

I seat them at factory length of whatever store bought cartridge I have. If they shoot an inch or better I’m happy. I assume this gives them a bit of a jump.

I have a nice custom Pre 64 M70 in 9.3x62 that our very own Redneck did the metalwork for me some 8 or so years back. It shot the Nosler 250 AB down into the 1/4" - sub 1/2" range. Silly me, I took a hand throating reamer so I could shoot a very nice 250 gr LFN cast lead bullet via one of Verl Smith's wonderful LBT molds; it shoots 3/4 moa groups. Tried the 250 AB's again and they just would not shoot; the throat was now a deep deep canyon. Knowing the Barnes bullets like to have a big jump I tried the 250 TTSX. Touching the land, the bullet would not even touch the mouth of the case; that deep! But, it would shoot incredibly tight groups to the tune of sub .4 moa groups. Barnes, IIRC, set their max OAL at SAAMI. Going deeper into the case, away from the lands, will simply reduce pressure and velocity.

Alan