Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Ruger 30-06 MK II Barnes TSX Accuracy Problems

Hi all, Brand new at the old campfire and very first post. I have a Ruger Mk II 30-06 and loaded up the Barnes 168gr. TSX using Reloader 19. Seated .050 off lands and I am looking at 3 MOA. Man I was hoping for much better than that!
I am going to try .030 next, I was just wondering if anyone has anything they can throw my way to shed some light on this.
Thanks

Try a different powder,it can make a huge difference.

Any good suggestions? - I guess I could try 4350.

Try H4350, IMR 4350, or Ramshot Hunter. Try different primers and seating bullet a bit deeper or further out.

In the 30-06, with 165 gr - or so - bullets, I have found that 57 grains of IMR 4350 gave excellent results. I did go as high as 58.5 gr with the Hornady BTSP and a CCI 200 primer, but accuracy started to deteriorate -- 1.25" at 100 yards, so I backed off a half a grain and it was back to 1". Plenty for what most folks shoot at with an '06.

Also had good results with H414 and a CCI 250 magnum primer - just under 1" at 100 yards. As long as you are not trying to put nails into boards, that is good accuracy. 3" groups may have to do with a somewhat less than stellar trigger like there is on a lot of Rugers. How does it shoot factory fodder? Do you weigh each powder charge? Are you using the same brand of cases? Is your scope mounted tight and true? Is your stock pushing on the barrel?

Lots of variables.

My 300 mag loves the 168 TSX with RL22 and 215 primers.

I have a Remington Mountain rifle in 30-06 that absolutely hates 150 grain Nosler Partition Gold Moly coated bullets. I cannot get a nice group with these bullets no matter what I do. I then loaded up a batch of 150 grain Winchester bullets (you know the ones you get in the bag). Same exact load as the Noslers except I was shooting the Winchester bullets instead and they literally touched one another at 100 yards. So yes, sometimes a rifle might just not like a certain bullet for whatever reason.

Try H4350 and shorten the OAL. Mine likes the OAL short. I had to play some, but now it putting em out nicely. I use 57grs 4350, Fed primers, 165 pills.

I tried the same thing with the Barnes 168 gr. TSX - seated it .050" off the lands as they recommend and got poor accuracy. On a whim I seated it to .020", lowering the powder charge by a couple of grains to be safe, and suddenly it started shooting litte tiny groups.

Brought the powder charge back up to where it was and the accuracy stayed excellent.

So try your idea first, just seat them closer to the lands.

FWIW - IMR or H4350 are good powders for the '06 but so is RL-19. It has given very good accuracy across 150 and 165 grain bullets.

The gun already has a Timney Trigger set @ 3.5lbs. and shoots MOA with factory fodder. I think I will try H4350 and a seating depth of .030". I was just very puzzled about the 3 MOA with what I thought was a starting point for a Barnes Manual accuracy load.

"starting point for a Barnes Manual accuracy load"

That may the start of your problem. My TSX loadings group best at book max loads for the X bullet.

More juice may tighten that group up.

Just remember to change only one variable at a time.

Good Luck.

Also.....

Make sure your barrel is clean and copper free before accuracy testing with the TSX. They don't mix well with other bullets in the two guns I have loaded for.

I agree, run them max. My 30-06 shoots them best per Barnes, .050" off lands with 58.5 gr's H4350. Every barrel "harmonizes" differently so seating depth / accuracy will vary ber rifle. Personally I'd find a near-max load first, then play with seating depth second.

Deerfreak-I am curious, how many groups did you shoot, was it more than one that was in that 3 moa range?

I would take a close look first off at varied seating depths.

Secondly I would get one of the 4350's either will work just fine. I would also not hesitate to try H4831 and perhaps R22.

IME I've always found excellent accuracy and top speeds with R19 and is the first powder I would try twer I you. Which you did so now I would as others said work with seat depth and give it some more gas.

Good luck

Mark D

I use R-19 and 168 TSX in my '06 and am getting excellent accuracy at 2960 fps. Like mentioned in earlier posts, play with your seating depth. I load to 0.010" off lands (same as 165 Nosler Ballistic tip), And it has worked out fine.

BigBullet

4 separate 5 shot groups - allowed cooling between shots and groups. 1 group was decent but 4 were pitiful.

DF, with a factory sporter weight rifle I really think you should go for three shot groups and see what it does.

I load the various Barnes X'x in my .25-284, my 280 and my light .308. None of them shoot best at .050 off the lands.
I always start just shy of the lands, and with their starting loads. Almost all of my best loads are 1-3 grs. below maximum and, again, just off the lands. This is with two custom, super smooth 5 groove barrels and with two factory barrels.
Clean virtually all the copper out of the barrel as recommended. My custom barrels require maybe 1-2 rds to shoot right. But my factory barrels require at least 8 rds. to start shooting under MOA groups. Prior to that, I get 2.5-3.0 MOA groups. E

Of course we are talking the tsx which is an entirely different bullet than the other x bullets.My own rifles shoot great groups,even with the first shots from a clean barrel.They also shoot their best groups at the maximum loads.

Have you checked your case and bullet runout?

I have seen everything from .020 to .070 off of the lands. You need to play with it till you can find the sweet spot. Most all of the TSX's can handle up to two more grains of powder than the regular X. Push em hard.