Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots .30-30 single shot with Barnes 120 TAC-TX

wondering where you got the information about recommended impact velocities? Great info to have im just looking to find same info for other bullets

A few places...

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...et-minimum-impact-velocities-information

https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/old-information-on-barnes-bullets-is-just-that-old.182198/

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...barnes-6-5-127-lrx-question#Post10309600

https://www.65grendel.com/forum/sho...g&p=245098&viewfull=1#post245098

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HLngwmJxW8

https://specialtypistols.infopop.cc...005/m/3690058786?r=4920078786#4920078786


A web search on any particular bullet will likely yield someone posting info they were specifically told by Barnes about that bullet.

As you may gather from the above links, Barnes customer service is pretty good about answering this question with regard to specific inquiries about specific bullets. For example, I asked about the 130 TTSX and 129 LRX-BT for .270Winchester. (It's still kinda frustrating that they don't just publish a list, or include it in their load manual the way Hornady used to do with all the XTPs.)

Excerpt of the response:



Also,

thanks for the response....i am in the same position as you.
I have a Martini Cadet trimmed down with a pencil thin 20inch barrel, rifle weighs less than 6 pounds WITH scope im wanting to make into a walking varminter/ stalking rifle.Trying to find a bullet/load for badgers/porcupines/coyotes maybe a little doe deer.
Give any consideration to the 125gr Nosler Ballistic tip?

What cartridge is your Martini chambered for? I know what I read on Wikipedia. Says they were set up for a .323 lead bullet. Seems like anything .308 would rattle down the lands.

I've looked at the NBT 120gr for 7mm, mainly 7-30 Waters and 7mm TCU. It's popular with shooters of those calibers, maybe even the consensus "best" bullet. But the information I've seen is pretty consistent that 1800 fps is the recommended minimum impact velocity for any NBT. So if you give yourself a cushion and keep it above 2000 fps, it doesn't give you much range.

Nosler publishes .366 G1 BC for the .308 125gr BT, which is only a hair better than the .358 Barnes publishes for the 120gr TAC-TX. The 110 gr and 120 gr TAC-TX are both represented to expand as low as 1300-1350 fps (depending on what source you find). If you start it at 2550-2600, which a .30-30 AI with a 21-inch barrel can probably do, the 120 should stay above 1500 fps out to 500 yards. Of course, drop gets crazy and therefore challenging to make ethical hits long before that. The main value of the 500 yards concept is that you just don't have to worry about it opening if you're making shots at 300-ish and in.

Rebarreled to a 30-30 .....500yds? No. Little stalking gun, compact 4x scope, 100yds 200max.
Part of reason I'm looking at the lighter bullets is a hope to get a little more velocity in lighter loadings

I got 2600fps in my 30-30 using CFE223 and the Hornady 130gr SP. This was fired from a 22" H&R single shot barrel.The Speer 130gr Single Shot Pistol Bullet shot real well with that load too.

I reckon the 125 NBT would work well for you, but good luck finding any right now.

The Barnes is in stock here: https://battlehawkarmory.com/produc...kout-.308-120-gr-tac-tx-flat-base-50-box

Speer data

yeah availability is liable to be a determining factor
anybody ever shoot the Remington Reduced recoil 125gr? any chance of finding that bullet in bulk?

Other possibly good bullets for the application are

Sierra 4625 TGK 125gr
Hornady SST 125gr
Speer TNT 125gr

The Speer may work best if you keep the velocity down, like in the 2300 fps range. It's a varmint bullet, but people use it in .300 BLK at ~2100 fps MV for deer and pigs with good results. Also, 500-piece boxes are currently available.

Had looked at Hornady but dont see any available, had not thought of the varmint bullets.

Battle Hawk Armory's freight costs ended up being insane when I put a whole order together. I guess they must have been having every item shipped from a different warehouse. Ended up going with Tombstone Tactical, which worked out excellent as always. They are GTG.

Just unpacked the TAC-TX. Will probably work up some .30-30 AI-equivalent reduced loads for the .308 and see what I think before I invest in a Contender barrel.

I just bought three boxes for my son to use in my 30-30 contender