I bought two boxes of the Barnes MPG 140 grain bullets in .308 caliber after trying their Varmint Grenades which worked great in my .243. We were told by a man at the factory that these MPG bullets were the larger equivelent of the Varmint Grenades so we were delighted to finally get some to try.

Of the two .308 caliber rifles that were used for testing, one was a Savage Police Model rifle (mine) and the other a Model 12 (Steves) set up expressly for target shooting. Both rifles are capable of 1/2 MOA at 100 yds. Using a 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, Spitzer, my rifle will shoot this consistantly at 100 yds.

The problem was that neither of us came up with a load that was accurate. The best that we finally managed to do was about 1 3/4 to 2 inches at 100 yds. I did my shooting off of a Caldwell Front Rest, the Rock BR and used a squeeze bag on the butt stock. After wasteing the better part of a box of bullets I grew frustrated enough to weigh the bullets and they varied from a few tenths of a grain to over a grain difference in weight!

Thought I would pass this along and maybe save someone else the waste of time and money.

longrangehunter

Give Barnes a call and tell them what happened.

Dollars to doughnuts says they make it right with you.

"I grew frustrated enough to weigh the bullets and they varied from a few tenths of a grain to over a grain difference in weight!"

That's well under 1%. Actually, inside 200 yards, I doubt that small weight difference has a large impact on group size. Certainly not enough to account for groups that large! It's much more likely that your barrel simply doesn't like those bullets. That's common enough with any bullet.

Yup, agreed. Sometimes you also get a bullet that your seating die just doesn't like and won't seat to a consistent depth, or with good concentricty. Have you checked that the bullets are seated to a consistent depth off of the lands, and the loaded rounds are coming out with the bullet concentric with the case?

If so - you could try different seating depths, or maybe a different powder charge. But unless you really badly need to use that bullet, it may not be worth the effort.

I've tried identical handloads in two separate guns with the same chambering. One loved the load, the other sprayed bullets all over the target....

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MikeG

I think factory ammo loads them to hot and they don't group well . I reloaded some tsx for my 270 and the group great even bug holed once.

The 130grn in my 270 were the WORST! grouping bullet I've ever shot out of it! (6" group!), the Nosler Partition Gold's grouped twice as tight!
The only experience I have with bullets grouping worse than the Barns are the Trophy Bonded Bear Claws!

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Did you start with a clean barrel get all the copper fouling out. Then shoot some fouling shoots with barnes copper bullets. Then shoot your groups from what I heard the copper fouling from lead bullets don't react well with barnes copper bullets.

The powder I used was H4350 winchester primers, winchester brass. I was shooting Ruger mark 2.The only reason I went to copper is CA has condors and lead is banned in some zones.

i think you haven't found the right combination yet, may never with that rifle.
i don't care for Barnes bullets for many reasons, but their manufacturing and QC aren't included in those.

I had the same problem with 308 Hornady bullets I had some 168grn Amax that varied in wieght alot. I had some Hornady SST 180 grn that were perfectly consistent in wieght. I think its a hit or miss with batches from every company out there. I seldom wiegh my bullets unless I have difficulty getting average groups.

AL

I can't get Nosler Part. to group. I guess we all have our least favorite bullets.

I read some were that barnes recommends a bigger jump to the lands I think it was in the December Reloader magazine there is an article on reloading .308 and the auther states that he was not getting the groups he thought he should and he gives the bullet jump that barnes recommended he use .I dont remember exactly but it seems like .030 was the closest. I just started playing with a load that I started at .065 from the lands and hade two differnet powder charges that shot right at one inch.

I'm not brand preferntial ,only those that shoot well through my rifle and each rifle is different.When I load for a particular brand and weight of bullet I load 5 rounds for three different powders that I know work in that rifle,seat them at the same depth.If I get results I take the best load and fine tune.I not, I stop using that bullet and switch brand/weight

Some thoughts on differing bullet weights.

The fact that bullets differ in weight is not a problem if all else is equal. The fractionally heavier bullet will generate slightly more pressure which increases muzzle velocity fractionally and cancels out the slightly more bowed trajectory it would have had.

The reason why one weighs bullets in a search for problems, is because differing weight is indicative of something else being out of kilter. If there is an inclusion (impurity or bubble) in the lead core, the bullet is lighter and the CG of the bullet is not on the axis of the bullet. Likewise, a non concentric jacket will invariably weigh different to a concentric one. Non concentricity and off center CGs will never be good for tight groups.

Ogive curves or meplat sizes may differ and will show as a weight difference of no consequence, but differing ogives and meplats change the length of the bearing surface and the BC. That will show up as a flier or larger group sizes.

So, ironically, we do not weigh bullets to check the weight, but to check for other stuff. Isn't reloading a strange game?

True, I tried the TSX in one of my .25-06s and it didn't group well enough to justify the high cost. Yes they perform well, and Barnes has excellent quality control and good product, but I don't see the need to change from the excellent accuracy of the ballistic tips. My .280 really likes heavier bullets, so the 140 grain Accubonds don't group the best, 1.5" @ 100 yards, but thats good enough for me. I am going to try the Nosler E-Tips when it finally warms up here. I have high hopes for them.

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