barnes bullets
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I do not have a 22-250, but I do load 130 Grain Barnes TSX for my 270 Wby. They are very accurate in my rifle, and they work extremely well on game in my opinion.
Ya' Know - I've tried for years to get Barnes bullets (am even a member of their bullet club) of any type to shoot decent groups in a variety of chamberings and rifles. To date, the groups are more like patterns than groups. I've pretty much given up on them.
Sorry, you Barnes shooters that think they are great. I just can't get them to group no matter what load combination or seating depth.
Sorry, you Barnes shooters that think they are great. I just can't get them to group no matter what load combination or seating depth.
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39,105 Posts
Lazydog, I'm not sure if you are asking about barnes' varmint bullets or their big-game bullets(x, tsx, ttsx, etc.). I've got some experience with the 45gr X-bullets on a few whitetail and I'm convinced they made my 22-250 into a impressive deer killer. At 45gr and close to 4000fps they are still able to break both shoulders of a bigger than average white-tail. Wound channels are always big with these bullets. The 22-250 with a X bullet kill deer waaay better than they ought too(perhaps better than some bigger more powerful cartridges). As for accuracy they gave 1.5" groups at 100yds but thats out of a 1/2 moa shooter, I've never shot the tsx bullet but have read lots of good things about their accuracy. Dave
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14,543 Posts
Lazydog,
Pick the bullet you want to shoot, then order the barrel with the right twist for it.
Use the stability calculator available online at the JBM calculators. Plug in twists until you find one twist that works with your bullet choice. The range of values for the stability factor, s, for hunting accuracy is usually:
1.3 ≤ s ≤ 3.0
Optimal accuracy twist is generally thought to be one that produces s=1.4 to s=1.5 for benchrest shooting, with values as high as 1.7 doing very well. The actual upper value is limited mostly by how symmetrical the bullet is? Spinning too fast makes an asymmetrical bullet wobble in flight. Many match bullets are so well-made they often still do quite well with even higher numbers, as happens with .308 match bullets in 10" twist barrels.
The calculated values of s apply to specified temperature and velocity and air pressure conditions. The way I use the calculator is to plug in the bullet length and weight and diameter, then the lowest temperature and highest barometric pressure combination I expect to use the gun and bullet in. I then tweak twist rate to give me s=1.3, if it is for hunting, or s=1.4 if it is match conditions. I then check that at the highest temperature and lowest barometric pressure I will use it in does not see it exceed s=1.7 for match shooting, and 3.0 for hunting.
For example:
Suppose I want to be able to hunt down to 0°F and 31 inches mercury barometric pressure, as might happen if a high pressure region blows in around me at sea level. I choose the .224" 62 grain Barnes Triple Shock. This bullet is 0.942" long in the length tables at JBM. Plugging those conditions into the calculator, and assuming a velocity of about 3200 fps at that temperature, it looks like a minimum twist for s=1.3 is barely over 8.5". If I increase the temperature and the velocity to 90³F and 3500 fps and drop the barometric pressure to 18.5 in Hg, as might occur when a low passes through while I am at 10,000 feet altitude, then s = 2.338. This is all fine fine for hunting accuracy, and the reality is that I am unlikely to spend much time at either condition extreme, so I have the bases covered.
And that 8.5" twist is slower than lots of barrels used with heavier match bullets in AR's. It isn't a bad number to have. Even though most of those bullets will be a bit overstabilized, match bullets are such good quality these days they will still run well in it.
Pick the bullet you want to shoot, then order the barrel with the right twist for it.
Use the stability calculator available online at the JBM calculators. Plug in twists until you find one twist that works with your bullet choice. The range of values for the stability factor, s, for hunting accuracy is usually:
1.3 ≤ s ≤ 3.0
Optimal accuracy twist is generally thought to be one that produces s=1.4 to s=1.5 for benchrest shooting, with values as high as 1.7 doing very well. The actual upper value is limited mostly by how symmetrical the bullet is? Spinning too fast makes an asymmetrical bullet wobble in flight. Many match bullets are so well-made they often still do quite well with even higher numbers, as happens with .308 match bullets in 10" twist barrels.
The calculated values of s apply to specified temperature and velocity and air pressure conditions. The way I use the calculator is to plug in the bullet length and weight and diameter, then the lowest temperature and highest barometric pressure combination I expect to use the gun and bullet in. I then tweak twist rate to give me s=1.3, if it is for hunting, or s=1.4 if it is match conditions. I then check that at the highest temperature and lowest barometric pressure I will use it in does not see it exceed s=1.7 for match shooting, and 3.0 for hunting.
For example:
Suppose I want to be able to hunt down to 0°F and 31 inches mercury barometric pressure, as might happen if a high pressure region blows in around me at sea level. I choose the .224" 62 grain Barnes Triple Shock. This bullet is 0.942" long in the length tables at JBM. Plugging those conditions into the calculator, and assuming a velocity of about 3200 fps at that temperature, it looks like a minimum twist for s=1.3 is barely over 8.5". If I increase the temperature and the velocity to 90³F and 3500 fps and drop the barometric pressure to 18.5 in Hg, as might occur when a low passes through while I am at 10,000 feet altitude, then s = 2.338. This is all fine fine for hunting accuracy, and the reality is that I am unlikely to spend much time at either condition extreme, so I have the bases covered.
And that 8.5" twist is slower than lots of barrels used with heavier match bullets in AR's. It isn't a bad number to have. Even though most of those bullets will be a bit overstabilized, match bullets are such good quality these days they will still run well in it.
here's a 3 shot group from my model 700 in 300 ultra shooting the 168gr. ttsx (1/2" squares)
i tried this load in three different rifles and they all group sub 3/4 moa... always.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
i tried this load in three different rifles and they all group sub 3/4 moa... always.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
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Take A Gander
lazydog....... Take a look at the "Ballistics---Internal & External" threads. Specifically the Thread started by myself titled "My Swift". Read thru the posts by myself and others. My post #22 might be of interest to you. The Swift and the .22-250 are not that far apart in velocity and the twist rates are usually the same.
I believe the TSX line of Barnes to be a great medium sized game bullet at the higher velocities. -----pruhdlr
lazydog....... Take a look at the "Ballistics---Internal & External" threads. Specifically the Thread started by myself titled "My Swift". Read thru the posts by myself and others. My post #22 might be of interest to you. The Swift and the .22-250 are not that far apart in velocity and the twist rates are usually the same.
I believe the TSX line of Barnes to be a great medium sized game bullet at the higher velocities. -----pruhdlr
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49 Posts
I just plugged in some numbers for a .308 10". With bullets in the 110gr - 130gr range you get S values over 5.0. What message should I take from this for target shooting. I'm guessing at the bullet lengths as I can't find a chart anywhere. I plan on using Sierra, Hornady, and Speer.
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Take a Gander
Eddie, take a look at the JBM Calculations site. I believe they have a list of bullet lengths there.
To your question......I have had great results with the 130gr bullets outta my 1:10 twist Ruger. Have never tried the 110's. BTW,the 130's NOT pushed to the absolute max. ----pruhdlr
Edit to add ----> there is no such thing as "over stabilization".
Eddie, take a look at the JBM Calculations site. I believe they have a list of bullet lengths there.
To your question......I have had great results with the 130gr bullets outta my 1:10 twist Ruger. Have never tried the 110's. BTW,the 130's NOT pushed to the absolute max. ----pruhdlr
Edit to add ----> there is no such thing as "over stabilization".
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1,909 Posts
My 223 shoots a Barnes triple shock with precision. My .300 mag not so well. I've tried quite a few bullets and weights and powders and on and on with the .300 and can't get an acceptable group. With lead bullets, the same rifle can cloverleaf 3 shots at 100 yards. Go figure.
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49 Posts
pruhdlr
Thanks for the encouraging info. That's the bullet weight I was going to start with. Found the chart.
Thanks for the encouraging info. That's the bullet weight I was going to start with. Found the chart.
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