Not about Noslers

Kodiak

Handloader
Oct 4, 2006
1,051
0
Have any of you tried the all copper Barnes bullets? Yes, I know this isn't about Noslers, but is the copper residue hard to remove? I've heard those bullets really leave a lot of it in the barrel.

Any experience, anyone?


Jim
 
Jim,

I've shot a lot of Barnes TSX bullets in a variety of calibres. They are no worse at depositing copper in a barrel than any other bullet. I also have used the Nosler E-Tip in several calibres. They work equally well. Both are good bullets.
 
DrMike":3c8m9qwq said:
Jim,

I've shot a lot of Barnes TSX bullets in a variety of calibres. They are no worse at depositing copper in a barrel than any other bullet. I also have used the Nosler E-Tip in several calibres. They work equally well. Both are good bullets.

I used the TSX and the older X bullet. Never a real problem. Seemed a little fussy, but everything I shot them at, died.. Just seemed like they lived a little longer that they should have.
 
Jim,

Butche's Bore Shine and Sweets 7.62 Copper Solvent is all you need.
Happy shooting. :mrgreen:

JD338
 
I've tried them in the X, XLC, TSX, and TTSX formats. I've had good accuracy from some loads, not so good with others. Nothing different than the Nosler or Hornady or Speer stuff I've tried over the years. I don't generally use them for two reasons. First, I've always managed to find more accurate loads with something else or just as accurate loads with something cheaper. I don't believe the monoliths are required for white-tails here in Alabama, for the most part, though I do use Nosler E-Tips in my 270Wby (primarily because they are more accurate in that rifle than the TTSX).

As for fouling, I've found the Barnes to foul more quickly than gilding metal (including the E-Tips, which foul like Partitions/Ballistic Tips in my observation). I've also found them to be more sensitive to fouling in terms of accuracy falling off more quickly. Overall, my experience demonstrated that if the bore is at all prone to fouling, the Barnes will foul it at about twice the rate of gilding metal. And accuracy will fall off a little earlier in the curve, comparitively, so I ended up with 12-14 shots between cleanings with the TTSX, where I can get 30-50 shots between cleanings with the E-Tip and maintain accuracy. That's just my experience, but it is consistent across a number of rifles. I don't have any issues with the Barnes, but I don't use them because I don't need to in most of my rifles (again, because I'm hunting white-tails) and I find them to foul faster and be more finicky than other bullets about fouling.

If you have a smooth barrel that doesn't foul quickly, they are not a bad bullet, overall, IMO. But most factory barrels are more prone to fouling, in my experience. As for getting the copper out after shooting, nothing beats BoreTech Eliminator. I've tried at least 20 different solvents now, compared to BTE. And none of them match it - even the ammonia-based cleaners can't.
 
Gentlemen, thank you.

A good cross-section of experienced reloaders/shooters.

I do have BTE and Butche's on hand, so IF I get to a point where I want to try some Barnes bullets, I'm ready. Currently, I'm well stocked with PTs and ABs in most calibers and wts. for my rifles.

Jim
 
Kodiak":16hhmvfz said:
Gentlemen, thank you.

A good cross-section of experienced reloaders/shooters.

I do have BTE and Butche's on hand, so IF I get to a point where I want to try some Barnes bullets, I'm ready. Currently, I'm well stocked with PTs and ABs in most calibers and wts. for my rifles.

Jim

Jim, what are you thinking of? Any particular ideas or just wondering?
 
Scotty,

I guess just curious, from reading an article in American Hunter magazine last month. It was written around the solid copper bullets now available to reloaders, and the Barnes products were amoung those tested. Great frontal expansion, if I might say so.

Many years ago I made-up my mind about my bullet of choice

Thats all,

Jim
 
Jim, E-Tips give me similar frontal expansion and excellent weight retention. Here is the 200 grain Trophy Copper recovered from my moose this fall. Expanded from 0.338 inches to 0.671 inches.

TrophyCopperfrommoose19992grains1.jpg


This is the 130 grain E-Tip recovered from my elk last fall. Expanded from 0.277 inches to 0.604 inches.

PA100270.jpg


It may not be better than a TSX, but it is as good as anything I've ever gotten using a TSX.
 
I have loaded and shot various Barnes homogeneous gliding metal bullets for probably 30 years? Most of the early monometal coated molybdenum bullets were not really very accurate and left a lot of molybdenum in my rifles barrels. This was a serious issue with rifle cleaning and storage. This coating issue continued until a few years ago when Barnes came out with the TSX type bullets, both plastic tipped and not plastic tipped.

The newer TSX bullets shoot pretty well in both my .340 and 7mm mag rifles. They are pretty musch as accurate as Partitions and do not seento leave excessive copper fouling in th barrel, even at 3200 fps in the .340 Weatherby. I still have some reservations about using these TSX bullets on elk however because they still do not expand well at lower than 2000 fps velocities.
 
I still have some reservations about using these TSX bullets on elk however because they still do not expand well at lower than 200 fps velocities.

If I found a bullet that expanded at 200 fps I'd buy as much as I could get my hands on.

My next question is what can I load it to on the top end, fps, before bullet performance starts to deteriorate?
 
As fast as your rifle will sling them. The higher the velocity, the more rapid and the greater potential expansion of the front body. Four thousand fps does not degrade the monolithics.
 
Vince this was a typo and I was sick. I coded and nearly died a few days after writing this. You knew what I meant anyway!
 
As long as we're discussing monolith construction and performance, I'll add for reference the pic I have of the 180gr E-Tip I recovered from a doe this past January. Shot was ~200yds, quartering toward me, so impact velocity was about 2800fps (MV=3200fps). Bullet entered left shoulder, striking significant bone (scapula and multiple ribs) and continued through the animal, diagonally, taking out both lungs and the liver, before running down the right side of her abdominal viscera, continuing through the right-hand portion of the pelvis/hip joint, and coming to rest just under the hide on the rearmost part of her right rear quarter. A simple slice with my knife and the bullet fell out into my hand. I cleaned it of the fat, blood, and other tissue, and weighed it. Recovered weight was 177.2gr, and that batch of E-Tips showed a weight range when new of 179.6-179.8gr (I weighed 15 or so of them, and the range was consistent enough I quit weighing after that). That's 98.6% weight retention, and over 99% bodyweight retention if you figure the plastic tip will always be lost and weighs half a grain or so. The doe dropped in her tracks, as did a buck I shot with the same load, but at 60yds, broadside. No tracking at all beyond walking up to where the deer was when I shot, on either animal.

_IGP2975_zps48abfb86.jpg
 
Oldtrader3":2f5plood said:
Vince this was a typo and I was sick. I coded and nearly died a few days after writing this. You knew what I meant anyway!

I did but I was hoping it wasn't a typo.

As for coding, I'm glad you're back! I was unaware of your medical situation, and if I was aware of it, had forgotten. It appears that you've been granted a second chance, so to speak. I'm happy for that as I'm sure I have a lot to learn from reading your forum post. My attempt at jocularity was perhaps not received in the manner intended but I assure you that no ill feelings, mockery, or slight was intended sir.

Take care, stay safe, and hunt hard!

Vince
 
The first X's (circa 1990) were bears on fouling. No so today.
 
No problem Vince, I have periods where my lungs interfere with my brain function. I try very hard to be lucid but sometimes illness betrays those efforts. Maybe I am a little too sensitive these lapses.
 
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