So I think I seated my bullets too deep....

I have never loaded the Barnes 165 ttsx in my win mag before and I think I have made an error here, someone told me to seat to the first groove but that makes it awfully deep.

Does anyone else have a seating depth for this bullet?



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You didn't say what cartridge you are loading for or what rifle, but if you have the room in the magazine. you can start .10 off the lands. If not start at the maximum magazine length then work back in. Others will be along with additional comments.

Pictures always help so we can see what your doing and yes we need to know the cartridge.

I do not load for the 300 Win. mag, if that's what you are using, but I do load a lot of Barnes bullets and seat a lot of them at the top groove because that is where I get the best accuracy.

If you can start at magazine length and then work back for better accuracy that is how I would do it, being sure I wasn't to close or in the lands to start with.

Monos really do like a jump for accuracy and pressure issues. Barnes recommends .05 as a starting point.

Yes they are loaded right. Seat them so the top relief groove just shows. Yes that will be deep. Yes use max loads for better accuracy and terminal performance. Seating them deep also allow for hotter loads without pressure problems. Hotter loads tend to be more accurate also.
I spent 3 years sorting out how to load Barnes and load for 257R/25-06/257W/6.5X55/264mag/7mag/308w/30-06/300mag/338mag.

Look at any box of Barnes factory ammo and they will be loaded to the top relief groove and they will be accurate. I use to measure for OAL and such but now just do like the factory and get great accuracy.

Your bullet weight is great for the mag with Barnes. Be sure to super clean your barrel if you have shot regular jacketed bullets in it before the Barnes. That means no #9. I use wipe-out followed by Sweets7.62 or Barnes CR-10 then butches bore shine. Then shoot away unless you shoot more regular bullets then you need to repeat. I have a Tikka 7-08 with about 250 rounds of Barnes thru it without cleaning and it is still super accurate.

PS In 30cal I use 150gr TTSX

what is your COAL and what cartridge are we talking?

Thanks guys it was 300 win mag, oal was 3.300


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I worked with the TTSX in two different cartridges and I don't think it has so much to do with the relation of the position of the top groove to the case mouth that aids in accuracy, it's just that seating it there assures a long jump, which the TTSX really likes, at least in my experience. Seating the top groove flush, or slightly above the case mouth is a "one size fits all" place to start, that generally yields good accuracy. But tweaking them in/out will really dial them in...And yes, they will be deep. That's how I started with them, by seating the top edge of the top groove flush to the case mouth, and then going off the BTO measurement to adjust the depth.

But won’t that pretty much guarantee a compressed load with most powders?


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But won’t that pretty much guarantee a compressed load with most powders?

Maybe but do not be afraid to compress.

Nothing wrong with compressed loads. I use them all the time in quite a number of different cartridges.

mccraggen":2yfqcnfb said:

I have never loaded the Barnes 165 ttsx in my win mag before and I think I have made an error here, someone told me to seat to the first groove but that makes it awfully deep.

Does anyone else have a seating depth for this bullet?



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Click to expand...

Find the posted data for that bullet and whatever the caliber and follow it. You can't make a mistake that way. Those bullets are very long, take up more of the case volume and published data will reflect that in both the recommended OAL and the proper powder charge associated with it. Experimenting with longer and shorter OALs should only be done if you have the proper gauges and tools to determine what what not you should do. Guessing or assuming should be a non starter if ypu are concerned about safety, accuracy or reliability.

3 years of research and testing have shown me that they like jump and even lots of jump. Seated to the top relief groove is the best way for accuracy and also the way the Barnes factory ammo is done.

Just try it with a super clean bore and at max loading. I have also found the faster you push them the more accurate the are. It works!

+1 to that ^^^^. Not only do they like the speed, they hold up better then anything when pushed really fast.

Barnes states to start them at .050" jump, but I have shoot them almost at the lands and they shot well too!