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Anyone using the Barnes TSX in their 30-30?

18K views 28 replies 20 participants last post by  quiet22 
#1 ·
I've tried shooting some of the barnes 150gr tripple shock factory loads in my 336W and never got good groups with it.

Do any of you shoot this bullet with handloads? If so what is your powder of choice?
 
#3 ·
Re: Anyone using the Barns TSX in their 30-30?

I've shot both the old 30-30 X bullet and the new 30-30 TSX bullet. I will have to get my notes out and look at them for velocity numbers. I recall using TAC and one other powder. Accuracy was good with both bullets...on the order of 2" at 100 yds with a scope ad shaky bench.

Kevin
 
#8 ·
I am interested in the Barnes offering not because of any potential accuracy increase but for not having the lead "spray" in any meat animals harvested. The bullets have a max of 5 pieces if they fail or over driven and all the petals or base is copper. Better, IMHO, than a nice dusting of the gut/G.I. system in lead particles... I am worth the price. At $35 per 50 they are $.70 apiece, not enough to quibble over as I ain't blasting boxes and boxes of them...

While Marlins often shoot well to really well, they are hunting rifles. Still they are more accurate than I am unless I have a nice rest.

Be safe
Patty
 
#9 ·
achildofthesky
Sounds like you've bought into the junk science? Please tell me do you know of anyone that has died from lead poisoning eating game animals shot with lead? I've been doing it all my life- had my lead levels checked cause I cast my own bullets- my level is no different then someone who doesn't get anywhere near lead! So like I said lead bullets are no danger to you or the Condors of Komifornia!!! ::)
 
#11 ·
I use the Barnes because of Emperor Arnold. I'd rather cast and still do but for hunting in the primo areas lead is banned for now here in California. Hopefully we get a Governor who will change the law.
Commiefornia? Lotsa Luck on that. Gad, it seems not a day goes by that I don't find yet another reason to be thankful that I don't live there.

I kinda figured that's why the interest in the Barnes all copper stuff. It wouldn't surprise me if the current leftist Fed admin tries to cram that crap down all of our throats.

Not that the Barnes all copper stuff is bad, because field reports show that it isn't. It is just that it is pretty darned expensive, it isn't a whole lot more effective than other premium bullets, and the nominal reasoning for mandating it is based on phony science.

So no, I haven't tried any of it. And I really don't have any plans to, unless the Feds cram it down our throats.
 
#12 ·
GUNNUT:

I revised my opinions about the worth of Barnes type bullets not because animals getting poisioned but me. The flouroscope shots of the dusting of lead throughout an animal well beyond the wound tract will see me switching to solid copper bullets. I don't do it to save my life but to potentially my mind from the effects of high levels of lead. My choice, my mind, my $$$.. I won't belittle anyone for doing otherwise. Casting and particulate ingestion are not really the same thing. You likely cast in an area with adequate ventilation (I hope so anyway) given your lead test levels aren't high. Eating meat with the not visibly detectable particles is something I am not going to do any more.... Also, not having health insurance means minimizing the need to visit the Dr.

My Mom is showing signs of "oldtimers" disease and anything I can do to potentially have stave off something like that is worth it to me.

Be safe

Patty
 
#19 ·
People have been eating game killed with lead for a very very very very longtime....and none of them became mutated retards. You should be more concerned what that animal ate and drank then lead spray away from the wound channel. Heck it could be drinking every day from a pond contaminated with all kinds of good stuff.... lol Have you tried getting your meat at the grocery store? Everyone has to die of something some day.
 
#13 ·
Patty, I agree with everything you said, about choice. I just want more choice for myself. I load the Barnes bullets in 3 calibers, and cast for all three. I use the cast for sight work, and practice then use the Barnes for hunting. I just want the opportunity to make my own decisions as an Adult. I respect your choice. :)
 
#14 ·
Patty, I agree with everything you said, about choice. I just want more choice for myself. ... I just want the opportunity to make my own decisions as an Adult. I respect your choice.
I completely agree with 3030man here. If you prefer to use the Barnes bullet, for whatever reason, that's your business, more power to ya'. What I object to is Big Brother cramming it down my throat, especially based on junk science with a thinly veiled political agenda/vendetta as a motive.
 
#16 ·
I think the trick to getting good accuracy with Barnes bullets is finding the optimum seating depth of the bullet. Barnes recommends from 0.030" to 0.070" from the lands of the rifling. Doing so requires some experiementation and therefore some expense.

My best accuracy potential has been with TAC, but the accuracy is still not acceptable to me for hunting. Am now experimenting with different seating depths, but if I can't achieve better accuracy before the bullets run out, I may not buy anymore. Not sure I can justify the expense. Or I may not resume experimentation until I have saved enough money from spare change to buy another box. That could take a while.

If I find a load and seating COL that is accurate, I'll share, but that doesn't mean it will be accurate in your rifle.

Jeff
 
#17 ·
I just worked up a load out of my 30-30 Ackley Improved ( which holds about 2 more grains of powder) I used R15, ended up choosing the 36 gr. load. I did seat it to 2.55 and crimped it hard with the Lee Factory crimp die. A good crimp makes sure it gets good ignition, and I got less than 1.5" with scope at 100yds. Now, again, you cannot use my load of 36 grains in a standard 30-30, so DON'T! ha.
But I find R15 to be a great powder. I have shot game with other Barnes X bullets in .35 Whelen Improved, .300 winmag, .340 Weatherby, .257 Weatherby, and the 6x47mm. They are worth a dollar a bullet on game. If deer is biggest you take, you may not realize any benefit from using TSX. If hogs/bear/elk,really big deer are your meat, they are awesome!
 
#18 ·
A few things I am learning about the Barnes bullets, are the seating depth of. 050 or more off the lands, tight neck tensipj or crimp, and they seem to prefer hot (as in max or near max ) loads. I believe it has to do with the all copper bullets not "bumping" up like their lead breathern will do. What powder does the Barnes manual show as being their most accurate?

As for using the TSX over other bullets, who cares why? If thats what someone wants to use so be it.

And as for living here vs other places, maybe we can swap pictures of mid winter sometime...it was 70deg here today, and i finished up mowing my 3 Acres, in my T shirt! Thought about using sun screen but decided not to. Tomorrow will get the boat out and make sure the motor is running good, might go fishing Monday
 
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#24 ·
As to the lead particulate issue. The MNDNR published their study a few years ago after a North Dakota technician mentioned the contamination of lead in deer whcih caused many pounds of donated venison to get pulled off of food shelves. Some of those that did not really like venison donated and many donated shot up game. The study used a 308 and was tested with a variety of bullets and their proposed expansion rates. One interesting find was that solid lead shotgun Foster slugs contaminated very little. Also based on their study I doubt if any 30-30 bullet would be harmful as those bullets that contaminated the most were the higher velocity rapid expanding bullets. MN recommends use of "controlled' expanding bullets or non lead bullets if that is a worry. Most 30-30 bullets do not fragment all that much. Also one needs to cut out the blood shot area of the wound. A hit through the lungs is not going to contaminate the round steaks.
I have mentioned before that I sold my 270 and don't miss it because of the way it shot up deer at close range. I still like the slower bullets like the 30-30 and the 35 Remington. Mostly because I process my own venison. As I have been eating venison for about 50 years as well as game birds and spit out a lot of shot, I do not get too excited about the issue. Steel shot in waterfowl will darn near break your teeth.

DEP
 
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