My New Hunting Load! Barnes 100gr X

[JFettig]

If you read the "Favorite bullet for supersonic hunting? " thread, cav_scout_tj pointed out the barnes 100gr X bullets for 30 carbine. I picked up a box of these, due to the large tip I didn't think they'd feed real well so I turned some delrin tips and an insertion tool. I've turned about 10 tips now, shot a few to work up the load then one into water.
This is what the cavity of this bullet looks like:


Heres a pic of the results!


I filled up a 1 gallon ice cream pail full of water then set a full 1gal milk jug behind it(all I could find to sacrafice) then shot through those into my gravel backstop. The water from the ice cream pail shot up at least 12-15 feet! It went through both and into the backstop about 3-4". When searching for the bullet I was getting wet because the tree above me was all wet.
It opened fully, final diameter of .540".

My load development was a little dissapointing, if you look at that flatened out primer, those are mil-spec CCI #41 primers and they are flat! I only got it up to 2150fps. 18.2gr H110. These are loaded just off the lands and the final OAL is still only 2.05". I haven't shot for SD, ES, or accuracy yet. I'll load a few samples and take them to the range sometime soon.

Jon

[kurtz]

that is AWSOME

are you going to make the tips and insertion tool available?????

that bronze sunflower is AWSOME !!!!!!!!

[JFettig]

The insersion tool I made is super simple to make, the main thing is not to push on the end of the tip. I used a #0 center drill as deep as it would go, then opened up the end with a .09" drill so it pushes farther down on the tip.

If theres a real interest in these, I can do them. The tips are super easy to insert, I put a step on the shank so that by hand they can be put in straight, then I use my drill press as an arbor press(low pressure) to insert them the rest of the way just by chucking up the tool and setting the bullet on the table.

I ran out of the delrin I had on hand, Amasingly i had exactly enough material to make all 50 tips and 2 throwaway setup tips.

Jon

[cav_scout_tj]

Those look great. Nice mushroom. How much does he tip add to bullet weight? 5grains?

These are the original X-bullet style, no rings like the tripple-X.

I believe Barnes says optimum is like 0.05" off the lands to start and best results between 0.03" and 0.07" for all X bullets

Please keep us posted on this little mushroom machine.

[JFettig]

I just weighed one bullet, it weighs 101.1gr, so the tip adds about 1 grain.

The first shot I took was .02" off the lands, I backed them off to about .05".

I'm a little dissapointed that I couldn't get a little more velocity out of them, any recomendations for powder? I've only tried H110. I have AA#9 but its much hotter, would a slower powder be better? The primer is flatter than normal but it doesn't seem to cycle the action quite as hard as my 125gr TNTs at 2000fps.

Jon

[Pitt300]

What is your barrel length/manufacturer?
Using .223 or .221 cases?
I get about 2100 fps w/17.7g H110 & 125g Sierras out of my 16" M1S.
@18.4g of H110 I got 2184 + HIGH pressure signs.
I have some .308 110g M1 carbine bullets i'll try to load for velocity comparison.

[JFettig]

My barrel is an 8 groove shilen, tp555 did the machining on it. I think he used a clymer reamer. Its a 10.5" barrel, two pictures of the gun are in the gallery.

I use LC .223 cases, I've shot probably 500 rounds through this now using the same brass.

I'm still considering using some 125TNT bullets for hunting I'll test those next to these when I get some milk jugs lined up.

I checked the max oal by dropping a bullet in the chamber with a rod in both ends, mark the rod then chamber a round of known length and check the rod, there was about .02" when I did that but I've moved it back to about .05" now.

Jon

[Pitt300]

Sounds like you've got all the bases covered & I would think 2150 fps put of 10 1/2" barrel is excellent.

[cav_scout_tj]

Several people (320pf et al) have reported good results with Hodgdon Lil'Gun.

The sierra manual lists H110, W296 & VV N110 as the powders giving the best velocity with 110gr bullets (lightest in the manual). [Lil'Gun is not listed]

Sierra 300Whisper PDF

Since those copper bullets have a long bearing surface, not sure if they follow conventional wisdom.

[JFettig]

I finally got some more milk jugs saved up.
I lined up 7 milk jugs, put a round down range, the first two exploded violently, next one opened up nicely, fourth went right through and hit the fifth and put a good leak in it.
The bullet looks just like the one in the pictures above.

I also shot a 125gr Speer TNT @2000fps through the 3 jugs that were there(one that was leaking still held water good enough) The first one exploded violently, second opened up nicely and went into the third, leaving some pieces of jacket and lead and a disk of lead exited and ended up about 1/2" into the gravel backstop.

I don't think the remainder of the TNT that I found would weigh 100 grains, maybe 75.

I'm still planning on using the 100gr Barnes for deer in two weeks. The only thing I like the TNT for is a higher BC that will not loose its energy quite as fast and carry out a little farther.

Jon