7mm Rem Mag Savage 114 and TTSX Bullets

[Shadowstalker]

Has anyone used Barnes120g and 150g TTSX with H4831 thru a Savage 114. I'm having a similar problem and I was hoping to get some input

[Clark]

I went through a few boxes of triple shock Barnes bullets in a 7mmRM a couple years back.

I could not get great groups and I could not keep it from Copper fouling fast. Maybe I was pushing at too high a velocity. It was a premium barrel with factory lapped like a mirror look to it.

[AllenJ]

Not sure of what "similar problem" you are referring to? I've used .284 150 grain TTSX's in three different 7mm Rem Mags with good results using IMR4831. They also shoot well out of my 7WSM. They do copper foul the bore but nothing like the X Bullets did. I use a copper solvent about every 50 rounds or so.

[Shadowstalker]

Here's what I have:
-Newer Savage 114 with maybe 200 rds through it
-Brand New Federal Premium Brass, Winchester LRM primers, 67.0g H4831, Barnes 120 TTSX to a COAL 3.230 =/- .002 Books Maximums are 68.5g and 3.240 COAL

Past History
I started a load work up for the 150g about 2 yrs ago. I also found 2 sweet spots for a 120g that I noted and left to finish the 150g. I started at the beginning with once and twice fired brass and ultimately ended up having the same pressure problems that I'm having now with charges well below the max. During the last 1 1/2 yrs I sent the rifle into Savage twice to make sure it wasn't a headspace problem and after a blown primer broke the ejector pin. I got the rifle back late last year and its sat until a few days ago

So I draw my antelope Tag after 19 yrs and am going back to the 120g sweet spots (67.1 and 68.2) but this time with brand new brass to make sure it wasn't a primer pocket issue
I had 6 loads of 67.0, 67.1, 67.2, 68.1, 68.2, and 68.3 with book max being 68.5.

Fired 2 shots of Factory ammo to verify Zero with no problems
67.0g-I shoot all 4 rds of with no problems but certainly not the accuracy I had before
67.1g-I shoot 3 of the 4 and the 4th has a slight leakage on the primer pocket, with poor accuracy on all 4
67.2g- I shoot the first one and the primer leakage is more significant and I stop the test.
I shot 3 of the same factory ammo with no problems.
I notice two burn marks on the bolt head one very slight and one a bit more, one that created some pitting.
My question is it possible that some rifle won’t take anywhere close to max values???

This is all good quality newer equipment and components. I am meticulous when I load and not sloppy

[old roper]

Shadowstalker, Barnes has some loading data also they have a manual. this is from Barnes site on loading Tips

http://www.barnesbullets.com/informa...let-talk/tips/

[Brian Pfleuger]

Fired 2 shots of Factory ammo to verify Zero with no problems
67.0g-I shoot all 4 rds of with no problems but certainly not the accuracy I had before
67.1g-I shoot 3 of the 4 and the 4th has a slight leakage on the primer pocket, with poor accuracy on all 4
67.2g- I shoot the first one and the primer leakage is more significant and I stop the test.
I shot 3 of the same factory ammo with no problems.
I notice two burn marks on the bolt head one very slight and one a bit more, one that created some pitting.
My question is it possible that some rifle won’t take anywhere close to max values???

Barnes bullets are long for their weight and have an unusual shape too. Very often, OALs well within the SAAMI specification will have the Barnes bullets jammed in the rifling.


1)Your load of 67.0gr is only 1.0gr below Hodgdon max. That doesn't really qualify as "won’t take anywhere close to max values". That's why we do load work-ups, because not every gun will take max loads. If they did, you'd just start at max and be done. This is especially true with the bullet jammed in the rifling, which can increase pressures in the neighborhood of 15% for 60,000psi cartridges.

2)Charge increments of 0.1gr are not even in the resolution/repeatability of a scale. You can't really be sure that you're even increasing the charge from one to the next. At charges of 60gr, increments should be 0.4-0.6gr.

3)An increase of 0.1gr (even if real) could not possibly create enough of a pressure difference to go from no sign of trouble to blown primers. It's impossible.

[243winxb]

New Federal Premium Brass, Winchester LRM primers, change both of these. Soft brass & defective primers is my guess. http://s338.photobucket.com/user/joe...r%20Gas%20Leak

I notice two burn marks on the bolt head one very slight and one a bit more, one that created some pitting.
My question is it possible that some rifle won’t take anywhere close to max values???

Each rifle is different. When the 7mm Rem mag was new, the loading data was to hot for some rifles with small groove diameter barrels.

[old roper]

Hodgdon data for 7mag is with 120gr Hornady SP bullet.

Barnes data for 120gr TSX/TTSX bullet using H-4831sc start load is 66.5gr @ 3144fps and max 71gr @ 3332fps and they used Win case with Fed 215M primer.

Barnes data for their 150gr TSX/TTSX bullet using H-4831sc start load is 54gr @ 2662fps and max 61gr @ 2892fps and Hodgdon data is lot hotter powder and velocity. Brian is right on bullet length the 150gr TTSX is 1.433" long and pretty close to Nosler 7mm 150gr E-Tip 1.425" long and compare that to Berger 7mm 168gr VLD hunting bullet 1.445".

I start .050" off the lands with the Barnes and my start load I chronograph and most times I'm pretty close to Barnes data velocity.

[Shootin4fun]

Old thread but Shadowstalker, I'm wondering how it turned out for you. Your loads seem very hot to me at 67gr! I know they are not over Barnes MAX spec but I started low and stopped with 65.5 IMR 4138 giving average 3494fps! and very accurate. .5 MOA in 5 - 25 gusting winds @ 100 yards.