Reloading 30-06 w/ Barnes TTSX

JRDANIELS · July 8, 2009, 10:23 AM

Has anyone reloaded 30-06 with Barnes TTSX 180 gr. bullets? What are the results? I'm thinking about cooking up some 06 loads with the 180 gr. TTSX bullets. I want to get these loads to around 2800 fps if I can. Thanks

**Unclenick** · July 8, 2009, 10:59 AM

I have not tried those bullets myself, but they are long. Barnes recommends nothing slower than an 11" twist. My calculator shows that will be marginal at Std. Metro conditions, and they will be nearer to nominally stabilized with a 10" twist.

If you have that 10" twist, you should be able to get them to the Black Hills ammo velocity range. Black Hills claims 2700 fps for the 180 grain TSX from a 24" barrel. You will lose a little bit of powder room with the longer TTSX, but I would guess that with Reloader 17 in a bolt gun you could still match that or close to it.

You said you wanted to hit 2800 fps, but you didn't give your barrel length, so I don't know if that's feasible or not? In QuickLOAD, with a 24" tube, it just barely makes it with either RL-17 or Winchester 760 using a case with 70 grains fired water capacity. A compressed load of Ramshot Hunter can, too, it believes. YMMV, though.

JRDANIELS · July 8, 2009, 11:45 AM

Was going to try it out of a 22" barrel with 10" twist. I might have to drop down to the 165 gr. to get the velocity I want.

Qtiphky · July 8, 2009, 02:28 PM

I have used the bullets in both my 270 Win and 308 Win with great success. I shot the 150's in my 308 and the 130's in my 270. They are long bullets and you need to make sure that they fit in the magazine as well as the chamber. The first few I did didn't fith the chamber so I pulled them and seated them a little bit deeper and voila, they shot good groups out of my guns, had less recoil than factory loads, and wasted no time dropping deer. The accuracy wasn't benchrest competition caliber, but for hitting a white tail out to 300 it worked very well.

publius · July 8, 2009, 05:46 PM

I haven't used the 180's but have used the original 165gr. X bullet in a 30-06 extensively on whitetail. I can't think of a situation where I would need to go heavier with the long length and great penetration of barnes bullets. I'm actually thinking of going lighter with the next batch of loads. I'm usually a heavy-for-caliber guy, but the Barnes are longer so my BC and penetration should be fine.

Demaiter · July 8, 2009, 05:52 PM

2800 fps with a 22" 180 grain - I doubt that will happen. I've used 57.0 grains of IMR 4350 with 165 grainers and the max I've gotten with a 22" barrel is about 2840 fps.

I think 2700 is more of a reasonable goal using a 180 grain.

July 8, 2009, 10:23 AM	#1
JRDANIELS Member Join Date: July 3, 2009 Location: Wyoming Posts: 43	Reloading 30-06 w/ Barnes TTSX Has anyone reloaded 30-06 with Barnes TTSX 180 gr. bullets? What are the results? I'm thinking about cooking up some 06 loads with the 180 gr. TTSX bullets. I want to get these loads to around 2800 fps if I can. Thanks

July 8, 2009, 10:59 AM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	I have not tried those bullets myself, but they are long. Barnes recommends nothing slower than an 11" twist. My calculator shows that will be marginal at Std. Metro conditions, and they will be nearer to nominally stabilized with a 10" twist. If you have that 10" twist, you should be able to get them to the Black Hills ammo velocity range. Black Hills claims 2700 fps for the 180 grain TSX from a 24" barrel. You will lose a little bit of powder room with the longer TTSX, but I would guess that with Reloader 17 in a bolt gun you could still match that or close to it. You said you wanted to hit 2800 fps, but you didn't give your barrel length, so I don't know if that's feasible or not? In QuickLOAD, with a 24" tube, it just barely makes it with either RL-17 or Winchester 760 using a case with 70 grains fired water capacity. A compressed load of Ramshot Hunter can, too, it believes. YMMV, though. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; July 8, 2009 at 11:09 AM.

July 8, 2009, 02:28 PM	#4
Qtiphky Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2008 Location: Upper Michigan, above the Mackinac Bridge Posts: 568	.308 and .270 Yes I have used the bullets in both my 270 Win and 308 Win with great success. I shot the 150's in my 308 and the 130's in my 270. They are long bullets and you need to make sure that they fit in the magazine as well as the chamber. The first few I did didn't fith the chamber so I pulled them and seated them a little bit deeper and voila, they shot good groups out of my guns, had less recoil than factory loads, and wasted no time dropping deer. The accuracy wasn't benchrest competition caliber, but for hitting a white tail out to 300 it worked very well.

July 8, 2009, 05:46 PM	#5
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	I haven't used the 180's but have used the original 165gr. X bullet in a 30-06 extensively on whitetail. I can't think of a situation where I would need to go heavier with the long length and great penetration of barnes bullets. I'm actually thinking of going lighter with the next batch of loads. I'm usually a heavy-for-caliber guy, but the Barnes are longer so my BC and penetration should be fine. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

July 8, 2009, 11:45 AM	#3
JRDANIELS Member Join Date: July 3, 2009 Location: Wyoming Posts: 43	Was going to try it out of a 22" barrel with 10" twist. I might have to drop down to the 165 gr. to get the velocity I want.

July 8, 2009, 05:52 PM	#6
Demaiter Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2008 Posts: 242	2800 fps with a 22" 180 grain - I doubt that will happen. I've used 57.0 grains of IMR 4350 with 165 grainers and the max I've gotten with a 22" barrel is about 2840 fps. I think 2700 is more of a reasonable goal using a 180 grain.