Reloading Questioin

[standman]

I'm looking at loading some 130gr Barnes XBT XLC bullets in my 270 and I'm looking for some load data for it using IMR and Accurate Powders. I was wondering if anybody had any info on this. Searched on the net and I cant find any data. I'm not really wanting to buy the Barnes Manual just so I can get this one load. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Brian

[.270]

i reload for a .270 a lot. but use mostly 140 gr. hornady boattails. loaded a bunch of 100 gr. for my kids to use for coues this year. use hodgdon and imr powders mostly. have used some hercules, but it doesn't work as well in my rifle. have one question, why barnes bullets? i tried em a little when they first got popular, still have some that i never loaded. had to load em so light because of the extra length and the pressure they build, that the balistics really stunk. i mean the bullets are alright and stuff. seem to shoot through everything. i prefer a bullet to wad up on the offside, under the skin. that way you know all the energy is expelled inside the animal. but i couldn't get within 200-300 fps of what i can with regular ol' lead bullets without blowing primers and swelling the heck out of the cases. there are a couple places you can get some good info on the net from homegrown reloaders. search on .270 reloading data or something similar. Lark.

[standman]

The only reason I was wanting to try them was because I was given 5 boxes of them. I thought since I have them I would give them a try.

 

Brian

[Benbrown]

The Barnes Manual No. 2 does not list loads for the coated (XLC) bullets. When I bought some a couple of years ago, I was given an insert with some suggested loads:

 

IMR 4350: Min. 54.0 gr. Velocity 2998 fps

Max. 58.0 gr. Velocity 3220 fps

 

RL 19: Min. 57.0 gr. Velocity 3042 fps

Max. 61.0 gr. Velocity 3255 fps

 

 

For the uncoated bullets, the manual lists the comparable powders at about 2.5 gr. (RL 19) or 3.0 (IMR 4350) less. It also lists AA 4350 loads from 52.0 gr. to a maximum of 56.0 gr. and AA 3100 from 54.0 gr. to 58.0 gr. Be sure and follow Barnes' advice relative to seating: .050 inches from the lands--any closer is likely to cause pressures to jump drastically.

 

If your rifle shoots them accurately, they are dynamite on game!

[standman]

Thanks for the info Ben.

 

Brian

[Guest Ernesto C]

Is Barness still sponsoring USO?? Does any body know??

 

Ernesto C

[.270]

make sure you do what benbrown says. seat em real deep. the all copper bullet is a lot longer than a copper jacket, lead bullet of the same weight and the extra bullet in the lands causes a lot of drag and increases pressure a bunch. copper doesn't weigh near what the same volume of lead does and to get a bullet of a desired weight, it has to be a lot longer. i shoot everything i own, with the bullet touching the lands so i can get as much powder as possible in the case and because it increases pressure, thus increasing velocity and it makes your gun a lot more accurate, because the bullet doesn't have to go looking for the lands, when it starts to move out of the case. when i tried the barnes bullets, the velocity was way off because i had to back off on the powder because of the extra length and barrel drag caused by it and seating them .050 deeper than what i was used to shooting ruined my group size. went from 1/2" groups to 2 and 3" groups, and at a lot less velocity. the reason barnes went to the coating was to try and decrease the pressure the long bullet caused, by slicking them up, so they could get some velocity out of em. they seem to have achieved that somewhat, but looking at the loads that benbrown listed, be real careful. if you use a rifle with real short throat, like rugers have, you can have a real mess. it won't blow up your gun. but you might stick a bolt or blow out a primer if you start out with a max load. even worse, you can pierce a primer and get a little chunk of it stuck in the firing pin. this is a real heartbreaker if you make it to the field and miss a big buck cuz your gun won't go bang. copper bullets are ok, but i'm too old to change and to used to shootin' real fast. just make real sure you're loading em correctly. Lark.