100g TTSX and CFE223

[JDR01]

My first post here. Been reading and searching for awhile. I am looking to load 100 grain Barnes TTSX and CFE223 into hornady brass. I have these components already and would like to know if anyone has been using this combo.
If someone could please share their info. it would be great.
Thanks

[cory]

There has been some reports here of CFE not working well with the lighter projectiles <107gr. However, I don't remember any of those reports involving the 100gr TTSX. It may react differently being a solid copper projectile.

I use 8208 with the lighter projectiles to include the TTSX. I use 30gr for the TTSX where I get 2830 fps from my 24" barrel.

[JDR01]

Thanks. Good to know. Was looking to avoid getting another type powder but it may be unavoidable.

[cory]

If you've got a steady supply of CFE I'd give it a try (great stuff), just be careful, start low and work up in .3gr increments. And watch your velocities and brass for signs of pressure.

If you don't have the Grendel reloading handbook I'd pick one up.

[LRRPF52]

The main powders I would look at are H335, AA 2460, 8208 XBR, and TAC for that bullet.

[NugginFutz]

If you've got a steady supply of CFE I'd give it a try (great stuff), just be careful, start low and work up in .3gr increments. And watch your velocities and brass for signs of pressure.

If you don't have the Grendel reloading handbook I'd pick one up.

There is an excellent chapter in the book regarding detecting abnormal pressures. In addition to that, here is a picture from AR15Barrels.com, which show some case heads with various pressure indications.



A picture, as they say, is worth at least the thousand or so words I've read on this board regarding high pressure indications.

[gregh]

There is an excellent chapter in the book regarding detecting abnormal pressures. In addition to that, here is a picture from AR15Barrels.com, which show some case heads with various pressure indications.



A picture, as they say, is worth at least the thousand or so words I've read on this board regarding high pressure indications.

One thing I see as a little sobering is that the primers don't look as the classic "high pressure" situation primer. Those don't look that bad to me, as least as flatness goes! Or am I wrong??
Greg

[mseric]

There is an excellent chapter in the book regarding detecting abnormal pressures. In addition to that, here is a picture from AR15Barrels.com, which show some case heads with various pressure indications.



A picture, as they say, is worth at least the thousand or so words I've read on this board regarding high pressure indications.

The photo shows signs that are not always related to pressure. Other factors can cause similar "signs" and not be over pressure. If you do saee these signs and they are indeed pressure related you are well above the 50K psi the Grendel runs at. More like 70K.

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/8720/case-head-swipe/

[NugginFutz]

The photo shows signs that are not always related to pressure. Other factors can cause similar "signs" and not be over pressure. If you do saee these signs and they are indeed pressure related you are well above the 50K psi the Grendel runs at. More like 70K.

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/i...se-head-swipe/

While I agree with you, this series of examples provides other visual cues, besides flattened primers. In the last week, alone, I've read several opinions on how little information a flattened primer provides. With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to present other "bad things" to keep an eye out for.
After all, if flattening primers are to be considered something that goes with the "Grendel Territory", what does that leave, except for the other, more advanced symptoms of over pressure?

[LRRPF52]

There's a good discussion of this in the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbook, with a chapter dedicated to it (Chapter IV, starting on page 12). My number one diagnostic tool for detecting excessive pressure is....

The chronograph, and a trendline established with a particular case, powder, primer, and bullet loading with start loads up to where I determine the max is.

The most important indicator to me is when I see an erratic departure from the velocity trend line, while using published industry data as a framework for the ballpark I expect to be in. What do I mean by the trend line?

___ grs = +/- ____fps (average) increase

With the Grendel, I normally see these small increases in charge weight equal anywhere from 12-35fps. With .4grs of powder, it will be up to 35fps, but some fast powders have shown the same increases using only .2gr (Ramshot TAC, for example). The moment I see a small charge weight increase yield noticeably more velocity than the trendline, I take notice, and will stop at that point, because now we went from a predictable trend line, to a spike. I don't like the feeling of "What comes next if I pull the trigger?" when developing a load.

The next thing I look at is the brass diameter just above the extractor groove. There's a great illustration of this in the respective chapter in the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbook. Basically, we're looking at the strongest point of the brass case, where the most mass is present. We measure all our cases before we begin shooting. The Grendel should be .441" - .443" at this point, with the calipers. After each shot, I look at the chronograph display, record the data, determine the velocity increase in fps, THEN I start looking at brass. If there is any noticeable expansion of the case at that location, we have problems. If you aren't sure where to measure, study the diagram on page 13.

Then I look at the primer condition, presence of brass flow into the ejector, and general condition of the case head. If I find that I'm well above book value for max, with no detectable excessive pressure signs, that doesn't mean I haven't exceeded the AR15/Grendel limitations, but that the cases are fine with that load. The Grendel case will take way more pressure than the AR15/Grendel combo will, so consider that there is about 10,000-12,000 psi of room for the Grendel case above what's durable in the AR15, and the first thing to go will be one of the bolt lugs adjacent to the extractor.

[rasp65]

Here is another little tidbit about flat primers. When the firing pin hits the primer the shoulder of the case gets pushed up against the front of the chamber before the primer ignites. As the pressure builds the primer backs out and makes contact with the face of the bolt before the case head. So the flat primers can also tell you that the primer pockets are too loose or the case is too short for the chamber(excessive headspace).

[mseric]

The next thing I look at is the brass diameter just above the extractor groove. There's a great illustration of this in the respective chapter in the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbook. Basically, we're looking at the strongest point of the brass case, where the most mass is present. We measure all our cases before we begin shooting. The Grendel should be .441" - .443" at this point, with the calipers. After each shot, I look at the chronograph display, record the data, determine the velocity increase in fps, THEN I start looking at brass. If there is any noticeable expansion of the case at that location, we have problems. If you aren't sure where to measure, study the diagram on page 13.

.

http://www.shootingsoftware.com/ftp/dbramwell%20july%2019%2004.pdf

[LRRPF52]

As the title of the article suggests, both the PRE and CHE methods should be retired,
and “Rest In Peace”.

http://www.shootingsoftware.com/ftp/...%2019%2004.pdf

Thanks for that article. It led me to start looking at strain gauges, which have less random error.

[ChellieWiles]

My first post here. Been reading and searching for awhile. I am looking to load 100 grain Barnes TTSX and CFE223 into hornady brass. I have these components already and would like to know if anyone has been using this combo.
If someone could please share their info. it would be great.
Thanks

I've went all the way up to 33.8grains of CFE223 with the 100 TTSX in lapua brass. held up pretty well, good accuracy, velocity at 2850-2875fps. start at 30 grains or so and work up in .5grain increments to find your brass's over manipulation threshold and then back off .10 - .25 grains for your hunting load. a small strike on your brass from the extractor isn't a big deal and neither is a flattened primer (cratering is a problem and do NOT continue shooting rounds displaying cratering to the primer) if you have hand loaded all your rounds to those exact tolerances. working with threshold loads needs to be kept to very strict tolerances and shouldn't be fired off like a maniac either.

[cory]

I've went all the way up to 33.8grains of CFE223 with the 100 TTSX in lapua brass. held up pretty well, good accuracy, velocity at 2850-2875fps. start at 30 grains or so and work up in .5grain increments to find your brass's over manipulation threshold and then back off .10 - .25 grains for your hunting load. a small strike on your brass from the extractor isn't a big deal and neither is a flattened primer (cratering is a problem and do NOT continue shooting rounds displaying cratering to the primer) if you have hand loaded all your rounds to those exact tolerances. working with threshold loads needs to be kept to very strict tolerances and shouldn't be fired off like a maniac either.

What's your barrel length?