Barnes 115 gr TAC-TX Gel results

[rickOshay]

Finally emerged from COVID-19 cave to test the Barnes 115 gr TAC-TX in gels

Here are the initial results:


On left, recovered from gel after impact at 1660 fps and 30" of penetration.
On right, impact at 1940 fps and 22.5" penetration. Diameter of expanded petals was 0.51".

I did not recover two shots at 1790 and 1763 fps impacts. Because of the length of penetration, and small cavity, I am concluding that they did not open up significantly.

It looks like these will begin to open in the 1800 - 1900 range. A significantly lower threshold than the TTSX.

I will load these up again and target the 1850 -1900 fps range to see if I can zero in this.

[D.Davis]

rick, what powder/charge are you using?

[A5BLASTER]

Not good. Barnes says these should expand at 1600 fps.

[tdbru]

hmmm...... quite a limited use then for the 6.5 Grendel. narrow velocity window. i guess if we can get within 100 yards or so of what we're hunting, this would work. i know that it is a pretty limited sample size, but if the advertising says 1600 fps and it's barely opening up at 1940fps, and at 1660 fps only loses the tip, then the range window is quite a bit more limited than if it really did expand at 1600 fps impact speed. thanks RickOShay for doing this.
-tdbru

[rickOshay]

rick, what powder/charge are you using?

I use H335 and charges are around 20 to 22gr to get these velocities with 115gr LFP.

[rickOshay]

Not good. Barnes says these should expand at 1600 fps.

I have not seen the details of their gel testing. Mine are done into bare gel. No initial barrier (cloth, skin, etc).

I am using PermaGel, not gelatin.

[A5BLASTER]

I have not seen the details of their gel testing. Mine are done into bare gel. No initial barrier (cloth, skin, etc).

I am using PermaGel, not gelatin.

Not sure how they tested it. When I called and asked them the tech told me 1600 fps min.

But ofcourse that what they say could be more advertising then testing.

Like all lfp's you slam it into bone it's going to expand. I was just hoping to see more expansion at 1600 fps. In media like your testing in.

I will probably still try some but I like cns shots so my shots will be hitting bone for sure.

[rickOshay]

hmmm...... quite a limited use then for the 6.5 Grendel. narrow velocity window. i guess if we can get within 100 yards or so of what we're hunting, this would work. i know that it is a pretty limited sample size, but if the advertising says 1600 fps and it's barely opening up at 1940fps, and at 1660 fps only loses the tip, then the range window is quite a bit more limited than if it really did expand at 1600 fps impact speed. thanks RickOShay for doing this.
-tdbru

Assuming you can get 2600fps at the muzzle, you should get about 300 yds range where it opens up enough to produce a decent would cavity. I didn’t upload the gel picture, but it shows a nice cavity at 1940fps. The lower velocities just left a .264 diameter hole straight through.

[rickOshay]

I will probably still try some but I like cns shots so my shots will be hitting bone for sure.

I’m just glad to see these opening up better than the TTSX. And a nice compromise on weight/length.

[A5BLASTER]

I’m just glad to see these opening up better than the TTSX. And a nice compromise on weight/length.

Agreed. Always nice to have more options. When I get around to trying them it will be in my 12 and 12.5 grendels.

[rickOshay]

hmmm...... it's barely opening up at 1940fps, …….. -tdbru

Just wanted to point out that 0.51 diameter is more than just barely opening. The fully mushroomed SST that was shot at the same time was 0.54" diameter.

In Chapter 6 of Volume 2 of the Reloading Handbook, we saw fully opened TTSX impacting at 2700 fps only getting to .53"

So, you might say that 0.51" diameter opening of this TAC-TX is about 90% of max.

[A5BLASTER]

Just wanted to point out that 0.51 diameter is more than just barely opening. The fully mushroomed SST that was shot at the same time was 0.54" diameter.

In Chapter 6 of Volume 2 of the Reloading Handbook, we saw fully opened TTSX impacting at 2700 fps only getting to .53"

So, you might say that 0.51" diameter opening of this TAC-TX is about 90% of max.

Agreed. .51 is almost 2 times caliber diameter, so that's solid expansion and it is lower then the ttsx.

[White Smoke]

Hey Rick, have you tried CFE or 8208 with that bullet? What kind of grouping are you getting with the H335?

[rickOshay]

Hey Rick, have you tried CFE or 8208 with that bullet? What kind of grouping are you getting with the H335?

I haven’t done load dev or shot them farther than 10 feet. I plan on using CFE when I do development in the next couple of weeks. Will post here or in the LFP thread.

[White Smoke]

I have to throw a new 6.5 barrel on my AR. The old one just wasn't consistently accurate. It would shoot a half-inch group and then turn around the next day and shoot a 3"+ group with the same load. I did EVERYTHING to find out what the problem was. Nothing worked, so I'm putting a new Odin Works 18" barrel on it. Will be going to the range next Wednesday with four ladders for the 90 grain Speer TNT using CFE, 8208, H335 and Reloder 10x and two ladders for the Hornady 95 grain V-max using CFE and 8208. Once I get one of those bullets to fly, I'll work on the 115 TAC-TX.

[grayfox]

Finally emerged from COVID-19 cave to test the Barnes 115 gr TAC-TX in gels

Here are the initial results:


On left, recovered from gel after impact at 1660 fps and 30" of penetration.
On right, impact at 1940 fps and 22.5" penetration. Diameter of expanded petals was 0.51".

I did not recover two shots at 1790 and 1763 fps impacts. Because of the length of penetration, and small cavity, I am concluding that they did not open up significantly.

It looks like these will begin to open in the 1800 - 1900 range. A significantly lower threshold than the TTSX.

I will load these up again and target the 1850 -1900 fps range to see if I can zero in this.

I think for the 100 ttsx Barnes said it's supposed to open down to 1800, the poly-tip being different than older ones or something. If that's true then this Tac-tx looks to be in about the same ballpark... my planning for my 100 ttsx's is to allow down to 2100's so the opening will be "enough" not just a shed tip... just sayin'. Keeps the ft-lb's above 1000 also.

[Happy2Shoot]

Not sure how they tested it. When I called and asked them the tech told me 1600 fps min.

But ofcourse that what they say could be more advertising then testing.

Like all lfp's you slam it into bone it's going to expand. I was just hoping to see more expansion at 1600 fps. In media like your testing in.

I will probably still try some but I like cns shots so my shots will be hitting bone for sure.

They use a giant 3 story water barrel. They have a youtube channel.

[White Smoke]

The new Odin Works barrel did it! I shot four ladders with the Speer 90 grain TNT using CFE223, IMR8208, Reloder 10x and H335 and two ladders with the Hornady 95 grain V-max using CFE223 and IMR8208. There were more sub-MOA groups than there were groups over an inch and four right at or under 1/2". I wound up with two great loads for each bullet. Now to do some final testing and chronograph each load before making the final decision of what powder to shoot for each bullet. For the 90 grain TNT, 32.0 grains of H335 gave a 0.51" group and 31.5 grains of CFE223 gave a 0.61" group. For the 95 grain V-max, 31.0 grains of IMR8208 gave a 0.47" group and 30.0 grains of CFE223 gave a 0.49" group. Once I finalize these loads, I'll load up some of the Barnes 115 grain TAC-TX's. The Speer 90 TNT is on the left and the Hornady 90 V-max is on the right.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]16141[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16142[/ATTACH]

[sneaky one]

Hey gang, I too just stepped out from the cave. What I have found with LFP 's is - lighter is best for speeds and opening up- for more damage on game- terminal performance.

I bagged a 290 lb class whitetail in 2015, 77 gr. GMX-close to 3000 fps-21 yds. 26" of penetration thru the body-mostly spinal column.

Maybe a 105 TTSX would be best. I sent a few GMX out in 105 trim , with good feedback. Ask Ricsmall., and buckworkman

W smoke- good shooting!

[White Smoke]

I got some more primers, powder and a box of the 115 TAC-TX's today. I have two ladders already built for the 115's using CFE223 and IMR8208 and two confirming loads of 5 each of the Speer 90 TNT's using CFE and H335, which were the two most accurate powders for the TNT bullet. I'm out of the Hornady 95 V-max's, so those confirming loads will have to wait. Range day will probably be Tuesday.