168 hunting vld on elk?

[wapiti25]

Toby, I see the flyer in your 3 shot group. Nice Oryx

 

[Toby Bradshaw]

I have never had or saw a rifle that would consistently shoot Barnes bullets good to 300 yds ( less than Moa for three shots).

I got a new lot of Barnes 85gr TSX (6mm) and so did a quick pressure test with Varget in my 6BR Stiller PredatorV -- 31.0, 31.3, 31.6, and 31.9gr. I was shooting at 200 yards off a bipod, Sightron 6.5-20x cranked all the way up. For the pressure test the bullets were seated 0.050 off the lands, since I have never found Barnes bullets to shoot well close to or into the lands. All of the loads had acceptable pressure, with just a slightly stiff bolt lift for the 31.9gr round.

The 31.3, 31.6, and 31.9gr loads made a nice group, with very little vertical between 31.6 and 31.9, so I did a seating depth test at 100 yards with 31.6gr Varget, going from 0.050 off the lands to just touching the lands in 0.007 increments (thank goodness for Skip's die shims!). For comparison, I shot the first and last groups with my "standard" accuracy load of 31.4gr Varget under a 95gr Berger VLD 0.005 into the lands, to be sure that barrel fouling and heat weren't affecting the seating depth test (they weren't -- both 3-shot groups with the VLDs were below 0.3'").

Two things are clear from this test -- even the worst groups are perfectly OK for a big game rifle (all sub-MOA), and at the proper seating depth (0.022 - 0.029 off) the Barnes bullets shoot quite well (below 0.5MOA), though not as well as the Bergers.

I really like the terminal performance of Barnes bullets, and the lack of lead spray in my game meat. In my experience, Barnes bullets can and do shoot well, but I've always had to keep them some distance off the lands (as Barnes recommends).

 

[nmkid]

I was fortunate to have lived in Wyo. for 16 years. At first I used Nosler Partitions but, I felt they caused to much meat damage. Then the Swift A-Frame bullet came out and I thought I would try them. Those bullets accounted for 10 elk with much less damage then a Partition. Never lost a single elk to that bullet. When hit, they either dropped in their tracks or within 5-10 yards. My last elk was a spike a at lasered 410 yards. We heard the bullet hit and the elk just stood there. Just as I was to send another it just fell over in it's tracks. Good enough for me.

 

[jsthntn247]

My advice on 7mm and Elk. Use a controlled expansion bullet, ie: Barnes Tipped Triple Shock, Swift Scirocco, Nosler Accubond, Nosler Partition, or Swift A-frame.
Nat Lambeth

What he said. I shot some deer at 7mm-08 velocities (2700) and the bullet hand grenaded out to 300 yards on 120lb does.