Barnes Match Burner bullets

[spudgun]

Looks like 0.070 shows promise. I would try a few around that point.

Yeah, it does look like a place to start out of all the others. Will also play with the powder weight up and down to see if I can get it to settle in better.

 

[divingin]

Did you clean the Amax copper fouling out of your bore before you shot the Barns????

I don't think it shouldn't matter. Match Burners are lead cored, gilding-metal jacketed, same as the AMAX's.

If they were monolithic copper or one of those variants, I'd agree.

 

[Chaotik]

I just saw this thread today... came back from our public 100 yard rifle range after shooting my new Savage Axis in 6.5 Creedmoor. I was using Barnes Match Burner 140grain bullets and the powder was H4350 (36gr up to 39gr in one grain increments) using Federal 210 primers. Jump for all shots was 0.050. 5 shot groups. Bullets were sorted using my BGC.

 

[spudgun]

I just saw this thread today... came back from our public 100 yard rifle range after shooting my new Savage Axis in 6.5 Creedmoor. I was using Barnes Match Burner 140grain bullets and the powder was H4350 (36gr up to 39gr in one grain increments) using Federal 210 primers. Jump for all shots was 0.050. 5 shot groups. Bullets were sorted using my BGC.

Good shooting. I used the same powder as you but my charge was 40.5 gr.
Maybe it would like a slower FPS. Do you know what the FPS was??

 

[Chaotik]

Good shooting. I used the same powder as you but my charge was 40.5 gr.
Maybe it would like a slower FPS. Do you know what the FPS was??

36gr H4350
2377
2355
2363
2356
2364
SD 8.7

37gr H4350
2437
2437
2433
2429
2415
SD 9.5

38gr H4350
2496
2491
2476
2494
2491
SD 7.8

39gr H4350
2545
2553
2557
2544
2550
SD 5.4

 

[spudgun]

36gr H4350
2377
2355
2363
2356
2364
SD 8.7

37gr H4350
2437
2437
2433
2429
2415
SD 9.5

38gr H4350
2496
2491
2476
2494
2491
SD 7.8

39gr H4350
2545
2553
2557
2544
2550
SD 5.4

Thanks, all your groups were much better than mine.

I'll give it a try.

Also your twist rate is 1:8 on that savage, right?

 

[Chaotik]

Thanks, all your groups were much better than mine.

I'll give it a try.

Also your twist rate is 1:8 on that savage, right?

Yes, 1:8 twist.

 

[chootem]

Hello all lurked here for some time and finally joined up. Taking some 140 MBs out tomorrow for a test drive seated just to mag length with a smidge margin with StaBall. Have read a couple of posts on another forum where these 140's really started to shine at about 800 over the Hornady HPBT which is what I'm coming from.

 

[wbm]

Thanks for the data and keep us in the loop Chootem.

 

[spudgun]

Interested in your results too.

 

[chootem]

I certainly will report although this is just a test run while I break in my new Proof pre-fit. Will be a couple hundred rounds b/f I dive into minutia....rather if. Should these shoot .5" where they are now I won't go any further that's good enough for me to have all the fun I need.

 

[spudgun]

I certainly will report although this is just a test run while I break in my new Proof pre-fit. Will be a couple hundred rounds b/f I dive into minutia....rather if. Should these shoot .5" where they are now I won't go any further that's good enough for me to have all the fun I need.

Well, I didn't have very good results with them on my first try.
Was trying to get some data on FPS and OAL if you go that far.

 

[AccelR8]

Second range trip with the 145 grain MB's and 6.5 Staball. I loaded three groups of five rounds below my 43.2 grains load (see my post on first page) each decreasing by .3 grains and two above, each increasing by .3 grains.

The temperature was virtually the same as my earlier report, 55 degrees. This time there was a variable wind gusting up to about 12 mph coming from anywhere between 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock.

Jumps on all of them were again .040 inch. 43.2 grains was the winner again, this time at 2,659 fps my average fps was 26 fps lower than before. SD 6, ES 18. My group size increased by about 37% to .64 MOA.

I will load my next batch at 43.2 gr. following Berger's recommended process for their VLD's; six rounds .010” into the lands, six at .040” jump, six at .080” and six at .120. If all goes as planned I'll shoot 'em Sunday and report back with my results.

 

[chootem]

I loaded up 10 MB 140's over 43.8g of StaBall to mag length ~ 2.82. Shot 5 on paper first shot was low b/c the idiot on the rifle likes to fiddle with shoulder pressure and hike it up, but gotta count it. 5 shot group was .702" and minus the idiot first shot other 4 were .454".....this is typical of me though a better shooter would have that way under .5" out the gate. If my buddy Mike comes out with us Saturday will have him put a proper stud 5 shot group on paper he's the best shooter I know. Took them right out to 1k called for 8.8mils and was .2 high so corrected and was bang on after. For fun swung out to mile berm and we saw no splashes, but the mirage was so insane we could have been sending tank rounds down range and not seen them impact. So, with little effort I'm pretty happy in a better shooters hands I think this load could do amazing stuff. Going to load up a bunch in my new Lapua brass and see what we get Saturday will do a few 5 shot paper groups then going to let these play out to distance. Hmmmm....I have 7 bags of Hornady HPBT that are going to be slowly weened out as I replace them with MBs I think!

Edit: Sorry forgot to include this was out of a Proof pre-fit 26" competition contour 1:8. Hoping to see it level out possibly north of 2800 after a couple of hundred rounds with 43.8g of StaBall(2778fps yesterday)

 

[spudgun]

I loaded up 10 MB 140's over 43.8g of StaBall to mag length ~ 2.82. Shot 5 on paper first shot was low b/c the idiot on the rifle likes to fiddle with shoulder pressure and hike it up, but gotta count it. 5 shot group was .702" and minus the idiot first shot other 4 were .454".....this is typical of me though a better shooter would have that way under .5" out the gate. If my buddy Mike comes out with us Saturday will have him put a proper stud 5 shot group on paper he's the best shooter I know. Took them right out to 1k called for 8.8mils and was .2 high so corrected and was bang on after. For fun swung out to mile berm and we saw no splashes, but the mirage was so insane we could have been sending tank rounds down range and not seen them impact. So, with little effort I'm pretty happy in a better shooters hands I think this load could do amazing stuff. Going to load up a bunch in my new Lapua brass and see what we get Saturday will do a few 5 shot paper groups then going to let these play out to distance. Hmmmm....I have 7 bags of Hornady HPBT that are going to be slowly weened out as I replace them with MBs I think!

Edit: Sorry forgot to include this was out of a Proof pre-fit 26" competition contour 1:8. Hoping to see it level out possibly north of 2800 after a couple of hundred rounds with 43.8g of StaBall(2778fps yesterday)

If you want to quickly ween out the HPBT send them my way...

 

[chootem]

Second range trip with the 145 grain MB's and 6.5 Staball. I loaded three groups of five rounds below my 43.2 grains load (see my post on first page) each decreasing by .3 grains and two above, each increasing by .3 grains.

The temperature was virtually the same as my earlier report, 55 degrees. This time there was a variable wind gusting up to about 12 mph coming from anywhere between 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock.

Jumps on all of them were again .040 inch. 43.2 grains was the winner again, this time at 2,659 fps my average fps was 26 fps lower than before. SD 6, ES 18. My group size increased by about 37% to .64 MOA.

I will load my next batch at 43.2 gr. following Berger's recommended process for their VLD's; six rounds .010” into the lands, six at .040” jump, six at .080” and six at .120. If all goes as planned I'll shoot 'em Sunday and report back with my results.

Any updates on the 145s? They were a train wreck for me out of 1:8, but 140s are outstanding. 8.4 to 1k, 11.3 to 1200 and managed a 1st and 2nd round hit on the 1500 IPSC last week. Definitely making the total switch over from Hornady BTHP Match right around 900 is where the Barnes leaves it in the dust.

 

[AccelR8]

Any updates on the 145s? They were a train wreck for me out of 1:8, but 140s are outstanding. 8.4 to 1k, 11.3 to 1200 and managed a 1st and 2nd round hit on the 1500 IPSC last week. Definitely making the total switch over from Hornady BTHP Match right around 900 is where the Barnes leaves it in the dust.

Not yet. My range days keep getting put off by more "important" things. I will get out there one of these days.

I don't understand what you mean by 8.4 and 11.3. Is that inches, group size?

I originally wanted to try the 140s but couldn't find them, and got the 145s by default. Now the 140s seem to be available but I don't want to get too many combinations in the works, burning up components in these days of scarcity so I'll stick with the 145s until I reach a point of pass/fail.

 

[chootem]

Not yet. My range days keep getting put off by more "important" things. I will get out there one of these days.

I don't understand what you mean by 8.4 and 11.3. Is that inches, group size?

I originally wanted to try the 140s but couldn't find them, and got the 145s by default. Now the 140s seem to be available but I don't want to get too many combinations in the works, burning up components in these days of scarcity so I'll stick with the 145s until I reach a point of pass/fail.

Oops sorry. 8.4mils of elevation for 1,000 yards. 11.3mils of elevation for 1200 yards etc.

 

[JimSC]

just a thumbs up for the 140 match burners. I had the same experience as chootem, the 145s were not worth the powder and primers I used. In a .260 Rem 8 twist with the 140's and 4831SC I get consistent .75 MOA 20 round groups out to 850 when I read the wind right. Not BR quality but works for me

 

[AccelR8]

Any updates on the 145s? They were a train wreck for me out of 1:8, but 140s are outstanding. 8.4 to 1k, 11.3 to 1200 and managed a 1st and 2nd round hit on the 1500 IPSC last week. Definitely making the total switch over from Hornady BTHP Match right around 900 is where the Barnes leaves it in the dust.

Right now the plan is to shoot 'em at 300 yards on Tuesday (the 18th) afternoon.