Wow Bret, 3000fps is HOT. What length barrel?

Deke.

Deke. Barnes manual claims that a 30-06 using 64.0g of mrp powder will push a 180g xlc 2965fps. Now I have not shot any 180g xlc out of my gun yet. I have only shot 130g xlc and I love the accuracy of them. I dont know what barrel lenght they used to determin the speed. I would think it would have to be 24 inch or longer, mine is 22 inches and the velocity is always slower than what the manual claims.

24"is pretty much the standard length for test barrels.

Bret,

First of all I am a Barnes fan. I have found that you can achieve good accuracy if you work at it. I believe the Barnes X's and XLC's give penetration that allows a 30-06/X to kill as well as a 300Mag/other bullet. However, I have found the velocities listed in the Barnes manuals to be at least 100fps higher than anyone can safely expect. The charges listed are probably safe, but I don't think you can expect 2965fps out of a 30-06. Using the X's and XLC's out of my 30Gibbs (24" barrel), I start loosening pockets over 2900fps with one firing, and I have blown a primer out of the pocket at 2965fps. To give you a comparison of my Gibbs vs 06, I can shoot a 150 Ballistic Tip a min of 3175 fps safely (175fps faster than fastest safe 30-06 loads as published in Nosler #5).

Deke.

Many of the loads in Barnes #3, for the 30-06 in particular, are way too hot. That book should have been recalled and scrapped.

Barnes did put a revision on the internet and maybe published it in print. Even the revision was hot.

Here is the site with revised loads for the 30-06 Springfield.



http://www.barnesbullets.com/images/c358.jpg



There is hardly a load under 2900 fps with the 180 gr bullet!



The maximum load for three 180 gr bullets in the 30-06 Springfield by Norma is 61 grs. Barnes lists 64 grs as maximum! This is the revised data!!



http://www.norma.cc/nladdtab/3006.htm

I can get them to work in my long box, long throated .308 but not in my Savage 99 or an old M-70 as the bullets simply take up too much powder space and its hard to get the velocity up there...Even in my long throated gun they are not that great...Try a 165 or even a 150, it is the best route with the lack of space a 308 case has....If I want a Barnes 180 then I use it in my 300 H&H....

A 150 or 165 gr. monolithic is the equivelent of a 180 conventional bullet anyway and will out penitrate a 200 gr. conventional bullet I would bet...

I've shot the XLC's in several calibers. In some rifles they have shot fantastic and others were somewhat dissappointing. I've been able to acheive better than normal velocities with the XLC coated bullets.
My only real negative about them is that I think that they are going to be discontinued due to the success of the Triple-Shocks. They have shot well in almost every rifle I've shot them in. They will go just about as fast as the XLC's. I would strongly reccommend you try 180gr Triples shocks instead of the XLC's. I don't have any inside information but it sure looks like they are going to go away as soon as all the calibers are available in TSX's.......DJ

I have had the same issues with the bullet taking up allot of space. I ended up going with dense ball powder such as H414 and H380 and have been happy with the results.

Deke.