My questions are:
Do you use Barnes bullets? I have for years along with Noslers and Hornady.
I hear people talking about fouling? I think you'll get similar fouling on all copper or brass jackets...
What about the coated? Do they leave a residue in the barrell?
Just curious about others opinions. Thanks

I recently did up some 225 TSX for my .338 ultramag. Unbelievable accuracy! I have a mostly factory rem 700 (added a brake) and they shoot .750 at 100, (fairly decent for that cartridge)---very low fouling.

Killed an elk last night(early Idaho cow only) at 500+ yards (going back out with rangefinder to verify) hit was high above shoulder, bullet went through the spine and exited other side. Very minimal meat damage. I have found that all of the X bullets work well, accuracy can be a bit touchy with the non-Triple shocks as they like to "jump" to the lands (.050) but the TSX's seem awesome!

I am a true believer in X bullets!!

IV

All bullets definitely do not foul equally.When I tried the original x bullets they fouled terribly.I found the same with the swift scirocco.The barnes tsx does not seem to foul any more than most other bullets.

My Barnes X bullets (not TSX) hve not fouled badly at all...in fact, less than other,regular, jacketed bullets. BUT, I am talking about bores of the .280 Remington, and various .411", .423", and .458" tubes, where velocities are not high compared to the .30 Mags, et.al.

What REALLY fouls some of my barrels, at any reasonable velocity, are the "original" Barnes bullets with either .032" or .049" soft copper tubing jackets, and dead soft lead cores.

Locally, the TSX bullets are rapidly developing an outstanding reputation among the hunter-shooters for low-fouling & outstanding accuracy at high velocities.

YMMV

IV...I am curious as to the data for your 338 RUM as that's one of the rifles I'm loading for. (I am getting a brake added right now) Also congrats on the elk kill. This is what I hope to hunt with my 338.
stubblejumper...thanks for the input and I appreciate the info.
Alberta...thanks for the input and I tend to agree with you on the X-bullets

I've used barnes bullest for quite a while, used the 250 gr in my 375 on a africa trip, recovered one from a kudu, they do fine.

I havent used the coated ones, didnt know how hard the molly or whatever they are coated with is to get out.

I think Barnes foul worse than say a partition or simular. But in my guns, some foul worse than others, my 416 rigby doenst seem to foul very easy, but my 300 wby does. Guess thats why the barnes cleaner is a strong as it is

Dj's: Good call on the muzzle brake! I have noticed a real big recoil difference between the 225 grain bullets as opposed to stepping up to the 250's. The brake on mine definetly took the "snap" out of it, you still know when it goes off, but it is very manageable. I am using 96.0 of H1000, FED 215M and seating at .040 off the lands. I get 3100fps (chronied) and the TSX groups under an inch. I have tried standard 250 gr X-bullets using 102 grs Retumbo .050 off the lands and was getting 3050 but I could never get them to shoot real well, they were huntable at just over 1.25" Now that the meat is collected I am going to try some Retumbo with these 225 TSX I have left over and see if I cant squeeze it down a little...

Aaaahh....deer season is coming soon....time to start load development for my .270 and 300 sav....where did I put that flash-hole deburrer........

IV

js js

The original X bullets did foul a lot and if you had a gun that liked them you were lucky. The new TSX's do not foul any more than any other bullet and the accuracy is outstanding in every rifle I have loaded them in.

Get some Wipe Out or other foaming bore cleaner and some TSX's and you won't be disappointed.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
js js

The original X bullets did foul a lot and if you had a gun that liked them you were lucky. Get some Wipe Out or other foaming bore cleaner and some TSX's and you won't be disappointed.

I am very lucky indeed, then. All four of the guns I have tried the old X bullets in within the last year do not "copper" with them any worse than, if as bad as, NP's, Sierras, or Hornadys.

I had "heard" they were terrible foulers and had hesitated to try them. But when they went on sale locally at $15 per box, I had to try them. Voila! Better accuracy, and no bad fouling in those guns. I went back and bought the gunshop's whole stock of those 4 diameters, plus most of their stock of old Barnes-X 9.3s.

I'm not suggesting they didn't foul badly in your rifles. Am saying that every gun is an individual and that "conventional wisdom" is not always applicable generally.

Around here, for instance, during the first 14 years I lived here you couldn't give away a Savage rifle, even a M'99. I always had had good luck with them, from the M-19 .22LR on up. Now everyone seems to recommend them as if they had always known they were a great accuracy "secret".

Thanks to all that have posted and I believe I'll stick with the 165 XBT in my 300 WBY, but I'm going to try the 225 TSX in the Ultra.
On another note, I have had excellent groups from Berger bullets out of my 243 for g-hogs...

I have only tried the Triple Shocks and they have left much more Copper fouling than Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, and Speer bullets for me. It's a booger to get it all out as well.

Good Luck!

Reloader

...18 consecutive one-shot kills with 25/06, 7/08, 284 and 280 rifles and 260 'hand cannon' on large northern whitetails.
The original X's do seem to faul more in (some) of my guns, but nothing I can't get out easily.
It important to use them in a barrel that that had been thoroughly cleaned from other fauling. Never had accuracy problems using minute-of-deer as a measure. I use them only to work up loads and to hunt. (How much fouling can result from one shot!) Seriously, deliver fantastic terminal performance without wasting meat. Last yar a friend shot a big bull elk at 265 measured yrds with one of my 150 grain X bullet handloads with his 7mm SAUM. Passed through (both) shoulders and out. The new STX are even more accurate in my 7/08 and, judging from the first kill using them, delivers the same fantastic terminal performance.
Have no experience with their coated bullets. Allegedly less (metal) fauling, higher velocity but more powder to reach it generate lower pressure? But the TSX makes using them passee.

I just tried the Barnes 165 grain XLC BT. The velocity was right at book with my 24 inch Model 700 Classic in .308 Winchester, with very little blue goop evident. I have used the 185 grain XLC BTs in my .338 Win Magnum, also without complaint. My first use of convention copper Barnes bullets was the 250 grain Barnes X in my .35 Whelen. I'd have to say it fouled more than the current TSX bullets in my .416 Taylor, yielding 2574 fps with 76.0 grains of RL-15. My .35 Whelen load with 59.5 grains of RL-15 was up to 2593 fps. I'd say this was pretty well an "apples to apples" comparison. My only complaint about the new coated Barnes bullets is no specific loading data, just some generalized instructions about measuring case head expansion and limiting the increase to no more than a couple of grains of powder over standard X bullets. I'd try whatever suits your level of reloading expertise, either go with book values for the blue bullets or carefully work up loads with the TSX bullets. CR-10 is the sovereign cure for fouling according to Barnes and they should know.