Rifle: My wife’s Custom M77 push feed. It is really been slicked up. The barrel is 22 inches. It is factory, but has been reduced down to less than the circumference of the old pre64 featherweight. The stock has been on completely reshaped. He forend is just barely larger than the barrel. It has a seamless reword forend Tip. No white line spacers thankfully. The stock has been completely reshaped and defies my powers of description. The bolt knob has been reshaped to a pear with sharp(that is a good thing) checkering. The bolt and follower have been masterfully jeweled.

Range: 100 yards off sticks.

Temp: 60 degrees F.

Scope: Leupold VX3I 2.5x8. A rifle this sevlete, down right dainty needs a smaller scope.

Loads:

165 grain Nolser Accubonds 7 rounds. The average speed was 2600 fps. The slowest was 2584. The fastest was 2611. These shot the best with groups hovering around an inch. I shot a group of 4 hovering just on the edges of the black bull of the diamond. The fourth is on the edge of the black, but at 11 o’clock. size a quarter size. My wife shot three just off the diamond, The aim point was two inches above a inch bull. Three just danced off the black edges of the bull. The second group opened up hovering just to the right. I contribute this more to my shorting. Honestly, this load was sighted without any adjustment.

150 Barnes TTSX Vortex loads: These loads gave the highest velocity. He average wa 2848.5. The low was 2,829 the high was 2,825. The wife shot a string of five and I shot five. These shots were all over the place for us both. Two people shooting not but at 11 too much should be over read. But neither of got a decent group. They were all over the place. I can’t describe them. It really does look like buck shot. Looking at the target now, I am sure someone could “fix” it. My shots are worse than my wife’s five. My wife had two in a sting of three holding less than an inch then the third went over an inch high. Her fourth came back to the first two, but the last droppped an inch low and an inch to the left. She could have pulled it. Mine are striping in a three inch half moon low with two I did pull low and off the grid.

To be fair, I am doing a little bit of alchemy here. My Barnes Manuel does not show loads for the TTSX. The closest looking bullet is the MRX, but it is different in having a tugsten core.

2600 in a 165 is the perfect all-rounder
the monarch 3 might be small enough

A friend has sent me sow info for the Barnes. I give it a follow.

I think before you do anything else get off the sticks and use a bench rest when testing or working up loads or sighting in a rifle..sticks are OK for hunting I guess, but only if one hasn't taken the time to learn to shoot off hand..sticks IMO are a bandaid, not a fix. If no bench is available shoot over the hood of the pickup or whatever on bags, a bedroll whatever will do I suppose..

Absolutely agree with Ray. If a rifle and or load won't shoot at the bench, any way you shoot it in the field won't improve it. You need to come away from the bench knowing the rifle and load are capable of x group and at x POI and that is the best you can achieve. How you use the rifle in the field, freehand, off sticks, off a companions shoulder, off your pack, off a rock, etc, etc, won't improve on the rifle or load capability you get at the bench, unless of course you have a bad day at the bench

When testing a rifle and load you got to get rid of all the variables that affect grouping, even yourself if you are not too good a shot. Get a known good shot to try your rig and ammo if you are having accuracy issues with a rifle. Saw this very thing when last at the range with a newbie who had for some silly reason had purchased a new 300 WSM and couldn't even get it on target.

shooting a 6lb rifle off a bench at 2800 fps is not my idea of a good time.
my groups tend to get worse the more recoil I have to absorb.
1-2 shots I can lay in where I want them.
after that?? meh,,,, close-nuff for 100yd hunting but they sure won't be groups in my wallet.

How fast were you shooting? Super thin barrels do tend to show more changes as they heat up than do standard thickness ones.

If you shot the accubonds first, then the TTSX, with that light of rifle, I agree that recoil fatigue could be an issue, as well as something shooting loose.

Using an actual bench rest does take your human error more out of the situation.

What are the "Barnes TTSX Vortex loads"? - I thought Vortex was Barnes' factory ammo load? You seem to be implying this is a handload...

In my experience, the only difference between TSX and TTSX for loading is OAL.

Hello everyone: I am not trying to be rude by ignoring your responses. I have been gone and just got back from hunting quail with Capt. Purvis here on AR.

On the bench not, Mr. Atkinson is correct. I simply have not had time to get the bench out. We have had record flooding with 10 straight days of monsoon like rain. I also work three jobs. Accuracy was not the main objective. I had a break in rain showers. I ran home one day after court, and got the rounds listed above over the chrono. Hence, the name of the thread.

A bench would have helped. However, comparing to the Accubonds, the TTSX is simply not accurate. More experimentation is needed. A friend has sent me some loads to get the TTSX up to past the 1 3/8inch 4 shot group is hot with the Accubonds.


When I can I am going to bench the Accubond load to take all human element out of it. The bottom line is that at 100 yards the first 3 shots were 3/8 of an inch and the 4 shot opened it up to 1 3/8. My wife then shot a 1 1/2 inch group. That for me is awesome.

The TTSX will also be benched as I follow the advise of someone smarter than me. I have a bet with him about getting a five shot 3/4 group from the Accubonds. I do not know how accurate the TTSX will or can be. I am not damning them. I am sure experimentation and a bench will see the TTSX perform better.

These were handloads. The usual caveat applies that I am a ham and eager handloader. I am not much better a shooter.

I have a box of Vortex ammo. I have not shot any of that yet. I shot the TTSX second. I hope this reply addresses all responses.

Take care everyone.

What powder are you using in your 308W handloads? I shoot 165s in my 308 and every time I have tried pushing it above 2425 ft/sec the groups turn into shotgun patterns.

RL-15

I love using Varget...and it works great in the .308 Winchester

Yep Varget! I get 2770fps and sub moa accuracy using Varget and 165gr SSTs in my Cheap Ruger American with a 22” barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
Absolutely agree with Ray. If a rifle and or load won't shoot at the bench, any way you shoot it in the field won't improve it. You need to come away from the bench knowing the rifle and load are capable of x group and at x POI and that is the best you can achieve. How you use the rifle in the field, freehand, off sticks, off a companions shoulder, off your pack, off a rock, etc, etc, won't improve on the rifle or load capability you get at the bench, unless of course you have a bad day at the bench

When testing a rifle and load you got to get rid of all the variables that affect grouping, even yourself if you are not too good a shot. Get a known good shot to try your rig and ammo if you are having accuracy issues with a rifle. Saw this very thing when last at the range with a newbie who had for some silly reason had purchased a new 300 WSM and couldn't even get it on target.

I agree with both Ray and Eagle27 about testing off the bench. Also suggest trying some Alliant 2000 powder.