Was reloading and firing some test rounds today in my 470 NE double. Cast 500 gr bullets did well at about 1670 fps with 55gr XMP5744 and Fed 215 primers. Also loaded some Swift AFrame 500 gr RN and noticed that with the same powder charge they were considerably slower than the Barnes XLC SP 500 grain bullets. Probably a sign of additional pressure with the Barnes bullet.

My question (as my double is new) Is the Barnes XLC one of the bullets suspected of causing barrel separation in double rifles?

Thanks.

I belive they are a monolithic solid are they not? these are a no no in all doubles I belive, but I dont own one, so I could be wrong.

The only kind of double I know about is Searcy since I have one and the maker said that Barnes monos are ok. However, Barnes will develop greater pressure than other bullets, as will Woodleigh steel-lined solids.

Answering my own question- Hurting the rifle with Barnes XLC worried me enough to call both Merkel and Barnes. Merkel said they regulate the 470 with Federal TB solids and that they have had no reports of barrel separation from using any kind of solids. They said they had also heard that rumor and don't beleive it. Barnes said they had also heard the rumor and were concerned enough to test their solids in doubles with some kind of strain guage stuff (beyond my limited technical expertise). They found no evidence of barrel damage.

Cherokee Ed

The 'rumours' that monometal bullets can cause separation of double rifle barrels are not rumours and are, unfortunately, true.

I know from first-hand experience and had a Chapuis 9.3x74R come apart twice before I found out what the problem was - I was using Barnes X-bullets and they caused so much swelling as they passed down the bore that they were breaking the join between the barrels and the ribs.

And as for Barnes stating that they had not found any evidence of this - I wrote to them twice concerning this matter to ask if they could offer any advice and they never, ever replied to my correspondence. I took their silence as significant.

Now please do not take this as a slight against their company or their products as I use Barnes X and XLC bullets in lots of my SINGLE barrelled rifles with great success and I really like their products. And in today's world of ever-ready litigation I can understand their silence.

But take my advice, do not use ANY monometal, or homogenous, projectiles in your doubles. I understand that the Searcy doubles are put together a little differently, and so can handle these projectiles, but do NOT risk any other double with them. And this is not to denegrate other solids such as the Woodleighs (as they are not monometal or homogenous) and the Woodleigh solids work brilliantly through my doubles, including my Chapuis .470.

[ 06-06-2003, 03:48: Message edited by: BwanaBob ]

What could possibly be so wonderful about monometal bullets that anyone would use one in a Double Rifle?

Have to agree with Bwanabob and Mickey. The performance of Woodleigh Solids and Softpoints in my 470 has been flawless. I might also add safe.

Is there something I continue to miss? Is there glamour is using a mono solid in a double. Is there a cult issue? Why does this coninue to surface? AAArrrggghhhhhhhhh.

A buddy of mine shoots XLC's in his 470. I'll ask him if he's heard about this problem.

H. C.

I will never shoot a Barnes monolithic in my doubles...and they have damaged some doubles.

I will shoot the monolithics from GS and North Fork as they have the pressure rings and that makes all the difference in the world if done properly...I have shot the GS flat nose solids in more than a few old English doubles, in each case I had to load the regulation charge up a grain or two to get the pressure needed to reach the POI center target....in other words less pressure than my woodleighs...