Reloading data for 235 Raptor ER & Barnes TSX

03 February 2015, 19:34

Fjold

Reloading data for 235 Raptor ER & Barnes TSX - 375 H&H

quote:
Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
What you want is the most accurate velocity node.

You also need a good BC for a 300 yard shot. You should check out the 250TTSX bullet. Even at a full-power yet modest 2850fps and a 2" zero it will be under 7" at 300 yards. What's more, the drift will be under 8-inches in a 10mph crosswind.

That 250TTSX at 2850fps would be my 300-yard hunting load with a 375H&H, +/-50fps depending on accuracy nodes and the particular rifle.

The 250 grain TSX was my first choice but unfortunately my gun will not shoot them. I shot two boxes over 5 different powders and could not get consistent groups of any kind out of them. The best groups were 2+" which really surprised me because my gun will shoot every other weight of TSX bullet.

My gun will only get the 235 grain bullets to just over 2900 fps so I have no confidence that I could get the 250's over 2800 fps.

Frank

"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953

NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite

03 February 2015, 20:29

Blacktailer

quote:
The 250 grain TSX was my first choice but unfortunately my gun will not shoot them. I shot two boxes over 5 different powders and could not get consistent groups of any kind out of them. The best groups were 2+" which really surprised me because my gun will shoot every other weight of TSX bullet. My gun will only get the 235 grain bullets to just over 2900 fps so I have no confidence that I could get the 250's over 2800 fps.Frank

That was my experience also.
Frank, Have you tried the 250GMX?
Also, if you have range finding and know your holdovers I wouldn't sweat 100fps. I shot my wildebeest at over 300 yards with 350gr bullets. Just put the horizontal crosshair on his backline and down he went. Of course that was after I hit a tree that was at 250 yards twice.

03 February 2015, 21:43

416Tanzan

The wind drift is more critical than drop.

The BC of the 235TSX is about .270
while the BC of CEB's new extended range 235 grain is .337.

Try out some CEB's, you might even get the brass bands to allow 2950fps, but even 2850fps will work fine for 300 yards.

04 February 2015, 06:03

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
The wind drift is more critical than drop.

The BC of the 235TSX is about .270
while the BC of CEB's new extended range 235 grain is .337.

Try out some CEB's, you might even get the brass bands to allow 2950fps, but even 2850fps will work fine for 300 yards.

I shot the 235 Raptor ER and they got 2912 fps with 78 grains of R15 and 2941 fps with 78.5 grains. I haven't seen any pressure signs yet with either load so I can probably get 3,000 fps with 79 - 79.5 grains of R15.

Since I shoot a lot in practice I thought that I'd try to get the Barnes bullets up to that speed since they cost about half of what the CEBs go for.

I may have to just bite the bullet (joke) and buy a couple of more boxes of Raptor ERs.

07 February 2015, 01:53

Blacktailer

Have you tried the 250GMX?

07 February 2015, 04:48

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by Blacktailer:
Have you tried the 250GMX?

Not yet, everyone's been out of stock of those and I got a deal on four boxes of 235 TSX for $100 so I was trying to build a load with them first.