I am loading for the fall season. I plan on trying the 120 gr Barnes TSX FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY 98 1917 OBENDORF MAUSER. I AM LOADING WITH H 4350. ANYBODY USED THIS BULLET COMBINATION? LOADED IT AT 46, 47, 48, 49 GR. ANYBODY LOADED THE SWEEDE THAT WARM? ANY USE OF THIS BULLET ON GAME (DEER SIZED)? THANKS "D" PS SORRY FOR THE CAPS GETTING STUCK.

D,
I load the 120 TSX in my 264 win mag and it is a lightening bolt. Used it on lopes and deer out past 475/ It should do just fine in the Swede IF you can get the accuracy. I was lucky that my Win mag liked them, some of rifles don't like the TSX at all.
Bill Davis

I push 120 grainers in my swede in a M-98 using 48 grains H-4350.....about 3,045'/sec and is extremely deadly!!! This is equivalent to .25-06 performance in a much smaller case!!!

It works for me!

I've got a couple of boxes of those that I'm going to try in my 6.5x284 when I get back from Africa

I tried them yesterday at the range. I got the velocity I was looking for but not the accuracy. Groups were about two and a half inches. I may play with seating depth at full velocity and see if I can tighten the groups up enough to make a hunting load out of it. Other powders that anyone has had luck with this bullet? "D"

In the 6.5x55, Re-22 gets the nod for anything from 120-140 grains as it generally produces the highest velocity and best accuracy.

Rarely do I use any other powder in the ol' Swede.

How much longer are they that the 120 NBT? Lou

I have used the 120gr X and XLC to kill about 4 whitetail does all of average size. This was in a Rem 700 classic 6.5X55 and the performance was fantastic.

Last year i shot a doe with the 130gr TSX and once again perfect performance. I think im gonna go back to the 120gr to keep the velocity up a little but both worked like a charm.

H4350 has worked real well, you may also want to try RL19 as that gives the greatest velocity with 120's RL22 is better suited to 140gr bullets.

Nosler #4 list 47grs max of H4350 for 3000fps and 48.5grs of RL19 for 3002fps with their 120gr BT. Just remember with the TSX you can go a couple of grains over max, as the bands, lower pressure, just work up to any max load!!! Especially in the M96's no need to hot rod em, they will still work great, good luck...

According to my caliper:

Barnes 120 grain TSX = 1.2515"

Nosler 120 grain BT= 1.220"

I don't think I have any RE 19. I have the RE 22 and RE 15. Bobby, how much velocity are you getting with the 120's and RE 22? If you don't mind sharing your load I am interested. If you would rather you can PM me.

Fgulla, My rifle is a 98. I got just over 3k with 49 gr of H4350. No pressure signs. I would not load that much in a 96 or 94. Thanks for all responses. "D"

Bobby, thanks for taking the time to measure the bullets and answer my question. L

Bobby had sent me a few of of the 120's to try in my Encore Swede that I recently received back from TC.

Barnes did not have any data for RL19, but suggested they recommended RL22. Here are the results.



I plan on giving these a try this fall on the Whitetail.

~ Bill ~

D Hunter-

I sent you some of my load info.

Accuracy with the TSX in 6.5mms and 120 TTSX in 7mm has been tremendous -- much better than the old X bullet. I have been shooting them in a 6.5 Bullberry IMP in a 26" MGM Contender barrel and a 20" Bullberry barrel in 7mm BB. Like the group posted by Bill (xsskeet), I have enjoyed excellent accuracy.

Expansion from your Swede should be fine out to 300 yards or so. But it gets very iffy below 2200 fps.

Barnes once claimed full depth-of-cavity expansion down to 1600 fps, but I have yet to see that in actual field usage.

One more:

This one still doesn't show full depth-of-cavity expansion but is close. The impact velocity with this 120 grain TTSX in 7mm was app. 2625 fps.

The more cavernous opening combined with the delrin tip has turned the TTSX into a better performer than the TSX as Barnes attempts to address the low-velocity expansion issues that have plagued the design since its inception.

While extremely accurate, I do feel the Barnes bullets are best suited to either moderate ranges or cartridges with the capacity of at least the '06, where higher attendant velocities allow the bullet to perform as intended.

I will add that in calibers of .30 or larger, the TSX seems to respond better to low velocity impact, thanks in part to a greater frontal diameter/larger hollow point which may serve to allow increased expansion.

I've been using H-414 and the 120TSX in a CZ 550.
The load was moving just under 3K fps at 80 degrees last time I cronographed it.
I've shot 6 deer with the rifle in the past year.
The closest was about 12' and the longest was 195 yards.
A great wound channel was present in all of the animals and I was able to recover one bullet from the ground on the far side of a big does shoulders.

The bullet with the longer shank was shot into the doe from 80 yards, the other bullet was fired into a hillside to confirm zero at 125 yards.

As we know from tests with other copper bullets with "drilled hollow points", they do not always open up when shot into a dry medium like wood.

It seems that the cavity requires some hydraulic pressure to open up, at least during the initial phase.

are the new bullets all plastic tipped? The ones I got last year do not have them. Same POI? "D"

No, Barnes charges extra for that pretty tip

By the way all you 6.5 nuts, Midway has the 120's in TSX ON SALE RIGHT NOW. CHECK THEM OUT. I HAVE SETTLED ON RE 22 AND A BIT OVER BOOK LOADS. IT GIVES 2950 AND ABOUT AN INCH. LOOKS LIKE THE WINNER. DOES, YOU BETTER KEEP OUR HEADS DOWN. Sorry, cap lok got stuck. "D"

FWIW, I have just loaded 120Nosler BT in my 6.5x55, using Lapua brass, Fed GM210M primers, 49 Gns RL22, started at .006 off the lands, then backed off in .010 increments to .025, where it is giving one hole groups at 100m. I am not going to look any further, just chrono them for information.

The rifle is a Lawton 7000 action, LW 22" barrel, Jewel trigger and Manners MCS-T stock.

This isn't a very hot load according to the information available, and is a pussy cat to shoot.

T260