Post by slipperhead on Sept 10, 2014 18:12:08 GMT -8
I returned from the range earlier after testing loads with the Barnes 95gr TTSX bullet and Accurate 2200. Here are the results I posted earlier on the 68forums. Hopefully, some fellow BHW 6.8 SPC owners can benefit from my testing!
I like what I have been reading about the expensive Barnes 95gr TTSX bullets and their effects on deer and hogs. This might be a good choice for me for deer here in VA. However, the word is that they foul barrels quickly and shoot wild unless the barrel is clean....or that they only shoot well in fouled barrels....or that seating depth can have a dramatic effect on accuracy....yada, yada, yada... I had to see for myself so I bought a box to give them a try!
Accurate has loading data for this bullet so I thought I would give AA 2200 a try. Seems like a popular powder for 6.8! (120SSTs too!)
I have two new 6.8 builds that I want to use if I can tame the 95 TTSXs! Here is the info for the one with the BHW barrel:
Rifle Specs
LWRC Six8 Upper/Lower (group buy)
18" Black Hole Weaponry barrel 1x11 (performance results with BHW barrels can be hard to find...especially with this bullet)
JP Low-mass BCG
SLR Adj. gas block
Six8 Pmag 10-round (cut down from 30 rd.-plastic-only mag that fits this proprietary lower)
Geissele SSA-E trigger
ACE Stock
Leupold AR MARK Mod 3-9x scope
Shooting Conditions
Temperature: 80 degrees F
Wind: NONE
Range: 50 yards (my scopes has an illuminated center dot. Even when switched off, the cross hair at 100 yards is a bit larger than my target bullseye.)
3- or 4-shot groups for each step
Loading Recipe Tested
Powder: Accurate 2200
Primer: CCI #41
Brass: Once-fired Hornady
Bullet: Barnes 95gr. TTSX
Accurate 2200 book loadings for this 95 gr. bullet range from:
27.1 gr. @ 2,626 fps to
30.2 gr. @ 2,915 fps (57,953 psi)
COAL 2.235"
Here are my results!!!
LWRC/18" BHW Barrel
COAL 2.295
Ladder Loadings Results
27.0 gr. 0.700"
27.5 gr. 0.602"
28.0 gr. 0.290"
28.5 gr. 1.800"
29.0 gr. 1.185"
29.5 gr. 2.900"
30.0 gr. 1.980"
Notes:
1. 28.0 grains seem to be near the sweet spot for this bullet for this gun
2. Most shooters are getting best results with this exact bullet/powder combination at the upper end of the range ~30grs....not me!
3. AA2200 is easy to use. Meters VERY consistently. VERY fine flattened, spherical shape.
4. No compressed loads. Not even close.
5. I ran a patch soaked with KG-12 Bore Cleaner after every other group I shot. No brushing. Mostly powder residue was seen...no copper evident.
Summary:
I'm excited about the performance of this bullet in this gun. Recoil is very mild and there is plenty of horsepower for our local deer.
My next step will be ladder loading on both sides of 28.0 gr of AA2200 in .2gr increments (if I decide to bother). Maybe I can further refine this load for this rifle.
I like what I have been reading about the expensive Barnes 95gr TTSX bullets and their effects on deer and hogs. This might be a good choice for me for deer here in VA. However, the word is that they foul barrels quickly and shoot wild unless the barrel is clean....or that they only shoot well in fouled barrels....or that seating depth can have a dramatic effect on accuracy....yada, yada, yada... I had to see for myself so I bought a box to give them a try!
Accurate has loading data for this bullet so I thought I would give AA 2200 a try. Seems like a popular powder for 6.8! (120SSTs too!)
I have two new 6.8 builds that I want to use if I can tame the 95 TTSXs! Here is the info for the one with the BHW barrel:
Rifle Specs
LWRC Six8 Upper/Lower (group buy)
18" Black Hole Weaponry barrel 1x11 (performance results with BHW barrels can be hard to find...especially with this bullet)
JP Low-mass BCG
SLR Adj. gas block
Six8 Pmag 10-round (cut down from 30 rd.-plastic-only mag that fits this proprietary lower)
Geissele SSA-E trigger
ACE Stock
Leupold AR MARK Mod 3-9x scope
Shooting Conditions
Temperature: 80 degrees F
Wind: NONE
Range: 50 yards (my scopes has an illuminated center dot. Even when switched off, the cross hair at 100 yards is a bit larger than my target bullseye.)
3- or 4-shot groups for each step
Loading Recipe Tested
Powder: Accurate 2200
Primer: CCI #41
Brass: Once-fired Hornady
Bullet: Barnes 95gr. TTSX
Accurate 2200 book loadings for this 95 gr. bullet range from:
27.1 gr. @ 2,626 fps to
30.2 gr. @ 2,915 fps (57,953 psi)
COAL 2.235"
Here are my results!!!
LWRC/18" BHW Barrel
COAL 2.295
Ladder Loadings Results
27.0 gr. 0.700"
27.5 gr. 0.602"
28.0 gr. 0.290"
28.5 gr. 1.800"
29.0 gr. 1.185"
29.5 gr. 2.900"
30.0 gr. 1.980"
Notes:
1. 28.0 grains seem to be near the sweet spot for this bullet for this gun
2. Most shooters are getting best results with this exact bullet/powder combination at the upper end of the range ~30grs....not me!
3. AA2200 is easy to use. Meters VERY consistently. VERY fine flattened, spherical shape.
4. No compressed loads. Not even close.
5. I ran a patch soaked with KG-12 Bore Cleaner after every other group I shot. No brushing. Mostly powder residue was seen...no copper evident.
Summary:
I'm excited about the performance of this bullet in this gun. Recoil is very mild and there is plenty of horsepower for our local deer.
My next step will be ladder loading on both sides of 28.0 gr of AA2200 in .2gr increments (if I decide to bother). Maybe I can further refine this load for this rifle.
