110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

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MarineVetGeorgia
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110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by MarineVetGeorgia »

Hello all!

I've been a lurker on the forum for awhile, and after trying to research a load combo and not finding anything, I thought I'd join and provide my data.

I found loads for 110gr bullets, but not for the 110gr Barnes, which is quite a bit longer than other 110grs. I decided I'd start my load at 20.0 gr and work my way up in .4 gr increments, record the data and see what I and others thought.

This is from an AR platform I built in 300BO, with 10.5" barrel and 2MOA red dot (not the best for grouping and will be swapped), and results were recorded using a LabRadar chronograph.

Components: Nosler 300BO brass, CCI small rifle primer #400, CFE BLK powder, and 110gr Barnes TAC-TX. Powder was measured with RCBS Chargemaster. All bullets were seated to an OAL of 2.250".

20.0 grains (starting load)
Max - 1793 fps
Low - 1720 fps
ES - 72
SD - 27.3
2.5" group

20.4 grains
Max - 1823 fps
Low - 1787 fps
SD/ES - data was compromised by mixing with first string (apologies, having not used the LabRadar before, I forgot to set a new string)
2.5" group

20.8 grains (charge begins compressing noticeably)
Max - 1870 fps
Low - 1834
ES - 37
SD - 15.9
1" group

21.2 grains
Max - 1899 fps
Low - 1870 fps
ES - 29
SD - 12.1
0.75" group

21.6 grains
Max - 1942 fps
Low -1916 fps
ES - 25
SD - 11.0
1" group

My goal was 1900 fps, but I think it'd be easy to keep going and break 2000 from a 10.5" barrel. There were no signs of case fatigue, primers looked good, and the gun ran flawlessly with all charges. Farm chores got in the way and had to quit for the day.

I hope someone out there that was looking for a load combo like mine finds this beneficial for a start to developing their own load; however, it goes without saying that this is my personal experience, yours may vary, and I take no responsibility for your actions.
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BobinNC
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by BobinNC »

Load Data for the 110 grain Barnes Tac-TX, but not for CFE Black:

https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-conten ... ForWeb.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjzr_bm5di4
MarineVetGeorgia
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by MarineVetGeorgia »

BobinNC wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:59 pm Load Data for the 110 grain Barnes Tac-TX, but not for CFE Black:

https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-conten ... ForWeb.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjzr_bm5di4
Yeah, I found those, but nothing in the combo I was looking for. Also found a lot of subsonic stuff for CFE BLK, but wanted to develop a load I could use for supersonic.
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dellet
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by dellet »

You can use Hodgdon or Sierra data for 110 grain bullets, just adjust for bullet length. The Barnes at 2.250” will be seated about .050” deeper than the Hornady. 23 grains+ will not likely be an issue. Depends on your chamber.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
MarineVetGeorgia
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by MarineVetGeorgia »

dellet wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 10:00 pm You can use Hodgdon or Sierra data for 110 grain bullets, just adjust for bullet length. The Barnes at 2.250” will be seated about .050” deeper than the Hornady. 23 grains+ will not likely be an issue. Depends on your chamber.
I think it was one of your posts I was reading about the powder working better the more it is compressed. I see that in the data. I'll eventually test it at higher charges when it cools down here and I swap the optic, but for now I've met my goal for it as a deer/hog round.
BlackoutJim
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by BlackoutJim »

Good comments, everyone, I am planning on reloading this week with CFE BLK and Barnes 110 Gr TAC-TX. Already tried 22.5 g (c) and shot well.

I noticed on the Hornady Reloading site there is a reference for this combination with a Max Load at 35,900 psi using same grain V-MAX. So getting the seating right and compressed load gives good results. I can respond soon with some updates.

It appears that there is still room to go incrementally (should be able to go up to 23.3 or so, but I wonder if my Max Load would need to stay well short of Max grains of 23.7 (c) on Hornady site with bullet seating and compressed loads.
What is best recommendation to ensure that I do not go over the Max Load pressure with this bullet? Not all posts will give pressures and I am concerned that I might exceed. Does max load change with longer bullet and compressed load?
MarineVetGeorgia
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by MarineVetGeorgia »

BlackoutJim wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:48 pm Good comments, everyone, I am planning on reloading this week with CFE BLK and Barnes 110 Gr TAC-TX. Already tried 22.5 g (c) and shot well.

I noticed on the Hornady Reloading site there is a reference for this combination with a Max Load at 35,900 psi using same grain V-MAX. So getting the seating right and compressed load gives good results. I can respond soon with some updates.

It appears that there is still room to go incrementally (should be able to go up to 23.3 or so, but I wonder if my Max Load would need to stay well short of Max grains of 23.7 (c) on Hornady site with bullet seating and compressed loads.
What is best recommendation to ensure that I do not go over the Max Load pressure with this bullet? Not all posts will give pressures and I am concerned that I might exceed. Does max load change with longer bullet and compressed load?
I would just work it up slowly in 0.2 increments until you find where the rifle groups the best, and there's no signs of overpressure. You'll get to the point where you'll deform the bullet before too long.

I took the loads I described on a pig hunting trip to Ossabaw Island, and they worked well. Killed 6 pigs with them.
fancygunz
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by fancygunz »

BlackoutJim wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:48 pm Good comments, everyone, I am planning on reloading this week with CFE BLK and Barnes 110 Gr TAC-TX. Already tried 22.5 g (c) and shot well.

I noticed on the Hornady Reloading site there is a reference for this combination with a Max Load at 35,900 psi using same grain V-MAX. So getting the seating right and compressed load gives good results. I can respond soon with some updates.

It appears that there is still room to go incrementally (should be able to go up to 23.3 or so, but I wonder if my Max Load would need to stay well short of Max grains of 23.7 (c) on Hornady site with bullet seating and compressed loads.
What is best recommendation to ensure that I do not go over the Max Load pressure with this bullet? Not all posts will give pressures and I am concerned that I might exceed. Does max load change with longer bullet and compressed load?
I don't think you can go overpressure with CFE BLK and 110gr (or heavier) bullets. Look at Hodgdon load data, 110gr max compressed load with CFE BLK is still only at 35,900 psi. You will run out of case volume before going over pressure. That's one of the reasons this is my favorite 300blk powder, especially for experimenting with new loads.
Regaj
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by Regaj »

Aye, looks like it would be difficult to go over-pressure with CFE BLK with the 110 gr. Barnes.

Assuming a 25.1 gr. H2O case capacity (reasonable for most headstamps), an ever so slightly longer bullet length of 1.175 (versus the 1.170" spec'd by Barnes, and the default in the Quickload database), and a COAL of 2.250... Quickload shows 100% charge weight density at 19.17 gr. That's not necessarily the precise threshold where a charge goes compressed, but it's close.

Tweaking Quickload's Burning Rate Factor to match MarineVetGeorgia's ~1930 fps velocity at his max load of 21.6/CFE_BLK gives an estimated pressure of 38,734 psi.

Using those same parameters shows BlackoutJim's already-tested 22.5/CFE_BLK load predicting 2034 fps / 45,757 psi @117.3% load density.

There's a bit more left to run with respect to pressure. But I'm guessing you're going to be hard-pressed to get much more powder in that case.

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dellet
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Re: 110gr Barnes TAC-TX and CFE BLK Load Development

Post by dellet »

Regal, Interesting to see those numbers, my version of QL does not have CFE. Thanks for posting.

I tried to blow a primer with the powder and could not. I could get them to flatten, but never got to a point it felt unsafe, I use a 700 working up unknown loads.

What is not surprising is the amount of powder that did not burn. It would be very interesting to see a few of Hodgdon’s sub loads ran. The one I am most familiar with is the 208 Amax load. I think 11.5 @ 2.260”. I think the numbers will show exactly why that powder is so loud and dirty until compressed. Extremely low burn rate and higher than normal muzzle pressure.

Pm sent
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
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