New Barnes Spit-Fire T-EZ bullets

[pahunter95]

Hi guys:

Seems like the new board is running smoothly. I just got a pack of the new Barnes T-EZ 50 caliber flat base bullets.

I tried the older Barnes buy they were to tight to ram down the barrel and just gave up.

Has anybody tried these new bullets yet? How is accuracy compared with the older bullets. I know they wil hold together better than the TC SW's but accuracy is still king.

I am shooting 68 grains of IMR4198 and using the TC SW for years now. Accurate, but not long on holding together at 2450 FPS through the ML-10.

Regards... PAHunter

[younghunter86]

I haven't shot them. You do have one big advantage though, and that is being able to experiment with LOTS of different sabots because they are not the boat-tailed version. You should be able to get them shooting good with one sabot or another. It just might take some experimenting. I would start with the MMP short black or red Harvester crush rib.

[Chris Champion]

I couldn't get them to shoot. I tried the 250g with a heavy knurl btw two files and the Harvester Red Crush Rib. I shot them from 2200 fps to almost 2700 with single powders and duplex.

I still think this bullet would ROCK sized to shoot sabot less out of a 45 cal Pacnor. Has anyone tried the 250 gr sabotless yet?

[bigmoose]

I use them resized and knurled sabotless, they are super accurate. I have shoot a number of one hole groups with them, I'm sure a good marksmen could really shoot great groups with them

[Dave W]

They shot better than the boattails but not good enough to make me switch from the SST.

[Chris Champion]

bigmoose,

I recall you shooting some great groups with the 290g TEZ. Have you had equal success with the 250g TEZ?

[bigmoose]

Chris,
Sorry I have not use them yet, mostly I'm interested in heavy bullets

[fowlplay]

Mar 4, 2009 19:11:27 GMT -5 pahunter95 said:

Hi guys:

I tried the older Barnes buy they were to tight to ram down the barrel and just gave up.

Regards... PAHunter

If the old yellow sabot TMZ were hard to get down the barrel you can always try the blue EZ glide sabots that is also made for the boatail bullets. It made a big difference in my tight bore gun. I just did not want to see those TMZ's go to waste.
Steve

[bigmoose]

I guess there are barrels and barrels, My Ball thats all rounds I have tried, and I may have tried most.
Good Luck

[rkrobson]

I shoot them in a very tight sabot(measures .509) and get 2.5" at 175 yds, my zero range. At three hundred yds, I get 5". I consider this my elk bullet, and as others use the 300 SST for real pinpoint accuracy. I'am trying them sabotless in 45 cal as we speak, and its been a real trial, as even when annealed, the fit must be perfect, or I get tumblers, Ray

[youp50]

If you have some of the yellow sabots and cannot get them down the barrel. Contact Knight they will swap the blue sabots for your yellow ones.

[pahunter95]

Hi Guys:

Thanks for all the info. I am going to try and sneak out to the range on Saturday and shoot a few. The new T-EZ have the blue sabot and they are flat based. Hoping they shoot as well as the TC SW bullets.

In 2005 I shot a BIG buck in Illinois with a Winnie X150 using 3 pellets Triple 7 equaling 130 grains. I figured I was probably shooting about 2000 FPS from the muzzle. I hit the deer at 160 yards, and the 250 grain TC SW disintegrated. All I found were small bits and pieces when I opened him up.

I figure at 2450 FPS from my Savage say a 75 yard shot would not be pretty.

We shall see I guess.

Regards PAH

[smokeless77]

rkrobson, how do you anneal the T-EZs with out melting the ballistic tip

[bigmoose]

Ray,

I suggest you get a Lee .449 Die [25.00] use a vice or a Arbor press[ I have used both, the Arbor press is by far the way to go IMO] then using the two file system,resize them once you find the right size, start Micing your bullets. I went thru all the problem your having, but with zero mechanical skills I can knock out two hunded an hour, I only use the ones that are spot on for hunting bullets, range bullets can be .002 off. Rick's Sabotless load is 53grs H4198, w/ a ww. Light recoiling load, but super accurate. My the way it kills Moose.

[bigmoose]

PA hunter
The 290 gr. Barnes FB TMX is an excellent penetrator, after going thru 6 1/4 inches of my test medium it weighed 287.4 to 288.7grs.
The only bullet that went deeper is the Barnes X bullet in 300 and 350grs, the 350 with 70 grs of H4198 with thru 8 1/4 to 9 inck.
My test medium { several bullet makers have said, my tests are meaningless, since shooting thru a solid mass, proves nothing, since animal are not solid] no doubt they are right, but if it will shot thru 9 inches of solid mass, the will be a great penetrator on living tissue

[rkrobson]

Bigmoose, thanks for the advice, the TEZ as is, almost drops down the bore, a knurled .451 engraves decently and is what I would like to shoot, a .452 has to be pounded down, but shoots ok. The 451 and 452 are knurled to 453+ and then ran through 451 and 452 Lee Dies. Do you think running them through a.449, which will allow for more knurling surface, will make a difference? I might state that a Parker 300 Hydracon knurled and sized the same way, loads easier and shoots lights out at .452. Ray

[bigmoose]

What size is your bore?
I also have great success with Parker 300gr Bullets, but the only thing I do to them, is run them thru a Lee .450 die to make them round.
It sounds like you have a very loose barrel, but I'm not the one to gauge that.
Some of the Gents on the board should be able to help.
I lapped my barrel to shoot TMZ witout knurling, but ended up having to knurl anyway, I'm the last one to give you advise.
Good Luck

[pahunter95]

Hi Guys:

Went to the range today, it was disappointing to say the least.

First I shot 5 or 6 shots of the new Barnes T-EZ 250 grain. My old stand by 68 grains IMR4198. First shot Bull, second shot very high right 6 inches away, third shot six o clock 5 inches low, 4th shot back in bull. They were shooting all over the place. Even if it shot 3 inch groups I would have tried different loads to see if I could get it to shoot, but it wasn't even close. Cleaned barrel, took a few more shots and gave up.

Took out the TC SW's five shot group about 2 inches, inch high at 100 yards. Then I took out a brand new pack of Nosler ML Bullets with their sabot's. It is a .429 diameter... bullet loaded up and pulled the trigger and POP.... not bang POP... They loaded to easy, not enough pressure to fire completely.

My ML II is used primarily for my yearly Illinois Trophy Whitetail hunts. No rifles allowed in Illinois. I bought this rifle to shoot 200 plus yards, and it will do it. That is why I am staying with the 250 grain bullets to retain the velocity at 250 yard or longer ranges.

I think I am going to go back and try the TC SW bonded bullets. I tried them before but the accuracy wasn't as good as the regular TC SW's.

I am going to bump up my loads and try from 69 to 73 grains of IMR4198 with the bonded bullets and see where it takes me.

I did come home and clean my vent liner and drilled out my breech plug, it was dirty.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. LOL

PAH..

[smokeeter]

Jim don't disgard the 300 grainers especially at longer ranges you'll be suprised with the KE these carry out at longer distances and the accuracy will amaze you, the SST's have a pretty good B.C. no matter how rigged the numbers might be.The recoil will be more tho.
Those solid coppers will not work for everyone, myself included (not yet anyway). Also maybe a fouled barrel might tighten things up.

[pahunter95]

Hi Paul:

Yeah, I know..... I have one or two packs of TC SW's bonded 300 grainer's to try also.

Ok so using IMR4198 what is the max load for a 300 grain bullet? Max velocity? without excessive pressure. Remember that IMR shoots a tad faster than H4198 with same measure.

I must have 10 different bullet and sabot combinations for this dang rifle.

Regards PAH

[smokeeter]

Mar 7, 2009 19:27:40 GMT -5 pahunter95 said:

Hi Paul:

Yeah, I know..... I have one or two packs of TC SW's bonded 300 grainer's to try also.

Ok so using IMR4198 what is the max load for a 300 grain bullet? Max velocity? without excessive pressure. Remember that IMR shoots a tad faster than H4198 with same measure.

I must have 10 different bullet and sabot combinations for this dang rifle.

Regards PAH

I've had great results with 65 grs of imr 4198 and saboted 300 grainers in around 2300 fps, it'll definately do a number on those big Illinois Whitetails