Barnes Spitfire Bullets

[Wicked Hunter]

I've been playing around with the solid copper Barnes Muzzleloader bullets lately, and was looking for some that didnt come with the sabot. I figured it would be a little cheaper and I wouldnt have to throw the sabots away. I found on there site where you can buy the 250gr and 290gr Spitfire T-EZ's without the sabots.
http://barnesbullets.myshopify.com/collections/spit-fire-t-eztm. Doesnt look like much of a cost savings though. It works out to be $1.25 ea. for the 250gr. Buying them with the sabot in a package of 15 they cost $1.33. I figured there would be a bigger price difference, especially since there saving on packaging. Still wanting to try the TMZ's as they are boat tailed. Will keep you up to date on what i figure out.

[Wicked Hunter]

I bought me some 250gr Barnes TMZ's last week and had a chance to shoot them this weekend. They are basically the same bullet as the TEZ but with a boat-tail. I thought the boat tail might tighten things up a bit as it usually does with the other calibers i shoot, and boy was i wrong! The best group i got was 4" using 38gr of lil-gun. So i guess i'll stick to the TEZ bullet. I've also got some 275gr XPB's on the way. We'll see how it goes with them.

[Hoot]

I bought me some 250gr Barnes TMZ's last week and had a chance to shoot them this weekend. They are basically the same bullet as the TEZ but with a boat-tail. I thought the boat tail might tighten things up a bit as it usually does with the other calibers i shoot, and boy was i wrong! The best group i got was 4" using 38gr of lil-gun. So i guess i'll stick to the TEZ bullet. I've also got some 275gr XPB's on the way. We'll see how it goes with them.

You'll love the 275 XPBs. IMHO, the boat tail won't buy you much at the ranges we typically shoot the 450B. Flat base bullets tend to rule in this caliber. Not sure why the TMZ uses a boat tail other than eye appeal.

Hoot

[Wicked Hunter]

Barnes boasts the boat-tail for better long range perfomance. They started with the TMZ and then came out with the TEZ, as guys were having poor accuracy and hard loading with the TMZ. I guess you dont know till you try.

[paulmark3010]

I bought me some 250gr Barnes TMZ's last week and had a chance to shoot them this weekend. They are basically the same bullet as the TEZ but with a boat-tail. I thought the boat tail might tighten things up a bit as it usually does with the other calibers i shoot, and boy was i wrong! The best group i got was 4" using 38gr of lil-gun. So i guess i'll stick to the TEZ bullet. I've also got some 275gr XPB's on the way. We'll see how it goes with them.

You'll love the 275 XPBs. IMHO, the boat tail won't buy you much at the ranges we typically shoot the 450B. Flat base bullets tend to rule in this caliber. Not sure why the TMZ uses a boat tail other than eye appeal.

Hoot

You ever try the 200 XPBs?

[Hoot]

You ever try the 200 XPBs?

"Child, you cut me to the quick. I'm an old Kansas man myself..."

XPB Part 1

XPB Part 2

XPB Part 3

XPB Water Shots

Hoot

[Wicked Hunter]

I would try them but i feel i'd be wasting money. I'm shooting a Trident Upper with a 16twist barrel and i'm quikly noticing the heavier the bullet the better the groups. That's the main reason i'm playing with the solid copper bullets. I can shoot a lighter bullet but still have it stabilize since the solid coppers are longer than lead bullets of the same weight. I haven't ruled any of the light bullets out yet, i'm just on a 250-300 grain kick at the moment.

[Hoot]

I would try them but i feel i'd be wasting money. I'm shooting a Trident Upper with a 16twist barrel and i'm quikly noticing the heavier the bullet the better the groups. That's the main reason i'm playing with the solid copper bullets. I can shoot a lighter bullet but still have it stabilize since the solid coppers are longer than lead bullets of the same weight. I haven't ruled any of the light bullets out yet, i'm just on a 250-300 grain kick at the moment.

This affords an excellent opportunity to bring up the problem of sharing data across different platforms. Not that the difference is as significant as trying to share the load info from a bolt action to an autoloader, but the different twist rates between factory and Trident barrels will contribute some differences in behavior. We can all relate to the longer bullets stability issue, but some folks do not realize that the harder a barrel tries (and succeeds) in spinning a bullet faster, the greater the resistance to the bullet traveling down the barrel. In a faster twist barrel, to maintain the same velocity as a slower twist, you will need to apply more pressure or reduce the velocity to keep the pressure the same.

So, those of you sporting the Trident barrels will have an opportunity to contribute a second set of data points to the existing ones already developed for the factory barrels running a slower twist. Once we begin to build up a second database, it should be interesting, comparing the differences and similarities between the two.

Some day, we will hopefully have a process in place that will facilitate contributing to a central load repository for all the well documented work that has been done already and spread across hell and a half acre in this forum. A place where new members can view what has been documented and either benefit from that work or avoid duplicating the effort at a cost of time and money.


Hoot

[wildcatter]

I would try them but i feel i'd be wasting money. I'm shooting a Trident Upper with a 16twist barrel and i'm quikly noticing the heavier the bullet the better the groups. That's the main reason i'm playing with the solid copper bullets. I can shoot a lighter bullet but still have it stabilize since the solid coppers are longer than lead bullets of the same weight. I haven't ruled any of the light bullets out yet, i'm just on a 250-300 grain kick at the moment.

This affords an excellent opportunity to bring up the problem of sharing data across different platforms. Not that the difference is as significant as trying to share the load info from a bolt action to an autoloader, but the different twist rates between factory and Trident barrels will contribute some differences in behavior. We can all relate to the longer bullets stability issue, but some folks do not realize that the harder a barrel tries (and succeeds) in spinning a bullet faster, the greater the resistance to the bullet traveling down the barrel. In a faster twist barrel, to maintain the same velocity as a slower twist, you will need to apply more pressure or reduce the velocity to keep the pressure the same.

So, those of you sporting the Trident barrels will have an opportunity to contribute a second set of data points to the existing ones already developed for the factory barrels running a slower twist. Once we begin to build up a second database, it should be interesting, comparing the differences and similarities between the two.

Some day, we will hopefully have a process in place that will facilitate contributing to a central load repository for all the well documented work that has been done already and spread across hell and a half acre in this forum. A place where new members can view what has been documented and either benefit from that work or avoid duplicating the effort at a cost of time and money.


Hoot

Here, Here!!!..

..t

[bushmeister]

I feel bad for that horse.