.223 Barnes 70 Grain TSX Performance

[SkyPup]

The scope adapter is the Night Optics Day Scope Monobloc Adapter.

Fits tight and locks on strong with no movement, pushing the release button instantly snaps the PVS-14 out of the way for day use or just easily remove it by releasing the lock down screws.



http://www.nightoptics-sales.com/pro...ADNPVS14NO6015

[Ned Christiansen]

I've had funny results with accuracy using the TSX in factory loads. Sometimes great, sometimes ho-hum..... never bloody awful, but enough dif between great and ho-hum to make me think it's the bullet, or the ammo as a whole. I've experienced sub-MOA to struggling to stay under 2" (all with 62's).

Be it known that I think very highly of Barnes. As I recently said in print (SWAT Magazine), they have been the most innovative in recent years, with the Varmint Grenade (found it extremely accurate in 6X45 loaded by both CorBon and Black Hills), the TSX and the TTSX. Barnes copper bullets to me are simply "the way to go" for most rifle and pistol applications that are of interest to me. Just maybe not match shooting. I mention this only to see what others have found.

Looking for causes, I bought some 62 grain TTSX's, thinking I will pull out all the stops and see what a carefully crafted handload might do with it. Haven't got there yet and I think I was fooling myself about the possibility of finding time for it, but in this box of 50 TTSX's, I found some things that don't seem conducive to great accuracy.

I noticed when CorBon first started loading the TSX in .223 that the grooves were a secondary operation. I always figured that even a thou or two of eccentricity on the grooves wouldb e a detriment to accuracy. I have not yet tested any for that. What I found sofar in this box of 62's though, is what looks like some inconsistencies caused by the tumbling process.Left to right, the pic below:

1. Driving bands full width, nearly
2. Bullet has been tumbled considerably more in whatever it is. Something like #7 shot, stainless I suppose. Band-to-groove transitions are very rounded.... band width for rifling engagement is considerably reduced.
3. Same as #2 but with burrs of copper left in grooves. Probably don't truly hurt but for sure they don't help. 2 and 3 have bodies and ogives mottled from tumbling.... not saying that's a problem. Maybe even some "golfball dimple" aerodynamic help. Maybe a good thing if they all had it.
4. Halfway between the two extremes, with burrs in grooves.

All out of the same box. Some of the bases are actually a tad peened over. RBS, my benchrest-legend pal, always said that really, only the base matters. They actually experimented with filing tips into all sorts of inconsistent shapes-- little effect compared to base imperfections.

The grooves look to me to be ground in.... that's interesting. I can see marks from chatter or from an out-of-round wheel. Not that I think it matters unless the whole groove is eccentric.

[zombie killer]

Skypup how many grains have you found to be ideal with the 62gr?

[SkyPup]

For the Barnes 62 grain TSX, I am using 25.5 grains of Hodgdon BLC-2 in '09 LC cases with Wolf SRM primers, which is consersative....

[SkyPup]

To mount a 3X Magnifier case, get some parachute nylon and tie it onto the helmet exactly square in the middle so it does not offset your helmet weight distribution to the side any, you want it to act as a counterweight directly to the PVS-14 in the front. Put a patch of Velcro on the bottom to keep it from moving. Also, I attached a battery bag with two charged 18650s, six CR123s, and 10 AAs too so I will never be without power all night long....



Also, another nice handy addition is an velcroed on tiny Photon Micro Infrared 11mW IR flashlight that is super powerful for lighting up a good sized area when ya need it, it is way more powerful than it looks and can have a covert cover too.

Used on NASA Shuttle missions, US Secret-Service, US Armed Services & US Special-Forces.



http://www.batteryjunction.com/phimiir.html

[jimmyp]

Field of view and brightness is very very good.

I use this rifle as a hog & coyote sniper rifle and it has nailed many a hog with Barnes 70 grain TSX hand loads with obviously one shot!

I actually get a decent check weld on it and it is super light weight, even with the IR I850nm Illuminator and a Klarus 1,200 lumen dual Cree XML torch on top, it weighs less than 9 pounds.

Makes for a great stand sniper rifle as it shoots less than 1/2 MOA day in and now day out!





The NV view through the scope is actually much much better than my crummy photos show.

I need to get another PVS-14 from Vic so I can use my helmet for situational awareness while using the scope mount, or another IR laser.....

what "power" was your scope set on in the image? I was getting ready to buy an Eotech EXPS3-0 with the idea that I would buy a NV kit to work with it. I would really prefer to buy the pending SWFA 1-8X scope and use with an adapter as you have shown in your picture. Can you take the NV monocular off in the field and put it on in the field no problemo? Another issue that worries is that with a traditional rifles scope with a 24 mm objective set at 8X even in bright light you have a 3 mm exit pupil. I have a Minox 3-9 x 42 and as the sun sets this scope when looking into a dark forest shaded area gets dimmer as you crank the power up, maybe its this scope but its noticeable.

[SkyPup]

That is a 3X9-50mm Redfield Revolution set on 4X, it does work very good, much better than I anticipated, especially with an IR Illuminator.

However, if you are going to go the Eotech NV route I would recommend that first, you can always get the scope adapter later if you want. Hands down the Eotech NV and a helmet are the best setup with the UGGI 3X PVS-14 magnifier.

Here is a little 3 minute 25MB WMV video I made of the LDI DBAL-I2 Visible Green Laser performance during the day and the IR Laser at night with my ITT PVS-15 Night Enforcer.

As you can see, in broad daylight the green aiming laser is fine out past 30 yards to about 50 yards, in the woods it is even better with some shade. Towards dusk it is awesome out past the range of my rifle.

I have the Eotech 1MOA center dot and the Green Laser merged @ 225 yards where they are confluent on target, at 30 yards the laser is off about 1/2" but they are pretty much commingled from 100 yards on out.

The IR Laser is setup the same way, although the doughnut bloom less than 100 yards is pretty strong.

All my night kills are less than 225 yards, mostly around 100-125 yards so these nice NV instruments serve me well.

This is my first video using my Sony miniDV HandiCam through the NV gear, I have some digital video cameras too and will be working with them in the future, hopefully on some live night hunts.

Hope that everyone enjoys it, the DBAL-I2 works better than what the video shows and I have had zero problems with it and there is no battery drain when in OFF position.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20...I2/DBAL-I2.wmv

[SkyPup]

Loaded up 50 rounds of Barnes .224 70 grain TSX yesterday afternoon and went out with the A-Alpha Helmet, PVS-14, DBAL-I2 last night.

No sooner did I get 100 yards out in the woods that a whole pack of coyotes went off howling and yipping at me about 50 yards deep in the woods to my right.

Walked further down the forest road jeep trail and three bright eyes came running down the middle of the road right at me.

I could easily see their eyes with the PVS-14 over my non-dominate eye and the 850nm IR flashlight beaming from the front rail.

Turned on the DBAL-I2 IR laser and put it on the rear coyotes glowing retinas and pulled the trigger at about 75 yards.

Only got one as the others scattered into the deep brush, and I'll be dogged as it turned out to be a nice 35 pound BLACK female!

Had a great time and the NV gear worked fantastic!

We will be hammering them in the future!

Enjoy the pics!

[SkyPup]

Just so everyone knows and especially the NV newbies, it was difficult making the proper decisions on what expensive NV gear to invest in as I had no understanding of any night vision gear when I started investigating it.

It took me most of the last year to figure out most of what it was that I needed to accomplish the things I wanted to be able to do.

I'll have to admit it opens up an entire new arena of hunting experiences and basically doubles the time that you can hunt too, all GOOD!

Shooting a black yote in the pitch dark with only an invisible laser while watching it all go down with the ITT PVS-14 Night Enforcer was certainly an experience that of which I have never seen before and it worked just AWESOME!

I have to give credit to Victor and Teddy at Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC) who is a sponsor of this site for helping me to make the right decisions and allowing me to get setup for NV gear with confidence, they were a big learning experience and a BIG HELP!

So, I went out to check my backyard game cam today after I woke up from last nights hunt and found this interesting photo of a poor wounded deer being helped along by another deer as she carried him over to an attentive Sandhill Crane that was must have been trained in deer medicine.....simply amazing that this Crane was able to help the poor deer out!

[Hot Holster]

Good one (the photo above)! Congrats on the night dog.