New Bullets for my Axis 308

**thermaler** · 10-17-2013, 04:10 PM

Today I went to the range to try out a couple of new bullets for my Axis and also to collect some brass for my new 300 win mag (re)build. Since our recent discussion about hunting bullets piqued my interest in finding a good hunting round, I decided to try two new-for-me bullet reloads.

First up was Nosler Ballistic SilverTip 150. Brass was new lapua and charged with RL 15. Bullets were seated .01 off lands and finished with a Lee factory crimp. When I got to the range, try as I might I couldn't remember exactly how to do either the ladder or OCW tests (duh) so I had to settle for 3-shot groups at 100 yds. Still fun, here are the loads I tested for the Nosler bullets (the 42.3 one-holer looks fairly promising):

Another new bullet I had heard about was the Barnes LRX so I bought some of the 175's. When it came time to load I found that no reload data exists--maybe Barnes is waiting for users to test for them?? Anyway I googled and found in the infinite wisdom of the net that using the TTSX 180 data would do--and so that's how I went. The 40 gr looks like a good starting point.

**wbm** · 10-17-2013, 07:08 PM

If the 42.3gr load were mine, I would forget the Ladder and OCW stuff and just go with that one. Just sayin!

**wbm** · 10-17-2013, 07:11 PM

The 175 with 40gr ain't too shabby either.

**thermaler** · 10-17-2013, 07:30 PM

Lol

**devildogandboy** · 10-17-2013, 09:51 PM

ladder test or OCW test or not, you got you a good load!!! i would try it a few times to see if it's consistant. good luck!

Bruce

**thermaler** · 10-17-2013, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by devildogandboy

ladder test or OCW test or not, you got you a good load!!! i would try it a few times to see if it's consistant. good luck!

Bruce

Good advice and what I intend on doing--probably go up to 5 shot groups and maybe just a few tenths of grains +/- just to make sure I'm not missing anything. : )

I've never had exceptional results with Barnes TSX--but that 40 gr group of the LRX isn't too shabby and worthy of further development I think.

**fgw_in_fla** · 10-18-2013, 05:47 AM

I'd have a go at 3/10th of a gr up & down from your best groups. Then try it out a couple million times to see how it does. Once you've become fully OCD you can try different types of brass, seating depth, chant naked under a full moon - anything to make a one hole / 5 rounder...
Nice shootin' kid.

PS - What kind of mortgage did you have to take out for those Barnes bullets?

**thermaler** · 10-18-2013, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by fgw_in_fla

I'd have a go at 3/10th of a gr up & down from your best groups. Then try it out a couple million times to see how it does. Once you've become fully OCD you can try different types of brass, seating depth, chant naked under a full moon - anything to make a one hole / 5 rounder...
Nice shootin' kid.

PS - What kind of mortgage did you have to take out for those Barnes bullets?

Heya Frank--was wondering where you were hiding out these days--hopefully at the range. Thanks for recommendations--though I'd prefer maybe cheerleaders doing the chanting thing in my stead, I don't want to scare every living thing within 100 miles off. : ) The LRX's are a bit stiff; I got them at my local reload store (about 90 cents each) but I pay the extra anyway cause I like the guys and they hustle extra hard to find and stock powder when no one else has it. I often get asked why I spend so much on things like premium bullets and brass. The obvious answer to anyone on this forum is that the perpetual search of perfection is half the OCD fun, though like you I get a certain rebellious and hedonistic pleasure out of showing up at the range with my $270 Axis and most of the time consistently shoot groups as good or better than anyone else there with their high-price jobs often wearing vortex scopes LOL.

PS--you forgot different powders as part of AROC (advanced reloader's OCD complex).
PSS--Love the Lee crimps--I like the idea of uniform release pressures, something that is a bit tricky with the Barnes bullets with their triple cannelures. I've never been able to come close to groups like this with my TSX loads.

emphasis on "long"

**fgw_in_fla** · 10-18-2013, 09:46 AM

Congratulations....

You have just become the very first guy I know that admits to crimps on his ammo for a bolt gun.

I recall trying it for a time when I first started reloading. I gave it up about 3 months later when I became completely engrossed in neck tension, annealing & seating depth.
It all went downhill from there. No local therapist for reloader's OCD, no known meds, no support groups....

**thermaler** · 10-18-2013, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by fgw_in_fla

Congratulations....

You have just become the very first guy I know that admits to crimps on his ammo for a bolt gun.

I recall trying it for a time when I first started reloading. I gave it up about 3 months later when I became completely engrossed in neck tension, annealing & seating depth.
It all went downhill from there. No local therapist for reloader's OCD, no known meds, no support groups....

Well-here's my admittedly rather skewed reasoning. My go-to factory ammo for general sighting-in is the atomic 168 nosler custom comp. It works very well in every 308 rifle I have including my semi-auto AR's. It has replaced Gold Medal matchkings as my "baseline" factory ammo. The atomic stuff I've bought uses about the crappiest--looking and prepped dated brass I've ever seen in production ammo but it shoots so gosh-darn well despite nothing special about CBTO or anything else in prep as far as I can tell. The only other thing I noticed is that they appear to use a taper crimp of some sort, so my conclusion is as long as you have a good bullet driven by good powder a consistent crimp applied with the lee factory die might make a significant difference in consistency. The chances are at least as good that I have no idea what I'm talking about, too. : )

**wbm** · 10-18-2013, 11:16 AM

Years ago there was an argument that erupted between Speer bullets and Lee Dies. Lee said that properly applied crimping using their crimping tool increased accuracy with any bullet. Speer said that it did not and that crimping a bullet without a cannelure just deformed the bullet and decreased accuracy. The disagreement got personal and ugly, went viral and eventually made it into the shooting magazines. Finally Lee said that Speer bullets should not be used and Speer said Lee dies should not be used. Seems neither could ever prove their theory.

**fgw_in_fla** · 10-18-2013, 11:34 AM

That part about deforming non-cannelure bullets is true.
I recall putting a ring around many a Nosler BT from the Lee crimp dies.

And it didn't do diddly squat for accuracy. I also don't care for how the crimp die folds the brass into the cannelure. Then it get fired & pushed back out. Then crimped / folded....
See where this is going?
There's nothing like good 'ol consistent neck tension.

PS - I remember hearing about that "discussion" between Speer & Lee Precision. I think a lot of reloading technique comes down to what works for the reloader / shooter. After safety everything else is trial by fire.

**thermaler** · 10-18-2013, 11:59 AM

So far I haven't crimped into a cannelure--even with the bullets that have them--so I'm not doing a real roll type crimp. Maybe it's as effective as dancing naked under the moon--but even if I imagine I shoot better with it maybe it helps. : )

**fgw_in_fla** · 10-18-2013, 02:10 PM

Make sure its a full moon & make a lot of noise to attract the neighbor's attention.

You'll get better results.

Don't forget a daisy in your teeth. Make an excellent effect.

**thermaler** · 10-18-2013, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by fgw_in_fla

Make sure its a full moon & make a lot of noise to attract the neighbor's attention.

You'll get better results.

Don't forget a daisy in your teeth. Make an excellent effect.

You're definitely the funniest guy on this forum--that should be good for an award of some kind; maybe the "cracked neck" or "blown primer" award? : )