Barnes Vor-TX question...

[hyena74]

I bought a couple hundred rounds of Barnes Vor-TX ammo in 168 grains for hunting and also to be close to my match ammo in terms of balistics.

Anyway, all the bullets have a slighted in/out movement in the cartridge. They wont pull all the way out, but maybe go in and out 1/32 of an inch. Thought it might be an isolated case, but they all seem to do it.

Ive never noticed this on any other ammo.

Is this normak, or did i get a batch of defective ammo?

Thanks

 

[Big Z]

I think I would be pulling those and reseating after some neck adjustment, lol.

 

[leid]

OP,
I like the Barnes TSX/TTSX bullets & use them in 5.56MM, 30 cal, & 45 cal rifles but have no experience with their factory ammunition. It sounds like you have factory Barnes Vor-TX ammunition, so you paid for very high quality factory ammunition & obviously did not get it. What you describe is a defect in the brass casing dimensions where the case mouth is not sufficiently small to put proper grip on the bullet. That is unacceptable. Contact Barnes for replacement ammunition or refund. Several other ammunition makers load the TSX/TTSX bullet in their ammunition so don't feel you must use Barnes factory ammo to take advantage of the TSX/TTSX bullet design. Black Hills, Federal, Double Tap, Buffalo Bore, & more use the TSX/TTSX bullets in their ammunition. Or you can just handload your own.
Now that I finally have H4350 powder in hand (thanks to Powder Valley), I will be working up a 180gr TTSX bullet over H4350 .30 cal. loading this week. It was looking like I would have to settle for the factory Barnes 180gr. TTSX Vor-TX 30-06 loading but I had no idea of the thermal stability of the propellant used in that loading or who makes the Barnes headstamped brass (which is relevant to your problem). I am much more comfortable with working up an H4350 handload which can be properly vetted thru my 24" Krieger barrel. Thanks for your post!

 

[hyena74]

i just got off the phone with barnes and their tech said this was normal with the vor-tx bullets because they are not lead. so he said that them being loose is normal and some will be worse than others and not to worry.

odd...anyway, hope they wont suck up moisture.

 

[jbjh]

i just got off the phone with barnes and their tech said this was normal with the vor-tx bullets because they are not lead. so he said that them being loose is normal and some will be worse than others and not to worry.

odd...anyway, hope they wont suck up moisture.

Wiggly bullets doesn't sound 'normal' to me at all. I'm going to have to check and see if I have any factory at home.

 

[lancetkenyon]

My hand loaded TSX, TTSX, LRX have NEVER slipped even .001" in my case necks. I say call again and talk to someone else.

Sounds like the neck tension leaves a lot to be desired, and they just crimped the bullets with improper neck tension. Pull one apart and check diameter of bullet and interior of case neck, not just at the crimp.

This should have nothing to do with the bullet being solid copper and not having lead in them. Sounds like BS to me.

 

[hyena74]

the guy i talked to was named chris, iirc. he seemed fairly knowledgeable and seems like this has been asked to him before.

he said even federal had the same thing happen as well as some other ammo companies when loading their copper bullets.

i asked about the ammo being waterproof and he said it would be fine unless submerged, and he said only ammo with a full military crimp would hold up to being underwater.

i have 200 rounds and went thought and some were tight and some loose.

im just gonna shoot the loose ones to sight in a and break in a new gun at the range and use the rest for hunting, and then reload them.

 

[leid]

OP,
I am leaving on a 7 day shoot in just a couple hours but here are some quick facts. Am I a know-it-all? Not hardly! But I have been handloading for over 40 years, for M14 & M16 rifles since '79, so have a pretty fair idea of what I am doing. I seated a 180gr Barnes TTSX bullet in a once-fired LC case resized in standard RCBS dies to COAL of 2.80". It took several attempts with a collet puller to get the bullet to move at all (below). Finally had to cam the puller handle fully over to successfully pull it. The case was not crimped to the bullet so the bullet was held in place by proper neck tension alone. A full military crimp on a cartridge such as M80 BALL is there to prevent bullet set-back so it can be reliably fired in automatic weapons. The case mouth on U.S. mil-spec 7.62MM ammunition is made waterproof by application of a tar-like substance called asphaltum, not by the case being crimped to the bullet. Proper cartridge case neck tension will keep the bullet properly aligned & help prevent rain water from getting into the case of hunting ammunition. Best of luck!

 

[wxl]

I load the TSX & TTSX in 6.8 SPC, 270 Win, 308, 300 WinMag, 300 WSM, 7 Rem, 7-08, 243 and they are tight, no wiggle.

 

[predatornut]

If what that tech said was true, that would mean their bullets are not made to the proper dimensions and would not engage the rifling properly. The only way the bullet would cause the situation you are describing is if it were too small in diameter. Call them back and try to find someone who knows what they are talking about.