Last fall, I was at the rifle range working on a very large shooting project. It was a beautiful cool morning, just weeks before hunting season opened. As I looked down the firing line, I noticed a young shooter being quite rigorously worked over while sighting in a rifle. When I then saw his much smaller brother have his turn at it, I shuddered at the thought of these young shooters getting off to a bad start. I had to get up and have a talk with them and their father about what was occurring. As it turns out, the 14 year-old had drawn an elk tag and was sighting in the 7mm Remington Magnum using 175-gr factory loads- the only ammunition they had for the rifle! Needless to say, the boys were not having a very good time..
The other extreme I saw many years ago while living and hunting in Montana was where a father would buy his son or daughter their first “youth” rifle, a shortened .243 Winchester, with the most inexpensive scope one could find. It would have a horrible trigger which did nothing to promote accurate shooting. In just a few years, after they’d grown like a weed, the dad would be faced with buying a full-sized rifle. For our region, most likely it was a 270.
Having just recently purchased the .243, tight money resulted in another economy setup when the larger caliber rifle was purchased. The reason for starting with a .243 was the light recoil. The upgrade to a larger gun a few years later was to give the young hunter something with more anchoring power for use on the elk of the Little Rocky Mountains in north-central Montana..
After I saw friends go through this cycle a few times, I suggested to one that he start his son out with the best .270 he could afford, and that I could load moderate rounds for him that would recoil about like a .243, have better knock-down power, and keep him from having to buy another rifle in just a few years. He thought that was a great idea!
I soon became locally famous for my special .270 loads that kicked like a smaller gun but dropped game as well as harder kicking, full-power loads. As the young hunters grew, we just increased the powder charge, and eventually, they were shooting full loads in just a few seasons. All along, they got to enjoy cleanly taking game while building
their confidence with just one rifle.
So was born the concept I call MELs- Moderate, Effective Loads. The boy shooting the 7mm magnum and his father were explained the concept....
The next time at the range, with my special loads, there was a big smile on the young shooter’s face!
Chapter 1: The Shooting Foundation
Click for LOAD DATA SHEET
I favor larger caliber rifles because, through handloading, they can easily duplicate most tasks a smaller gun performs, yet they can be loaded up to where the little ones can only dream of going. As a handloader, I never loose sight of the fact that inside my 7mm magnum or .30-06 lives a 7×57 or a 308. That’s the beauty of handloading!
A full-power .270 Winchester burns 55 ~ 60 grains of very slow burning powder to push a 130-gr bullet to around 3,000 fps while generating a fair bit of recoil. Every hunter knows that medium game can be cleanly harvested with a .270, at 300+ yards. But let’s first consider the shooting abilities of a young hunter.
Early on, they may be very excitable when taking bead on game in the field. Do they really have the confidence or abilities to take a 350 yard shot? Or, to help them to accumulate successes in the filed, should we work instead with them to learn of the art of stalking, getting as close to game as you can? Would not a load that hits as hard at 200 yards as a full-power load does at 300 be just as field-effective when shooting at 100 to 200 yards? Of course it would! So why not allow them to take to the field with softer-recoiling loads which will be plenty effective at the ranges they’ll be shooting?
Or, perhaps you’re assisting a female shooter of slight build or a hunter limited by medical reasons to the amount of recoil they can physically handle. There is no reason at all to use a cartridge in either case which can hold more than a beverage bottle! My “Montana Special” moderate loads used smaller charges of medium/faster burning powders (35 ~ 45 grains) to give the 130-gr bullet speeds of around 2,800 fps. When sighted 2-1/2” high at 100 yards, they are zero around 200 yards and strike just around a hand’s width low at 250 should a stable, longer shot present...
itself.
Amazingly, a 270 so loaded has recoil similar to a .243 but has proven to be far more effective in the field due to greater mass and frontal area, especially if shot placement is not perfect. For many shooters, this confidence really gives them a boost when they take to the field. With such loads, the bullet you choose is especially important, and the unique properties of the lead-free copper Barnes X-Bullet is the reason why I’ve relied on it for over two dozen years.
Chapter 2: Bullet, Rifle Selection and Loading
The homogenous, all copper Barnes, has proved in testing and in the hunting field to offer far greater penetration than same-weight soft point bullets. If our desire is to reduce recoil, then why not take advantage of this extra penetration by moving to lighter-than-normal weights? The popularity of the TSX- Triple Shock X and the Tipped TSX- has resulted in the concept being applied to the lighter weights in each caliber. Yes, you could use lighter weight soft point bullets to reduce recoil, but you’d also get less penetration than traditional lead cored weights, something the hunter doesn’t want to sacrifice. Having had great prior success with the .270, I determined to embark on a much more exhaustive test to see how many popular hunting rounds could perform while using the latest in lighter weight TSX technology.
To help keep things more consistent, I assembled rifles in these calibers: .260 Remington, 6.5×55, .270 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington, (twin to the 7×57), the .280 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, and of course the 308 Winchester and .30-06. In larger calibers, I tested the .338 Federal, .338 RCM, .375 Ruger, and the .450 Marlin. Steyr ProHunters were all used because I already owned several and knew how accurate they were.
The ProHunter is an especially good choice for a beginning shooter/hunter because of the unique adjustable stock allowing for easy length-of-pull changes by adding or removing spacers. The detachable magazine is also a great safety feature, as when removed after clearing the chamber, there’s no doubt about the gun being empty and safe....
The excellent trigger and accuracy also instills great confidence in the shooter’s mind. All of these features should not be ignored when choosing the shooter’s first rifle, or even for an experienced hunter when selecting their tenth!
While slow powders are required to push heavy bullets to maximum speeds, they also require full cases to ensure good burning and prevent pressure excursions; these slow-burners should never be reduced below manufacturer’s recommendations. Therefore, they are not viable for moderate loads with lighter bullets.
Powders were specially chosen for the MELs to select medium burning rates from Hodgdon and IMR, including H4895, H322, H4198, IMR 4895, IMR 4198, and IMR 4227. From Accurate Arms, I used 5744 and 2015, both great powders for lower density reduced charges. Being single-based propellants, they are easy to ignite in less than full case charges. Additionally, their bulk density is such that increased air space in the case due to the moderate charges under the lighter Barnes bullets does not adversely affect uniformity of velocity or pressure. Many of the tested loads had three-shot speed variations of only a single digit.
Hodgdon has, for a while now, made reference to using H4895 as the powder to use for reduced loads and sometimes charges as much as 60 percent below listed maximums. These comprehensive tests to determine Moderate Effective Loads for a broad range of calibers go the distance in giving you actual loading data for many favorite hunting rounds..
From Barnes, I obtained the following TSX bullets: 6.5mm- 120-gr; .270- the 110 and the traditional 130-gr; in 7mm- 120, and 140-gr; for the 308 calibers- the 130-gr boattail, and a surprising oldie, the 150-grain .30-30 TSX FN. More about that bullet later!
For the two .338s, I used the 160 grain TTSX, in the .375 the Barnes 235 TSX, and finally, the 250 grain TSX in the .450 Marlin Steyr ProHunter, Big Bore model. I standardized on Federal primers using the 210 large rifle for all but the 7mm magnum. Early testing proved that the 215 magnum primer gave me “rounder” groups with it.
All bullets were seated 0.040” short of contacting the rifling. The outstanding Redding full-length dies were used in all calibers and loaded using the Big Boss reloading press. Appropriate hunting scopes were installed on each rifle: Leupolds from 2-7 up to 3.5-10 power were securely mounted using the QRW base and...
rings system. I wanted to see how the loads would perform using scopes that hunters might reasonably choose for a hunting rifle. All results were from firing several 3-shot groups from the rifle’s magazine at 100 yards.
Instrumental to my load development success was the use of QuickLOAD for calculating the less than full-power loads. I was going into unchartered territory, as my ballistic goal was to hit 2,600 ~ 2,900 fps with the lighter X-Bullets. Note that most cartridges can push the lighter bullets far faster than this. Finding full-power loads would have been easy! Using QuickLOAD, I was amazed how often the calculated loads would come within 30 fps or less of my targeted moderate load! If you wanted to duplicate this procedure with other cartridges, this ballistic program would be a great way to quickly get good results.
If, for example, the program showed reaching the target velocity with 38-grains of a certain powder, I would load 37, 38 and 39 grains to see what change each grain would give with a certain bullet. This would allow me to extrapolate my results and later be able to hit the desired velocity quite accurately. Note that many of these moderate loads were operating at 25%, or less, than normal maximum pressures, especially with the slower powders I tested. This is more so with the larger cases and the slower powders in the group. With faster powders and smaller cases, I was more conservative in bracketing the charges.
Note that the milder loads also produced much less muzzle blast. According to QuickLOAD, some loads have one-half or less gas muzzle pressure than do full-power loads. The quieter bark of the rifle promotes more accurate shooting, as does the lower recoil levels. This was very noticeable throughout my testing..
Chapter 3: Cartridge Results
Always do begin with loads that are 5% lower than listed, just as you would do when referring to any loading data. It may be necessary to finally increase the listed loads by a grain or two to duplicate the velocities, but in the field, game will never know the difference. I’m very pleased that achieving excellent accuracy in moderate loads using these lighter bullets and faster burning powders, was just...
as possible as with traditional full charges of slower powders using heavier bullets.
Don’t be overly concerned with differences in accuracy between powders. All four gave great results in several of the loads. These were my results- in these rifles. You should try one or two of the powders in your gun to see what it likes best. While the charts tell the story, some highlights need to be covered.
#1- .260 Remington or 6.5x55
Producing 19 ~ 45% less recoil than full-power factory rounds, all the loads produced less recoil than a factory 100-grain .243! At speeds of 2,550 ~ 2,750 fps, they regularly grouped well under an inch in the Steyrs. I’ll take the extra bullet weight and Barnes performance any day over a soft point in the .243. Several years ago, I lent a friend my Steyr Mountain rifle in .260 Remington. At just under 400 yards, a 120-gr X-bullet shot broadside through a cow elk. These loads would do the same within 200 yards for certain. Load them in your 6.5×55 and watch a young shooter drop game with minimal recoil and muzzle blast.
#2- .270 Winchester
I focused on the 110-grain TSX that came about due to the newer 6.8mm SPC. In the X configuration, it’s plenty of bullet for medium game. Again, all loads produced less recoil than a factory .243. At 2,600 ~ 2,800., They all shot at or just under one-inch averages at 100 yards while delivering 47 ~ 61% less recoil than factory .270 loads. Two good loads were also developed using Hodgdon H4198 and Accurate 2015 with the 130-gr bullet, shooting into under an inch at just over 2,700 fps. Dozens and dozens of heads of game have been taken with loads like this in Montana. Your young hunter can do the same, too.
#3- 7mm-08 Remington
I really like the caliber and especially the shorter, compact rifles these cartridges come in. I’ve loaded the 120-gr Barnes for years, allowing friends to shoot completely through antelope and deer; no bullet has ever been recovered! Using “only” a 2-7 Leupold Vari-X II on the 20” barreled Mountain rifle, Accurate 5744 and Hodgdon H4895 turned in
half-inch...
averages at 100 yards. Note that the H4198 or 5744 loads have 44% less recoil than a .243! Overall, the loads register 28 ~ 44% less recoil than full-power factory rounds. Any shooter or hunter would have fun shooting this round on paper or in the field.
#4- .280 Remington
A longer brother to the 7mm-08, I took the speeds up a little to the 2,800 fps range. Groups averaged from 5/8” to just over 1”; recoil was reduced to 35 ~ 49% of factory ammunition. Using these moderate loads or full-power rounds, a shooter is well covered for most medium to larger game.
#4- 7mm Remington Magnum
Can a magnum accurately shoot moderate loads? Excellent results were obtained with 38.4 grains of 5744 powder, pushing the 120-gr TSX to almost 2,750 fps with a recoil reduction from factory ammo of 61% (less recoil than a .243). When I shoot this round, the gun speaks softly; I see the bullet strike near the other shots, but look in disbelief at the chronograph as it registers full-power 30-06 speeds.
A load with H4895 is quite fast at just over 3,000 fps, easily duplicating factory .25-06 speeds but with far superior game harvesting performance. This load recoils just over .243 levels while subjecting the shooter to 52% less recoil than magnum rounds. A great load was also developed using the 140-gr TSX. At almost 2,600, it shot into one-half inch while recoiling only slightly more than a .243. While I really, really want a new 7mm-08, honestly, I already have one when using MELs in this rifle.
#5- .308 Winchester and .30-06
In the .308 Winchester, very good results were obtained with the 130-gr TSX using loads that delivered 31 ~ 40% less recoil shooting into a half-inch to just over an inch at 100 yards.
The same bullet in the 30-06 was excellent with H4198 powder for almost 2,800 fps. Several years ago, a young shooter used this very load to take an Oryx antelope on the New Mexico White Sands Missile Range. At around 260 yards, the bullet gave complete broadside penetration on a bull. The four loads developed produce 47 ~ 54 % less recoil than factory ammunition in...
the 30-06.
The 150-grain TSX FN Barnes has given me tremendous success in the field. While designed to improve the performance of the popular .30-30 cartridge, I downloaded it a bit in a .308 Scout that I took to Zimbabwe Africa a few years ago, out to 200 yards. All six animals taken with it dropped at the shot where they stood. None were hit in the spinal column; all were taken with broadside chest shots. I have never gotten such consistent or sudden game reaction from a bullet on medium-sized animals. More recently, three more animals fell to it in the US, one being a 1,000 lb. bison taken by a female hunter with one shot which gave as complete broadside penetration as a MEL using H322.
With such outstanding results in the field where it really counts, I had to include it in the tests. As you can see, it shot into right around a half-inch in the .308 or .30-06 using H4198, H322 or H4895, recoiling at or below .243 levels in both cartridges. I can’t say enough about the confidence I have in this bullet. Game won’t care at all that it’s not sleek, nice, and pointy! It’s not best for 400 yard shooting, but that’s of no concern to a young hunter anyway; quickly harvesting the animal is, put to 200 yards or so.
#6- .338 Federal and RCM (Ruger Compact Magnum)
The Barnes 160 grain TTSX is an excellent bullet in the .308-based .338 Federal or the same length, but fatter .338 Ruger Compact Magnum (RCM). In the Federal, 38 ~ 40 grains of H4198 or IMR 4198 shot into a half-inch to just over three-quarters producing 2,700 to 2,750 fps. Recoil was reduced to around 36% less than factory ammo.
The RCM also shot around three-quarters of an inch with the same two powders using right at 48 grains and delivering almost 3,000 fps. This resulted in a great hunting load with 39% recoil than factory ammunition. When my good friend went to Africa, he brought along his wife who had never shot a rifle before in her life. When her time came, she dropped a nice kudu at around 250 yards with one shot using a 160 grain Barnes MEL in my Steyr I loaned to him for his safari. Both she and the PH were delighted with her first ever hunting performance, as was her husband!
#7- .375 Ruger
With the superior penetration the Barnes solid copper expanding bullets deliver, most medium game does not always require a 270 or 300 grain bullet. One load that works great in...
the Ruger is the lighter 235 TSX, over 61 grains of H4198. Producing a flat-shooting 2,724 fps, it is more than enough gun for 95% of game found around the world. Shooting into under an inch, the accuracy and bullet performance makes taking game up to 300 yards a reasonable task.
Steyr did make a limited number of .375 Rugers in their ProAfrican and ProAlaskan. Grab one if you happen across one, as they’re very accurate, as are all ProHunters I’ve ever worked with. I’ve yet to have a Steyr rifle that, with modest load development, won’t shoot well under one-inch at 100 yards with most doing considerably better than that. Several .376 Steyrs I’ve owned regularly shot under a half-inch, for 3-shots, at that distance.
#8- .450 Marlin, in a Steyr Big Bore ProHunter
For a while, Steyr offered their ProHunter in a Big Bore model chambered for the .450 Marlin. This allowed the use of spitzer bullets for better down-range performance. They also were throated to allow a 500 grain bullet to be seated out to 3.100”. Knowing that, I had my doubts about whether the short and light 250 grain TSX FN could be accurate in my Big Bore rifle. It was, delivering 2,150 ~ 2,200 fps on either 43.7 grains of IMR 4227, or 49.0 of H4198. Either load would consistently shoot into five-eighths inch groups for three shots at 100 yards. Recoil with these MELs was also reduced by 35 ~ 38% less than factory rounds.
Chapter 4: Summary
During a visit to Utah, I stopped in at the Barnes plant and was able to do a direct comparison of traditional lead-cored soft points fired at full speeds to lighter Barnes bullets loaded as MELs to virtually the same velocities. Loaded were .308 150 grain lead soft points to ~2,850 fps and a MEL using a 130 TTSX to the same speed. In my .338 RCM, a 200 grain soft point was loaded to right around 2,790 fps and a 160 TTSX also to the same speed. Both of my MELs recoiled considerably less than the traditional jacketed bullets, producing at less recoil than the full-powered loads.
The 150/.308 penetrated almost 18”, with 75% weight retention, while the 130 Barnes...
drove just over 21 inches deep and retained 99.8%. In the .338, the 200 grain soft point retained 68% of its weight, driving in to just over 23” of penetration in ballistic gel. The 160 Barnes at the same speed penetrated over 24” while weighing 20% less and retained 99.6% of its original weight. It's hard to argue with performance like that, especially when the Barnes loads produced less recoil.
Personally, this was the most satisfying project I'd ever undertaken. Over 1,200 rounds were loaded and fired in determining these MELs. A concept I developed years ago, living and hunting in Montana, has been expanded and proven to work in many other popular hunting cartridges.
Fourteen year old Josh took a nice elk that fall with one shot using a 140-grain Barnes TSX load I’d created for his 7mm Remington Magnum. At just under 300 yards, it struck a little far back, centering the liver; the bullet exited the far side of the bull. He walked about 20 yards uphill at the shot, turned back, and fell almost where he first stood. Later that month, I met him with his father and 9 year-old brother at the range to give them the 7mm-08 loads I developed for their new Steyr 20” Mountain ProHunter. Both young shooters were smiling ear to ear as they shot sub-MOA sized groups. This is the way for young shooters and hunters to start out.
So when you’re looking to get a rifle for a new shooter, perhaps consider your favorite traditional rifle cartridge. As you can see, they can easily be loaded to duplicate the recoil of a .243, but offer superior game-getting performance with the lead-free copper Barnes X-Bullets. Why don’t you do someone new to the sport a big favor? Load them up some moderate, effective loads. See how well they do- and how much they smile.