Annealing Barnes TSX for low velocity performance.

[atl5029]

So it's pretty common knowledge that Barnes bullets need some velocity to have proper terminal performance - usually 1800-2000 FPS depending on the bullet according to their tech experts. We also know know that other monolithic bullets like Hammers and C.E.B. will open down to 1600 FPS or lower. I know that some of the difference in minimum impact velocity can come from bullet design, but I think it is possible that a lot of that difference is due to the fact that while Hammers and C.E.B. are machined, which doesn't tend to work harden the material, Barnes bullets are still swagged in dies like lead core bullets, which would significantly work harden the material.

I'm wondering if you annealed the ogive of a Barnes TSX if you could get it to open at significantly lower velocities than unannealed. I've done some limited research on this in the past and all I've found is that Barnes does lightly anneal some of their projectiles designed for low velocity applications, like muzzleloader bullets. I also found one person who annealed Barnes bullets for the 30-30 and got them to open up nicely at 300 Blackout velocities, but those have a huge HP. Has anyone ever tried this with normal TSX bullets?

If not I might try to do some experimentation myself with my 358 Win.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

We tried to do this with the original copper that we started out using. We were not successful. We wound up doing a lot of testing coppers to find what would work to our standards. Terminal performance has been our top priority. We finally found what we wanted and got away from the idea of annealing.

I had talked with a metallurgist that told me that annealing would technically make the copper softer but not change the molecular density that occurred form working/drawing down. Thus it would not give us the terminal performance we were looking for.

Steve