I just ordered 4 boxes, I'm sure they'll shoot well but wondering what kind of velocities people are seeing. The barnes website lists the same muzzle velocity for the 62 grain as the 70, not sure if that's real or a typo.


 

I highly doubt you get the same velocities from both the 62 and 70 grain offerings. I have no firsthand experience with this particular round. Consider that TSX gets its wounding potential from velocity, and not mass. I know higher masses retain velocity better over distance, but these TSX rounds really seem to do their best when they're small and fast, as opposed to traditional bullet designs that usually favor a larger round for better fragmentation.

When considering bullet weights, one starts out faster yet slows faster, one starts slower but retains velocity better. I feel that unless you're likely to do a lot of longer distance (300-350m ish?) shots, you'd do just as well if not better from the 62 or 55 grain offerings. But that's just like, my opinion, man.

ETA: some searching shows that the 55 and 62gr varieties need 1900fps while the 70 needs 1800fps. SSA said in an earlier thread that their 70gr chronos 2750 from a 16". Molons test had SSA 70gr TSX doing 2899 from a 20", which seems to corroborate that.

It depends. I have some 70gr TSX doing around 3,000 from a 16" barrel.

OP,
Thanks for the thread. I did not realize that Barnes had introduced a 70 GR. TSX based factory 5.56MM VOR-TX loading. In reference to the above post: I would not put much, if any, faith in testing of SSA loads done in the past as it may well be obsolete data. Shooters have posted that at least some of their favorite SSA loads appear to have been changed or discontinued. Apparently, this may include the SSA 5.56MM 70GR. TSX load which I held in very high regard for years. I did not want to waste any of the older SSA loads that I have left. But after seeing the huge difference in MV between the first (2) rounds, I fired another round of each just to make sure I did not get a false reading of some sort on either one. No mistake. Here's to hoping the new Barnes 5.56MM 70GR. VOR-TX load is a good one.

MV from 10.0" 1X7 COLT M4 with M4 can @ 70F/300' MSL/29.92" with both type rounds fired within a few seconds of each other.

Older SSA 5.56MM 70GR. TSX load: 2537 & 2514 FPS (Box Markings: 8 04879 15703 8). Boxes are dated APR 15 2010.
Newer SSA 5.56MM 70GR. TSX load: 2192 & 2205 FPS (Box Markings: 56050100) Purchased in 2013 IIRC.


Older Brown Box VS newer Black Box of SSA 5.56MM 70GR. TSX: