250gr vs 290gr Barnes TEZ

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TWyatt

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Putting together some things for a new optima and was considering these bullets. Shots will vary from 50-200 max, using BH powder. Is there any reason to choose one over the other? I'm also open to other suggestions. I have a Wolf already that will be primarily my treestand gun/woods gun, but would like to set up this Optima for a little bit longer range shooting. Long range to me being 150ish to 200.
 
No. Use whichever one is the most accurate in your gun. Wind drift is pretty similar between the two given the same powder charge.
 
Ok, just trying to lessen the up-front cost of buying both by seeing if one was better for any particular reason, or patterned better in general for current Optima shooters.
 
The 250 TMZ shoots better than just about anything else in my T/C Encore 209x50. The 290s also shot good but the 250's shoot faster and flatter with 120gr Blackhorn 209. Yesterday I was able to shoot a 3" group at 300yds.

I haven't shot any of the TZ sabots.
 
I agree shoot what’s most accurate.
Being the same bullet design and performance at the ranges your shooting - the heavy will retain more down range energy - you might recover the lighter bullet whereas the heavier might penetrate thru.
 
I think I'd consider the what the nominal velocity is to assure the bullets opening at 200 yards. I don't see the 250 having any problem if the charge is stiff enough. Then too accuracy is another factor to consider. I shoot 250's in an Accura and can say that at 165-168 yards they are a world of hurt, plus they are very accurate. I use 77 grains weighed of 209 powder [110 by volume].
 
I shoot all of my loads (smokeless and BP) over an Oehler 35P chronograph. I shoot the BH 209 loads through a 28" T/C barrel. This is what I recorded:

250 TMZ - 85gr weighed BH209 = 2,035 ft/sec on average
290 TMZ - 85gr weighed BH209 = 2,000 ft/sec
250 Shockwave - 85gr weighed BH209 - 2,065 ft/sec

I'm not sure why the Barnes 250gr TMZ shoots 30 ft/sec slower than the T/C 250gr SW but that's what I recorded on my last outing. The 290gr TMZ was consistently 60 ft/sec slower that their 250gr TMZ. I have not shot any of the Barnes EZ sabots.
 
Unfortunately I think you're going to end up buying a package of each and trying them.
The 250 shot better in one rifle, the 290 in another, and each with a different load of BH209.
Think 3 loads of 3-4 different charges, and that's a pack of bullets.

That's just the price of finding the most accurate load.
 

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