Barnes VOR-TX 8.6 Blackout 200gr TAC-TX BT ammunition (brand part no. 32553-BAR) is the supersonic factory load Barnes built specifically for the 8.6 Blackout and its radical 1:3 twist, in a 20-round box. The TAC-TX bullet is all copper with four razor-sharp petals and a boat tail, and Barnes rates it to open to roughly 1.8 times its diameter down to 1,400 fps in a 1:3 twist barrel, so it keeps expanding at the ranges where a short-barreled .338 is actually used. Barnes publishes 2,200 fps from a 16-inch barrel, 2,065 fps from 12 inches and 1,815 fps from 8 inches, all in 1:3 twist, which tells the story of a cartridge designed around short guns and suppressors. The same load works in 1:6 twist barrels with slightly reduced expansion, per Barnes. For hunting or tactical work from a compact 8.6 Blackout rifle or pistol, this is the load the cartridge was drawn up around.

Key Specifications

• The cartridge is 8.6 Blackout, the .338-caliber big brother of the .300 Blackout built for short barrels.
• Bullet weight is 200 grains, the lighter, supersonic end of the 8.6 Blackout spectrum.
• The bullet is the TAC-TX, an all-copper design with four razor-sharp petals for deep, reliable expansion.
• It has a boat tail base, which trims drag and helps the bullet hold velocity downrange.
• Muzzle velocity is 2,200 fps from a 16-inch 1:3 twist barrel, per Barnes.
• From a 12-inch barrel Barnes lists 2,065 fps, and from an 8-inch barrel 1,815 fps, both in 1:3 twist.
• Barnes rates expansion at about 1.8 times diameter down to 1,400 fps in a 1:3 twist barrel.
• The load is optimized for the 1:3 twist the cartridge was designed around, and also performs in 1:6 twist barrels with slightly reduced expansion.
• It is a supersonic load, the choice for hunting and tactical use rather than subsonic suppressed shooting.
• The box holds 20 rounds, the standard count for a hunting rifle load.

Frequently Asked Questions

What twist rate does this load need? Barnes engineered it for the 8.6 Blackout’s 1:3 twist and rates it to expand about 1.8 times its diameter down to 1,400 fps in that barrel. Barnes says it also performs in 1:6 twist barrels, with slightly reduced expansion.

Is this a supersonic or subsonic load? Supersonic. Barnes lists 2,200 fps from a 16-inch barrel, 2,065 fps from 12 inches and 1,815 fps from 8 inches, all well above the speed of sound.

How many rounds are in a box? Twenty rounds of 200-grain TAC-TX per box.

Buy the Barnes VOR-TX 8.6 Blackout 200gr TAC-TX BT Rifle Ammunition, 20 Rounds

The 8.6 Blackout only makes sense with a bullet built for its twist, and this is the one Barnes designed for it. Order it from our Lubbock, Texas gun shop for fast direct shipping, and browse the rest of our rifle ammunition for the subsonic loads that complete the cartridge.