Barnes TTSX bullets

[LanceS4803]

Never used the TTSX, sticking instead with the .308 165gr TSX, in a factory Federal Premium load.
I am assuming reliable expansion as I have yet to recover a projectile.
Limited meat damage, none have runned.
Next season I will start handloading with the same projectile.

[jbjh]

This is making me rethink my advising against .243 due to its' lack of >100gr bullets. As a hunter in California, I'm mostly limited by area to non-lead bullets. Is this really a game changer?

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

This is making me rethink my advising against .243 due to its' lack of >100gr bullets. As a hunter in California, I'm mostly limited by area to non-lead bullets. Is this really a game changer?

That depends. How big are the deer in your area? And what do you anticipate being the maximum range from which you'll be shooting them? With controlled-expansion designs, 62 grain bullets in .223 are being shown to be adequate for moderate-sized white tails at modest ranges (< 200 yds) with proper placement. Hogs too.

[jbjh]

That depends. How big are the deer in your area? And what do you anticipate being the maximum range from which you'll be shooting them? With controlled-expansion designs, 62 grain bullets in .223 are being shown to be adequate for moderate-sized white tails at modest ranges (< 200 yds) with proper placement. Hogs too.

Cali coastals are teeny deer. But you can get into some respectable hogs out here (300 lbs if you're lucky). Been seeing some guys use the 80gr in .223 out to 500+yds on hogs, but that looks like Elmer Keith trick shooting to me. I'm a mere mortal.

[teebirdhyzer]

I think the 80 or 85 grain TSX or TTSX in the .243 will put down ANY whitetail or mule deer in America with extreme prejudice. They really are bad news! I currently have loads worked up with TTSX's for almost all of my rifles, and I am working on the others this summer. I have a couple that are being picky with the groups, but I will get them ironed out. I shot a couple of deer with the 120 grain TTSX in .260 this past season, my daughter shot one with a .243 the 80 grainer with only a 60% low recoil load, and my nephew shot a buck with one in 7mm08. All of them performed very well and the deer all died very quickly if not DRT.

[jb6.5]

We've killed piles of hogs with 50 53 & 55 gr with our 22 250s. Seems the faster you push em the better they perform. Haven't recovered many bullets but did on one I can remember. Got in a group of big hogs one night, shot a sow, she fell and another one slowed down and kinda turned a bit. Made for a easy shot so I shot her too. When we skined them the second hog had caught bullet after passing through the first hog. Wouldnt have killed her it was stuck outside the ribs. There was 495 lbs of dead hogs laying there.

http://db.tt/9nBBtXDZ

The bottom fell out about the time we got them loaded.

[nastynatesfish]

3 years ago I put 4 rounds into a cow elk with a 160 ttsx at about 290yds and she was still stumbling. 2 years ago I put 1 162amax into a cow and she dropped like a sack of rocks. My buddy and I have both gone to vld bullets. They kill great and don't damage alot of meat. I shot my little buck last year with a 140 gr vld at 315yds and not even a twitch out of him. That's what I use from here out. IMHO
Deer entrance
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w369/tabascoman79/D5FC5D45-D1A7-4724-9271-344BD037391D-17285-000005C1ED972223.jpg
Exit
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w369/tabascoman79/28503748-11FC-476F-B4CE-8864CF552769-17285-000005C1F5E502C2.jpg
This is with a 7mag

[SERE VG]

Thinking of loading up some 110gr TTSX in my 300BLK. Guessing about 2200fps at the muzzle. Plans for deer, black bear and possibly hogs under 300yds. Most likely under 75yds.

Do you think the 308 110gr TTSX will reliably expand/perform at those velocities.

I realize there is the 300BLK TAC-TX, but it is tough to get.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[JASmith]

This is making me rethink my advising against .243 due to its' lack of >100gr bullets. As a hunter in California, I'm mostly limited by area to non-lead bullets. Is this really a game changer?
There are arguments in favor of going as light as 85 grains for 330 lb Mule Deer when the bullet is an all-copper design. This chart is drawn from the "Ideal Bullet Weight" paper at http://shootersnotes.com/ideal-bullet-weight/:
http://shootersnotes.com/pictures/BulletWeightsforMediumGame.jpg

[LanceS4803]

I've never seen that chart before, or seen weights that light!

[jbjh]

Cool! Will be making some test loads of the .308 130gr TTSX next week.

[JASmith]

I've never seen that chart before, or seen weights that light!
The chart is simply a summary.

Part of the reason for building the underlying empirically calibrated math model was to satisfy my curiosity about why Barnes would offer a 45 gr TSX bullet in .224 diameter for medium game, why a 60 gr Nosler Partition, and so on. Further, user reports indicated that these bullets seem to work.

Part of the answer is proper shot placement is easier to attain with low-recoiling loads, but there had to be more to the story or we should expect to see a lot of wounded and maimed medium game.

The exercise showed that the lightest (65 gr and less) premium bullets might be suitable for the lighter (southern tier) deer, but not likely the best choice for northern Mule deer. The chart also suggests that 60 gr soft points are on the marginal side for 125 lb deer.

[handirifle]

3 years ago I put 4 rounds into a cow elk with a 160 ttsx at about 290yds and she was still stumbling. 2 years ago I put 1 162amax into a cow and she dropped like a sack of rocks. My buddy and I have both gone to vld bullets. They kill great and don't damage alot of meat. I shot my little buck last year with a 140 gr vld at 315yds and not even a twitch out of him. That's what I use from here out. IMHO
Deer entrance
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w369/tabascoman79/D5FC5D45-D1A7-4724-9271-344BD037391D-17285-000005C1ED972223.jpg
Exit
http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w369/tabascoman79/28503748-11FC-476F-B4CE-8864CF552769-17285-000005C1F5E502C2.jpg
This is with a 7mag

Nate

Not doubting what you experienced, but there are a lot of variables in the equation, that you failed to mention. What caliber? What were the impact velocities? Where were the hits made? Were the shots all pass through, and did the bullets expand (based on entry and exit hole size?

A bullets ability to kill depends on a lot of things. If they hit lungs, expanded, and the cow still stood, I'd venture that it would have done the same with ANY bullet. You may disagree, but that's your choice.

I have seen tree squirrels take so many shots from a 12ga shotgun, the little sucker only fell out of the tree due to lead weight! Seriously, there was about 150 pellets in ONE SQUIRREL. He was running from limb to limb like you would not believe.

Since then I prefer a 22LR for squirrels.

[handirifle]

Thinking of loading up some 110gr TTSX in my 300BLK. Guessing about 2200fps at the muzzle. Plans for deer, black bear and possibly hogs under 300yds. Most likely under 75yds.

Do you think the 308 110gr TTSX will reliably expand/perform at those velocities.

I realize there is the 300BLK TAC-TX, but it is tough to get.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

I think the one meant for the 300BK is the ONLY one that would work in your setup. Most of the TSX bullets require about 2100fps to open reliably. Seems I read somewhere the 300BK version opens around 1200-1300fps, but ask Barnes they will gladly answer that question.

[wlleven]

This is making me rethink my advising against .243 due to its' lack of >100gr bullets. As a hunter in California, I'm mostly limited by area to non-lead bullets. Is this really a game changer?

Yes, it has made me rethink my 25-06 too, from the looks of things a 80-90 gr 25 cal may be a thumper for long range pigs :-)


wll