Stuff does happen as the saying goes but I'd not say you used the wrong bullet necessarily but the wrong bullet-cartridge combo. In the any of the big thirties I probably would have felt more comfortable with the 180-grain AB at least for hunting moose. And the 200-grain would have gotten strong consideration; that is if I'd chosen to use an AB at all.

I have gone from the "X", to the TSX, and now to the TTSX. I had the now well known pressure problems with the X but the later two have been both very accurate in my rifles and of the three I've caught showed nearly a hundred percent weight retention and very quick kills.

Two were 270-grain TSXs from a 375; one was stopped by a very stout mare zebra at about a hundred yards after drilling both scapula. It started out at about 2750 fps but mushroomed completely, trampolining against the off-side hide. Another hit a small branch about twenty-five yards in front of a waterbuck but remained on course but flying side-ways. It coursed through his chest that way and was also seen as "a knuckle" protruding under the off-side hide.

The last took a big bodied mule deer buck at the base of the throat at about a hundred yards as he was facing head-on. It was found near the anus on dressing and was a grain or a couple less from the original 140 grains; this was at 3000 fps mv out of a 284 Win.

There are roughly twenty-some I didn't catch or find but I've not experienced any blood-shot meat nor have I seen evidence of any not opening or "penciling through." Even the big NE Sandhills whitetail I took at five hundred yards with the 284 and this time with the 150-grain TTSX, showed bullet expansion on a broadside chest shot. If I were to see "penciling through," I would have almost expected it on that shot.

They have been the most accurate bullets in the three rifles I've shot them the most in--a 375, a 30/06, and the 284. In fact the smallest group I've shot with an above-thirty caliber cartridge was with that 270-grain TSX in my 375 using H4350. As mentioned It runs around 2750 fps. That combo resulted in a three-shot, one hundred yard group of .38".

I have found I like the 165-168 weights in the '06; the 270 TSX shoots wonderfully out of my 375 but I want to try the 250-gr TTSX for my presumed moose hunt next year. And the 140-grain does all I need out of the little 7mm.

Edit: The two 375s to the left and the 284 at right. The 375 270-grain went to .820" and the 7mm 140-grain to .620" after four and a half feet or so of mule deer innards. I am sure the 375 in the middle would have been long gone had it not traversed the water buck (like a small cow elk) sideways. It's hard to beat that for performance and dependability.

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Last edited by George_De_Vries_3rd; 10/26/14.