Not a lot of experience with the original X, or TSX, but enough to cause some doubts. I shoot more black bears than any other big game.
Perhaps 20 years ago, I shot a big blackie (app.400 lbs) behind the left shoulder at 95 yards (over bait in dense forest) with a 200gr X in .35-cal/Whelen. MV = 2800 fps. It was edge of dark. The bear took off and was never seen again. Next day 3 of us spent most of the day searching. I found a blood splattered area in dense underbrush about 75 yards from bait. The bear evidently spent night there. It left when we arrived at about 7am next morning. After that, only pin prick droplets for a couple of hours that led us into an endless swamp. Then nothing.
5 years ago, at the same bait location, I shot a medium bear frontally, under the chin as the bear was facing me at 93 yards. The rifle was my CZ550 in .458 Win Mag loaded with the 350 TSX (a moose load) at 2750 fps MV. The bullet impacted center front chest and made exit in flank of right side just in front of hip. That bear was found 40 yards from bait, but it had made a rather wide semi-circle on its escape route. In evaluating matters after the fact, and in the gutting process, I believe that bullet never expanded.
Why? Because I've shot too many bears with a .45-70 in the same location, and elsewhere, to know without any doubts that a flat tip, heavy cast or cup and core bullet will drop them on the spot, even without any major breakage of bones or CNS hits!
Just one "For example": Rifle: NEF Handi Rifle; bullet = 465gr hardcast with a 1/4" meplat. MV = 1900 fps. Range = 70 yards. Conditions: 3-foot tall grass and wooded area. Bait on edge of woods. I was in a treestand. Bear came to bait and I could only see head and neck in the tall undergrowth. Another frontal chest hit. The "trophy quality" bear disappears in the tall weeds and grass. He was literally flattened on the spot. The "thawak" was heard by a neighbor 350 yards away, and he said to himself:"Either he hit a large tree or the bear".
The bullet was never found, never expanded, and buried itself somewhere under the bear as it made exit at the bottom of the sternum. But -- there was massive blood loss internally. Not much show on the outside though. I've had the same and similar experiences with plain jane cup and core flat tips from a .458 Win Mag and other .45-70's.
I've never had a bear disappear after being wacked by cheap cast or cup-n-core bullets from any .45-70 or .458 WM. I've never lost an animal to anything that shoots bullets in .458".
I can't say that about the X though.
Yet, this past bear season (Sept - Oct), my Ruger No.1 .45-70 Improved was loaded with the 300 TSX in hopes of better performance. But I never got a chance to try that combo as the bears didn't cooperate.
Bob
www.bigbores.ca
