Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 150 Barnes TTSX

My experience with Barnes has been very positive. Never had an animal go far before going down. Only recovered one, against offside (very thick) hide of a waterbuck. It had opened up to .75" and did massive internal damage.

Interesting. One of the only two 260-grain ABs that I have recovered was in a waterbuck, making a bulge just under the surface of the offside hide.

I don't know how to improve on the performance of the 160 TTSX. Internal damage is fantastic, and they are exceptionally accurate in my rifle. They open wider than any other bullets I've tried, and yet still penetrate quite well.

Here's the bullet from the waterbuck. Not a great shape for penetrating the far hide, which I'm guessing was nearly .5" thick. Much thicker than elk or even kudu.

The frontal area of the Barnes,by virtue of the petal shape is most times less than a lead and copper bullet expanded to the same diameter.
Monometal bullets in general wound much less. All the guys bragging about eating up to the whole bear this to be true.
The fact of the matter is proof of a bullets performance lays not in how a recovered bullet looks, but rather the reliability and authority by which it kills. Barnes are mediocre in both these regards IME.

There was nothing left of the forward rib meat and lower shoulder on this waterbuck. The elk I shot with it was the same. More damage than the 180 BT I used this past season.

David: Anectdotal only on the lead free question.....but my pal is not far away since he posts here and has several dozen African animals with the 129-270,and 145-7mm LRX on all sizes of game. That does not include several HUNDRED with every good bullet you can think of in 270 and 7mm...

He has good things to say about the 129 and 145 LRX on everything.....especially the 7mm 145 showed excellent expansion, penetration and wound channels on a par with 200 gr Partitions from a 300 WM..(!)..


yeah I was surprised too but Rick has shot far more animals than most who post here so LRX is how I would roll in lead free country.

After trying several brands of bullets I settled on the one my rifle prefers: Barnes LRX 6.5mm 127 grain.

Ben,

How many TTSX bullets have failed you, that you were sure of? This thread seems like a lot of bad-mouthing because of one pic of one bullet that Brad had the unfortunate experience of firing into an elk. I've also seen a couple of pics of failed Partitions, and if we're saying the TTSX is mediocre based on one pic, then I guess that applies to the PT, too. I've not seen more than a couple of pics of failed TTSX bullets on the entire interwebs. That's not a bad track record considering the huge number of them that have been used by internet users worldwide.

The fact is, TTSX bullets expand more aggressively, and exhibit some disintegration more often, than prior generations of the X bullet. I'm not sure about you, but I've been in on the killing of about 130 big-game critters now using Barnes bullets, and from what I've seen, send them through bone, and things go quiet real quick. Based on that modest sample of dead stuff, the reliability aspect of the X/TSX/TTSX has been stellar.

This moose died "with authority" when hit by a 140gr 7mm TTSX. The only bone hit being ribs. The wound channel speaks for itself- about a 4.5" hole through the lungs, the bullet entering just behind the onside shoulder, and exiting just in front of the paunch on the offside.





I've seen this kind of performance over and over with the TTSX. IME it definitely does more damage on average than the TSX did.

I have not had one fail to expand that I know of. I just don't think they kill that quickly. I HAVE recovered some that looked perfect, but this is of no consequence to me. Efficient killing is what I place value on.

Thanks. They're definitely quicker killers if you like to put them through the skeletal structure.

If that skeletal structure includes the spine or by breaking both legs I woukd agree. However I have had an elk that took one through the shoulder from a 300 rum and ran off like nothing happened. A deer with a 25-06 that did the same.
Also seen some crop damage deer shot with them and when you compare many 20 or so animals shot it's pretty apparent they don't kill all that fast.

Ballistic Tips blow up on the surface of deer. Good thing Brad didn't hit that shoulder head on with a BT. That bull might have never been found. The Campfires own JJHack makes a living killing African Big Game by the "Ark Load" annually. He much prefers the TTSX in his experience, especially on herd animals. This is an Elk forum. Elk can be big tough and mudddy and are often found in a herd. I believe JJ uses a 165-168 in his loaner -06. I seriously doubt he'd have issues with using a 150gr TTSX...

Oh, bull shat. I have shot elk with a 180 ttsx out now a 300 rum and they worked perfectly. And no Barnes dash after the shot.

Make that another person that uses Nosler Partitions.

A 100 TSX launched from a 25-06 at 3200. Shot was ~ 75 yards. Bullet went through both shoulder blades and didn't break either. I shot another deer that year with same load/gun/distance. Deer 2 flinched a bit at the shot, then stood there with her head down. I watched her through the scope. She stood for 30-40 seconds then laid down heavy. Her head sagged and she kicked a few times and died. Elapsed time: 5 minutes. I'm hoping they've improved since. Needless to say I'm not a fan.

What sort of BS doth thou spout here?

Why do some bullets poke through shoulders,and others smash/break them?

Still a little early for an April Fools.

Haha not even kiddin! BTDT. I suspect in the past there have been far more BT failures than TTSX. Every bullet has failed at one point or another. Your failed TTSX killed that elk.. Didn't look right in the end, but. Dead is dead and I see why you don't prefer them. I'd prolly feel the same. I know you've killed with both and prolly prefer the BT. Just wanted to Let the OP know that a TTSX isn't the only bullet that can fail. Personally I'd use a 130TTSX in a .308. Or a Partition..

Deadly accurate, hell on game.




Hard to beat the Barnes TTSX.

I have used the BT more than any other bullet, including the early versions. I don't have to guess. I have never had one fail or fail to kill quickly.