Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Calling you Barnes TTSX experts

I wanted to throw this out there to see what others thought would be my best options for elk hunting with the Barnes TTSX. I have a number of rifles that I alternate on my hunts and it’s mostly based on what captures my fancy for the day. They include a Win. .30-06, pre-64 Featherweight .308, Rem. Mountain Guide 7mm-08, and a Rem. Faux Ti .270. Every one of the rifles shoots sub-MOA with the TTSX.....so I got that going for me.

Here is what I currently use for bullet weights with each rifle:
.30-06 – 150 grain
.308 – 150 grain
7mm-08 – 120 grain
.270 – 130 grain

I think I’m pretty much settled on the 130 grain TTSX for the .270, but I was wondering what folks thought about shooting the 130 grain as well for the 30 calibers, and the 140 grain for the 7mm-08.

I’ve basically operated on the assumption that a little more velocity is important to open the bullets, hence the question about dropping weight on the 30 calibers. That same assumption is also why I didn’t jump up to the 140 grain for the 7mm-08. I never shoot over 300 yards, and most often I’ll close the distance to less than 200 yards.

I know there are other bullets that might be better suited to the task but I don’t see myself deviating from an all copper bullet. I’m a Toxicologist so that definitely colors my opinions on lead ingestion both for my family and for secondary exposure via the gut pile. With that rationale as background for my bullet choice, what are your thoughts? Thanks folks.

If you are shooting elk, any one of the above could be your Huckleberry.....

I wouldn't hesitate with any of them.

I'm with Ingwe on the bullet weights would work. I tend to run heavier, but then I shoot further at times and I still like tossing a bowling ball rather than ping pong, but there is no doubt that light works. Especially if choosing your shots.


But I could care less about a few lead frags either.... its not killed how many billions of people already over time.

^^^^What ingwe said^^^^.

Everything you listed will work fine if properly placed.
At the ranges you mentioned, I would personally opt for the 140gr in the 7mm-08, but that's just a personal preference thing. There is no significant difference in trajectory at those ranges.
Be advised that you may limited to only going to a lighter TTSX bullet in the 270 Win. if it has the standard 1-10" barrel twist. A 150gr Barnes often will not stabilize in that twist in lower elevations (it might at high elevation - just have to try it), but the 110TTSX would also work, much like the 120gr in 7mm-08.
I'd probably just use what was most accurate in my gun at those ranges.
Good Luck,
-Ted

I'd leave the 7-08 and the .270 as is and switch to 130 in the other two.

From what you have described, I would not change a thing.

donsm70

Take your pick !

168 ttsx in 06

Only have experience with the 7mm-08, but the 120 or 140 gr TTSX will work great with your self-imposed 300 yd max.

Like you, I shoot which ever rifle happens to wind up in my hand that day. I shoot exclusively copper, but not exclusively Barnes. Only deer for me,no elk. What you have is just fine.

I have to believe that a .270 pushing an 85 grain Barnes at warp speed would work fine. I've shot 8 or ten deer with the 110 out of my 270 and I won't be going up to 130s for anything for any reason. Did ever take it into my head to kill an elk that'd be the probable choice.

The only change might be to go with a 130gr in the the 308Win.

I'm a Barnes user since 1992, and have yet to recover a Barnes out of any big game animal.

The last Bull Elk I shot with my 270, using a 130gr TSX, was at 417yds. The bullet entered the right side of his chest, exited the left side, re-entered his upper left leg, breaking the large bone, and then exited again. The bull took 2-3 steps and dropped. I could not ask for better performance.

In 30-06, I use the 168gr TTSX;

270 gets the 130gr TTSX;

243 uses the 80gr TTSX;

and I use the 45gr TSX in a 22 Hornet for coyotes.

Shot two big cow elk yesterday with a 25-06 and 100 grain TTSX at about 200 yards. Neither one traveled over 50 yards after being hit. You'll be fine with any of the choices. Shot placement is the important factor.

Dig the BC/FPS Meld on the 150 Flavored .30

From October...

How many people have had their IQ lowered by lead fragments? I haven't a clue, but I imagine it's happened.
Research suggest IQ's went up in areas with heavy traffic after lead was removed from gasoline.

Lead dust/particulate that is absorbed into the blood stream via aspiration, etc, has a negative effect, but ingested macro pieces of lead are not taken into the blood stream; they simply pass through the system.

None-the-less, it doesn't hurt to avoid eating lead fragments...

Thanks for the replies gang. It looks like I’m in the ballpark with my current loads, but I may have to play with the 140 gr. for the 7mm-08 just for grins (and perhaps the .30 cals). Since all four rifles shoot very well already, it looks like I’ll mostly be chasing an inconsequential improvement that I’ll never see in the field. I have to give myself something to do in the off season; I can’t bed any of them since that was last year’s project. Maybe I’ll buy another project rifle of some sort. I appreciate the feedback; I’ve had a lot of luck with the Barnes bullet. I’m picky with my shots, and I love closing the gap on a herd, rather than taking a long shot. This year I was able to move on a herd of 150+ elk that I first saw at 1,000 yards. After multiple approach angles, I was finally able to crawl over a rock for an easy 80-yard shot.

I wasn’t intending to start an argument regarding lead contamination/exposure. I merely stated it to let people know why I wasn’t looking for a Nosler Partition, Accubond, etc. There are some great bullets out there, but I’ve been sold on all copper for years.

For what it’s worth, ingested lead is definitely bioavailable, and it’s especially troublesome to a young person’s developing brain - - learning disabilities being chief among them. There is also likely no threshold for developmental effects to children. There are no safe lead levels, and it can affect many organs. Outright mortality would take a lot of lead for a human, but that’s not the case regarding secondary toxicity to scavengers. I’ve seen numerous Bald and Golden Eagles displaying lead toxicity, with the results being borne out on necropsy. I want to be clear that I’m not pressuring anyone to switch; I’m just a nerd that likes data, and my background steered me to my current bullet choice.

Jordan, the research I have read suggests that lead bullet fragments that are ingested do indeed enter the blood stream.

Bill, that's interesting. I'm no expert on the subject, but I've read some research that indicated what I mentioned above. I believe JB knows a fair bit about lead intake, and IIRC he has posted several times something similar to what I wrote above. Maybe he'll chime in.

Government statistics are made up at the time of use. You have been duped.

This is one of the research articles that I was referring to:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225671870_Intake_of_lead_from_game_meat_-_A_risk_to_consumers%27_health