Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Need Some Advice.......TTSX or TSX....?

Two weeks ago I purchased yet another T3 SS in 300WSM, my other one being in the standard synthetic stock. I like the idea of both my son and I carrying the same cartridge and just by chance, they both shoot the same load very well (same POI's with the same velocities). I also very much prefer the look and feel of the laminated over the standard T3 stock as well as it giving me almost an extra 1/2 lb. of weight to mitigate a bit of recoil.

Hearing from several sources that the laminated T3's will cease to be produced in '09 (not sure obviously, but that's the word at the gunshops), I started to get the itch for a 270 WSM T3 SS in their laminated version. I was fortunate enough to find one locally, but outside of a .338, it's the last laminated that I'm aware of in these parts. So I picked it up yesterday and traded my synthetic stocked T3 plus some change for it.

As I've posted before over the last several seasons, my son and I have taken several nice blacktails and mulies with our 270WSM using 140 AB's. Very effective combination with absolutely no complaints whatsoever. Here's the deal. Whether or not this "lead ban" or other backdoor policy will ever be put in place statewide/federally or whatever, I don't know.............as I would expect that nobody here has the definitive answer either. So rather than to discuss this very real lead ban possibility or your personal feelings towards such a mandate and it's merits or lack thereof.......let's not, it's been hashed over much too long and the intent of my post is other than to hear the same sentiments over and over. Having said that, I did also sell/trade with my synthetic stocked 300WSM, 12 unopened boxes of the same lot #'d 140gr. AB's.

I am now going to work up some loads with either the TSX's or TTSX's, either with 130 or 140 grainers. To shortstop the very true, but typical "what ever shoots better in your rifle" comments, which are certainly not lost on me and are understandably of utmost importance, let's say these bullets shoot just as accurately as the next.....to help to moce more quickly through these well known truisms and get to the meat and 'taters of my question.

This 270WSM, as was my last one, will be dedicated to all deer and the very occasional speed goat, but considerably more towards deer. I hunt both the thick PNW woods where my shots range from point blank to 350 yards. I also hunt the vastly open country of eastern WA and Mt. where the ranges may exceed....well....a long ways.

Looking at the Barnes website, I find some curious #'s as far as BC's go. Their 130gr. TTSX has a BC of .392 while their 130gr. TSX a BC of .431. My understanding and their site states that the reasons for introducing the "tipped" versions was not only to expedite expansion, but also to up their BC's to enhance flatter trajectories. This is all a bit confusing given their stated objectives, at least, to me. In their 140gr. offerings, they only offer the TSX, not a tipped version (not as yet anyway). It has a BC is .404.

So.........given what I've laid out in front of you, as best that I can explain my needs and circumstances.................what do you think?

I know that the TTSX's are quite new and results are likely few and far between, but any real life experiences would be much appreciated if any do exist, especially those who have experience with both the TSX and TTSX. As with most my loads, I do try to get the most bang for my buck as far as velocities are concerned, so any suggestions might consider this factor as well. Not sure of the twist, but whatever it is, it might be more conducive to the 130 or 140's....I don't know. Likely neither, being so close in weight. Perhaps Tikkanut has knowledge of the twist rate.

Thanks for any help, thoughts, experiences or suggestions that you might have and are willing to share..........less any "lead ban" comments..........grin.

Bump for a great guy............grin.

Here ya go:
http://www.tikka.fi/pdf/specs/T3LaminatedStainless.pdf

Looks like the twist might be more conducive to the 140gr's, but I really don't think there would be a ton of difference in that regard.

I would just load up the 130gr TTSX and call it a day.

From the 6 deer killed with TTSX 130s this year I saw now lack of penetration at all and the damage was as thorough as anything I have seen. I worked on TSXs with my 300 WM and got good accuracy at ~3500 FPS but thought that was a little much for closer range work and went back to 15o gr XLC at 3200.

The 130 TTSX at ~3150 out of my '06 is going to be hard to beat, very accurate and penetration to throw in the toilet. The damage is extensive when they hit. Personally, for the 300 WM I am thinking of trying some 168 TTSXs and working it out as far as 500.

As far as the 270 goes, I would opt for the 110 TTSX. The 130 TSX/TTSX has the penetration to handle anything. Period. The 110 can give you a little more range and still handle any deer with plenty to spare.

No matter how you go, it will be up to what you want to do. I have seen no measurable difference between TSX and the TTSX bullets.

+1 for the 110s. I am loading up some right now for a friend. Those little pills worked very well in my 270WSM so I don't know why they wouldn't work in a 270. HAPPY HUNTING

Except the Tipped TSX always opens and the TSX sometimes don't.

1 in 10 twist......thanks for the direction to the site JS! I agree that there may not be a big difference there, but I do know that my 140AB's shot very well out of my other 1:10 270WSM. Then again, I didn't try the 130's either......hmmmmmm? It's always somethin'.

But doesn't it seem a bit weird for Barnes to push and advertise their new "tipped versions" as having higher BC's than the non-tipped TSX's, but in the case of their 130gr. .277 bullets, the TTSX has a lower BC (.392) than the standard TSX (.431)....?

But aside from that inconsistency, I do intend to push whichever bullet right along and the supposedly more rapid expansion, especially on thin skinned deer, will be paramount in my book. Being so new however, the TTSX hasn't been tested afield all that much.

Decisions, decisions...................

Thanks again for your help JS.

And that's exactly what I want, especially on deer sized game. My deer hunting is primarily in and around thick timber where I need a rather quick demise and obvious blood trail. Penciling on through in such environs can cause issues and lead to bad experiences.

With elk, I also obviously require good expansion, but I also want deep penetration......a 2fer, if you will. Heck, let's be honest......I want it all! Due to an elk's thicker hide, bone structure and well deserved tough SOB reputation, the 2 bulls I've taken with the standard TSX's have succumbed nicely and they did all that I could have expected them to do.

So, for me anyway, the TTSX's would seem to make more sense when I'm after deer/speed goats/etc., while my experiences with the TSX's on elk give me no reason to rethink or review that decision.

Without trying to sound argumentative......you say that the TTSX's "always opens". I like the sounds of that, but aren't they so new that there really isn't enough info out there to really verify that fact? I'm hopeful that you are spot on, but it seems that there's just not enough results out there to jump feet first into that camp as yet.

More than willing to hear more......the whole reason I started this thread.

Thanks............

I have seen no difference between the two either.

Thanks Scott. So..........choosing one or the other, all else being equal.....a toss up? However, being that the 130gr. TSX has a bit higher BC and no doubt costs a bit less than the lower BC'd, yet newer poly tipped 130gr. TTSX,, you'd go the way of the standard TSX?

Thanks and again.......Happy 25th!.

I wonder if the lower BC of the TTSX isn't a typo...

Also, the TTSX will expand a bit more reliably than the TSX, if anything. It sounds like that is what is most important to you. Again, I'd load the 130gr TTSX and be happy.

Thanks JS............it is the way I currently lean, but being the hoarder I am, I'm trying to cover all my bases before I order a pallet or two of either offering only later to wish I'd gone the other way.......grin.

And no..........it is unfortunately not a typo.....weird, huh?

In truth, placement, placement, placement......always the bottomline. But doin' the homework first has seldom resulted in the, "I wish I had............" dreaded comment.

Thanks again JS.

Never seen a tsx not open.... I've got a box of 338 ttsx to try though for grins in my 338/378 #1

Well Jeff, I'd like to say the same thing, but as I've stated here before, I can't recover any of the SOB's because they never stay inside my animals........and we're talkin' 2 bull elk!

I am encouraged by your experiences however, but you know me................I'm a bit "focused" on such stuff....grin.

Let me know what you think of those 338 TTSX's. Them be too big for this puppy.........

Good luck............

Whatever shoots. If I was starting new I'd most likely run with the newer version (read TTSX). I have so many regular X bullets that I'm just barely getting to the TSX's. I've run the TTSX's in several rifles.

Scottie--just so you don't get scratching your head too much, here's a heads--up for you. My last 2 boxes of X bullets had a completely different base to ogive measurement. I called up Barnes to see what gives. They said they changed the X- bullets, and I had some from each batch. They could tell by the serial# I gave them.

Might want to check 'em before you start seating bullets in your favorite loads.

I can tell you that the TTSX's expand quite well. I've got a buddy that shot 3 deer in the neck this year with a .338WM and 210gr TTSX bullets. The exit was 2.5" or more on all of them.

I've never seen a TSX fail to expand either, but I'm not ignorant to the handful of pics on these forums of guys holding recovered, unexpanded TSX bullets. I have complete confidence in the TSX from personal experience, but the TTSX can only be more of a good thing, as far as reliability goes.

yukonal,
Most bullet makers do that. Nosler has made minor changes to the partition in the past. People keep using them without much of a problem.

Didn't start riding the turnip truck yesterday. Besides I buy everything in at least lots of 500, usually 1000.

Thanks for the advice....all around. I like the general idea of the TTSX, but have had no complaints with the TSX's either. Deer and elk are different animals however, and I've no experience using TSX's ot TTSX's on deer.

Yep.......I generally fill up my entire turnip truck with the same lot #'d bullets. Old habits die hard and some just seem to make sense............

Thanks again to all.............

I totally get what you're saying.....doubt if we're both wrong in that regard. That regard being "more of a good thing, as far as reliability goes"...I read that to mean more and quicker expansion.

Lots of new offerings out there however, and the fact that these TTSX's are so new leaves things just a bit up in the air.

Faith...we gotta have faith.