Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 80gr TTSX performance

The Nosler E-Tip reportedly opens better. In my experience with them, they're not as accurate as the Barnes, at least in the .240. I haven't tried them in other calibers.

DF

Here are two 80gr TTSX from the same box. Same impact velocity. One shot hit shoulder bone. One shot missed shoulder bone, went through the ribs angling through the guts ending up at the back leg. Practically same size deer. Both shot from the 257 Roberts.

Two shots. Same bullet. Different bullet performance. Both very effective.

KI: thanks for sharing that pic. Very interesting. Not often that we can actually see the different results when some of the variables are controlled and similar.

From looking at cut aways of bullets the GMX seems to have a bigger internal cavity than the TTSX. I would think that would help with expansion even on softer/no bones shots. I am using the 80GMX from my .243 and only a sample of one but I had a nice quarter sized exit hole only smacking ribs.

My kids have had great luck on deer with the 80 TTSX out of .243's but all at 100 yards or less. We've also had great results with them out of, 30'06. .270, 280 AI and 300H&H, from 20-410 yards....elk, deer, antelope... we'll keep using them.

Glad to hear it worked for you Heath. I'm thinking about picking up a box of the 90 grain GMX to try in Tide Jr's 257 Roberts.

I think you guys would be pleased with the 90GMX in .257".

Next time midway has a run of Blem GMX bullets there are going to be several boxes in 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm find their way to TN.


If my .257 Roberts didn't shoot so poorly I would get some for it too. It's nickname is Lightning because it never hits in the same place twice.........

Sounds like your throat is in bad shape or you have serious crown issue. Either way have you ever been able to check either of those or have a good smith look at it.

I have found 257 Rbts to be a very consistent round in almost every rifle I have found them in. Most are not target grade accurate but usually good and extremely consistent day in and day out.

Not wanting to hi-jack .. just curious.

While I was a big fan of Barnes bullets when I lived in Alaska, I just don't think they are optimal or needed on southern whitetails. Deer are so thin skinned and with little mass inside to assist that copper bullets to open enough to create the large wound channel. We have been killing deer with regular old Coreloks, Power Points and Fusion bullets and all the deer are DRT. Like was mentioned, the deer aren't big enough down here to waste both shoulders with a Barnes when a C&C bullet behind the shoulder works so well. Now if Elk or Moose were on the menu I'd highly recommend the Barnes.

+1

That's about the same conclusion I've come to.

DF

Have you had a chance to compare GMX performace with the E-Tip?

DF

The gun was NIB when I got it from the shop. Crown looks to be in great shape, no clue on the throat. It's a Ruger Hawkeye Ultralite. It's been in 2 different stocks, bedded, floated, full length bedded and with factory pressure. 2 different types of factory ammo, 2 different bullets and 4 different powders while reloading and ever now and then I get lucky with a 2" - 3 shot group.

Dirtfarmer - never tested and e-tip. The only mono bullets I have used are TTSX and GMX, both have worked well for me.

did you play with the OAL?

bump the lands and try again if you haven't.

OAL changes, brass changes and primer changes. Worked from on the lands to way off. Mag box free, trigger worked, lugs lapped, everything torqued and scope is good. I have decided it just doesn't shoot good.

In my .240 HS SPL, the Barnes were some of the easiest to find tack driving loads. They seem to be quite forgiving regarding loads, COAL, etc.

DF

I shot a small buck at 40 yards broadside with my Browning abolt 25 WSSM,using Berger VLD hunting bullets,deer ran away with no sign of a hit,I knew I had hit him,no blood,searched and searched and finally found him dead,about 100 yards from the shot,very small entrance and exit wound right thru the boiler room,had a deer this year with my model 7 308 with Bergers,perfect broadside shot thru the boiler room at 225 yards,deer ran about 55 yards,no blood until the last 15 feet,snow on the ground,using 155 gr bullets,I think I am going back to shooting them thru the front shoulders,seems to go right down then,I don't care much for trying to follow foot prints,wouldn't be bad id I had a decent blood trail.

DF - I agree, hogs can be stouter than a WT, and is why I prefer a 95 NBT for deer, and would run happily on a hog, would probably prefer a Barnes over the NBT in the event I had a bad shot angle as it will get thru all, hide/gristle, bone and all, - and destroy internals in the process, as mine did, DRT.

The 95 NBT drilled a deer thru both shoulders at 100 yds, and I dumped a few others with lung shots via a 6BR, my fave bullet in 6 bar none. I would punch anything but a Grizz with it, the Barnes would get the nod for large hogs, any elk/moose or any bear if a 6mm was what I was holding and a shot presented to 300 yds. Expansion might be a concern at distances approaching, or over 400, so I would have to test from my rifle/load to confirm my limit for the TTSX at the speed my rifle was shooting.

I've yet to see a C/C bullet through a shoulder that you could eat up to the wound... and I've never seen a barnes hole through bone that you couldn't....

If I"m not reading the above right, then apologies, but a C/C will do more damage around bones every last time and waste more meat in the process.

And if the difference between the cost of C/C and barnes is an issue, I suggest hamburger at the store, its alwyas the cheapest route.

i dont eat shoulders so for me, they are purely to anchor the animal, thus either type of bullet is fine with me provided it does what i intend it to do

Do you just leave them?