110 gr or 130 gr TSX best for antelope and deer??

Will the 130gr mushroom just fine on antelope?

Is the 110gr a little unstable in the wind and a little light for deer?

Thanks!

130TTSX.

What happens to the polymer tip? Does it stay intact as a cone, or become part of the wound channel?

kenner,

I use the Nosler E-Tip, 130 gr., in my .270 WSM, for everything.

Most poly tips I have recovered in game were in perfect shape. I guess you could say they added to the wound channel.

Are the TTSX that much better than the TSX?

The tip is there to ensure that the bullet expands like it was designed to do. There are credible reports of TSXs failing to expand if the hollow point was blocked and not open. That was why the polymer tip was added--it is driven back into the nose cavity and reliably initiates expansion.

Would run the tipped version if shooting Barnes. The larger HP of the tipped version plus the fact that the poly helps to initiate expansion ensures that everything operates as it is supposed to.

Same as a lead tip bullet vs. same bullet but in HP form, the spitzer will expand more reliably and consistently all else being equal.

130 TTSX

mudhen,

Actually the tip isn't driven back into the bullet during expansion. That was believed to be the case for many years with "tipped" bullets of various kinds, but slow-motion digital video in clear ballistic gelatin showed the tip actually moves slightly ahead of the bullet during initial expansion, then drifts off to the side, due to cavitation.

The reason tipped bullets expand so reliably (and often violently) is the big hollow-point cavity under the tip.

Mule Deer, thanks for the clarification!

For antelope, the 110TTSX will get you the same ballistics to 500 yards, and do it with less recoil. There is no downside.

Isn't there an issue with wind drift, compared to the 130 gr?

I use the 130 gr ttsx, everything falls dead.

Why the need for something as expensive and hard as a tsx for something as lightly bodied as an antelope?

Yes, my question as well. Always used a soft point in various brands, never needed a second shot.

I'm wanting to "get the lead out". Pronghorn tags in Oregon are rare, so a $30. box of bullets is a small price to pay.

Any reason not to look at the 129 LRX? I would maximize the BC since it's basically the same weight.

I would need to read about it and if there's any down side, for shorter range.

I decided to use up my 14 Oregon Antelope priority points and put in for a tag. I've never been on a bad Antelope hunt. Been on some warm ones, though.

The expense of a monolithic bullet wouldn't bother me --- but it wouldn't even be in my top 10 for Antelope. In fairness, they aren't in my top 5 for Elk, either. I've always used the Partition for everything, but I'm going to try an AccuBond on the Antelope trip. A Ballistic Tip would probably do just as well.

Might be worth checking out. Out of a standard .270, you're probably looking at what, 3000 - 3100 FPS? It might be prone to lose a petal, but that doesn't seem to hurt TSX style bullets. Actually, the more bullet tests I've seen lately, I've been surprised how many of them lose petals in general.

I have hunted eastern Wyoming for years with a 257 WBY and the 115gr NBT or a 270 with 130ge NBT. have also used a 243 with 100gr SP and all animals fell dead. I have been using the 110gr Accudond on deer and will try them in the WBY this fall for Antelope. I haven't noticed the meat damage with these as compared to the NBT. Antelope aren't hard to kill and use the most accurate bullet for your rifle.

I use the 110 gr TTSX in my .270. Shoots great....No reason for a 130 gr for antelope or deer at the ranges normally seen.

I have settled on the 140 gr TSX in my Montana. A bull elk last fall and three hogs, ~80 - 200 pounds, this past couple of days with all dropping at the shot.

The TSX will work great either weight but really there is no need for such a controlled expansion bullet for antelope. Any bullet of around 130 grains will work fine. The 110 TTSX would be good out to about 3-400 yards after that wind drift starts to be a concern.

Prairie Goats are softer than deer but their bone structure is considerably denser. This based on using antelope bone for knife handles in addition to the butchering process.

Pick your shots or if you intentionally want to hit the shoulder the Barnes would be good for that.

My buddy and I take several WY antelope a year for the freezer and love Barnes for two main reasons: 1) when it is a long frontal shot so you can find a bullet in a rear quarter we see reliable expansion right out of the magazine ad pages and 2) elimination of lead bits in the meat if less than a perfect hit.
Wind is always the issue in WY and drift will depend on the velocities you get. I use 110 and 130 TTSX in a 270 WCF @3300 and 3100 and find no difference in performance. I also verify this in practice sessions at 400 yds where group drift is for all practical purposes exactly the same.