I've been waiting for this bullet, and it's finally on the street (supposedly).

Pushing a 270 TSX at 2650 fps nets me superb accuracy in my Mark V. I used this combo for a PG hunt last year and took eight head of game DRT -- including a 250 yard shot on a nice Springbok. While enamored, the whole time I was thinking, "if they just made this TSX in a 250 gr. tipped version, it may just be the perfect all-around African round." For those that chase elk, moose, and the big bears with the .375, I'd think that this bullet is going to get a lot of attention.

I'm guessing that 2800-2900 fps will be achievable with the new Tipped TSX, though I haven't seen load data. What are your thoughts on this bullet? Would any of you feel comfortable using it on Buffalo? IMHO, it's going to be the premier PG bullet in the .375, though that may be the answer to a question that wasn't asked.

What are your thoughts on its upper-end usefulness? Could you load it up and take it to Africa for everything on your list short of elephant?

Not having used it, obviously, I would still happily point it at a Cape Buff or anything else short of Ele just as you surmised. Remeber that even a 300gr bullet of conventional make is going to lose 30-40% of its weight and thus momentum upon connecting with something alive, large and hard sinned/boned/muscled. This makes our 300gr projectile actually then a 200gr projectile +/- a few grains. These 200gr after impact bullets have been killing really big stuff for a century now, a bullet that hits at a higher speed and is going to still wiegh 250grs even AFTER expansion (or at the least VERY close to that wieght, might lose a petal or two) is going to be a superior bullet. Most certainly very adequate. Yes, this will probably be a very popular and versatile bullet. Truly 30/06 speeds and trajectory with a much bigger and deeper hole at the business end.

they ought to be a barrel of fun in the .375 Ultra...

I'm really excited about it. You're right safariman...this is like having a 250 grain .30-06. I can't wait to run the numbers, but I don't think Barnes has published a BC as of yet.

local hunters use monolithic in the 375H&H with that(250grn) weight or less, though not necessarily Barnes but local products like GS custom bullets or Impala and Frontier bullets. they even use it in the 9.3's . making the 375 and the 9.3 suburb plains game calibers for long distances shots.

this is currently the "thing" with this "old" cartridges locally in SA, with much success.

Where did you find out about this new bullet?

The Barnes site I looked at has nothing.

I've always thought such a bullet might just be the optimum one (if one likes counting angels on pinheads) for North American use with a 375.

Will be all over the bullet soon as I can get my paws on them. The 235 TSX shoots well, the old 250 X shoots well and the 270 TSX shoots well in my 375 Bee. Thinking this will be a total rock star of a bullet!

Thx 4 the update.

Dober

Hi,

A question for all: What`s the difference in performance on big game (elk, moose) you have seen between Barnes X traditional bullets, the last ones, before the TSX series ? I have used in big Red Deer only these first ones, in 235, 250 and 270 grs. My rifle, a Pre-64 (1954)M70 Win doesn`t like the 235 grs. With the 250 and 270 grs the accuracy is very good: 1 to 1,5" / 100 meters and 2" at 200 m. And the performance on Red Deer is very good, indeed! The 250 grs reach 2850 f/s with 78 grs R15 (old lot from 1992). I never recovered a single bullet from a R Deer, but I fired a few into snow and recovered nice picture perfect Barnes X!

Thank you very much!

PH

I've been quite pleased with the .366 250gr. TSX in my 9.3x62mm near 2600fps.

The tipped version in the .375 H&H, and with an additional 200+fps should be a devastating hammer on game.

LINKY

Been shooting 250 gr 375 bullets since the 80's;the Sierra for practice and the Bitterroot on game.The BBC will blow through both shoulders of a brown bear and exit;no reason the Barnes should do less.

Used to use 4064, but today I load 78-R15 for 2940 in my 24" Krieger barrel.Zeroed 3" high at 100 yards this load is down 4-5" at 300 and 13-14" at 400. This is as flat as a 270 Winchester with 150 gr.bullet.

I'm telling ya Bob, you need a 6x36 with dotz on your 375

Dober

Wow Bob that is really moving for an ol' timer like the 375 H&H!!
But I once knew a fella who got over 3,000 fps with 250s in 375...honest...

Most everyone with a 24" barrel will get 2800fps easy with a 270 grain bullet. I never was able to see much advantage dropping further. The 270's at 2800 shoot flatter then the 180's from a 30/06

Dropping to the 250's my trajectory was only equal not any better. The 270's arrive with an additional 20 grains of weight. I fooled with the 250's for about a year on and off and never saw the real advantage to them. If you load them to max velocity of almost 2900 the recoil is significant, I think more harsh then the 300grain bullets. That high velocity with a 250 grain bullet was noticeable!

The 270 was the happy medium for range, impact, penetration, and recoil in my opinion.

Absolutely agree. The 270 gr TSX or variant has just a bit more penetration to make it a really effective dual purpose bullet for the DG/PG single rifle hunt. For PG only the 250 would be fine, but in that case, why not a .30 or .33.

I have to think that a 250 grain bullet from a 375 with greater bullet mass has more killing power than any 33 or 30...from the Barnes #1..BobinNH figures are pretty darn close to Barnes figures and very comparable to 338-378 Weatherby with 250s...if I had a choice I would pick the 375 with 250s over any 33 with 250s for NA bears.....

If I am going to shoot a 250 grain slug it'll be from a 338, not a 375. In the 375 I'll go with 270 grain TSX

[quote=JJHACK]

To me,the 300 gr kicks a good deal harder....the 250's are pussycats, even at over 2900.This is of course subjective and can vary rifle to rifle.

In a bygone era(not really THAT long ago, although it may seem it to the younger folks here there were few 375 bullets of high quality available.

Nosler had gone from the screw machine design to the impact extrusion method of manufacture, but the 375 bullets were not among the newer offerings.I recall coming upon a stash of about 700 of the older bullets, and with a friend, bought them all at $1 each. These were 270 and 300 gr bullets.

You bought what you could get,and the only other premies around were Bill Steigers BBC's;but they were made by hand, had to be ordered,and production runs were small; a guy had to wait for them,sometimes a year or two in any given caliber.

Along with the BBC bullets came recommendations for minimum velocity and twist rate.A bullet that retained in excess of 95% of it's weight after impact may seem common today, but back then it was a rare bird, the concept strange to many of us.(Not that retained weight is a meausurment of killing power;but it does tell us something of the bullets integrity, and what to expect of it).

The BBC was the first bullet to change "The Rules";they could be driven very fast, would not lose weight nor disintegrate,expanded widely and penetrated as far as as required,and killed "well".

250 gr 375's were offered up first with no dates certain for the 275's and 300gr,so that is what I wound up with.In the meantime my first Brown Bear hunt was undertaken with 270 Partitions.These worked well,penetrated fully on one shot,and the remains of the second are here somewhere in my bullet collection,looking like a typical Partition pulled from game,ie nose blown,about 60% of the bullet remaining.

Second hunt in Alaska for the brown bear I had the 250 BBC's started at 2900+ and killed a 9'2";3 shots taken and anchored him on the narrow beach..two shoulder are shots and one back through the lungs.Yw oexited and I recovee the 3rd.It is expanded to app.70 caliber,weighs 249 gr after smashing through heavy shoulder bone and muscle. Exits were larger than what I observed from the 270 Partitions a few years earlier.

There are those who believe that with Barnes bullets we can go lighter than standard and get excellent results,and many today use 165 gr/168 Barnes X in the 30/06 where we might have used 180 gr bullets of more conventional design years back,and with sometimes much better results. It is frequently said that the faster you drive a Barnes, the better,and the same is true of the old BBC's because these bullets do no behave the same as bullets of more conventional design.I think a guy can very safely take step down from 270's to 250's in the 375,much the same as we have taken a step down from 180's to 165's in the 30/06,and get excellent results either way,at least for plains game.

I've not used Barnes bullets,mostly because I have had BBC's these many years which are in some respects similar ;nor have I been to Africa, but suspect if something will handle brown bears nicely, and elk, I suspect it is in the ballpark for a wide range of African stuff as well.

For these reasons,I may be wrong,but I see no reason why a 250 gr Barnes would not be an excellent choice for about anything over there in the way of plains game...This is anectdotal, but a friend last year killed both eland and kudu and bunches of other stuff with the 235 TSX from his 375 over in SA with excellent results.Nothing got away.

Based on what I have seen and heard from experienced guys on here who use Barnes bullets a lot, I would have complete confidence in the 250 Barnes.

To each his own and it's nice to have all these choices today in contrast to what we had to go through to get good 375 bullets a couple of decades ago.

I think BobinNH has covered it all regarding the 375 bullets and the 250s...Bob's field experience and use of the 250s is more than mine....as I have never used the 250s in the field...my favorite 375 bullet for NA is the 275 BBC...as I posted on Big Bore favorite 375 bullets but this May I intend to try the 250 BBC on a SE Alaska Brown Bear hunt...loaded to 2968 fps
I am anixous to see if the performance will duplicate that of Bob's on Brown Bear...

Like Bob I have never been to Africa or used the Barnes X bullets in the field with my 375...but if I ever went to Africa..which I hope to someday...I think I would carry the Barnes X in 250 for the lighter stuff and 350s for the big fellas in my 378 Weatherby...just my opinions..

Just remember that bears both brown and black are very soft and easily damaged. They have no where near the structure of large ungulates, and now where near the heavy solid body mass. I guided in SE alaska for more then a decade we killed well in excess of 400 bears (brown and black) during this time. No big bears have the kind of penetration issues that an equal size ungulate has.

This is not to say that they are easy to kill or easy and comforting to follow up!

What I'm saying is that any 30 cal magnum 338 or 375 with a factory load will penetrate plenty and do the deed. Blood trails are the biggest concern in the rainy conditions, for a really dangerous aggressive and rather quick moving large animal. Shooting a Big Blue wildebeest bull, or big elk, Zebra, etc. will absorb and stop bullets with far greater frequency then a Brown bear will. I would much prefer to go search for the other species when hit, but the bears are simply a very soft bodied animal.

No real argument guys. Just having trouble with the premiss. On a pure PG hunt, particularly in someplace like SA and much of Namibia, I have no doubt that a 250 gr TSX from a 375 will kill anything encountered decisively. Just not sure why anyone would want to burden themselves with such a heavy piece of artillery when a 180gr .30 would do just as well. (I personally like a .33 but it is not necessary). Different issue entirely hunting PG where DG can be encountered (Caprivi, Zim, etc). In that case I want my PG rifle to be able to get me out of trouble, and I think that is where a .375 shines.....particularly with a heavier bullet.

BobinNH, is correct 20 grains difference in weight of a quality premium bullet is no big deal at all. 20 grain ain't no deal breaker

This is true....which sort of surprised me the first couple of carcasses I looked at. Not what I expected...heavy muscles, but light bone structure is what I thought.

You are correct about bear structure, but when enraged, they soak up a lot of non CNS hits. Head shots were the norm for me when cleaning up a clients botched shot placement. It sometimes ruined the skull but it always put them down, and in the thick stuff, that is what is needful.
Randy

A 250gr 338 TSX will arguably outpenetrate a 300gr 375. A 270 TSX pushed as fast as I can get it is about as low in bullet weight I want in a 375. If I drop to a 250 I'll take a 33, preferably a 340 at the speed of heat. jorge

+1. I love my 375Wby but it's for 300gr bullets. The lighter stuff is better handled with a big 33 if a guy has one.

Yes, but you can't generally use a .338 for Buffalo.

I'm suggesting that the 250 grain TTSX may be a fantastic all-around African bullet because it's suitable for Buffalo and exceptional for heavy undulates. Except for those going for elephant, this bullet may do nearly all of it and do it very well.

I don't know that I'd say the same for either the 250 grain .338 or the 270-300 grain 375 -- though I personally had good success on PG with the latter. I'm not trying to overstate the utility of their new bullet...just theorizing.

I just cannot see the advantage of dropping below 270, that 270 TSX is magic and shoots flatter then the 30/06.

Not sure what is gained by the drop of 20 more grains if weight. Certainly the shorter bullet will have the disadvantage of stability over long range and a lower SD if that sort of thing is of interest to people.

The 270 Swift Aframe out of the 375 is the most devistating and consistant killer of PG I have ever seen in nearly 2 decades of hunting as a PH there. The TSX at 270 is even a better penetrater, has been more accurate( marginal) and has taken lots of Buffalo with exits.

I suppose the 250 will be a fine choice, but my biased opinions over 20 years now are causing this doubt in a change. I would like to hear back your results, but seriously doubt that on PG there would be a difference at all, and when you start with 1500lb game I doubt it will be equal.

A couple of things where it could be a plus although these would not be applicable to your use. If Reloader 15 is not available or won't shoot them a 250 grainer will do better with Varget or 4064 burn rates. And there will be some 375s that will simply shoot better with 250 grainers than 270 grainers.

Would also be nice in a 375 Wby or 375 RUM as either would sail over the magic 3000 f/s with 250 grainers. The SD is the same as a 168 grain 30 calibre.

Lower BC, certainly but how can it have a less stability over long range? By being shorter the 250 will be if anything better stabilized shot from the same twist rate barrel as the longer 270 grainer.

SD is not a primary factor in penetration as other factors are. I doubt that on game that there would be very little if any difference in penetration.

I can't wait to try them. I used 235 tsx's in Namibia last April w/ great success. I expect a tipped 250 to be even better!

Good point about powder burn rates, Mike. And the fact that some 375's will shoot a 250gr more accurately than a 270gr......that customised Ruger RSM of mine was one of those

And an extra weight being available is always nice to have...........

I have been using my 375wby with 250gr Barn's X bullets for a number of years in Africa. From Impala to Eland.
My Rifle likes them and if its not broke don't fix it.
I shot an Eland with a 250gr X bullet @ 178yds through the heart, it fell straight over, stud up staggered for a second and then went down. When we skinned it there was a hole slap bang in the heart and the bullet was recovered from just under the skin.
The fired bullet still is 250gr.
I don't think I would use them on Buff.....thats what I am bulding my .458Lott for. But as for my plains game rifle , to me I wouldn't change a thing.
But saying all this , they may not work for your rifle.
[img:center]http://[/img]

I used 250gr Barns X ,71gr H4895 with a CCI250 primer giving 2729fps. Rifle Weatherby Mk5 24"brl, .375wby.
[img:center]http://[/img]

Graf & Sons show(ed) "less than 5", minus one box coming my way now. 250 grain .375 TTSX. MidSouth iced in...

Paul very cool. Beautiful eland BTW.

I have an ample supply of the old 250 BBC's but am anxcious to try the new Barnes TTSX myself.

+1

Late to this discussion, but couldn't agree more.

Bob...I will take those 30+ year old 250 BBCs off your hands...so you can try the new Barnes TTSXs...from what I read those Barnes TTSXs will work better.....

That they will

I know this is an Africa forum, but I was hoping those that have knowledge w/ the .375 will answer this.
I am very fond of the TTSX's in all my rifles. I recently purchased a .375 HH that I was going to take w/ me as a back up rifle when I take my boys or friends out to hunt black bears. The only reason for me having this is for the rare (if any) occurance of running into a brown bear on my way into/out of the bait station.

Would you recommend the 270gr or the 250gr TTSX that may open a little faster?

Both will do fine. I'd opt for the 270's.

Definitively the 270. While I agree one of the virtues of the TSX is you can go with a lower weight, the 250 is way too light for me and in that weight I'd go with a .33 anyway. More speed and LOTS more penetration.

The 250 won't open any faster either will open in a 1" thick block of bllistics gelatin
Either will work just fine 20 grains ain't a deal breaker

OU: This is a matter of opinion,like anything else;and I expect these 250 gr TTSX will be excellent....but I would never... ever trade a Bitterroot for a Barnes X....nor do I know any Bitterroot users,with experience with the bullet.....who would.

There may be some out there, but I don't know who they are

Dang!!

I would say the 250gr but try some .270 heads and play around with loads. My .375 weatherby seems to like the 250gr best but thats just my rifle.

Thank you, to all of you for the nice comments about the Eland.
I have restocked the rifle and also fitted a recoil reducer inside the butt. It shoots like a dream and I wouldn't change a thing about the rifle or my loads.
[img:center]http://[/img]

Jorge, I'm not altogether sure I buy the .338 argument. While you can argue that 250 grains in the .338 will out-penetrate the same in .375, that argument also supposes that one does own a .338.

I, for one, have a couple of 300 magnums and a .375, and I've not heard a sound argument for needing a .338. There's not an elk alive that won't fall to a .300, and I'd much prefer the .375 for bear or moose. There are NO flies on the .338, but it's always been one of those "compromise" calibers to me.

For this specific application, the 270 grain for me. If you're taking it for the express purpose of backing-up for bear, I'd hedge my bets with the 270. If you said that you were primarily elk hunting and may come across a bear, I'd take the 250, as it will shoot flatter.

Can't argue with that premise. The 33s have always been a "twenner" caliber. I own three 375s and were I to go for brown bear, I'd take my 340 Weatherby with 250 TSX @ 2800 plus. I guess I have way too many guns. I have the same battery as you do as well and I would have no qualms to go after same with a 300 of any flavor. As far as elk sized animals my choice for the 338/340 is the 210 TTSX. Now given a ONE rifle choice to hunt all the aforementioned, the 33s are in my view a better all arounder. jorge

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...s/4950532/375_250_grain_TTSX#Post4950532

I tried the 270gr TSX out of two .375 H&H rifles, and while they shot good, I wasn't pleased with the results on wet newsprint. Muzzle velocity was just over 2800 fps and the impact was at 100 yards.



The bullet on the left is a 7mm 160gr XLC, muzzle velocity ~2950fps.


I wrote to Barnes and they said the bullet is designed for tough game, but given that the shot was only 100 yards, and that wet newsprint isn't exactly soft, I was worried about the bullet opening up properly at longer ranges - or even at 100 yards.

Perhaps I had a bad batch, but I recall a fellow from the Yukon also complaining about this.

I like the flat-faced copper Xs which seemed typical of the older XFBs I recovered in certain calibers. The bullet in the middle seems to match the TSXs I've caught in game more recently.



One of two 235 grain 375s used to put a moose down (twice) ; 2600 fps/150+/- yards.


And a 120 7mm from caribou.

If you were using the rifle ONLY for backup protection for bears (black or brown), I'm sure either a 250grTTSX or 270grTSx would work fine. But you're not going to be shooting very far, and IMO you're probably better off with a 300gr TSX or Partition or something.

There's nothing terribly wrong with pushing a lighter bullet faster, and I know the TSXs/TTSXs are solid, but there's no need to do that for short-range bear protection, and if there is any difference in a difficult situation, the heavier bullets would work the best. Here's what a 300gr Partition (travelling out of my .375 Wby about 2,550 fps on impact according to my chrono and some simple math) did on a double lung shot (smashing a few ribs along the way) before it exitied on the far side of the bear. The bullet went through about 30-inches of bear and kept on going.

3200 fps from my 378 Lazermark?
I will take that!

Bears are easy to shoot through and thin through the shoulders. The 270 tsx does it all. It will exit an eland bull broadside most of the time which is far harder then any brown bear.

Eland are not at the same level of stress to follow up but they are huge and solidly built. I've seen the 270tsx exit them frequently.

X three. There is a limit as to how much we can ignore the SD issue and the 270gr will shoot flatter.

I doubt the recoil will match that of the big 338s (340 B for example) at 2900 fps with a
250 and also that the trajectory will, practically, be any steeper. The 375 just keeps getting better.

I have two boxes of these on the shelf Just waiting their turn.

Nice bear.

No doubt that the 270 TSX will work, but penetration with the TSX and TTSX is a given. I'll trade a little (or a lot) of unnecessary penetration for increased expansion (more consistent in TTSX as well) when choosing a TSX. The TSX and its derivatives get better & better as the bullets get lighter & lighter. I've recovered a few TSX and TTSX bullets, but only a small percentage compared to traditional cup & core and NPTs--they are hard to stop.

I tried the 270 gr TSX to see what the hype was.
No hype, if it is the real deal





One was from over 300 yards with great penatration and ended in the neck of gemsbok. The second one close range and ranged into the floating collar bone area of a lion. Either one was enough expansion. Both were driven well through vitals and wrecked the nervous system. I don't use my 338 much anymore. Not that it won't work, it's just I like shooting the 270 gr TSX. Making shots at 450 yards proved no obstacle as well on small antelope. I won't try lighter because I know I don't need too

Recovered this 270g TSX on the far shoulder of this eland. This was from a Ruger 375 and going around 2700 fps at about 100 yards. I'd call that picture perfect performance. I'm moving to AK this summer and that Ruger is going with me!

I've used 300 grain "X" bullets on Brown Bear in Alaska and out of four solid hits, recovered only one bullet. That one struck the bear on the left shoulder, traversed the body and was recovered under the skin on the outside of the right hip.

I've always preferred "heavy for caliber" bullets and decided to change things up a bit for my first (upcoming) trip to Africa. Although I'll use my same .375 H&H rifle for buffalo, this time I'll be bring 350 grain Woodleigh Weldcore softpoints and solids. While the velocity is somewhat reduced (compared to the PMC loaded Barnes "X" bullets), I've read a lot of good things about these heavier rounds and their effects on buffalo. They aren't inexpensive, but neither is the trip (or my hide)!

I believe it is Dr. Kevin Robertson who fully supports the use of 350s in Africa. He has pointed out the extra weight gives excellent performance by creating more momentum in a caliber already known for great penetration while generally not exiting on broadside shots. He further makes the case this is no small consideration when hunting animals in a herd.

Having not been there and done that I cannot say but would like to hear from someone who has taken this course previously.

Almost 3200 fps from my 378 Bee Lasermark and good accuracy. Barnes e-mailed me and said minimum expanding velocity is indeed 1800 fps for the 250 TTSX not TSX.

Fotis that's hustling!

I flattened a 9'2" brown bear four years ago with my .375 Wby with factory 300gr NPs (at just under 100 yds) with one shot.

I'm going back again in September. Aside from brown bear, I may be making some longer shots on other types of game (wolf, wolverine, maybe moose, etc ...).

I'm considering taking my .340 Wby with the CorBon 225gr TTSX rounds because they shoot like a laser from that rifle and, when shooting less than 3" above the sight line max, they are less than 6" low at 350 yds. But I was considering shooting the 250 TTSX out of my .375 Wby because it has such a high BC that it is very flat shooting, but yet provides a fairly-heavy bullet at high velocity at close or long range.

A couple of distinctions to me:

Lead-based bullets (including the NP) probably perform the best under the right conditions, and they do so with lower velocities.

However, the Barnes bullets almost never break up do better with higher velocities and are not handicapped when doing so by moderate weight reduction. They don't lose much weight, go in faster, and keep going.

The .375 270gr TSX is -- a TSX, not a TTSX. The TTSX seems by all accounts to open more reliably, and has MUCH better ballistics. Thus a 250 TTSX at in the 2,800fps-3,200fps range will move less in the wind and drop a LOT less than a 270 TSX will when being fired more-slowly by the same firearm.

I'd rather shoot a big animal at moderate range with a 300gr NP from my .375 Wby than I would with a 250gr TTSX, but only marginally.

But I would rather shoot the 250gr TTSX at something out past 250yds. They're more accurate in my .340 Wby and other rifles and much flatter.

The TTSX seems to expand better a lower velocities than the TSX and shoots much flatter. Some may disagree, but they're definitely different bullets. And the TTSX shoots way better at the same velocity at longer ranges.

Of course, the TTSX is longer for the same bullet weight, which can reduce the powder charge in certain instances.

Lots of tradeoffs.

But the .375 250gr TTSX has really great BC (.424), and the 270gr TSX does not (.326).

I will crunch some numbers about bullet drop and slow-down, as I have in the past, but it is a significant difference.

A 250 TTSX (or other good 375-250)from a 375H&H will knock the snot out of anything in North America, at short or long range.

In email exchanges with my brown bear guide (2016) his number one pick of rifle was a 375 H%H using the 270 gr TSX. I advised I would be using a 9.3x62 with the 286 gr Partition. He had not heard of the round so googled it and later replied that "it ought to work fine, especially if you can run handloads a bit faster", which, of course, I can and will. He also was not a fan of the Partition much preferring the TSX over it. I thought that was interesting.

Ed I'd find it interesting, too. I used the old 375-270 gr screw machine Partition on a brown bear and it made a big hole with a big blood trail.

Can't imagine a bullet doing much more,or that a 286 from a 9.3 would be that much different, but different people see different things.