Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The "Other" Monos

I've killed a few critters with Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets because I love how accurately they shot in several of my rifles. But I have to admit they -- with the exception of the .25 caliber 80 grain TTSX that I used in a 23" 25-35 -- are not my favored choice for the moderate-capacity cartridges I use. I prefer the Ballistic Tips and Accubonds instead. As to the "other" monos, I've found that both Hornady GMX and Nosler E-Tip performed similarly to comparable Barnes products in test medium, though the final expanded diameter of each is generally just a tad less than with the Barnes projectiles. I have not taken any game with the E-tip of GMX. I had intended to, but my health just never permitted that.

Anyway, the two Barnes bullets specifically designed for the Blackout/Whisper line are another story altogether. The 110 and 120 grain TAC-TX AAC projectiles afford true double-diameter soft tissue expansion down to 1800 fps and open nicely all the way down to 1500 fps. Tissue destruction is much closer to that of a cup-and -core bullet than a mono. It's a minuscule number, but seven hogs taken with the 120 grain Barnes and the 30-30 (app. 2600 fps MV ) have all dropped in their tracks -- and none involved impacts to the CNS.

Would love to see Barnes offer a 120 grainer in both 6.5 and 7mm utilizing that same technology for those of us shooting the mild rounds.

The three fully-mushroomed bullets in the photo were the 120 grain Barnes TAC-TX AAC taken from game killed with a TC Contender rifle with both 23 and 24" barrels in 30-30 WCF.

The hog was a 120 grain Barnes victim as well. It's the bullet on the far left in the photo. It very nearly exited but was stopped by the 1.25" gristle plate on the side opposite of impact. The bullet entered tight behind the onside shoulder, centered the lungs, damaged some of the plumbing near the heart and penetrated the opposite shoulder before coming to rest. Lastly, I have to agree completely with JB's comment regarding "red soup" and ribcage/lung shots. I've pushed the 110 and 130 grain Barnes TSX/TTSX fairly hard in a .308 WCF and never experienced anything like that claim by one of the posters. You get damage and blooshotting, yes. But it's nothing like what a Berger will do -- and the lungs certainly are not fully liquified, either.