Mule Deer, thanks for the insight on the LRX. I've started shooting the 175 LRX in my 30.06 as well for the same reasons you mentioned, hunting in grizzly country. Do you think the Barnes TTSX 165/168 would suffice in similar circumstances wrt dealing with big bears or is the quick expansion of the LRX design and the 15-20 gr. wt. increase give it enough edge to negate the TTSX bullets?
The LRXs don't expand any faster than TTSXs, and in fact its pretty much a myth that any expanding big game bullets expand "faster." Instead just about any, except Berger Hunting VLDs and some other similar "target-type" bullets, where expansion is delayed slightly. All other expanding bullets open up completely within their length, which is rarely over 1.5".
Instead the LRXs are designed to expand at lower impact velocities than TTSXs--such as at longer ranges. So far I have not idea how much weight they retain on game, since I haven't recovered any--and the first 175 LRX I took any game with penetrated a angling-away mule deer at 325 yards, penetrating around three feet before exiting. In other words, they seem to penetrate like TTSXs.
