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I've been lurking here for a while and virtually every bullet thread that runs for a while has some of you guys mentioning the TTSX bullet. As a life long deer hunter I have always been searching for a better bullet. I suspect that that TTSX Delrin tip opens it up faster, but I need to say that I have been really disappointed with the regular Barnes TSX out of my 7mm-08 on deer. An 80 yard run with no blood on the snow for too far and a quarter size hole through the lungs is not what I wanted to see. Then losing the only buck that I'd ever shot with a rifle in the past 50 years when he dropped 5 drops of blood for two days of looking really soured me on Barnes bullets for deer. Nosler Partitions make soup out of a deer's lungs, but the front half peels back and the exit wound is so small that the blood trails are sparse. The Interlocks or Core-Lokts batter in the magazine. The Accubond blew a bigger entrance wound than the exit. The Ballistic Tips got a bad rap early by being too destructive. My last buck took a 139 grain Hornady Superformance SST and went straight down, but the bullet didn't exit. A friend of mine really likes the drt effect of the Winchester Ballistic Silvertip from his .280. Am I missing a better bullet by not trying that Barnes TTSX? What has been your experience with that or any other deer bullets that you like?

Last edited by Windfall; 09/09/17.

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Welcome to the Campfire Windfall. Since you are talking strictly deer bullets, I don't think The TTSX or any of the premium bullets are necessary. Deer aren't all that hard to kill as long as you put a proper bullet in the vitals. I also tried the SST but I moved away from them because of the explosive results I had. I have had great success with the plain old flat base Hornady InterLock, specifically the 165 grain out of a 30-06. Most of my shots are under 100 yards.

You may have seen this thread from a couple weeks ago.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...11307/all/over-bulleting-your-deer-rifle


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In 7-08, I'd recommend that you use the Nosler Ballistic Tip 150 grain. Opens up plenty but always holds together at that velocity level.

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Yep, hard to beat Ballistic Tips as all-around deer bullets these days.


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They are great penetrators but that isn't the only thing I want in a deer bullet. Ballistic Tips are great and I sure loved them in my .280 ( I need to buy a new one). Standard soft points are also excellent at 7mm-08 speeds. Partitions and Accubonds or similar bullets are where I go for a good combination of both for game bigger than deer.


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Accupoint or accubond?
I thought accubond was a modern version of the partition.
Pharmseller is a big fan of 7-08 and I think he has some kills with the accubond.
I only have one deer with 270 win and 130ttsx. Problem with ttsx I never really recovered one.
If Photobucket wasnt jacked up...I'd post some pics

Last edited by Dre; 09/08/17.

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Originally Posted by Dre
Accupoint or accubond?
I thought accubond was a modern version of the partition.
Pharmseller is a big fan of 7-08 and I think he has some kills with the accubond.
I only have one deer with 270 win and 130ttsx. Problem with ttsx I never really recovered one.
If Photobucket wasnt jacked up...I'd post some pics


Big fan of the Mighty -08.

I killed an antelope herd buck a few years ago with a 140 Accubond, one shot through the lungs, he died right now. My dad used a 140 Accubond from his -08 a couple of years ago to take a big 5x5 bull at 225 yards, one shot, exited, the bull wobbled about 90 feet and tipped over.

That said, I prefer the 140 Partition. The only one I've caught was a 4x4 bull at 68 yards, perfect mushroom under the hide on the off side. The bull took a step forward, a step backward, and fell over. Damnedest thing. Two years ago I used the same load on a big spike at 346 yards, bullet exited, the bull went down so fast I though I'd missed.

The buck I killed last year took the same load behind the near shoulder, broke the far shoulder, and exited at 541 yards. DRT. In my experience the 140 Partition kills very, very quickly.





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Hell for stout, penetrate like a fine stud horse, plenty accurate, they break bone no doubt. I'm sure I'll use them again in the future but I'm going back to partitions, ballistic tips, accubonds, grand slams and interlocks for now. Might just be my luck with ttsx but if I don't break enough bone to anchor deer quickly I end up wading through "Hell's Thicket's". That can happen with any bullet every day but a lead mushroom seems to knock them off their feet right now. Just my two cents.

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My favorite deer bullet for the past 10 years or so has been the Nosler Ballistic Tip.

It's not the original, somewhat fragile, bullet of 30 years ago. It's been dramatically improved with a very heavy jacket, yet it still expands quickly. Also accurate as all get out!

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You're going to have to give us a bit more info on the tsx load you were using. It's a bullet that thrives on velocity when it comes to on game performance. It also tends to work better on deer if shoulders are hit (IMHO).

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Nosler Accubond. 308 and 257 Roberts. I shoot high shoulder on deer and the Accubond has done a good job in that regard. Works for me.


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Originally Posted by Windfall
I've been lurking here for a while and virtually every bullet thread that runs for a while has some of you guys mentioning the TTSX bullet. As a life long deer hunter I have always been searching for a better bullet. I suspect that that TTSX Delrin tip opens it up faster, but I need to say that I have been really disappointed with the regular Barnes TSX out of my 7mm-08 on deer. An 80 yard run with no blood on the snow for too far and a quarter size hole through the lungs is not what I wanted to see. Then losing the only buck that I'd ever shot with a rifle in the past 50 years when he dropped 5 drops of blood for two days of looking really soured me on Barnes bullets for deer. Nosler Partitions make soup out of a deer's lungs, but the front half peels back and the exit wound is so small that the blood trails are sparse. The Interlocks or Core-Lokts batter in the magazine. The Accupoint blew a bigger entrance wound than the exit. The Ballistic Tips got a bad rap early by being too destructive. My last buck took a 139 grain Hornady Superformance SST and went straight down, but the bullet didn't exit. A friend of mine really likes the drt effect of the Winchester Ballistic Silvertip from his .280. Am I missing a better bullet by not trying that Barnes TTSX? What has been your experience with that or any other deer bullets that you like?

Contact our member MILES58. He is a firm believer in the TTSX. He worked up a great load for my Savage Model 99 using the 130 gr. TTSX. Extremely accurate, and one deer with it so far. DRT. He's used it for years and does extensive research on all his kills.


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My wife and I have hunted with 7mm cartridges for over a dozen years (7-08, 7-08AI, 284 win, and 7mm wsm) here in mid-MO. We see some decent size bucks and have taken a few in the 215-225# range.

We've have used 120 TTSX, 140 TTSX, 120 NBT, and 140 NAB. We have never had a DRT with the TTSX, but all have been one shot kills with generally fairly short runs after the hit.

The 120 gr NBT and the 140 gr NAB have both given excellent results IMO - several DRT shots and short runs if not.

While the TTSX is a very fine bullet, for deer, I like the BT or AB.


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Deer aren't hard to kill. Any cup and core will kill them. I've had good luck with Sierra Pro Hunters and Hornady Interlocks....always worked well for me, use whatever shots best. You wouldn't go wrong with a TTSX if you want to run them, but I'd run a 110 or 120 and put some speed behind it.

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Yep, hard to beat Ballistic Tips as all-around deer bullets these days.




JB hit the nail on the head, as usual.

A 7mm08 would be near perfect for deer with a Ballistic tip in it.


You don't need Barnes TTSXs unless you are going to shoot something bigger than you should shoot with a 7mm08 ( See moose thread...)


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Is the Barnes TTSX that good?

No


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As I understand it, the SST Hornady is an Interlock bullet only with the red plastic tip to expand it faster. True enough that deer on average are only 11" through the chest wall and I have been using too hard a bullet at too slow a speed to expand quickly. I really liked the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw out of my 7mm RM on elk, but it was too tough a bullet out of a .308 and an 8 point ran away and hid from a liver shot. I got that one but he needed another shot. I know being critical about Partitions is like criticizing mothers and apple pie, but after a lot of dead deer at the end of the trail with that 7mag, .308 and 7mm-08, they just don't leave a very good blood trail. Lots of the kind of bucks that we are all after start walking around at last light and I've had too many where is the blood trail moments at last light knowing that the local wolf pack will find him if I don't.
To address trplem's point, I went to a deer seminar once and the guy was touting "The withers shot" as being an instant dropper. That buck, a nice ten point, was in thick brush that was covering more of his lower half than I thought that I could get a bullet through. Hence the "Withers shot" and I won't do that again. Evidently very high lung and below the spine with too hard a TSX bullet to do much damage.
Yes, Accubond, not Accupoint so thank goodness for that edit button. Lots of years ago, but I remember like a 4" diameter entrance wound on a close deer and it still ran sixty yards. Years ago one of our guys picked up a couple of boxes of Dominion Sabre Tip loads for his .30-06 when he was moose hunting in Canada. He shot a small doe with them all be it badly and it blew out fist size pockets without penetration. He got the deer, but it ran a long ways. I figure that I owe the animal a quick humane kill, so I don't try to save money on ammunition.


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Originally Posted by Windfall
I know being critical about Partitions is like criticizing mothers and apple pie, but after a lot of dead deer at the end of the trail with that 7mag, .308 and 7mm-08, they just don't leave a very good blood trail. Lots of the kind of bucks that we are all after start walking around at last light and I've had too many where is the blood trail moments at last light knowing that the local wolf pack will find him if I don't.


Not my experience at all with 7mm partitions, whether it be the 7Rem Magnificent, or the 7mm08. I've gotten a little better than quarter sized exits more times than I can remember.

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I use the TTSX in my 300 Win mag. They were a touch more accurate than the ballistic tip, but it was no slouch. I use ballistic tips in 20 different rifles.

I use the TTSX in 6.5 Creedmoors also. Kills pigs well, haven't killed a deer yet. You can't go wrong with either. If I was going on a hunt if a lifetime I'd use a partition. I don't think I've heard a bad word about them.

I have some 140 7mm tipped trophy Bonded bullets I need to try. I'm curious how accurate they are. I used many Jack Carter Bear Claws. They were very good bullets.

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Tom,

And I haven't found it matters much whether a 7mm Ballistic Tip weighs 120, 140 or 150 grains.... :-)


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