Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ideal impact speed for Barnes TTSX

Speaking to the barnes rep at DSC and talking about penetration.

He said that when one of they bullets hits at a faster speed it will mushroom faster and potentially penetrate less as a result. The example he gave was that a 30-06 might penetrate more than the same bullet shot out of a 300 win mag.

Anyone else heard about this - makes me wonder about ideal impact speed for penetration with the Barnes bullets? I've become a JJHACK believer and like the idea of 30 cal and two holes to aid in tracking and blood loss, so want penetration.

Shaking my head.

Just WOW....................

I think that is certainly true with a cup and core, not so much with the Barnes. Optimal velocity......let’s just say 2000 + fps. memtb

1900 and 1700 for the LRX is what they have said.

Sounds like he was confusing lead core performance.

Not to confuse minimal impact with "Ideal impact"

Becareful, who you pick as your expert.
It just could be an opinion of one.

3200 and faster increases tissue damage quite a bit but no reduction in penetration with the ttsx.

What do you think of the hypotheses - that higher speed might lead to lower penetration due to early mushrooming?

This actually came up because I was asking about penetration of a 250 TTSX going 2720 out of a .375 H&H. I did not feel I got as much penetration as I expected with that load.

Try shooting Nosler Partition bullets. They work just fine in this caliber. (If) your not happy with your TTSX

Myself, I could use the above two choices or some other stuff. You need to have confidence in your equipment.
Wish you the best.

Wierd things happen.

I saw an X bullet stopped against a vertebrae on a large buck a buddy shot. Cartridge was a 7 STW.

As fast as I can get them going. Never stopped one at 3400 fps mv in a 150 gr 30 cal on close shots.

I have never stopped one in a deer yet and I have run them through deer from ~1600 FPS to >3600 FPS impact speeds.
Every single one of them showed good evidence of expansion and produced good wound channels. I did see where one separated at least one petal.

As far as ideal impact speed...With a TSX/TTSX the only assumption I can make based on more than 100 animals is that they are going to go through and exit. I did see one TTSX that was stopped in a large deer with a corner to corner shot and it performed perfectly and was an ad copy perfect mushroom on recovery. I have seen them go through ungodly amounts of bone and still exit. I have shot them out of a few guns that can push them over 3500 FPS and for my money there is no such thing as too fast. A little 80 grain TTSX out of a 243 at >3400 FPS will go through 3 feet of deer, so the only way I can look at them is stopping one in an animal is a pretty rare exception.

Edited to add: If you don't get enough penetration with a Barmes, your options to get more penetration are more or less limited to FMJs and solids.

Edited to add: If you don't get enough penetration with a Barmes, your options to get more penetration are more or less limited to FMJs and solids.


^ This! ^ memtb

Or maybe jump up a weight in the TSX/TTSX line if your really worried about penetration, but for me I shoot them a weight lighter than I would choose a NP for the same application and they just go through.

My limited experience from the last 25 years is that nothing out penetrates a Barnes except solids. Barnes typically open up to a lesser frontal area so encounter less resistance. They are also less dense than C&C bullets and the shank seems to keep them going in a straighter direction. With really high velocities of greater than 3000fps IMPACT velocities I have seen them shed the petals and they sure as hell penetrated. If you were disappointed in the performance of Barnes on Buffalo I suggest more velocity or go up to the 300's You definitely don't want to slow them down.

Light speed.

Hmmmm . . . Warp 1? I was thinking more like Warp 2 as optimal

Well that’s just unrealistic.

The hell with light speed. Go straight to Ludicrous speed!

X's love speed and that's their AO.

Hint.................

110’s @ Mach 3