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Well, i’m super bummed because after months of looking forward to testing the 200 grain Federal Edge TLR bullets with my Christensen Mesa with a 1/10 twist barrel, i’ve realized that they’re just too long for my barrel and had trouble getting under 1.5 in groups

Already, spent $100 buying bullets (not factory) and it took forever to find them, so I’m back to the drawing board. Basically, I just want a bullet that will leave a good blood trail on elk or any African plains game. From my research, loved the Edge TLR’s performance and ability to provide a good blood trail because of the combination of being able to penetrate while expanding enough to create good exit wound. That said, I’ve gotta be able to shoot sub MOAs.

All that said, do you think i could get away with a lower grain/shorter bullet like a 180? If so, which one? I know Precision Hunters (ELDX) are popular, but worry they expand too quickly. Also, i guess they’re 200 grain. I guess Barnes ain’t bad either, but they done expand enough.

That sounds like a job for the Nosler Partition.




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I always used the 190 hornady 190’s. But I don’t think they make them anymore.

Barnes TTSX and don't look back

Myself and several friends ( on four trips from '96-2002) used the 300WM ( I used other calibers too, but sometimes borrowed my friends 300WM) we all used the older Barnes 180 XBT handloaded just shy of 3100fps. The TTSX is even better now ( as far as accuracy goes) We killed zebra, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, wart hog, impala, Blesbuk, the big Namibian Gemsbuck, Springbok near and far. It was pure poison! So, get you some Barnes Vortex 180 TTSX factory ammo and get after it! BTW, I also recently bought a CA Mesa 300WM and I have several good loads, my main one being the 150 TTSX. The last bullet I worked up a load for was the Nosler 200PT. It shot them great. I don't know how long that 200 Edge TLR is, but just "maybe" your rifle doesn't like that "specific factory load"? At any rate, 1.5" is way plenty for Plains Game and many others! Have a ball though!

Nosler Partition or tipped Bear Claw

Don't expand enough for what?

The Barnes don’t expand enough to make a big exit wound. They’ll go through, but their exit wound is only like a dime vs a solid half dollar exit. Theoretically, it shouldn’t matter much if you make a perfect shot, but that isn’t reality when you’re hunting.

My experience with them has been different. Caliber sized entrance wound, ~golf-ball sized exit. Doesn't really matter what range, placement, cartridge, or bullet weight one uses, the results are ALWAYS the same. The damage that happens inside is not really reflected well by the entrance/exit.

243/85's, 25-06 & 257Wby/100's, 270Win/140's, 7-08 & 280 &280AI & 7Rem & 7WSM/120's-150's, 308 &30-06 &300WSM & 300WM 130's-200's.

Longest just a hair over 600 w/257Wby/100's, closest, <25yds 300/200's.

Fox, Badgers, Racoons, Coyotes, Pronghorn, Whittails, Mule Deer, black bear, Caribou, Elk, Moose myself. IME, they expand just fine.

You forgot to mention that the internals look like a blender passed through them.

Consider the 180 gr Protected Point Partition. Tends to be exceptionally accurate......and deadly.

how are the groups further out ? you may find 1.5 inch 100 yards groups are also 1.5 inch at 200 yards.....

at any rate 1.5 moa is more than adequate for taking elk size game at most any reasonable distance


but you could try 200 gr Accubonds , I doubt the 1 in 10 twist is your problem

I agree with trying them at 200, 300 if available. Longer bullets "yaw" at the muzzle and then "settle down" further out. It won't take but 2 or three rounds, and then you'll know for sure! At any rate, lets say, for 150yds and under, with a levergun, a 1 1/2" group makes it like a "varmint rifle", just point and shoot! It was the same in South Africa, except when we went to a big farm SE of Joberg and shot Black Wildebeest. Closest you could get to them was 350yds or so, and then only briefly! We took two, one with a 35 Whelen AI (200x) and one with a .375 H&H/270 FailSafe. Then, in Namibia, if you hunted them right, we could have eased over a dune and popped one at 150yds some were even closer, in the shade . Instead, we were with the "Afrikaaner Biltong Hunter Rat Patrol" guys! ha They would zoom over a dune, scatter a herd and chase them out to 375 and beyond. We used a .340W(210xbt) on 2 (then my scope failed) we all (5 of us) used the 300WM ( again 180xbt) and a 338WM ( 200x in it then) and we shot close to 20 animals ( Gemsbok and Springbok) none were under 300, and the longest was right at 375, 380. Those 300s all shot .75" with 3 shots, but 1 1/5 with 5. Sometimes guys missed ( running game!) 4-5 times before connecting. So...IF your rifle doesn't open up beyond several inches at 200yds, you are "gold"! This is strictly my opinion, you understand, and ,you personally, may want it to shoot tighter, I know the feeling, ha. But I just wanted to encourage you not to give up on your 200gr load yet? let us know what you end up doing, OK? Thanks.

Not to mention.....penetrates through and destroys any bone encountered!

Barnes....the solution to your “killing” problems! memtb

I killed my elk at 330 yards with 180TTSX out of a 300 Weatherby. Aside from complete pass through, the heart had a quarter sized hole right in the middle of it. Expansion AND penetration. TTSXs, like Porsche there are NO substitutes, especially at 300 WM speeds.

I use the 165 TTSX in my 300 Win mag, great groups, hell on pigs and deer. I use 150’s in my 300 Weatherby’s, don’t know why, guess that’s what I had on hand. They kill deer and pigs too. If I could only shoot one bullet, it be a Barnes TTSX. At one time I would have said Partition or Bear Claw.

Factory 212 ELDX shot sub MOA in my Christensen Ridgeline 300PRC. I’d assume they have factory offerings in the WM as well.

210 ABLR also shot extremely well but I hand loaded those.

For a blood trail try 175LRX, I load these for pards in 300 RUM and WM,great bullet.

For no blood trail but a dead carcuss, 215 hybrid. I realize the mental hurdle of using Berger is too much for some .

I am absolutely impressed with the 230 30 cal hybrids in other cartridges and that’s what I’ve settled on in the PRC as well. In the WM I’d drop to the 215 though, the 230 offers nothing over the 215 in the WM. Problem is you’d have to go with a boutique ammo company to get them if you don’t load your own..and Berger’s tend to require more tuning so that’s a crap shoot.

Wise choice Grasshopper

A 180 TSX/TTSX out of a 300 WM will kill anything that walks in North America.

I think that is a fair point about trying a different distance. I’ll need to work on finding a range farther than 100 yards, but I think I could figure something out. I also think I’m going to clean my gun before I shoot next time, as I was shooting other loads and they weren’t even shooting well even though I had shot MOAs with them in the past.

As for the reason wanting to stick with the TLRs, this testing confirmed much of my beliefs of the quality of exit wound they provide.

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/the-federal-edge-terminal-long-range-bullet/330154

That said, if there’s evidence of Barnes TTSX producing similar results even at 180 grain, I’m happy to entertain given that my rifle seems to shoot them better, I think.

As for ELDX, there’s just not enough weight retention for my liking. Most people say under 200 yards, there’s less than 70%, which means no exit wound.