Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting South Texas & 130 TTSX

Yep, was going to say shot placement is the key to DRT even with Barnes bullets.

If I had a 308 down here still I might be tempted to try the 130ttsx. But the 308 runs so well with 185 Berger target bullets I have little more to ask from it.

Good deer to go! For sure. Great bullet performance like I expect from Barnes

Wow! Super buck and great report on the 130TTSX!

Great deer, Congrats!

congrats nice buck

South Texas has the biggest deer inn this state, or in many states actually. They have huge racks but their body size isn't what it is in the mid west. Their bigger on average than in the rest of the state, but don't get much over 200#. Lots of concentrated protein down there though and that makes for great racks.

Man, that deer doesn't have hocks--rather full socks! I can smell him from here! great buck!

I don't know what I'm doing wrong with the 130 TTSX in my 308. Shot my 5th or 6th deer with them the other day and I just can't get blood trails. they shoot great in my Montana, tear up the insides, always pass through, but very little if any blood. if deer always fell like yours did I wouldn't worry about it, but i'm afraid i'm going to leave one in the woods at some point. I shot one the other day and wasn't entirely sure of the shot. It was a quick off hand shot on a buck I walked up on. I couldn't find blood at all. when I did find the deer, he had only gone 40 yards, but into some thick stuff. He was quartering to me and the bullet entered barely in front of the shoulder, just clipping the blade. It exited about the back of his lungs and tore him all up on the inside. Just no blood on the ground.

I hate tracking in the thick thorn brush where I hunt.

The thorns are very unpleasant and the rattlesnakes are even more unpleasant. Even worse, the rattlers can crawl up into the brush and trees well off the ground.

So, I pick and choose shots to try for DRT. It is not magic, just some basic anatomy.

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to shoot lots of does, shooting up to 30 in a single day.

That experience revealed some very reliable shot placement points to reliably drop animals where they stand.

Shots high into the thorax typically have blood draining into the chest cavity and they can run 50 - 100 yards.

Shots low, such as low behind the front leg will allow blood to drain out, but again allow them to run for 7 or 8 seconds and they can cover quite a bit of ground in that short time.

Shots that cut an artery or major vein, such as placement to the base of the neck, will produce blood, and better yet, cut the CNS, which is the guaranteed way to drop them where they stand.

I'll put together a new thread with shot placement soon with photos showing the placement I use and have found to work.

Great info jeffbird...looking forward to that post

My buddies wife used the 308/130's combo on her "Once in a Lifetime" moose. @ ~125yds she bounced 2 through the chest (both exited) then called her brother to bring the tractor.

Myself as a 6.5 shooter I have been taking mature muley bucks forever with the Sierra 120gr. Also have tried the Barnes 100gr 6.5 TTSX with 100% success & complete pass thru. Took my elk this season with my 6.5 & the 121gr Hammer bullet with a complete pass thru of both front shoulders. DRT.. One of my hunting buddies uses a 308 & the Barnes 130gr on elk with absolutely no problem. It will kill!! He has also tried the Barnes 30cal 110gr mono on deer with complete pass thru. We have shot these 308 130gr /& 110 loads on my 500 yd range & their performance would amaze you as they did us. For those who have problems with the 130gr TTSX on deer try the 110gr version. So far they have always given complete pass thru on mature muley bucks.
THere are also the Lehigh fracturing mono's where the front ( about ) 1/3 tear off & of considerable damage.[img]https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018298911?pid=686422[/img]

Here's another .308 option. I wrote a review that's self explanatory.

https://cuttingedgebullets.com/308-135gr-er-extended-range-raptor

DF

Its always rewarding to have a buck your after finally agree to a meet. As the common consensus says, its hard to argue with that 308W/130 TTSX combo . Great buck and a fine cap for a SoTex season.

I had a lease down in Refugio for about 12 yrs and man I miss it. Great people, many memories, whopper bucks, and a staggering amount of game. Congrats Sir on a fine buck.

Joseph

Thanks for posting the pic and infor on the 130 TTSX.

Congrats on the trophy buck.

Very nice congratulations!!!

I've had very good luck with the 130TTSX in my 308 Win. Using 46.5gr of Benchmark in Lapua cases I was getting 1.5"-2" groups at 400yds. Velocity was 3,140. I shot a nice 8 pt buck at just over 200yds as he faced me. At the shot the buck was slammed to the ground like no kill I had ever seen before.

Oh the magic of a 308..........

For those shooting the 270 or 30 cal try the Barnes 110gr mono for deer. . I have a hunting buddy that takes his elk each season with the 308 & the 130gr TSX. The deer I take seem to go right down with the Sierra 6.5 120gr. Also have tried the Barnes 100gr TTSX & it also works great with the local muley's.

I usually either don't need a blood trail or get one. What I believe happens is so much of the blood is internal and then the heart shuts down so no blood pressure. A low shot will sort of leak out, a higher shot the animal will drop before the free blood reaches the entry or exit. With monolithic bullets you need to shoot for bone or a CNS shot to guarantee they drop on the spot. But I have not found this necessary and stopped shooting deer on the shoulder after I filled up a 16 CF freezer entirely with blood shot shoulders. My dog loved me for it but not so great making bloody stew in the kitchen.

To me the lack of a blood trail actually means the bullet is very effective. The most dramatic blood trails I have seen are from bullets that just poked on through and the heart kept pumping. I shot one dear with a 30 M1 carbine through the aorta and there was a geyser of blood from that one. The 30 M1 gets my vote as one pretty marginal deer rifle.

Looking forward to this.


Okie John