Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 62gr TSX In 223 On Deer

How do they perform at 223 velocities inside 100 yards on broadside lung shots if they don't hit the shoulder or a rib going in. Will they fully expand before exit? I try to avoid destroying the shoulder if avoidable, don't want to waste the meat. If the 62gr TSX won't expand on those shots I'll sue a different bullet but would like the extra penetration for angled shots. I've used other Barnes X bullets in other cartridges and had good experiences but am interested in actual experiences with this bullet. I've read pretty much everything I can find about this bullet but have not seen this situation addressed.

Please no "It's not an adequate caliber" replies.

Thanks.

Frank

I've used this bullet in 223, 223AI and 22-250AI, with the shots you are describing (broadside, behind the shoulders) they will expand and will kill ok but expect them to run farther than when shot with softer bullets. Barnes definitely put them down faster when shoulder bones are hit.

For behind the shoulder shots I greatly prefer softer bullets

You should be fine. We poke them with sticks going 250fps and they die.

Anyone who can't see that a barnes at 3000fps isn't "minimum" is a bit slow lol

I got off to a rocky start with the 62 TSX out of my Kimber Montana .223 Rem, but those issues worked themselves out and that bullet is the only one from Barnes that I can endorse. I think I have killed 2 mule deer bucks now and a plethora of antelope with that combo. Bone or no bone it has been fine, from 50 to 558 yards. I have zero idea if it expands "fully" on rib shot deer but it works plenty well enough that I just don't care if it expands or not. They do tend to run a bit further than when hit by softer bullets, but not by much and not enough for me to be concerned with in the fairly open country I have used them in.

That should flip them inside out truthfully. Like I said in PM's we use the 55gr TTSX. The 62gr should be gold!

They will kill the cshit out of them. I’ve hit 200 lb pigs at 225 yards, blow through both shoulders. There are better tools, but a 62 TTSX will kill deer. I use 62 gr Bear Claws too.

Where do you get your Bear Claws?

I got them from Jack Carter.

Piece of cake....Ive killed critters a lot bigger than deer with that bullet.

200+-260lb Black buck antelope and Axis, i saw it!

Shot a couple Oryx with that bullet too.


But the Blackbuck didn't weigh near that much. The Axis was over 200...

Wow a 200-250 lb. Black Buck, most I have seen/taken I could throw over my shoulder. The Axis I have taken would have to have eaten at McDonalds for an extended period to go 250lbs. about 200 is tops in the Hill Country of Tejas.

The Barnes will work well but if you want to put deer down faster consider a softer bullet, the Nosler Partition is a prime candidate. The Winchester PP did well as did 55 gr. Hornadays. Forgot the others I have used but most any 60 grainer will work well for the application you describe. I wish I could get my hands on some of the 62 gr. Bear Claws as that is a very good bullet. Hammer and Leheigh have some interesting mono bullets and they are designed to shed the petals like the first Barnes X bullets. I think this leads to more internal damage then the non shedding monolithics. There used to be a shortage of game bullets in .224 caliber but now there are many, basically if it is not a target or varmint bullet, it will do well on broadside shots on deer.

Ten foe, your black buck looked like a 200lb chunk lying there, maybe it was Andie's cooking ; ], my axis weighed 246lbs on the scale at the skinners shed.

For sure, it WAS a nice blackbuck, but they don't weight 200 unless you have to carry them more than a mile back to the truck!

And IIRC my Axis on that trip pegged out at 238 on the scale.....got a couple young guys to get him back to the truck!

LOL, we need to do that again someday.

TRUE! Lets find something in North Texas next time, just because.... you know....:D

Yes Sir, wonderful idea.

You guys like Varget or CF223 with the 62's?

CFE-223 all the way, simply because of compatibility and velocity, NO ONE is going to shoot these low bc hunting bullets far enough that a quarter or half moa at 100 is going to make a bit of difference, and no one i know or have ever worked with can hold that in the field anyway, plus, monos that i've shot, like to be seated deep and drove their guts out to shoot and 'perform' at their best.

Good luck.

H335 for me.