Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Barnes TSX

I recall years past there were issues of the TSX not giving reliable expansion. Has this been addressed/improved or still a problem?

Looking at std cartridge velocity (308 wcf), not magnums.

What say ye?

Local gun shop has couple boxes of .30 cal 150 gr. TSX, but I don't know how to tell recent manufacture vs old stock (it's a small town relatively low volume place, especially since the long range shooter syndrome now requires a high BC aka plastic tips!!!)

When in doubt, call Barnes Customer Service; or email them. They can offer advice for each bullet we make to include the lower impact velocity to insure reliable expansion. Any/every bullet made has limits; not just Barnes. Know what that limit is and you should have reliable expansion.

Alan

I've had no particular issues with Barnes bullets. It's becoming the only big game bullet I use.

murkydismal,

My wife and I experienced a few Barnes Xs (including some early TSXs) that didn't open at all, or didn't open much. This also with some other people I know and trust.

One thing I noticed was that all of these occurred with bullets from .30 caliber on down to 6mm--but not .224s. I started to suspect it had something to do with the hollow-point getting battered on the front end of a typical box magazine during recoil, or perhaps even from a round being repeatedly loaded in the magazine. Either can result in partial or total closing of the hollow-point, which does not help expansion.

With .224s there generally isn't enough recoil to batter the tip, and the TSX's above .30 have much larger hollow-points, so there's little likelihood of them being battered enough to change expansion.

When the Tipped TSX's appeared on the same bullets they expanded noticeably more, resulting in wider wound channels. My guess (based on considerable experience with Xs, and modern slow-motion video of bullets shot in clear ballistic gelatin) is the much larger hole in the front of the bullet (necessary to accommodate the plastic tip's base) results in more reliable expansion.

Speed on the 224's helps a lot. I never had a failure on the 6mm 85g TSX shot from 6 Rem at 3400 muzzle velocity and 7mm 140 TSX shot out of 7 mags at 3200-3300 MV.

These are from Post 2000 bullets.

I had a failure to open with the 100-grain .25 TSX started at 3500+ fps from a .257 Weatherby, on a pronghorn at around 250 yards. My wife also had at least a partial failure to open with one of the same batch of bullets on a mule deer buck at around 50 yards, started at around 3150 fps from a .257 Roberts.

Those are not the only examples I've encountered.

I'll only use the Tipped TSX's (TTSX) or LRX's. Since they've been out expansion doesn't seem to be a problem, I don't see a reason to use any others.

I have been using the TTSX for a few years and have not experienced any problems with expansion that I know of because I have not recovered a single bullet.

I recently purchased some TSX because I could not find any TTSX. Now "what if" I took a drill to the HP on the TSX to open the cavity was big enough to ensure it opened? Any comments?

I have shot a pile of critters with the 100 TSX and all have worked as advertised. Guess I have just been lucky but all bullets will probably experience some level of failure if enough are shot. I have been really happy with the accuracy and lack of fouling every since the grooved TSX came out. YMMV

Zero issues with the X, TSX and TTSX since 2002.

Anyone ever tried this ?

I could be mistaken, but I thought the name of the original X bullet came from the X-shaped cavity in the nose that causes the bullet to expand into four petals. Drilling a round hole would change the shape of the cavity and by extension, the manner of expansion. Who knows what the result would be? I suggest doing it, shooting a few into some ballistic gel and reporting the results (with slow-motion video, if possible).

I've used the TSX on multiple elk without problem. These have included the 168 .30 cal. in a .308, the 130 .277 in a .270, and the 150 7mm in a 7x61 Sharpe & Hart. I've used only one TTSX for elk and that was the .30 cal. 150 grain in a .308. It worked as well as the TSX. Only two recovered bullets, but they showed perfect expansion, like in a bullet ad. Use what's most accurate; I doubt you'll see any difference.

My thoughts as well.

TTSX and LRX are awesome in any diameter.

I started using X bullets when they first came out and progressed to XLC, TSX and TTSX. Never encountered anything but stellar performance although my experience at first was limited to 30 caliber (30-06) and didn't expand above and below that until the TSX were available. I don't discount anyone's experience but always thought most of the problems were below 30cal. I wouldn't hesitate to take those TSX's on any hunt.

Had issues with a 168 TSX from a 300 Weatherby a few years ago. Two deer lost because bullets penciled through. Third deer I shot took first one through the shoulders and heart. Looked like he had been shot with a field tip arrow. Literally just a 30 cal hole though the heart which was completely intact. Took him down with a second shot though his pelvis at 200 yards while he was running. Obviously didn't lead him enough. 😊

Never again with the TSX. Only TTSX from now on.

Other than the fact that lead core bullets seem to kill quicker than mono's, I've had good luck with the 20 or so deer I've killed with TTSX's. I hated the original X bullet and have no desire for a Barnes other than the TTSX.

Solve the problem by subscribing to the school of thought that real bullets have lead. You're welcome.

brilliant......