Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters TTSX question

Had a reporter from the local rag, the Portland Press Herald, write an article for the Sunday paper last year claiming if hunters in Maine don't go to monos our eagle population will die from lead poisoning as a result of earing deer gut piles. I actually contacted him and believe me he was not interested in facts. Were it the case you'd have dead crows, coyotes, fox, weasels, etc. all over Maine. No reports of that happening. Another leftie schill putting some emotional hooks in the water for the rest of their libtard readers who gobble it up like ice cream.

I don’t know why partitions are almost always either the most accurate or close.
Had good luck with TTSX’s too, when the fools in California said “You have to use monos!” I’m not as interested!
I have not had good luck with Accubonds, I keep reading about fellows that do, I don’t know what’s the reason?
It is hard to leave Partitions for anything else, I just don’t know why I should — why?

I have seen quite a few critters die from the 80gr .257 TTSX including huge bodied bull moose, caribou, brown bear, black bear, several deer flavors, mountain goat, and more. Seldom fails to exit and kills quickly.

I have never seen an Accubond exit... the difference is stark IME.

Bugger, I’ve not had the luck with Accubonds many report so quit them years ago. May try them again as they’re typically very accurate in my rifles. As for partitions, they’re never the most accurate or close in all but 2 of mine. Acceptable but nowhere close to what several others will produce. OTOH, a TTSX is almost always the most accurate and easy to get shooting. They work every time on the game and since they hit the market I’ve hunted almost exclusively with them.

One might be watchful of not only governments requiring monos but increasingly private ranches are also requiring them to hunt on their propery.

Sitka,

We have gone through this before, but I have seen a LOT more animals taken with both Barnes Xs and AccuBonds than you have, due in part to many cull-hunts, and over 80% of both have exited. I also pointed out that the AccuBonds tended to be somewhat (but not a vast amount) heavier than the Barnes bullets, but that is beside the main point, which is that both work well.

Have also seen a bunch of other big game taken with various petal-type bullets from the old Fail Safe to the Cutting Edge Raptor, Hornady GMX, Nosler E-Tip, etc. They have all killed very well--as have other bullets including the "antiquated" Partition, original Trophy Bonded Bear claw and it's modern "tipped" version, Swift A-Frame and Scirocco II, Norma Oryx, etc. They all work in somewhat different ways, but have yet to find an expanding bullet that is quite as perfect as many people apparently believe, one reason I still tend to use a wide variety.

Can anyone measure the length of an 80gr. TTSX for me? This conversation has me considering a trial but my old Savage 1899 takedown has a slow twist barrel that simply won't shoot anything heavier/longer than the 87 Speer Hot-Cor which is .835" long. A skinch longer may (or may not) work. Thanks.

Until VERY recently the Barnes website listed the overall length of all their bullets. Now it's turned into one of those stupid sites where such data isn't listed. Or at least I can't find it. Did find a listing of a little over 1" on another sire.

However, one thing you need to know about plastic-tipped bullets is the overall length does NOT affect stability like it does with lead spitzers. If you can find the OAL, the subtract about .1 inch and use the JBM bullet stability program--which allows for plastic tips. However, it indicates the bullet won't stabilize in a 1-14 twist at "standard atmospheric conditions."

Have owned one old 99 .250 take-down that supposedly had a 1-14 twist but actually had a 1-15, no doubt due to the sine-bar rifling machines used back then. It would also not stabilize any lead-core spitzer longer than the 87 Speer, even on summer days at 4000 feet above sea level.

Thanks John. That leaves me out.

USF&W keeps track of migratory birds—especially raptors—that have lead toxicity poisoning. I have seen golden eagles dying of lead poisoning at wildlife rehabilitation centers.

In 2018 USF&W proposed a rule that would prohibit lead core bullets on federal Wildlife Refuges. The proposed rule wasn’t put into place, but I expect to see it proposed again.

The same arguments and proclamations by folks over lead shot will be made over lead core bullets, and ultimately the end result will probably be the same.

Lead toxicity in wildlife is real, just how big of a problem it is I’m not sure.

Heck of a buff right there

I only have an example of one, but was not impressed when I saw a cow elk killed with a 243. Actually kind of unnerving experience.

Found this just a bit ago. Nice reference for comparing bullet length.

https://www.jbmballistics.com/ballistics/lengths/lengths.shtml

If only it was a 6 Creed . . . .

mmmm.........I have a pair of 243's that so far have accounted for 14 elk. Mostly in the hands of youngsters--out to ~375 yds. One elk lived just long enough to be shot a second time, the rest were one shot and done.



100g Partiition--it's all in the bullet, cartridge doesn't matter much these days.

Interesting tip, thanks John.

It was with factory 100gr winchester ammunition. Just did not act like it was hit at all, took about 5 minutes for final. But I certainly defer to your experience's, like I said, an example of one.

Interesting thread. I'm leaving Tues for CO first season elk. Developed a load for my 308 - 150 TTSX @ 2850 and MOA. Im also taking my trusty 280 AI with 160 Fed Trophy.

I've been watching and asking those using monos in various SA cartridges. Run the ballistics on a 308 using a 150 TTSX at 2900 which is doable in a 308. It shoots way flatter than it would seem. If you really want to defy logic, compare a 300 Win Mag shooting a 200 gr Partition and the aforementioned 308/150 TTSX. The 308 shoots about as flat, bucks wind about as well and loses 6-700 ft/lbs to the 300 WM - if that means anything. For reference, a 22 hornet churns up 700 ft/lbs. A 150 gr bullet that retains 100% of its weight is the same as a 230 gr bullet that loses 35% or a 200 that loses 25%. The only compromise I see is that the TTSX needs 2000 ft/sec. The 308 is still moving at 2000 ft/sec, at elk altitudes, out to 500. At lower altitudes, it drops below 2000 at about 450. The 7-08/140 is about identical.

I have an either sex tag and intend to report on how well the 308/150 TTSX worked. It wont be for lack of trying