Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Barnes TTSX

Just finished load development this evening with 130gr TTSX's in my Bergara Ridge SP 308 Win. I am using 50.5gr of 748 with the bullet seated bout center of high spot just past the first groove from bullet tip. Gun also shot several charges of Varget towards the top end of the charge weights and same seating depth.

HeavyBarrel

I load the 120 TTSX, works great, load them in a 284 also

I run the 120 TTSX in my 7 Wby @ 3650 fps. Accuracy is 1/2” @ 100 yds.

This combo works. Whacks hogs and deer with authority. M-700 with 24" Brux. I've posted this before.

Hybrid 100 V is the fastest .257 R powder I've found. It's not the most temp stable, but great for where I hunt.

I'd go with another powder if hunting areas with extreme temp variations, probably H-4350 which also works quite well. It's about as accurate, just not quite as fast.

DF

I load em(120gr T-TSX) with a slight roll crimp in the top groove. In both 7mm and 30 cal.(130gr T-TSX).

I like ‘em to jump….they’re very accurate in both my rifles at max book charges. Also, the jump helps keep chamber pressures a bit lower vs closer to lands.

I’d start with Big Game too, you’ll get better velocity which is never a bad thing when shooting Barnes.

Leftybolt

Agree.

Crimp probably not needed, but I like to use a LFC with these bullets. Leaves a more professional looking round, IMO.

And, those bullets do like to jump. If they're not grouping to suit, add some jump. Sometimes that works pretty well.

I'm a BG fan in my 7-08, also 125's and 130's in the '06. Fast and accurate.

DF

You say, “they do like to jump”, but on your picture above it says .030” jump. Now that can be misleading. What this thread does say is the Barnes TTSX may not be as sensitive to OAL as some would like you to believe. This has been my experience. Scroll through. You’ll see one guy says his rifle likes the bullets to be .010” off the lands. Since we are talking 7mm08, my rifle preferred .025” off the lands. I tried the recommended.050” off and went as much as .100” off the lands. In all the tests and different charge weights, it liked .025” the best. That’s not your rifle or the op’s. Yours appears to like .030” off, according to the picture above. Which is definitely not a big jump. As with anything reloading related, it’s best to start at the start: find out what YOUR rifle likes. Work up, play with seating depth if you need to and learn to read group dispersion. Your rifle will tell you what it likes. Or not

Where I am in north florida we can definitely have some big temperature swings. You can hunt one morning and the low be 60 degrees and the next morning it could be below freezing.

How does one go about making those group size measurements? Is that some sort of app or computer program?

I just use an Engineers Scale/Ruler, slap it directly on the target and measure to the nearest 0.05". Measuring to 3 significant figures is a folly.

Futura

That is the ballistic-X app, or something very similar.

It's pretty cool

“They like to jump”. If it shoots at .030” go for it. If having issues with grouping, sometimes tweaking jump can help.

DF

Those aren’t severe swings in temp. I’d use H-100 V in that scenario. Probably wouldn’t use it where JB hunts. Would go with H-4350.

DF

I load them a bit long for my wife's 7mm-08, 2.84" according to my notes, so probably magazine length. It's a middle of the road charge of H-4895 getting about 2850 out of her 20" barrel. It's not a fast load, but she can usually keep 3 solidly under MOA.

An extra grain of powder under 120gr ballistic tips keeps the same point of impact out to about 200 yards, which is as far as we tested it.

fladeerhntr

Be careful. Your original question was about loading the 120 TTSX in your 7-08. You are getting responses with 257 and 308 load data.

Thanks RinB, I did notice that and appreciate all of the responses even if they don't relate to the 7mm-08. From everything I'm reading on here and other sites it seems like everyone really likes these bullets no matter what caliber they are shooting them in.

Or, BS slinger will barge in and say it is worthless without a 190 grain bullet with a .789 BC jammed into the lands. Cause it looks so good on paper and in his virtual pretend experience

I've been loading the 130 tsx in my 308 win for deer hunting purposes for over 10 years. In Varget rut as MD would say. Have always loaded them crimped in the shortest channel. When I tried the ttsx the first time loaded them to the same CBTO as the tsx all the other components the same. The ttsx crimped in the second channel shot to pretty much the same spot as the tsx. In actual fact I can hold 1 target over the other and see though the holes in both. They're both great for deer hunting the ttsx will create more trauma.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all

I finally got out and tested some 7mm-08 loads I loaded up in Jan. 2022, with 120 gr. TTSX’s and Varget. For some reason, I loaded .040” off the lands, but they way it grouped, I’m not adjusting seating depth. I am going to go a little higher with with powder charge, as I was .8 gr. under what Barnes has on their website and no signs of pressure issues at all.