Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 7mm-08, 139 LRX

Funny thing is that I know more than one person who screwed up their string of DRT kills by adding more velocity to their 270 loads when they chronographed their loads and thought they weren’t fast enough. Lots of things fall over dead right now when bullets at 2800 fps and change hit them. In the case of my Whelen 2550-2650 seems to work really well. As for LRX’s I have had zero luck with them on game or any other Barnes. Compared to lead core bullets everything runs. I have 175 LRX’s for my 300 win mag running a tad over 3100 fps in my rifle and a 150+ lb deer ran over 200 yards when hit perfectly in the vitals at forty yards. Lung was hanging out the off side. Maybe it’s just my s hit luck but I have had the same story with every Barnes bullet I’ve shot. Pisses me off because they have always been extremely accurate, I just wish they would start knocking things down and anchoring them for keeps.

I guess I've been lucky. I've only killed or been in on the killing of a few critters with barnes bullets, including 2 moose, but not a single animal has traveled more than 20 yards.

My experience is the exact opposite of this. We have killed truckloads of deer. antelope and elk with Barnes bullets. Sometimes they are DRT, sometimes they run.
It has more to do with shot placement than bullet construction. I have seen many animals run after being shot with lead bullets.

Better be trying your best to catch some bone if you want to use tough bullets on smaller animals.

Or go to a 30-30.

8 or 9 muleys from about 50 to 510 yards, most didn't go anywhere and the longest run was about 40 yards. And 2 elk from 170ish (didn't bother ranging it till after for a rough guess) to 433, both went less than 30 yards. All 145 LRXs, have been great. One moose from a 150 TTSX 308, less than 5 yards from 270ish.

I guess I did have a muley go about 90 yards, but that was rolling and sliding down the hill after dropping where he stood.

Not a 139 but a 145 LRX

What primer are you using?

Winchester 120 standard
remington brass.

fotis: what software is that ? is it an app? thanks

I haven't tried the 139 because up until recently I couldn't find any, but the 145 LRX has been available and has been working great. 46gr BG gets me 2850 and low SD with a rem mag primer, slightly slower and higher SD with a standard primer.

I plan to start with 47gr BG with the 139 LRX, which gives 2900 fps with 139 interlocks.

I’d think with the LRX, which is supposed to be softer than a traditional X bullet, at a high impact velocity that it would expand rather quickly and dump a lot of energy. Just not my experience. I’ve shot a lot of deer and bear with a 300 win mag at various distances. Every type of bullets. Traditional cup and core, ballistic tips, bonded, partitions, XLC,TSX, TTSX, LRX. I’ve dropped deer and bear quicker with 200 and 220 grain partitions and A frames than Barnes X bullets. Again, just my experience. I will say they’ve always been super accurate. If I run them again in 30 cal for “deer” hunting I’ll drop down to 150 grains.

The Barnes 168 ttsx for deer. Barnes replied to this thread and posted some particulars to why.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...tthread/Board/2/main/1142303/type/thread

I may look into those. My particular 300 Win Mag is a Nosler M-21 which has a generous magazine and throat I currently have 200 grain Terminal Ascent’s loaded to 3.550” with room to go.

Have you shot anything with the 139LRX out of the 7mm-08, that the thread is about?

Not that particular combination. 280 Rem with 140 gr TSX. Same results as other Barnes I used in other chamberings. Very good accuracy but less than impressive on game with long runs after the hit. I went back to 145 Speer BTSP and dropping deer within 15 feet of the hit. Perhaps I need to drop the weight of the bullet significantly to increase the velocity. Not sure. The deer I shoot are in the 150 to 200 lb range give or take. Bear range from 250-450 ish. I’ll be sending an e- mail or phone call to Barnes directly to see what they recommend. I would really like to use them as I believe that the “non-tox” issue isn’t going away no matter what. And, they are very accurate in my experience. The B.C. Although not as high as say an ELDX Is adequate for the ranges I hunt at. Hopefully I’ll find the magic formula and start getting the results that others are getting but to date I’ve only had disappointing results on game. Right now they are my coyote loads as they are extremely accurate at all distances for me and they poke a nice neat hole through a coyote with minimal damage. I’m hoping I get some good information and results from Barnes. If not I’ll be going to Hammer bullets and giving them a try.

LRX opens fast and straight up hurts stuff at close range, even on lung shots. Haven’t used it beyond 100yds yet. [/quote]

Same opinion for both points my friend, I love them!

The 270 Win with 129s will go at 3,100 fps easily from a 22-inch barrel, the 7-08 easily at 2,850 fps from a 22-inch barrel.

In this case nothing is gained by the 7mm by way of BC. The 08 is a .470 BC, the 270 at .463 BC. Nor would there be a real advantage in WD.

Given the roughly 250 fps head start by the 270 Win, it would possibly be more beneficial at long range impact velocity given its 10 grain lightness and its significant speed advantage. This would yield better expansion at 400 yds plus.

The 7-08 would have an equalizer if it were to shoot 160+ grain loads with .600 - .675 BC loads out past 400 yards, especially with much less WD way out there.

Both would make fine mountain/alpine chambers in a 22-inch barrel.

How about a 150 ELDX (.574 bc) at 2790 fps at the muzzle?



P

130g Speer btsp-7/08
42g of IMR 4895
Rem case
Rem 9 1/2
3000 fps
tiny groups
really is an excellent deer killing load, great penetration and massive tissue damage on lungs and heart

In our deer clubs, many '06 shooters were converted after borrowing a rifle of ours with this load, as deer flop.