Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Barnes 30 Cal 168 grain TTSX on deer

I have a stainless Ruger M77 MKII 30-06 that shoots this stuff into nearly the same hole at 100yds. I am wondering if it is too tough for medium to small whitetail. Anyone with real world experience with this bullet?

shot many with the exact same bullet out of a 308 fired at 2740 FPS.. at all different distances out to just shy of 500 yards. and that bullet made it damn near all the way through the deer chest to ass..

I would expect that based on other calibers I have shot using this bullet, but wondering if it will pencil through a broadside shot at a 130 lb whitetail at 200ish yards.

Use Barnes 168 TSX out of 30-06 on a mule deer few years back, the shot was approximately 180 yards, hit him three times in the shoulder and he was still standing, all three shots hit the same place and exit wound was as big as a fist, had to finish him off with friends 6mm and soft point bullet, dropped like a rock. Ever since then I started using lighted bullets on deer.

I've used Barnes since '90. If in doubt, I shoot them on the "High Shoulder", to break them down. Antelope, deer, elk, try and hit bone. None of us will starve to death because of some bloodshot meat, but you "can" if they run off, not to be found! If you can though, in that 30-06 it would be better to drop down to the 130 TTSX and get after it! OR, check out the lightweight Hammers. Good luck to you sir.

At normal ranges I think deer are best shot with cnc bullets.

I grew up in SE Texas so I know the deer are small. I used the 150 Corlokt in the 30-30 and in the 30-06. I later tried some Sierra 165 SBT in the '06 and it didn't tear them up as bad.

I’ve used the 168 TTSX plenty in the 30-06. Never been a problem.

Sounds like good terminal performance with that kind of exit hole. Wonder what went wrong and why he was still on his feet.

Because no two game animals react the same to being shot.

Are you making this up or trolling?

Agree as a rule, but this rifle shoots these bullets so well it pains me not to use them lol.

True, but still sounds like the bullet opened up nicely at moderate range/velocity.

I never had a problem with a TTSX not opening up.
They open up better than the TSX in the smaller calibers, but MD and others could verify or not that thought.

It seems to me you’re using a sledge hammer to drive a nail. Sledge hammers will drive nails. But if it shoots very well in your rifle, I’d try it. Sorry but know personal experience with that combination.

Everyone touts these at high velocity but a couple decades ago the veteran African writer Gregor Woods wrote about some bullet testing done by a retired American vet on game animals and the conclusion with hundreds of game animals was the TSX in 30 06 with an impact velocity of about 2400 fps provided best bullet upset namely, petals peeled back 90 degrees and offering a scythe like cutting motion through all tissue encountered.

I've used this bullet in my 300WSM for 11 years.

In NA, I've shot moose, MD, WT, pronghorn.

In South Africa, I've shot 23 head of plains game from common duiker to eland. The bullet flatout works.

Not making it up, could be that TSX didn't open up as well on lighter game as TTSX, used the same bullet TSX on multiple elk without a problem.

With an exit wound as big as a fist, how did the bullet fail?

It didn't fail, it anchored the buck and eventually he would have died but he just stood there staggering on his feet so instead of waiting I shot him again with 6mm soft point which blew up its lungs causing immediate death. Three TSX bullets passed through the buck and tore chunks of bone on the opposite side/leg but didn't do enough internal damage to kill him quickly.

my recovered that bullet and it was pretty much textbook expansion if I can find it I will send a picture..

now that I'm thinking about digging for that bullet I'll be straight up I can't honestly remember if it was a TSX or a TTSX ..