Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Thoughts on the TSX performance 2009

Ditto! Very good info.

My personal 2007 Namibian PG experience was a perfect thumbnail of your whole season assessment. I took a .375 H&H with a a 270-gr TSX at a mild 2650 fps, stopping at this mild loading because it shot little clover-leafs regularly and a I also took an '06 with the 168-gr TSX which also shot very well.

I never got to the '06 as the 375 was so much fun and so deadly: seven PG that that went down where they stood. A big mare zebra at about 120 yds. stopped the one pictured here on a broadside that broke both upper legs and destroyed the lungs enroute to the offside.



The next picture is one stopped by a waterbuck, again at about 100 yds., that hit a finger-sized twig about 20 yds. in front of the animal. It obviously turned as the entrance wound was an oblong one and this is what I found bulging the hide on the offside. It also wrecked everything in between and I don't think the waterbuck even had time to blink again. Proof again, though, that no bullet is unaffected by brush.



The other bigger animals like gemsbok and kudu were all pass-throughs as of course were the smaller ones. All shots were broadside or approximately so at from about 60 yds (warthog) to about 225 (the kudu).

Then in Jan of '08 I took a bigger bull elk in CO at 427 yds with a .338 210 TSX. Wrecked elk and another pass-through. The TSX finally made this rifle - a .340 Wby - break the MOA barrier consistently which for about 15 years previously it did only irregularly.

I scored a box of these a couple of months ago. I did note the cavernous hollow point cavity - it does catch your attention. Unlike any of the other TSX's I've seen.

Have not had a chance to load or shoot them in my 375 Taylor. Was going to try for brown bear this spring, but an ACL injury laid me up.

Sounds like I may end up dumping my beloved 300 gr partitions . . .

JJhack- Excellent thread and thanks for sharing!

Also to the others who have shared their experiences as well...

I dunno - why trust the words of a professional African guide on bullet performance - when you can can read about all those failed Barnes bullets from the internet experts.

I think if JJ bothered to spend more time on the internet - and less time watching bullets being used on all manner of game animals - he wouldn't be sounding as positive as he does - about the value of those Barnes bullets!

goodnews: I'm interested in all this because I have not been to Africa,want to go,and hunt buff and know nothing about it other than what I am told and read.I have noticed that many of the Barnes problems do not seem to be mentioned with the 375 bullets,and have read that the 270 gr 375 is a pretty deadly bullet for buff;and works well on a wide spectrum of game over there.

That deflected bullet is very interesting because I have had a situation saved a couple of times where a good premium was deflected and enough of the bullet stayed together to kill the animal,which is why I think it a good idea to use tough expanding bullets in brush.

On my second trip to Africa [booked thru JJ] I took my 375HH and barnes tsx's 270 gr. started at 2800fps. Superb proformance on buff on down. Shot buff straight on thru heart bullet did not exit duh, two side follow up shots broke shoulder and lungs were pass throughs. Very impressive. I was lucky to have the buff run thru an opening after the first shot and with them You keep shooting. Next time I will take the same combination. Rbady Brooks recommened the 270 gr. and for me it sure worked.
I would surely recommend Jim {JJ} to book with as I have been over twice [ I know that is not much]. When he sets up a trip the worries are over.

Bob, when I saw the tell-tale lump on the off-side of the waterbuck I did what comes naturally to a loony, got out my knife and dug it out. Noting its side-ways, deformed condition, I found the odd entrance wound and began to backtrack toward my original position finally finding the freshly transected limb about 20 yds. from where the waterbuck lie. It was the diameter of my little finger. What was surprising to me was though it tumbled it maintained straight line and hit where I had aimed. Though a test group of two is hardly evidence upon which to make presumptions but a similar experience happened to me when I jumped a young bull elk at about the same distance - very close - in broken timber and tall grass. The rear of the rib cage, as near as I can remember, right where I aimed, showed an oblong entrance hole. Again, backtracking I found a similar finger-sized limb freshly sheared but the 225-gr Nos Part .338 had maintained a straight line to the animal which by the time I got off the shot was another thirty yards out. What these two incidences tell other than it happened these two times is the question but it did make me wonder does a tumbling bullet of good weight and construction tend to maintain its course?

As to your desiring to hunt buff, I believe I'd be comfortable with JJ's view that the 375 with that bullet, the 270-gr TSX, loaded to 2700 + fps or so is fully enough for m'bogo when placed correctly. In order to simplify my life I've basically gone to the TSX (am trying the TTSX in the .284) in my big game rifles with Hornady Interlocks as practice and I'm not disparaging the Hornadys.

Valuable info there JJ. Thanks.

good news:With a companion in NH during muzzleloader,he had a 50 cal conical deflect off a pinky-sized hardwood whip when he shot at a doe about 50 yards away.We did as you did and backtracked,trying to figure why he missed,and found the cut-off whip about 15 yards from him....

Ihave had two deflections where th game was killed;with a Partition and a Bitterroot.Both got it done but I think we are lucky.

The further from the animal the deflection takes place, the worse off we are in general,I think.BUT,tough bullets CAN save the day in brush...at least I think so.Notwithstanding best efforts,such things are unavoidable at times.

Another good report on the TSX. Just returned from my first trip to Africa (my Dads second trip). My Dad and I only took Barnes TSX. Results were perfect.

I shot everthing with a 300 win mag and 168gr. I shot 10 animals and only recovered two bullets. One was a gemsbok shot at 400 yards hit solidly in the shoulder. We found the bullet in the far shoulder. The other one was a follow up shot on black wildebeest. We thought he was done, but he got up and turned to run away, I shot him in the butt at about 15-20 yards. Broke one hip/leg and found the bullet in the lungs.

Dad also shot a 300 win mag and the same bullet. He took 4 critters with the 300, only one bullet recovery. Same scenario as me, follow up lengthwise shot on a blue WB, same result as mine. Dad also killed a buffalo and an eland with 300 gr TSX from a 375. Both were shot solidly in the shoulder and dropped on the spot. Both bullets were found in the opposite shoulder, ranges were 70 and 50 yards respectively. He bagged nyala with the 375 as well, but no bullet recovery.

All the TSX we recovered were mushroomed perfectly, no petals lost, just like a Barnes marketing photo. Perfect.

JJ,
Great post! The wealth of data put forth is wonderful. Your point concerning the size of the exit wound with the hide on versus hide off if very valid and has been my experience as well. I beleive, and your writings points this as well, that the expanded TSX "cuts" through the hide as opposed to "blowing out" a hole that we see with the cup and core bullets. Under the hide the picture is very different. And I beleive this has lead to many misconceptions about the bullet not expanding well when looking at the exit wound with the hide on.

I have been using the TSX and beofre them the X bullets and have always been very pleased with the results. In my 35 Whelen the 225gr TSX is absolutely perfect for all manner of plains game. I have recovered maybe 3 bullets of the 25 head or so of plains game shot. On buffalo, I have used the 350 gr bullet in my 416 Rem Mag and that performed very well also.

Thanks to all who posted on the 168 gr TSX as this is the bullet my '06 likes best. Have only shot one Florida pig with this bullet and it performed fine.

I don't know if this is a "marketing" post or not but it worked on me! I gave in and picked up a box of 7mm TSX to test out this season. Mostly interested in the reduction of blood shot meat.

Thanks for the info and all the extra input from others!

I have always been a Nosler holdout but it is hard to ignore the evidence. I just got back from 2 weeks in the Kalahari. My son shot 6 species with a 180 gr Federal 30-06 load and all were "Bang Flops". I did as well with the Nosler partition but we only recovered one TSX-no Noslers. The recovered bullet was shot through the thoracic inlet of a hartebeest and into the skin of the abdomen on the other side. When we weighed it it was 179 gr and perfectly pealed back. He shot a gemsbuck at 260yds and got a pass through the ribs taking out the heart and not touching the bones. One bullet was deflected by brush and he wounded a hartebeest that was not recovered. Trackers followed a blood trail for 100yds and it disappeared. Blue and black wildebeest, kudu, Blesbuck, hartebeest and gemsbuck all succumbed to this effective bullet
I'm very impressed by the performance and plan to make up some loads for my 9.3x62.

Tremendous thread and data. Clearly, the first-hand experience and photographic evidence is plain to see. (I just wish Barnes would offer the TSX for the 318 W-R.)

Curiousity here - Can the TSX be recommended for Leopard (or is it too much for Mr. Spots)?

I might suggest that a Nosler is supposed to do just what the pictures show, that is blow the front lead out inside and animals doing a lot of damage, and the rear portion exits or stops on the far side skin..A number of European bullets also are designed to do this.

IF one does not like this scenario then the option is to use the next heaviest Nosler available for that caliber..That is why I opt for 200 gr. Noslers in the 300 H&H or even the 30-06 if I am after more penetration or to recover pretty expanded bullets from lengthwise shots..

And thats the rest of the story!

I also agree the 270 gr. TSX or any of the old Barnes monolithics work great on buffalo, the older ones failed from time to time on lighter stuff and I had a TSX fail on a Mule deer out of a .308 in that the nose pinched shut and it changed course a bit and ended up in a tracking job..so any of them will fail from time to time, but todays bullet makers are the best in history and any good premium or better yet super premium bullet works well enough IMO..I am particularly fond of Noslers, GS Customs, North Forks and Woodleighs.

The bottom line is bullet placement is today and always has been the deciding factor IMO....Even if the bullet fails for whatever reason if it is in the chest cavity where the heart and lungs are it will work 99% of the time and end up after perhaps a short tracking job, it just won't look pretty after its all cleaned up and on your desk..:)

I have had bullets explode on contact and kill instantly and the lungs looked like the animal had been shot with bird shot. That was a 180 gr. Silvertip at 200 yards! The rest of those bullets all worked perfect! so there ya go...

Just ran across this one on the Alaska Outdoor Forums - Shooting section. Guy just came back from Africa and reported a 270 TSX "failure"



http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=56947

Ruminating; chewing the cud... taking "evidence of the net"

"heard rumours of failure", "took three shots to bring down this zebra"

This thread from AK O Forum is the best example of fact based, recollected, thought out discussion. Sarcasm off.

JJHack presents facts, does analysis nd reports his findings for all else do judge. Well done. Thank you, Sir.

Question to the panel here.....

Anyone have any thoughts to the TSX (in a 375 hh) performance on the smalls in Africa;duiker,steenbok,klipspringer?

At closer range,would you get the clean pass through as a solid?Assuming higher velocity with little expansion?

I tend to be a one gun hunter,and did OK with A-frames placed back in the ribs last trip on 2 out of three animals shot.Did blow apart a 3rd.Took another with a woodleigh solid because I had time to reload,but that's not always possible,nice clean hole.

Thanks for any insite....

Dinsdale

dinsdale,
That is an impossible scenario for anyone to make a flat out statement on..It just depends on what you hit on the way in! If you hit a major bone you will get a lot of destruction, if not probably a pass through with little expansion..

I solved that problem long ago when North Fork bullets came out with the cup point. It does yeomans work on any animal from Duiker to Cape buffalo, at least so far, but you never really know, I suppose it could tumble for instance and destroy a small animal?? then of course it depends on caliber and velocity. Velocity being the worst offender IMO.

It is always a good option to use a big bore with a solid or cup point..

Like you I am pretty much a one rifle person as I am all over Africa and in and out of airports and one gun simplifies my life enormously..I usually just take one of my rifles, be it a 9.3x62, 404, .375, or 416, makes no difference, load it with cup point bullets and a few solids for elephant and very small animals, and shoot everything with the one gun..

Once you get to the 40 calibers you can actually get by very well with a flat nose solid on everything IMO....

However you do it, its always a bit of a trade off one way or the other.