Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting So.. Barnes TTSX's... Light and Fast?

if a bullet "way over penetrates" on deer you might as well use a lighter faster one. I am shooting 100's in my Roberts and 130TTSX in my 308 both shoot fine.

"what is over penetration anyway"

"over penetration" is like a previous Thread that was "over posted" ... by about 60 pages!

That's "Way" over penetration.

I just started to mess around with the 100 TTSX and Ramshot Big Game and Hunter with some good velocities and accuracy. But no final load yet..

I also know Calvin has gotten pretty good results with RL 15.

I have some '15 on hand. I may have to pick up some 100s and give it a whirl. I was hoping you were gonna say "Varget" as I have plenty of that.

George

Exactly what I was thinking. I've killed a pile of critters, mostly caribou but also a moose or two with the 140 XFB in the 7-08 and never recovered one of them. (The XFBs actually performed very well as long as they were moving and your rifle could plant them well. I used a philosophy similar to a phrase Steelhead has posted: Critter hitter, not group maker, or therabouts.) The 225 XFB always seemed plenty heavy in the 340. I would imagine the smaller cased 33-06 would work it's magic a bit lighter.



A zippy 100 XFB in my -08 was stopped by the unseen young 'un of the cow caribou I was shooting at. (I got her too.)

Seems like Varget and '15 are nearly cousins in performance. I have enjoyed the 8 pound run with RL 15 that is now coming to an end in my 7mm-08s. I wouldn't run out and buy '15 if I already had a good supply of Varget on hand.

I can say the 185 TTSX was the easiest to get shooting real well in my 338 Fed. Currently running 2725, but have some loaded a bit heavier waiting for a trip to the range. Hope it's plenty for elk.

Shot 180 FB and BT original Xs in a 300 WM and it worked on everything I ever shot with it, from Coues to Elk, and worked well.

120 TSX in a 264 WM @ 3400 or so was also hell on Coues and Elk when I was on a TSX kick... and were less than MOA on any given day.

Even seen a buffalo fall to a 55 TSX in a 223... even that one exited, punching a rib on both sides.

I'd moved on by the time they got around to putting tips on them and making 100s so can't comment there. Still have 500 120 TTSXs that I molied up and never loaded.

That's what Roy Weatherby would suggest.

Actually, I've noticed that the TSX and TTSX in the same caliber and same weight have a little bit different geometry- even a different number of relief grooves. I've also noticed them to shoot a little differently- both in POI and accuracy.

Other than that, yes, they are the same bullet except for the tip

Quoted the above for context. I'm loading the 140-gr TTSX in my .284 now for from deer to triceratops as at my age you finally quit dinking around with multiple loads--who has the time? Other than a few of the plastic blue tips falling out in the box, these bullets have done fine sitting atop R17 even though there's a rumor that they will over penetrate which I can confirm is certainly true with paper anyway. But I still like moderate weights with the TTSXs as the laws of physics will not be refuted in spit of spit-fire muzzle vel's. By the way, on African game they did not way over-penetrate but were just about right as I saw it.

I can't speak for elk, but a 100TSX will make you feel overgunned for deer.

I use a 200G in my 300 WM for everything. Have shot a lot of stuff from duikers to sable in Africa - all one shot.

I use 225G in my 338, 400G in a 416.

I'm going to use 100G in a 257 Bob, but it shoots 100 Hornady's so good, that I may not switch. I want to try some 80TTSX in it too.

I used the 140 XFB quite a few times to take caribou or moose and was very pleased; never captured one either (with my 7mm-08). I haven't been as enthused with the "improved" design of the TSX which has been streamlined, presumably to make it shoot flatter and perhaps prevent the loss of the petals, neither issues I had with the old XFB design.
I'm inclined to give the 139 GMX a go in another foray into mono-metal bullets. It also peels back quite tight to the shank like the TSX, but it has six petals instead of four. It seems to open quite readily even at -08 velocities and "dumps" energy well enough if the old paint cans I've shot at 200 yards are a moderately indicative representation.

goodnews: Big ditto....one load, premium bullet.....shoot everything.

I'm a bit bugged by the blue tips falling out though....WTF is up with that? Things could get a bit unhappy if it happened in the magazine of the rifle....

+1 for shure..

I have one exception...my 7x57 likes the 160 TSX so thats what it gets...it WAYYYYYYY overpenetrates just like the lighter ones, so I figger...what the heck.....


I snapped this pic of one wayyyy overpenetrating...


Ingwe

I can see why that one over penetrated. I prefer a little more expansion than that.

7mm-08....120gr TSX
25-06 ...100gr TSX
.257 Roy..100gr TSX
.300 Roy..168gr TSX

100g TTSX in my .257 Roberts
168g TTSX in my .308 Win
180g MRX in my .300 Win Mag


No bullets recovered, no plans to change.