Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 338 fed 185 tsx-not expanding!!

Mine is a Tikka T3, replaced the bolt stop and use 06 length mags. It has a rather long throat and now I can use the extra length for more powder. Other rifles may not be able to do this. The 338 Fed is a shot action round and that is it's limitation. The Tikka is a long action, I am now not limited to 210 or so as the max because of the mag length.

Fun thread. Welcome to the 'Fire, mp4444!

I have not run a 338F; no comment there. I've been hunting .358's for a while though, but only on deer. You mentioned RL7; that was nice to see as I've had great luck with up to 200-gn bullets and RL7. TAC is awesome for 225's in .358; that's the only word for it. Stuff goes fast and you don't need to get into a bunch of powder compression. O' happy day.

Seems like you've gotten a lot a great advice so far.


Dvdegeorge, the photos from your safari were very entertaining. I mean that in a nice way. We actually look a lot alike (hey! gimme back my nose!) and two of the photos really made me chuckle. The one in profile is like from GQ.... y'old swordsman..... and the one where you've got some bloody African antelope by the neck and look demented is great too. Thanks for putting them up!

We also look like a dude from the Village People. I thought you should know.

It has long been known that hollow point bullets, like Hornady 52 and 53 grain .224 bullets, often used for accurate varminting, well before polymer-tipped bullets came on the scene, didn't always expand well, sometimes apparently not much at all. So it shouldn't be surprising that harder, homogenous-metallic, hollow-pointed bullets sometimes don't expand well, if at all. I have shot and killed several dozen animals with the monos beginning in the early 90s. I have recovered a reasonable collection of copper as a result. They are a bullet that cannot be bettered when they work well. When they don't, they are not confidence inspiring at all. I have come to the conclusion that John Nosler wasn't wrong with his Partition design, and that it is still a bullet worthy of modern-day consideration. I also believe his widespread promotion of polymer-tipped bullets wasn't a bad idea either. And monolithic bullets are best chosen when they have polymer nose cones.

I'll leave it at that and forgo the recovered bullet pics from animals since your dry-paper specimens pretty much cover the range of poor on-animal expansions I've seen in critters I've killed.

Well, if the TSX condition that the OP mentions is true, than that round combination would be approved by Wisconsins new legislation.

I see you're still an idiot.

I just got done loading up a bunch of 338 Fed, 200 grain combined tech with Ramshot x-verminator and cci mag primers. If the weather co-operates I'll have a report tomorrow.

Smithrjd, I'm on the exact same track right now with that tikka. A friend bought it in 338 fed along with a 30-06 clip, to re-chamber to 338-06 but changed course and re-barreled his BSA instead.
Found smith for re-chamber job to 338 KCG, now just needs to be shipped.
Did you re-barrel or re-chamber yor tikka, what kind of velocities are you getting and with what powders, also have you taken any game with it yet.

....

Abandoned RL7 because max speed was 2485 with 200 hdy il although accuray was just under an inch.
Tried TAC in my 358 BLR and got these results:
200g hrdy IL, 52.0g mx load (from J. Barsness), 200&250cci and hrdy cases got me 2560 fps-(20"tube) with 1.75" groups.
Same vel as I3031 at max, with 200cci's but worse accuracy, usually get 1.25" @100y,(2 touching and one out) and 1.75@ 200y with 1. 5X4.5 Nikon.
H322 does better(same components)@2575 and a shade tighter on grouping.
Realizing it's only a 20" barrel, did I miss something.
Anyone out there getting better speeds out of their BLR's.

My Tikka is stock, stock barrel etc. Changed the bolt stop out and used the 06 length mags to be able to get a longer COL. The Tikka is a long action, the bolt stop makes it a short action throw. I'm getting a bit over 2700FPS with 8208 XBR and the 185g TSX. Charge is 47g but that is about max, I would start much lower. The Tikka's have a rather long throat. I have taken 6 deer with this load none were beyond 75 yards all were pass trough's and did not recover any bullets. Exit wounds were rather massive. In my Tikka right about moa at 100y.

I misunderstood-believed you had rechambered,or rebarreled to 338-284!
I'm at 2640fps with max load of I3031 in my 338 out of a kimber-next powder is 8208 xbr-fastest according to hogdon data. Waiting for a break to head out to the range-will post results.

Is that 2640 for the 185 TTSX? If so you'll be happy with TAC or 8208 XBR. Both will get over 2700 comfortably. AA2230 is on my list to try with the 185. It's really good with the 160 TTSX. I have a copy of Barnes load data showing 2798 using AA2230 with the 185 TSX/MRX.

Those sure do look like chit... I'm convinced X's do this more than most are willing to admit.

Agreed. After one use with XLC's I could never bring myself to use TSX bullets on game. The tipped TTSX and MRX have been great every time we've tried them.

2640 fps is with 185 tsx, I've found that my rifle runs true to max loadings from hogdon data-primers begin to flatten when I begin pushing beyond that.
Haven't tried either powder yet-waiting for a chance to get out. What barrel length is Barnes using for their loads, they usually go with 26"- mine comes in at 22". What speeds are are you getting out of TAC and 8208xbr.
My rifle is incredibly finicky with 200 hdy sp, it happened to be the bullet I first used for load development and what a surprise-it was spraying them all over the place with 3 diff powders,I'm talking about 7-8"groups and some off the paper)! Thought I had landed on one of those lemon kimbers everyone seemed to be talking about.
After 6 diff powders, was ready to call it a day for the 200hdys, (did well with 180 accbnd and 185tsx so no lemon for me-was relieved),and then tried a last ditch effort with H322 and it grouped into .5" with 2 rounds and I pulled one out for 1.5" total-I'll take it!
What powders have you tried with this bullet.

Coyote_Hunter [/quote]

Agreed. After one use with XLC's I could never bring myself to use TSX bullets on game. The tipped TTSX and MRX have been great every time we've tried them. [/quote]

I'm of the opinion that Barnes has finally got it right with the TTSX. It seems to be the latest refinement made to overcome the occasional lack of expansion by inserting the plastic tip and enlarging the hollow cavity behind it, and solved the accuracy issues in some rifles that wouldn't shoot the barnes x by cutting relief bands around the shank to displace the copper by the rifling.
I saw pics from my Dad's hunt in S.C a few years ago and they performed flawlessly out of his 308 using 150 TTSX from 35y-out to 508ranged yards-nice exit holes no question about expansion.
Not knocking the TSX-questions of its performance have been laid to rest by me as evidenced by some of the pics posted in this thread for the 338 fed, the TTSX might offer a little extra comfort with that plastic tip...

mp4444, Barnes uses a 24" barrel for 338 Fed loads. I've found their loads to be at the high end of things. I've tried TAC, 8208, and without referencing my notes, I think H4895 & 2000MR. With two different 22" barreled rifles I've seen 2720s to 2750s (over two different chronos) comfortably with either TAC or 8208. I do see primers starting to flatten a bit earlier with 8208. That was only with max loads in 100 deg temps and very hot chambers. Both have been very accurate and I'd happily use either powder.

Thanks, getting real itchy to shoot those loads!
(I'll get my fill of shooting next month when Snow goose season opens! )

Perhaps... here's a TTSX I pulled out of a cow elk. I've posted it here before, but as you're new here thought you may want to see it. Didn't hit anything on the way in, 308 Win, 150 TTSX. Just didn't open and tumbled after impact found backwards on the off shoulder:

I've shot several hogs successfully with that bullet in 338 Fed, but couldn't tell you how the bullets expand. I've never recovered one.