Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 80 grain Tipped TSX 243 load data

Going to use this bullet on a pronghorn hunt later this year and am seeking proven load data for testing. Anyone use this on game?

I've used RL17 and H4350 with the 80TTSX in the 243. 44.5 of RL17 is pretty good medicine.

IMR4350 and R17 have worked well for me, but accuracy has been better with 4350.

I have solved five .243s for Barnes 80 TTSX/85 TSX with Varget. All of them came in between 37.5 and 38.5 grains of Varget. That's over current book max. It was not when I did it. Velocity runs close on 3200. Accuracy with all was 1 MOA or better. Seating depth varied a lot, from .010 off to more than .110 off.

A stiff charge of IMR 4064 worked very well for me.

My 243 AI shoots 'em at 3460fps via RL-17, with room to spare. They are wicked.

Another vote for Varget. Extremely clean, fast, accurate.

As far as game performance- Impressive to say the least. I have shot coyote, several deer and even turkeys with it. With all the deer I have shot with it, it has performed like a larger caliber (7mm or 30 cal.). Excellent expansion, and I have never had one stay in a deer, even after hitting bone.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I like Varget so I'm glad to hear others have had success with it. I presume everyone lets their bullets jump regardless of the powder?

I got this bullet to shoot good with MagPro powder. Very consistent and clean. Good luck....

Reloder 17 hands down. 3400 with a max load in my wife's .243 regular and excellent accuracy.

IMR4350 has given much better accuracy in some .243's, IME. If R17 gives the accuracy you're looking for, it's a great powder in this application. I get 3350fps in the regular .243, and 3470fps in the .243AI, with 4350.

Same bullet at 3,600 fps in a .240 Wby. Hit this doe at 80 yds. She ran a hundred yards.

There were double hands full of blood clot between the shoulder and rib cage. Inside the chest, moderate damage to lungs and vessels, 1.5" exit wound.

Seems lot of the energy was expended before the bullet got inside the chest. Dead deer is a dead deer, for sure. I was expecting a bit different outcome and will try other bullets to see if I can get more damage INSIDE the chest.

Very accurate, BTW.

DF

F... at 3600 it's looking like expansion was too early. But at 3600... what can one say?

Maybe try one without the tip?

Small caliber TSX's are the ones most likely to not open and blow through like a FMJ. So maybe an SSII or NAB. Still looking.

DF

The NAB will likely cause more entry damage than the TTSX, so I'd not go that direction...

I would step up the weight if you want to minimize damage, maybe try a 105gr Berger VLD if you can stabilize it.

I have only shot one deer with the 80gr ttsx out of a 243, with factory ammo (vor-tx). I recovered 2 of the 3 bullets it took to take the deer down and both had all of its petals removed. Penetration was excellent, as the deer was quartering towards me and both recovered rounds were up against the skin way back on the opposite side. The deer kept running though and I am not used to that with the ttsx. I think they might have been going too fast.

I did shoot a wolf in the chest with the same vor-tx rounds and we never recovered it so unfortunately I am not as sold on them in the smaller caliber as I am in the .308

Seems to me that most any bullet has its optimal impact velocity. That detail probably needs more attention as we put together combinations of components. Hyper velocity opens a whole new can of worms. Other than for very long range, conventional rounds may be about as effective for deer hunting. And maybe more predictable.

Just saying.

DF

I'll give them a whirl.

I have some 90 gr. Swift Scirocco II's that I may try. They're pretty tough, tougher than NAB's, and may work pretty well. At first, I couldn't get them to shoot. I was loading them long. When I added some jump, they came alive and will print around .7" or so at a hundred.

DF

At 300 yards, I saw 4 scirocco II's go through a pronghorn. He didn't take a step. Just stood there. They acted like fmj's.