Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game New bullet for moose...

After many years of using a Barnes TTSX in my .300 wsm or my .375 HH, I have decided to give a 165gr Accubond in my short mag a try. I just wanted to see what, if any difference it made, like blood trail, quicker kills etc. and I just wanted to try something new.

If lucky enough to get a moose this year I will certainly let you know what I think of them compared to the TTSX.

Has anyone ever noticed any real difference between the two?

What was wrong with the Barnes TTSX?

The ONLY MINOR thing that I found was that in 2 instances, they did not leave a blood trail. Well....one that traveled a couple hundred yds left a very sporatic one. It was shot w/ a 168gr TTSX from the .300 wsm.

The other was shot w/ a 250gr TTSX straight in the chest ( I called him in and he was looking at me). He only ran 60-80 yds, but no blood trail.

I have absolutely no issue using them at all. The other moose, caribou, sheep etc that I have used them on just fell w/in a couple seconds of standing.

I just thought I would try the Accubonds to see if there was any difference to me.

I switched from ABs to TSX in my 375.

Shot a small moose twice broadside at 80yds with ABs and they wouldn't go through. Two yrs later the same shot on same sized moose with TSX passed though. Two yrs after that, same results with TSX on 600lb caribou.

I shoot 180gr ABs in my 300WM and 140's in my 270WSM and 225's in my 338-06AI...great bullet. The reloads and performance at the range and on game, I never loaded any of the TSX or TTSX's.

165's will be great!!

I'm running 140 TTSX in my 7mm-08 but have yet to connect on anything with them so the verdict is still out on them for me but they are accurate.

I did shoot a hog at near 125 yards with a 168 Barnes TSX (old style) with the 30.06 and found bone shards and sporadic blood like you described almost as it "penciled" through? Never did find that hog. Hence I switched over to the Ballistic Tip hoping for more internal tissue destruction.

Depending on shot placement blood trails will vary some it seems. A

The accubond or partition would be the bullets I would try next as well. The lower the shot the quicker you get blood pumping out. If a higher shot hits lungs, the cavity will fill with blood not leaving much of a trail until reaching and leaking out the bullet wound.

I decided to try some (other) 120 gr. in my .260, so having heard all the hype TSX/TTSX, I bought a box of Vor-TX.

I use factory 140 gr. Corelokts, which give me 1-2+ inch, 3 shot groups at 200 yards - sometimes less if I hold my mouth just right. 120 gr. Corelokt groups go 50 % larger. Doesn't like the 160's either.

Re-sighting in a couple days ago after disassembly/cleaning the rifle (been a couple years for the extensive disassembly part), I printed 2 1/8 inch 3 shots at 200 yds with the 140 Corelokts. The Barnes 120's went 5/5/5 - five inches higher, 5 inches left, into a 5 inch group. Went back to the Rem 140s, and wound up with a composite 2-3/8", 6 shot group. With a better rest and a little more care, it will go better than that. So phooey on the Barnes...

Gun no likum 120's- of any flavor, tho especially the Barnes TTSX!

Given the TTSX group, I guess I'll save those expensive boolits for 100 yard shots on moose - should be able to hit em, at least..... For out to 500 yards with either the .260 or the '06 (similar groups to .260), I'll continue to use the Corelokts, which give me good accuracy, and almost always complete pass-thru. I seldom recover a bullet from any game with boiler room shots, at any range.

I pretty much don't understand how you guys are getting all these bullet recoveries, especially with the much hyped premiums if they are as good as claimed... and yes, I have used them - to no discernible advantage in terminal performance. If significantly increased accuracy, yes then.

My son shot a cow moose w/ a 7mm-08 w/ 120gr TTSX. After the shot she walked about 60 yds and she folded her legs under her like she was going to sleep.

I dont think that the newer TTSX's pencil through. In fact I will still continue to use them, I just wanted to see what "damage" that the AB will do.

A chest shot moose will not reliably give you a blood trail since most of the blood will be contained in the chest cavity. I suppose a through-shot low in the chest which has a sizeable exit might be more likely to leave a trail. Other than that a wounding shot that isn't likely to be lethal might be your best bet for a blood trail. But killing the animal quickly is the goal so any well-placed bullet which can penetrate well will do the deed- blood trail or not.

I dont know what kind of country you guys hunt moose in. But where I'm at, I want moose to drop inside of 20 feet, sometimes less. I have only had to blood trail one moose and I hope I never have to do it again, because it took me 5 months to find it. Most of my moose have been shot in the boiler room with 225 partitions in my 338WM. If they dont fall over before taking two steps, I will give em another. There is lots of water where I hunt

This year I hunted for the first time with 210 TTSX's. When the moment came, I decided that I wasnt taking any chances and put one through the front shoulder. Bullet recovered in the offside shoulder as a perfect Barnes expansion. Turned the chest cavity into jello. Moose took one jump and fell backwards into the death kick. Silence in 10 seconds.

Shot 48 inch bull 678 pounds on the hook south of Dawson Creek on Sept 3rd. Used my 300 Win and a 180gr Speer Hot Cor. Behind the shoulder one shot fell about 20 feet from first impact. Complete pass thru no sign of a break up.

Shot was 170yds. Will use the Speer again without any reservations.

Haven't you heard?

They way over-penetrate.

But that's only on blue deer Mike. grin

Out of close to 30, I've only had three tip over at the shot: 1 an Interlock; 1 a XFB; 1 a Gameking. Never had to track any of the rest though either; they might not die fast when they've been killed, but they don't die far.

Killed 2 with the 150gr Nosler E Tip 300 Win combo. Those are the best DRT I've seen period. Easy the finest game bullet that has passed through my 300.

Ya know, I will give the 165 AB's a chance this year. I have no issue at all going back to the TTSX's...none at all. I know they will penetrate. In fact the bull I shot through the chest, the bullet exited out near the last ribs!

Just trying something different (for me)

I hope you have a successful hunt so we can hear of how the bullet performed.

Thank you! I will be heading out on the 19th and returning the 25th. Hopefully we can find a couple. My buddy who is going w/ me is waaaay under gunned. He is using a 30-06 w/ 180gr Core-Lokts....lol!

Nearly all of my 20 or 21? moose kills have been inside 100 yards in heavy cover. Average overall is about 70. After "losing" two of those long enough for the meat to spoil (14 hours, and 10 days), I went to CNS placement when I can get it. Down Right There, if not quite dead... Haven't ever lost a CNS one.

Got nothing against boiler room shots under more certain recovery conditions, but yeah, I want a hole to daylight on those, the bigger the better! For that, I've found SGK better than TB (fantastic penetration!) in my .338. On the same sample of one, shot 4 times at 120-140 yards, the last time with the Sierra.

I'd choose that TB for a Texas heart shot, tho Probably go clean thru, from what I saw on my limited experience with them. The first TB went thru both shoulder blades of the yearling bull, the second took out a front knee (you try shooting off hand through the tops of some alder while standing on a rotting, crumbling birch log 5 feet off the ground.. ) The third TB front-creased a ham on a quartering shot, and exited the same hole as the first, the Sierra was again broadside, an inch below the spine exiting 5 inches above the 2-TB exits.

The SBT exit was half again the size of the double exit. I'm currently using 250 gr Hornady RN in my reloads, as they give me 100 yard MOA groups, and I have a pile of them that came with the used rifle some 20 years ago. SGK 250s give me 1" groups at 200.... and at 100 yards print 2 inches higher than the RN.

Both loads were first-time thrown together "junk loads" to get rid of some unwanted ammo- now I'm stuck with 'em... Don'tcha hate when that happens? Wonder what would happen if I "worked up" a load....