Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Barnes TSX to TTSX- worth the switch?

I load and shoot Barnes TSX bullets in several calibers- .257 Wby, .280, .300 Wby. My supply of TSX's for these is running low, and I'm considering making a switch to TTSX bullets.

The BC differences in the same bullet weights are slight, with drop values at 500 yds. less than an inch difference.
Question- for those of you who have made the switch, is there enough difference in performance on game to warrant making the change to TTSX?
Barnes says the TTSX has quicker expansion.

I've not had a problem with either...still shooting the TSX out of the .257 Roy, the rest are TTSX

Just remember that the TTSX is a longer bullet and will reduce case capacity if you try and maintain identical OAL. Also, if your bullet weight is on the edge, you may encounter stabilization issues with the longer TTSX. That being said, I don't see anything wrong with the TTSX and would be fine with them if they shoot accurately out of your rifle. I have an M70 in 375HH that shoots the 250 gr TTSX and the 270 gr TSX to about the same point of impact at 100 yds and for all purposes are interchangeable. Another M70 in 300 WM prefers the 180 TSX over the TTSX. I'm no expert but I have played a bit with the Barnes bullets in those two rifles and have been pleased with the results. Good luck.

After finding 2 snapped off tips in my magbox and one hanging on by a thread, I i I might be switching back.

I thought they fixed that. Are yours from an early production run?

The TTSX are the only Barnes bullets I'll use. I don't trust the hollow point design to open consistently, I saw too many failures from the old X bullets & think the lack of something solid in the nose to start expansion is a bad design. The tipped versions always open so I can't see any reason to use the untipped ones.

Maybe a couple years old. Had I yanked the trigger on the one it'd been kaboom.

I�m not following ya. The tip coming off would cause pressure issues? Was it stuck in the chamber neck or something similar?

Hanging by a thread. Have a feeling it'd come off when fired.

I've shot 53's in my Swift and 85's in my 6's and 243 without issue but TTSX in everything else...no problems with either.

I've shot both TSX and TTSX. When developing new loads, I generally start with the TTSX now. I like the plastic tipped bullets.

I load Barnes in all my calibers and none are untipped. Performance is unquestionably better. I even have some of the LRX.

In the event a tip broken, the worst that could happen is a problem chambering the round if it got wedged in the chamber somwhow. A broken, loose or bent tip would not be an issue firing it and most likely would not even affect accuracy.

I suspect you wouldn�t have known the difference.

I tried the TSX in my Howa .243, it was reasonably accurate but much less so than the Hornady 100 spirepoint flatbases, which had become unavailable. I shot some deer with the TSX and am pleased with the performance.

I then tried a load with the TTSX, and it is noticeably more accurate, so I switched. And I got to prove that they kill deer the same, so based on accuracy, I'm going with the TTSX in that rifle.

I just picked up an older Remington 700ADL in .243, so I'll have to see what it likes. If it prefers the TSX over the TTSX, then so be it. Whichever one shoots more accurately is the one I'll choose, terminal performance for both are excellent.

This works well in an older one I worked up a load for:

80 gr TTSX
Lapua Brass
45.0 IMR 4831
F210M
2.645" COAL

Of course each rifle is different, so start low and work up on the powder and adjust COAL as needed.

Unless it became an obstruction.

I've used a lot of both-started with the early X bullets and then the XLC. If there is any difference in performance or accuracy between the TSX and the TTSX's I have not been able to notice. If I had TSX's I'd shoot them up and be happy. Both are very good.

"Barnes TSX to TTSX- worth the switch?"

Barnes thought so. They say it ensures better expansion. I'll take their word for it since the implication is the extra R&D and tooling costs them money and they wouldn't do it for no reason.

Of course, they may have done it for marketing reasons as well. Do they still make the untipped tsx?

They do, and I have some "non tipped" 120gr 6.5 TTSX. TTSX does have a big ass hole. Well, big nose hole....

Been shooting the old 90gr X in my 250Ackley for at least 20 years. Never had one fail. Can't even find them anymore and I only have a few left. Guess I'll go to the 85gr TTSX when I run out. powdr