I was just reading the love fest for the 270 grain TSX in a previous post and thought I'd share some observations from my use of the bullet on my recent trip to Zimbabwe. When I got back, I emailed Barnes the following:

I just returned from a 21 day safari where I used your 270 grain TSX in my .375 H&H as my primary load. The load itself was 77.5 grains of Vihtavouri N540 which chronographed an average of 2795 fps in my chronograph.

The first animal I shot was a zebra which was quartering away at 120 yards. I hit him high in the shoulder, which broke the spine and exited out the neck. The entrance wound and the exit wound were exactly the same size. My PH actually asked me if I had accidentally loaded a solid into my rifle. Doing a postmortem on the carcass, it appeared that the bullet opened up, but lost all four petals before exiting.

The next animal shot was a large eland. My first shot was deflected by a branch and hit the animal sideways. Luckily it hit the spine and had enough energy to knock the animal down. I placed two finishing shots into the front shoulder, quartering towards me at about 25 yards. I recovered one of these bullets, all four petals had sheared off.

I shot a kudu at approximately 200 yards. The bullet struck the shoulder and blew right through leaving a quarter sized exit wound.

I shot a large lion. He was directly facing me at 18 yards. The bullet entered through the breast bone, then penetrated the length of the body, eventually coming to rest under the skin just in front of the hind legs. The bullet opened up, but did shed one petal, which is what caused it to veer off to the side.

All in all, these bullets proved effective in killing game. But by the same token, I'm not completely satisfied with their performance. With the exception of the kudu, both the recovered bullets as well as the wound channels showed that the bullets were shedding their petals. I know it's hard to engineer bullets to perform over a wide range of velocities, but the 375 H&H is the slowest of the .375's out there. I've used Barnes Bullets since the original x-bullet came out and have always been impressed with your products, but I think this particular bullet needs a little redesign to strengthen it.



I didn't mention that I also shot a buffalo with the bullet that we didn't recover. I think that was more to do with my shooting than the bullet performance.

If I were going to shoot a giraffe, this is not the bullet I'd chose unless I was going to take a head shot. If the petals shear off, the shank won't have enough SD to penetrate to the vitals.


Pete

"if the petals shear off it wont have enough sec. density to penetrate to the vitals" That doesnt make much sense to me if they come off the frontal area is reduced and the tsx have a pretty long shank. It should penetrate well even though I understand it has lost some weight.

Thanks for the info talentrec but, Dang-it, I'm pushing this bullet to 2985 fps in a 375 AI, even though its a wonderfully accurate load, thats not gonna work.
Maybe the new 250 gn. TTSX will be a little tougher, or still better, maybe I should go back to my old standby, the 300 grain Swift A Frame.

Gunner

I disagree with that statement. From your reports it sounds like the TSX performed very well for you. I contend those petals did a lot of internal damage whilst in the process of shedding the petals. Still you sound like a very experienced hunter and thanks for the detailed report. jorge

There is no problem with the petals breaking loose on occasion.

What are the options?

Cup and core is not in the same league on any level for any big game.

Bonded core way under penetrates in almost any situation

Partitions lose over 30% of the weight. The TSX Loses petals and in some ways works a bit like a Partition. However they are a monolithic solid after the loss, not a cup and core like the partitions are.

A TSX may lose a petal, it may lose several petals. But they drive on through like a solid after that.

Given the various types of failure possible with all sorts of projectiles. The TSX when the shooter assumes some sort of failure is left with a solid, not a crumbled pile of bits, with under penetration or swerving way off course internally.

If your aim is true, the TSX will drive right into what you hit with more penetration then any design made except a monolithic solid, petals or not. Put another way, if the TSX does not satisfy your needs, then only a monolithic solid will out penetrate it, with no chance of any expansion. If you choose a Bonded core bullet, then your not even in the game with similar penetration as the TSX.

Once people get in their minds that the TSX is not a true definition of an expanding bullet, but rather an expanding solid, things will become more clear. If you want to look further into SD then calculate what an short fat 300grain bullet's SD is from an expanded Swift A Frame upon impact. That high SD is only effective before that soft bonded tip touches the fur. That bullet will be 3/4" diameter and very short in length after impact. Calculate that design for SD and then compare to the .375dia recovered SD from a TSX without petals. I can save you the trouble the bore diameter 375 without petals will be double the SD of the 3/4" diameter bonded bullet!

Just do a quick check in your Reloading manual, look at the SD difference between a 180 grain 30/06 bullet and a 180 grain 44 mag bullet. See the SD value in those two and then you will see the way this works with a huge mushroom from a bonded bullet.

The TSX will out penetrate any soft point made with regularity,

A monolithic solid will out penetrate a TSX with regularity

So the TSX falls somewhere right smack between the bonded core and the monolithic solid, what more would you ask of a bullet then this?

Hi Pete, I'm a bonded cup can core fan (been using Nosler Partitions for over 30 years), and now some Swift A-Frames and Woodleighs in my 375 Weatherby. I do use the 570g TSX in my 500 Jeffery, but have only shot two animals to date with it. A mule deer at about 225 yards, and a 450 lb feral hog at 8 feet. Both, as you would expect, dropped dead right on the spot. In both cases the TSX opened up well (I could tell by the large exit wound). In neither case was the bullet recovered, the 570g TSX went through the hog's brain, blew out his neck vertebrae, went through his lungs, paunch and exited it out his left thigh. When we gutted him, just fluid came out. It kind of liquified his internal organs. Sorry if that's a bit graphic. I too was concerned about the TSX expanding reliably. I think because I'm shooting the 570g TSX at 300 fps faster than it was designed for (it was designed for the 500 NE), and because the hollow portion of the hollow point is just so damn big in diameter, that I'm getting reliable expansion. Penetration is not an issue, this bullet just penetrates forever.

Recovered from lion-under 50 yards shot(right)



Recovered from gembsbok-over 350 yards(left)

When I started with this bullet I wondered if it was up to the hype.
It is. Based on my experience i have seen it perform on springbuck at 450 yards and showed signs of expansion.
I am not sure what more a bullets needs to do over this range of performance.
I would love to hear others actual reports on buffalo.
I am actually thinking of loading some down to use as a casual load for deer and hog where I get 350 yard performance at 100 yards.
The question I ask myself is do I need a 300 mag anymore?
I used it on an elk and it really proves itself as an all around combo.
Mine launch at 2790FPS

I'm not disputing that this bullet is a killer; I killed a lot of game with it. But here's the problem: if this bullet sheds all four of its petals (which one of mine did) the retained weight is 177.4 grains. This gives you a sectional density of .180 (roughly). When you consider that the bullet is going to be slowed down once it hits (let's say by 500 fps) would anyone here shoot a giraffe with a 180 grain .375 solid traveling at 2300 fps?

Personally, I think that this bullet has the potential to be the perfect bullet for hunting everything that walks the planet. You can push it fast enough in a .375 H&H to have easy hold over out to 400 yards. It has enough mass to penetrate anything that you'd shoot an expanding bullet into, provided that it holds together. That's the problem...this bullet doesn't hold together, at least not the batch that I got.

For the cost, I still think that the TSX is the best bang for your buck. I started using them in my big bores because I figured that they'd perform just like Northforks, but for half the cost. The only difference is that I have recovered 300 grain Northforks that weigh 294-297 grains. If I use TSX's on my next safari in my .375, they'll either be the 300 or 350 grain bullets. That way, if the petals break off, hopefully the shank will still have enough mass to penetrate. I think the 270 grain bullet is great for anything under 1,000 pounds, but I'd be careful shooting anything bigger than that with it.

Pete

Gunner500-

I've never heard of a Swift A-Frame failing to hold together. They might be a little hard for the small stuff, but they're definitely hard enough for the big stuff!

The Swift Aframe will fall well short on penetration compared to a TSX even with all the petals missing. That 3/4" A frame mushroom slows and stops easily. I have recovered dozens of the 270 grain Aframes from Wildebeest and Zebra on broadside shots. I've not recovered a single TSX from either of those shot from 25-200 yards.

Giraffe is very thick skinned, by a huge margin thicker and much harder to penetrate then any buffalo that ever lived in modern times.

I've shot several, right under the ossicone on either side. The biggest I have killed was with a 165gr TSX from a 30/06. Shooting in the chest( heart lung) I have seen several killed with solids from a 30/06, and 300 grain Aframe, and 300 grain woodleigh out of 375HH. When you consider that the 270TSX will out penetrate a 300grain bonded core bullet by probably 100% then there should be no question to the results if the shot is placed right.

That has been the bigger problem for most hunters. Giraffe are not built like any other animal you will ever harvest, study the anatomy and you will do just fine with a 270TSX, most choices will fall far short of that performance.

JorgeI, If you read the last sentence of the OP you will read the quote the I put in quotations. I dont know how to paste his quote but I agee with you that we both disagree with the OP's concern of what the TSX will do if the petals are missing. Understand now what I was trying to say?
To the OP I agree with you that I expect my 270 TSX to hold all petals except in rare events when big bones are hit. I shoot the 270 TSX out of my 375 H&H and used it to take a kodiak bear a few months back. So I do have confidence in the combo and am a little suprised by the percentage of recovered bullets that prove petals were lost and the other instances where it looks like they were lost.

10-Roger talentrec, The SAF is a wonderful bullet, since I'm runnin' the 375 AI, I may look into the 300 gn. TSX as well, I can push the 300 gn SAF's to 2825 w/ N-204 powder in my rifle, the 300 gn. TSX at that speed might just be the ticket.

Gunner

Talentrec

Something doesnt make sense here, even with blown petals TSX's usually retain 75-85% of their weight. I would expect a 270gr .375" TSX with blown petals to weight no less than 200grs, are you sure of that 177gr weight?

Plus your analogy of shooting a giraffe with a 180gr 375" bullet @2,400fps is just not realistic. The 270gr TSX looses the weight INSIDE of the animal, destroying internal organs and blood vessels.I think that the performance you describe is spot on what a TSX should do. I dont use TSX's because i hunt primarily deer but if i went to Africa it would almost be an easy choice....

eyeguy: I think we are in complete agreement and to further expand on the light-for-caliber TSXs (270v300 in the 375 and 350v400 in the 416s), I had the pleasure of speaking with Connie Brooks a few years ago when the TSX first came out. She told me that both her and her husband in addition to a few others, extensively tested them in Africa and on Cape Buffalo specifically and found the lighter TSXs driven at higher velocities would produce more dramatic effects on the buffalo. This concept was later validated more by Layne Simpson and the 416 Weatherby where he found the lighter 350gr/416 TSXs when driven insanely fast(!) would absolutely electrify buffalo.

Were I to hunt buffalo with the 416 or 375 again, I'd drop down to the 270/350 respectively and drive the TSXs as fast as I could. jorge

Thanks for this info....I was wondering why the op was worried about using a .375 with 270 tsx. The giraffes I saw looked almost delicate, even if very large, and I would never have thought that they were as tough as say a buffalo or even a wildebeast.

Somewhere I have a scientific paper where the authors took dozens of measurements in different places on 2 or 3 giraffe. If I recall correctly, the skin was 18mm or 19mm thick over the ribs (and I think the animals were fairly young too, presumably old ones would be more). The paper had a very neat "map" of the variation in skin thickness (deep dermis, superficial dermis, and total dermis) shown as isolines on a giraffe silhouette.

I haven't seen any such data on buffalo skin thickness (I think I should go to Africa to get some... hey, that reminds me, I need to apply for a grant! ), so I will take JJ's word for it.

I doubt there is a perfect bullet, but (like JJ) a friend who is a Professional Hunter in Africa says that he and his colleagues are pretty happy if a hunter shows up to hunt any species and they are toting a .375 H&H loaded with Barnes X/TSX bullets.

John

For me the perfect bullet would be a combination of the Woodleighs and the A-Frames. The front end would expand easier like a Woodleigh soft point, but with a full A-Frame enclosure of the back 60% of the bullet (no hole in the bottom like an A-Frame, no hole in the top of the A-Frame like the newer Noslers). A premium bullet should expand out to 600 yards when it's moving at 2000 ft/sec or less and hold together and penetrate on tough animals like buffalo (90% weight retention) at 15 feet when it's moving at 2700 ft/sec or more. When a bullet expands to twice it's diameter, it's bullet construction, sectional density and velocity that keeps it penetrating.

The function of a bullet is to kill. Check your quote again. They proved effective! What else do you want, pretty recovered slugs for magazine photos? They killed.

Nosler Partitions have been shedding their front halves and killing game for more than a half century. Lost petals are shrapnel. I love the TSX in my 9.3 X 62, and every other caliber I shoot from .250 Savage to .458.

Pete, have a cold brew and enjoy your success. Sounds like a great hunt, so don't sweat minutia.

jorg that is interesting....IIRC Ross Seyfried used the 335-350 gr 416 bullets(X, Jensen,etc) extensively on buffalo from his 416 Remington back in 90's(IIRC),reporting great results.He wrote this up in Guns and Ammo.

I also know some of Bill Steigers Bitterroot clients did likewise with a run of 335 gr BBC driven to 2700-2800 from 416 Rigby's.

I have found only one such "failure" of a tsx or x for that matter in the decades I have been using them. That tsx bullet had three petals missing, but a frontal area of .589". It had traversed left shoulder and rt humerous and was found under the skin on the right leg skin on a big dead gemsbok. I think for $1 a bullet I am satisfied with both failure rate and performance. I have a box of 300gr banded solids that look nice, but have never been used on game.

This fall I plan on using a box of 300gr Speer on bear and deer just to get rid of them. I have found the tsx to be incredibly accurate in any calibre, but too expensive for significant practice.

The reason there are so many bullets available is because we all have our favourites.

Bob: Layne wrote in his book he'd never seen buffalo react so much to the 416 Weatherby @ 2700 plus. I'll try and find the quote and post it.

Colorado:
The SD calculation is only functional for a bullet before it impacts the skin/hide/fur of the animal or for a solid.

Once the diameter changes upon impact the SD will change drastically. So the SD calculation is only of any value at all when the bullet is unchanged and in flight. The SD of an SAF bullet unfired will be completely different when it has a 5/8" or greater mushroom diameter. The SD number will be reduced by half or more. Yet the TSX SD because the mushroom is smaller, or maybe with the petals lost will stay bore diameter.

The concept of SD and penetration is only a functional measure for a solid. As soon as the bullet changes diameter so does the SD value. It's always been perplexing to me that so many people will base all penetration decisions on the SD and they are discussing soft points?

The only point at which SD is used is for Penetration, yet that is the exact point at which the value changes ( drastically) with a soft point!

Thanks Jorg...like to see that.

Never shot a buff but seems like the petals shearing off should not be an issue like JJ and others say...I have seen recovered Barnes from African game,eland and kudu,and it seems at high velocity it happens,but not much difference from a Partition(say)and the reduced diameter should help penetration,(except you can't destroy the rear part of a Barnes like JJ says) which I should think would be "good" on buffalo....

Barnes users may have seen this but I have noticed that under enough velocity,even the rear half will show signs of some further expansion after the petals are blown.Looks like a win/win to me.

In his book, Rifles For Africa, Gregor Woods reports the findings of a study conducted over a 5 year period by former US Public Health Service doctor, Ed Ashby, and Dr. John Hilliard using Barnes X bullets and only live-game animals testing for terminal ballistics.

According to the text, they found the optimum velocity for a 375 with a 270 grain Barnes to be 2400 fps MV because this caused the petals to peel back to 90 degrees from the shank and no further which setting up the bullet's scything motion as opposed to a higher velocity which caused the petals to fold back to a more mushroom-like shape and setting up a pushing rather than a cutting action through the tissue and thus inhibiting performance Pg 122).

What is not mentioned in text, though I assume is distances were typical bushveld shooting distances out to say a couple hundred yards.

The saying "sometimes stuff happens" (maybe it's not stuff )
In regards to a bullet failure causing lost game has not happened in my 375 with 300 SAF and 270 TSX. The 270 TSX is more versatile from an all around standpoint. The Hornady solid shoots to the same poa as the 300 SAF and I use the solid on the small antelopes. So for me I have it covered.
With a dozen kills with the 270 TSX and my TDS reticle scope I know I can grab it and their is not much I can't accomplish.
I have only recovered two bullets out of a dozen animals. On the shots that these recovered bullets were involved in I knew that I could drive them into a solid area that would cause nervous system shutdown. They did.
I have never complained about a recovered bullet or a recovered game animal.
I also feel the same way with my 308 and 168 TSX.
I don't have passion for the 150 gr Winchester XP3. "stuff" happens I know but if I track something and hour and a half due to bullet failure I am not as forgiving. Quick and 100% recovery of a game animal every time sure helps gain my confidence in a bullet.

I just weighed it again - 177.4 grains. I agree that sectional density isn't nearly as important when comparing soft point bullets as compared to solids. But when all four petals shear off of a TSX, it's no longer an expanding bullet. It's a solid with poor SD!

The TSX is my go-to bullet in many calibers. I'm not bashing them as a whole. For the price I think they're a great deal. I just think that this particular bullet needs a little engineering to prevent it from shedding its petals on impact. For game under 1,000 pounds it's fine just the way it is. But for the big stuff, I'd hesitate to use this bullet again.

To each, his own. It is actually my go to bullet for buff.

One issue to keep in mind is the resolution of your experience. Will the decisions made on this be more accurate or beneficial by judging the performance on a dozen examples or several hundred (thousands?)

Many situations can be misjudged by using a few examples rather then enough to see the greater resolution of performance with plenty of animals harvested. I'll suggest that used long enough your confidence and success would go thru the roof!

bg: I don't recall saying that.. ..think you have the wrong guy

I agree fully, so the larger the mushroom, the more starting SD I want in an expanding bullet because it will decrease significantly upon impact. I shoot 150g in my 270, 300 to 350g in my 375 and 570g in my .510.

Someone on the NitroExpressForum did extensive penetration testing of 375 H&H bullets/loads and the 300g TSX and 350g Woodleigh PP tied, everything else penetrated less. The Woodleigh expanded to twice it's diameter which is typical for their soft points. I'll try to find the posts (which are long) and link them.

Here's the 375 H&H penetration testing link. Fingers crossed that it still works.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?p=122864#post122864

I'll be hunting Buff and lioness next year. Been contemplating working up a load with the 270gr. TSX as I have no doubt it'll perform exceeding well on both animals.

Giraffe is on the menu too (bait). With the hide considerably thicker on the giraffe, would it be prudent to consider a solid instead? Body shots will be taken as I desire to retain the skull for my curio cabinet.

I wasn't referring to anything you said. I forget when responding it links to a previous post. Sorry.

No problemo....

Im confused by that link. I see nowhere in that series of info any results for the TSX other then retained weight of 99% ?

They compare a whole bunch of penetration with various bullets, but I'm not seeing anything with the penetration of the TSX in that link. Am I missing something there?

I have seen many hundreds of real live big game to VERY big game shot with bonded core and the TSX. I'm not going to be easily convinced that jugs of water and plywood testing will trump what I have seen in the African bush first hand with my own eyes, my own rifle and the 270 TSX loads.

The bonded core bullets are not even close the potential of penetration that a TSX will provide you.

Sorry the link is so old. Absolutely your live game experience is much more valuable than shooting jugs of water seperated by plywood. The value of his experiment was that each bullet was tested by the same methodology, nothing more.

I'll interpret the results:

5}BarnesTSX_____2457______4___________4_________.7 25_______299.7_________99.9
6}BarnesTSX______-________4___________3_________.730_______299.7____ _____99.9

Barnes 300g TSX at 2450 fps expanded to .7 retained 99.9% of it's weight.

Penetration of the Barnes 300g TSX:

5} Found on table next to 5th board. Dented 5th board.
6} Found in 4th jug. Dented 5th board.

Similarly for the 300g A-Frames and 350g Woodleighs which are last.

Really a good discussion here people! Page 2 and no name calling!

The bullets look like they performed well to me, but losing petal or two while killing game doesn't bother me.

I've been shooting "petal" bullets on big game since about 1990, whether original X's, Fail Safes or Nosler E-Tips. I've even shot animals at a deliberate angle to retain an expanded bullet, just to see what would happen. I've also seen other hunters use the same sort of bullets on a bunch of other animals. The total runs into the hundreds.

A few have blown off all their petals, though the evidence varies because most exit, and it's tough to find a tiny petal inside an animal. Though I did once find a petal at the entrance hole, from a 300-grain Fail Safe shot broadside through a Cape buffalo.

I have yet to notice that losing petals has any effect on how the bullet kills stuff. Perhaps this is because every time any bullet has lost all its petals it hit big bone, and fragments of the bone helped kill the animal.

I've also seen a few animals shot with the G-S monolithic bullet, which is more-or-less designed to blow off the petals. It kills just as well as any bullet that retains its petals, and maybe better.

My conclusion is that too many obsessive hunters put a lot of emphasis on how an expanded bullet looks rather than how it kills.

Me either, I'm very happy using the TSX's in my 500 Jeffery. The one large (not dangerous) animal I've shot with the 570g TSX at 2410 fps so far was a 450 lb (dressed) feral hog at 8 feet in a thicket. It went through his brain (between the eyes), traversed his entire length and exited through his left thigh. It liquified his guts, they just gushed out. Didn't really care if it lost a petal or two on the way out. Looking forward to taking my 500 Jeffery to Africa in a couple of years.

Of course not! This place tends to be a bit more refined than the rest of this site

By mentioning Failsafes, I remember Ross Seyfried extolled the virtues of them quite often. I've got one article where he reports the TSX as being a pretty close replacement.

I loaded up 10 rounds of 75gr R15 as suggested above and will try them out this weekend. The_shootist and I will get to spend some quality family time over each others new toys.

Randy

75's a little hot...

"75's a little hot"...


74 grains R15 with the 270 TSX or 260 gr. Partitions and the primers are pretty flat. I would think 75 and hot weather would be pushing it a bit.

Lefty C

Depends upon the rifle. I have loaded 75 for about 10 years or more, 76 leaves me with a hard to extract case about every 30-40 shots.

I know of another Mod 70 exactly like mine that works the same. However My partners Sako will not handle 76 at all and is stiff with 75 grains. Another Mauser rifle of yet another PH I work with handles 75 and 76 the same and has never struggled one bit with even 76 grains.

So it's always best to start at about 72-73 and then figure out what your gun can do from there. the pressure is exponential with a grain of powder. Just because 74 works fine does not mean 75 should. The difference can be drastic when your bumping up against the limits.

My factory Hornady test loads with 270 grain bullets shoot 2850fps. They measured 76 grains of ??? powder. I cannot get to 2850 at 75 grains but I can do just over 2850 with 76 grains. At 75 grains I'm about 2800 even. The pressure goes up in my Mod 70 right at 76 grains. Ideally 2800fps with the 270 bullet is a perfect match. It is magnificent on all game.

Your rifle may vary!

Sounds like I need to bump up my load then. I'm running 74gr at about 2700.

Jorge,

I've used 74 gr RL15 w CCI primers on three safaris with no problems at all in two different .375s. One shot kills on everything up through zebra. Took three shots on the eland. He was dead with the first one but just wouldn't fall down - just stood there with all four legs braced out. One of the three at @ 25 yards was a complete pass through and the other two are the only ones ever recovered. What more is needed?

Oday: that is exactly what I am running on my 375s as I said, but as JJ says he is getting a lot more velocity with those two extra grains. I might just have to try it!

The amazing load is the hornady factory stuff, how do they manage such amazing velocity?

Well, medicman's CZ550 with the express sights shot 300 grain SP's as well at 50 metres as any rifle I've shot recently. The 270 TSX was also very nice, but the 300's edged them a tad bit. The holes were touching with the 300's, and not quite with the 270's. We were using a 20 yard rimfire target with about a 2.5 inch sighting bull. Drilled it pretty good.

My 405 Winchester took the accuracy crown though -- and with 300 grain bullets as well. Fun times -- thanks, Randy.

Okay, still no swearing at each other yet and on page 3.

I much prefer that a mono opens like the one on the right even if it is sometimes inclined to lose some of the width when striking heavy bone. I've found more like the one on the left in recent years and I don't care for the damage the minimal expansion makes. I have yet to see an animal hit by a petal-losing mono do anything but fall down and die very quickly.

With my 22" Hart barrel I get 2750 with 74 gr R15. prolly not max but looks close based on the primers.

LC

Reports like these about the Barnes mono bullets are showing up more often. While I admit to little experience myself with these bullets, I must say that I still perfer leaded bullets like the Swift A-Frames and Partitions. That could be because my PH has suffered failures with the Barnes bullets and will not use them now...

Dag nab it I love the 270 tsx but have to say my CZ shoots the 300gr lead core just as accurately. Make up your mind you old fool! Oh yeah, who you calling an old fool?

There the first mud slinging spoils the good thread.

I was likely the most vocal anti Barnes X PH on the web for the first years it was out.

Seems every year they came out with a new version. or modification of some sort. Then the TSX was released. That first season I had a number of hunters with them. Not a single failure or reason to complain. The next year more then half my hunters used them. Again 100% flawless performance.

About that time I decided that they might have finally spent enough R&D and got the things to work. I loaded them up and used them for myself that same year. I was simply stunned at the way they turned my 30/06 into a more lethal round then a 300 win mag using standard cup and core bullets.

I could shoot 165gr bullets as fast as the 300 mag shot 180's and My bullets retained 100% weight and always exited. It was not the equal of the 300 mag, it was superior to the 300 mag. Hmmm what would these be like in the 375HH?

Every bit as good as the 30/06 improvement or better. Never looked back and cannot say enough good about them. As stated, I was not a fan of the "X" but when they work this good, I'm not egotistical enough to continue complaining and not change my mind now in public. They are just about near perfection in a projectile

JJHACK
There is many good bullets on market today and nearly every of premium bullet have specific qualities and own fan-club. If I will come next time to SA most probably my 9,3x64 brenneke will be loaded with 270gr TSX making 2700-2800 f/s for simple reason - African game have much thicker skin than other game, shooting distances can be longer and exit wound is recommended. I have read so many good recommendations for TSX therefore eager to try. But here in home I prefer bullet what will not exit and this for simple reason...mostly we have driven hunt (moose, red deer or wild boar)...and second - man's in firing line stand max 100yrs from each other. Most likely you shoot on 50-70yrd distance. In such situation exit wound is not recommended. Therefore here in North my preference is still Lapua Mega or Norma Oryx...but as you described...never say never.