.243 bullet 300 and under on deer & Barnes TSX question

[coyotezapper]

Good morning, im looking for a bullet for a .243 that will likely be shot at 300 yards and under. This is a rifle for my wife that she hunted with last year. We deer hunt in Indiana mostly and we would be hard pressed to get a shot longer than that at the woods we hunt. Last year i loaded up some Barnes 85gr. TSX and got pretty good accuracy out of them and them seem to perform well when we tested them on milk jugs. we recovered a bullet that had almost 100% weight retention. Anyways she shot a buck last year at probably 75 yards and it ran off. it bled out alot but did not die we tracked it for awhile and saw it run into the neighboring fields corn that was still standing. I did not see the shot so im unsure if the shot was bad or if anything like that happened but my question is is the TSX not expanding on the fairly thin skinned deer at that close of range? If you guys dont think that was what happened i will probably continue to load the TSX or if you guys have a better suggestion im more than open to trying something else. Thanks for any info

I have shot the TSX TTSX and LRX bullets since they came out and the original X before that and have never seen this happen as what you described. I would say that it was a shot placement issue. They have always been perfect mushrooms for me. Their only downside is when velocity gets below 1800 fps. At this point they just don't open as much and therefore don't create as much hydrostatic shock.

FWIW, Lance Kronberger is one of the top guides and outfitters in Alaska and he has hunted all around the world and if you go to his website and look at his gear list there is only one bullet/ammo he recommends and that is the TTSX or TSX because they just work.

 

[Poppadoer]

The tsx and ttsx bullets do work,I'm speaking from experience.But there's always going to be a seed of doubt if she has had a negative experience with them.I'd say that the deer expired close by where you stopped looking for it.Good luck with your future hunts.

 

[Frog4aday]

Pappadoer is exactly right - no one is saying the TSX/TTSX is a 'bad' choice. They can and do work well. But the OPs wife had a 'lost' animal using that bullet so she needs to use something else to have CONFIDENCE again. It's not always about clinical facts; it's about how a person FEELS after a particular bullet lets them down, even if the bullet really wasn't the issue. A change in bullet is an easy switch to create a psychological IMPROVEMENT in confidence before her next hunt. At least that's how I'm seeing this.

 

[6.5x47hunter]

Pappadoer is exactly right - no one is saying the TSX/TTSX is a 'bad' choice. They can and do work well. But the OPs wife had a 'lost' animal using that bullet so she needs to use something else to have CONFIDENCE again. It's not always about clinical facts; it's about how a person FEELS after a particular bullet lets them down, even if the bullet really wasn't the issue. A change in bullet is an easy switch to create a psychological IMPROVEMENT in confidence before her next hunt. At least that's how I'm seeing this.

no doubt about that!

i love Nosler Ballistic tip and nobody can deny the partition as A+++
NEVER IMPRESSED WITH THE ACCUBOND or TSX
Sierra are a bit less expensive and work better than well!
between 85 and 100 SGK
or 95 BT or Partition...that will keep the OP HAPPY!
im staying with the 85SGK!

 

[Code4]

Your over thinking it. Any 100 grain conventional S.P. will.do the job.

 

[jjmp]

OP ,talk 2 us , what's your thoughts thks !

 

[55stone]

There were alot of good thoughts throwin out there. I dont think my wife really blames the bullet but i could defiantly see telling her i switched it would maybe help her confidence. I feel like im partial to blame as i feel she probably should of shot more leading up to deer season. Last year was her first year using a rifle as in indiana it only became legal a few years ago. Up untill last year she was still using her 20 gauge shotgun with slugs. There is a lot of people saying use the partition which i get as all bullets are compared to that. I feel like i need to give the TSX another shot though as this is the only game animal we have shot with it.

 

[jjmp]

Applause Thk you !!! I respect your Honesty !

 

[6.5x47hunter]

there is always the deadliest mushroom in the woods to fall back on...

Remington Core lokt funny how some think spending more money on something makes it better? try and tell me they don't work! they do lack in the accuracy department some but they do work very very well!

 

[Poppadoer]

Yep,the old faithful standby bullets.Right on 6.5x47hunter..

 

[bigngreen]

We pretty much shoot 105 Berger's in everything 243/6mm, Barnes are good if you like tracking things, we pretty much discourage bringing them.

 

[WalksLikeADeer]

We pretty much shoot 105 Berger's in everything 243/6mm, Barnes are good if you like tracking things, we pretty much discourage bringing them.

I just switched to Berger 95 gr. Classic Hunters in .243 Win (1:10) because I could not get Remington 100 gr Core-Lokt to shoot under 1.0" groups anymore. I've killed over 35 bucks with the Core-Lokt, never had to track, never worried about exit holes. They kill deer REALLY dead and I've never wished them to be more dead.

Do you find the Bergers to leave lead fragments in edible meat and also do they tend to leave more bloodshot to edible meat more so than other bullets?

I look forward to hearing your first hand experience...

 

[WalksLikeADeer]

BTW- The Berger's are shooting 5 shots inside .5" and the Core-Lokt's were shooting about 1.5" on a barrel I thought might be shot out.

 

[jjmp]

Bullet mfg's dies wear out,and this lessons quality,it just happens ,but Constent Quality control keeps bullets as close to perfect as they can be made .great bullets don't just happen there's a Great team behind them from start to finish ,people tend to use what works ,were very Lucky we have so many choices ,but on the other hand we pay to play . Great to be an American !!!.