Jack Sherwood
Member
Barnes TTSX, if it ain't broke don't fix it!!
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Alaska Grizzly Bullet Choice
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Guy M
Well-Known Member
Brooks Range grizz, several shots all under 50 yards. 30-06 with 200 gr Nosler Partitions loaded to 2600 fps. I didn't do the greatest job of shooting. Missed with my hurried first shot. Next shot broke his fore-leg. Bear went down then almost as quickly was back up! Made a crummy shot - what they called a "grazing" wound in the old westerns. Busted him down with another shot. He stayed down, but my rifle was empty. I started to reload. Guide handed me his 338 with 225 gr TSX's and let me finish the bear at about 15 yards or so with it. Heck of a rodeo on day 7 of a 9 day hunt. Worth every moment and every penny I'd saved for the trip.
Use good bullets, I'd be happy with most "premiums" and of course with the good monos. Shoot better than I did. Enjoy your hunt!
Guy
Use good bullets, I'd be happy with most "premiums" and of course with the good monos. Shoot better than I did. Enjoy your hunt!
Guy
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Since you are further exploring the monolithic bullet world, I have compiled this information to share.
https://www.apex-outdoors.com/
https://axebullets.com/
https://badlandsprecision.com/
http://balistixbullets.com/home/
https://www.barnesbullets.com/
https://www.cavitybackbullets.com/
https://cuttingedgebullets.com
https://drtammo.com/
https://fortscottmunitions.com/collections/reloading-rifle-projectile-bullets
https://www.foxbullets.eu/
http://www.gscustomusa.com/tdhv.html
https://hammerbullets.com/
https://www.lapua.com/product/224-naturalis-hunting-bullet-n566-32-g-50-gr/
https://www.haslerbullets.com/en/monolithics-bullets/
https://www.hornady.com/
http://www.sapremiumbullets.co.za/sapremium-kriek.html
https://www.lehighdefense.com/bullets.html
https://makerbullets.com/
https://www.mcguireballistics.com/
https://www.northforkbullets.com/north-fork-bullet-design
https://www.norma-ammunition.com/en...-ecostrike-30-06-springfield-165gr---20177492
https://www.nosler.com/products/bullets.html
https://www.novxammo.com/
https://patriotvalleyarms.com/solid-bullets/
https://peregrinemonolithics.com/
https://www.remington.com/in-the-news/in-the-news-april142023.html
https://rws-ammunition.com/en/infotainment/faq-frequently-asked-questions/lead-free-ammunition
Sabatti –
Sako - https://egunroom.com/sako-blade/
Titan monolithic fragmentation bullets -
https://www.warner-tool.com/flat-line-bullets/
https://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Rifle/Deer-Season-XP-Copper-Impact
I am sure there is more out there, but this is my current list. Good luck on your hunt. I look forward to your field report and sharing a successful hunt/harvest.
Murtfree
Well-Known Member
I'm going on a sheep, griizzly, moose combo hunt in September and I have decided on the Barnes 180 gr TTSX at around 3225 FPS in my old 300 Weatherby; bore is starting to look a bit rough. Back in the 90's I took lots of mule deer and elk with this rifle using regular 180 gr Hornady's since it shot consistantly well under 1 MOA, never a failure. This trip I originally planned to use 180 Accubonds but for some reason they wouldn't group consistently. This may have been a godsend since I didn't have a lot of faith in the Accubonds for this trip after last years trip for Dall Sheep. Using a 140 Accubond in my 6.5-300, the sheep soaked up two shots and neither bullet exited completely; only small pieces of jacket. Don't get me wrong, it was dead within 20 yards and internally there was nothing but mush. This is great for smaller ungulates but not so much for this years hunt. I tried the 180 TTSX and was pleasantly surprised when all shots were grouping below 1 MOA. I had a bad experience with Barnes TSX bullets on whitetail years ago, a 115 grain out of my 257 Weatherby, that penciled straight through on a shot that was slightly back; I found the buck 2 weeks later. I am hoping that the Tip on the TTSX will initiate expansion and take care of that issue for this hunt.
I was also trying the 168 LRX in my 7STW. And even though they grouped into a 1 MOA group, they were surprisingly key holing. I wish Barnes made a 160 grain in a TTSX or LRX but I did buy a box of 150 TTSX to try at a future time.
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comfisherman
Well-Known Member
North fork was grand when they were in the Willamette Valley, but now they come from afar in numbers so rare I've stopped bothering.
Bear guides I know usually debate a frame vs partition with the occasional tbbc fan in the mix. Usually the debate boils down to how often they've had to shoot a bear lengthwise vs. Broadside the debate usually is that for lengthwise bears the a frame is better. I've seen these debates end when an old timer who's been guiding since the late 60s admits he's shot green box core loks since as far back as his memory works....
Granted everything is based off of a 375 diameter Buller.
Bear guides I know usually debate a frame vs partition with the occasional tbbc fan in the mix. Usually the debate boils down to how often they've had to shoot a bear lengthwise vs. Broadside the debate usually is that for lengthwise bears the a frame is better. I've seen these debates end when an old timer who's been guiding since the late 60s admits he's shot green box core loks since as far back as his memory works....
Granted everything is based off of a 375 diameter Buller.
KH_Outdoors
Well-Known Member
You might consider the Hornady Interlock Spire Point as well. Inside 300-400 yards it really works great. I watched a client absolutely sack a B&C Grizz at 230 yards last season using a 375 H&H Hornady Superformance 270 gr SP-RP load. Dropped right there on a mid lung hit. Perfect mushroomed out bullet just under the skin on the off side. Bear did not go one foot... period. Just dead right there. Not a real sexy option but man it works great, and readily available. Same hunter will be using it for Big Brownies this spring. You can get the Interlock SP in 30 cal, 338, & 375 I believe. There's a 220 gr round nose 30 cal version too that we've confirmed works great on Grizz too. Food for thought!
MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
Well, I've used plenty, not 30 cal, which isn't a DG cartridge in anyone's opinion, but, the 200g Accubond performs better than any Swift A-Frame because the arse end doesn't deform.
If you think an Accubond is lightly constructed, you are delusional.
Cheers.
FWIW, I think I ran terminal ascents last year in a 308, and nothing I shot moved a step.SwampLord experimented with it quite, unfortunately he was banned here.
He is also from AK, and You can still get a hold of him via FB: https://www.facebook.com/375Mercenary.
MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
I also switched to the Barnes 180gTTSX out of my 300RUM in 2021, haven't recovered a single one from deer, donkeys, camels or scrub bulls, only animal didn't see an exit on was a scrub bull, but I didn't go looking for it due to time constraints with the cull.
I was not a fan of the TSX, but that has changed.
Next, I'll be trying the 200g LRX in the 300RUM.
Cheers.
I was not a fan of the TSX, but that has changed.
Next, I'll be trying the 200g LRX in the 300RUM.
Cheers.
Barnes 225 grain TSX out of my 35 Whelen did the job. 1st shot at 193 yards slowed it down, 2nd shot put it down, 3rd guaranteed it was down for good. none recovered, all pass throughs. I wasn't pushing them at max, 2550 fps shot 1/2 MOA out of my rifle. Same load worked well on a Sitka blacktail as well as a Michigan whitetail.
memtb
Well-Known Member
Those are great bullets……love them in my old .375 H&H. Got several 100 yard 4 shot groups inside of and around 1/2"….I wasn't patient, shooting with a hot barrel always threw the 5th shot. They were my initial "go to" bullet in my new(in 1990) .375 AI. While they held together…….on a close, high velocity impact shot, I was disappointed in the penetration. It appears that they upset (expanded) so violently and lost a lot of weight…..that penetration suffered.
After that experience, a friend (the 'smith that built my rifle) suggested that I try the then brand new Barnes X……he had done some testing on deer with Randy Brooks. Tried them, loved them and have never considered anything else. Only changing as Barnes introduced new versions of my preferred bullet weight in my rifle. memtb
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Gday quandry
Also watch how some of those companies test or show test results that will favour them & you are hunting something that gel just doesn't show up , while it's a great visual but no real life results compare to bones , angles , mud etc & that's how the pill will actually preform on critters & that's the one that counts especially when things go pear shape
Also be careful of the minimum velocities required & quoted by some companies
As you see I'm sceptical of a lot of the words floated around by companies & you soon work out fact from fiction
So I'd suggest looking @ the marginal shots or @least what they impacted as they went through the critter @ what velocity impact & not the good placed shots as a lot of pills will kill well on the good shots but only the best pills will show why they are the best
It's all in covering as many bases as possible well what I've found as the most consistent pill is the one that does this
I wish you the best
Cheers
don't over complicate your choices to much with the list feenix provided as a lot of those are hard to get in your country I'd believe
Also watch how some of those companies test or show test results that will favour them & you are hunting something that gel just doesn't show up , while it's a great visual but no real life results compare to bones , angles , mud etc & that's how the pill will actually preform on critters & that's the one that counts especially when things go pear shape
Also be careful of the minimum velocities required & quoted by some companies
As you see I'm sceptical of a lot of the words floated around by companies & you soon work out fact from fiction
So I'd suggest looking @ the marginal shots or @least what they impacted as they went through the critter @ what velocity impact & not the good placed shots as a lot of pills will kill well on the good shots but only the best pills will show why they are the best
It's all in covering as many bases as possible well what I've found as the most consistent pill is the one that does this
I wish you the best
Cheers
@quandary, I provided you with a list of lead-free bullets to show your various options. Barnes pioneered the monolithic bullets, but now you have plenty of choices. Do not let anybody, including myself, talk you out of your choice (lead or lead-free) of bullet. You have the ultimate choice and decision. Having plenty of options is an excellent problem to have. Good luck and happy, safe hunting.
I am not a grizzly bear hunter, I only hunt black bear. I know there is a very big difference between the two. For me to do a grizzly hunt I would need to win the lottery and then find an outfitter who would be willing to wheel to and from the hunt. What I can say is that the Barnes bullets have shown great performance on every bear we have ever shot. And... we have never recovered any bullets so I cannot show you what they look like after the shot. If not Barnes I would recommend any monolithic bullet over a cup and core bullet; but... this is my choice. As for the 300 WinMag I know there are a lot of followers of the cartridge, but it would not be my first choice for a grizzly hunt. I have a group of friends who do a drop camp grizzly hunt annually, they are second generation Alaskan grizzly hunter. One of the group is a registered Alaskan guide. All of these guys "were" dedicated 300 WinMag hunters. On one of their last hunts one of the group shot a grizzly and it ran off into the alders. The hunter who shot the grizzly and another hunter paired up, waited an hour and went looking for the grizzly. After picking up the trail and tracking a short distance, the grizzly charged them out of the alders. The hunter who originally hit the grizzly fired another round at the charging grizzly, cycled his bolt action and it jammed, the grizzly was then upon him. That hunter sustained serious injuries, scalped him and tore his butt cheek loose, and had to med vacced out. He had to wait in camp with his injuries for three days before being being med vacced out due to being socked in with fog. It was discovered that after the first round, the hunter cycled the rifle so hard that the extractor pulled through the rim of the case leaving a fired round inside of the chamber. From there it turned into a catastrophic jam. Today this same group of hunters are carrying controlled feed, .338 WinMags. I have read a number of replies to you recommending the .338 WinMag, I think the .375 Ruger is also another good choice. Also I think I have read just about every grizzly bear hunting book published, many of them written by actual grizzly bear hunting guides. From my readings what I have found is that most grizzly bear guides do not like long distance shooting on grizzlies. This is just another factor to consider when choosing a bullet. This is my .02c worth on your thread. Good luck with your hunt and send us photos of the hunt.
