Barnes LRX/TTSX Success and Failure...

[Rustystud]

I personally have been shooting TXXX for three years now. I load them exclusively for my customers. I currently think they are the best hunting bullets available. Most post here have not addressed the 5" wound channel produced by these bullets. I prefer both an entry and exit hole.
Where I hunt if you don't have blood at the point of impact and following twenty yards you may never find your game. I have never had a "properly shot" animal get away.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Pdvdh]

I personally have been shooting TTSX for three years now. I have never had a "properly shot" animal get away.
Nat Lambeth

Which caliber bullets do you have experience with and at what range of impact velocities?

 

[unclefish]

200gr lrx 300wm I had a quartering shot I hit just behind the shoulder. Here is a pic of where it went in .it hit a rib and lung. Pencil size hole .I could not find where it went after that. It did not get any of the guts. She was quarter to me and coming up a hill. I had to track her 300 to 400 yards. That was not easy . Quite a bit of blood at first then it started clotting. Find drop here and there. Mostly on small trees where she ran by. This is my third elk. I now it wasn't the best shot. Maybe to close to open up at 125 yards. I would like to try them again but only getting to go shoot 1 elk a year. I am considering going back to nosler accubonds 180 gr. I have not shot any accubonds through gone yet but these lrx are deadly accurate when I bench rest shoot.

 

[memtb]

My wife and I have used Barnes X bullets exclusively since the early 90's. She, 225's in her .338 WM, and I 270's in my .375 AI(I just went to 250TTSX's for a better BC). In the early days,there were some pressure,accuracy,and petal breakage issues,but I still thought that they were superior to cup and core bullets. Since there conception there have been many improvements,and IMHO are second to none as a hunting bullet.we've never lost a properly hit animal,and we've only had one lost after wounding(not the bullets fault,a hurried, moving shot - operator error). Over the years there were a few follow up shots taken,but not really needed,just insurance. My wife's most recent kill, a Prong Horn buck at approx. 200 yards.hit low behind shoulder, went about 40 yards and tipped over. We have no reason or intentions to change what has worked so well for so so long!!!! memtb

 

[WyoHunter1]

I know this is an older post but! I have been shooting Barnes copper bullets for the last 20+ years since they came out. Started with copper then coated up until now with the tipped TTSX. I shot a 300WBY and my son shoots a 270WSM. I have recovered 4 bullets. 2 from a moose at 400 yards 1 Elk at 500 yards and 1 from 200 yards that I shot in the center of the chest that went the full length of the body and stopped at the hide on the *** end.
This year alone I killed 2 Elk at around 200 yards with the 300. My son killed 2, one at 100 and one at 200 with a 270 WSM. Couple of years ago he has also killed an Elk at 550, a Whitetail at 580 and and numerous Antelope. This year at at less than 100 yards, made a neck shot on an Antelope with a 140GR TTSX and about blew its head off.
Both of us have downed animals from 100 to 600 yards including Coyotes and have never had an issue with Barnes copper bullets. You can get copper fowling easier than regular lead bullets so it takes a little extra cleaning, but if I could use only one bullet it would be a barnes TTSX.
Big to small it will kill them all. JMO

 

[just country]

morning, I have read that because of the design of the barnes bullets, that a shooter

should drop down on bullet weight. this is the second time I have read this statement.

I have done as suggested and have never had a bullet failure. I am a firm believer

in barnes bullets. it is said that the BC is below high performance bullets. VLD, Etip

and others. I do not see how a shot game animal could know the difference. the

TTSx TSX and LRX I use for hunting and if need b target groups. the first barnes

bullets I purchased would not shoot better that a 1.5" group. this was 10 or more

years light ago. I shot them of hogs with a very good performance. bergers, nosler,

Lapua do not like hornandy. all r good bullets. barnes forever. I am prejudice.

 

[KEB0]

Shot a lot of bou, moose and bears with 165X's in a short barrel .308 and 24" 30.06. Recovered a few over 20 yrs, and all but two were 100% weight. Two had one petal missing, I didn't weigh it, but it wasn't much for sure. Sorry, no pics. Lost em years ago. I've had some bang/flops on bou, moose, and black bears, impressive DRT results. Most impressive is the incredible penetration through heavy muscle and bones. I don't shoot critters past 200 ish except for a few bou on occasion. I always shoot for shoulders on these critters with these bullets, but have taken all angle shots with good results. Texas heart shot on running moose at about 90 yds resulted in a half back flip DRT (.06 w/165's) Shot all the way through him and exited front ribs. Barnes can be picky about powders, but shoot well. Good huntin, kb

 

[WyoHunter1]

morning, I have read that because of the design of the barnes bullets, that a shooter

should drop down on bullet weight. this is the second time I have read this statement.

I have done as suggested and have never had a bullet failure. I am a firm believer

in barnes bullets. it is said that the BC is below high performance bullets. VLD, Etip

and others. I do not see how a shot game animal could know the difference. the

TTSx TSX and LRX I use for hunting and if need b target groups. the first barnes

bullets I purchased would not shoot better that a 1.5" group. this was 10 or more

years light ago. I shot them of hogs with a very good performance. bergers, nosler,

Lapua do not like hornandy. all r good bullets. barnes forever. I am prejudice.

I dont think that you need to drop down in bullet weight, it is just an option. But a lighter weight Barnes bullet like a 140 grain will penetrate as well as a 150 grain lead based bullet and you get the extra velocity and trajectory of a lighter bullet. The 140 will penetrate as well because it looses virtually no weight, so it penetrates deeper and the extra 100fps you gain with the lighter bullet helps also. You dont get quite the expansion as a lead bullet but if you hit the heart or lungs like with any bullet, the animal is going to die quickly and the bullet will still probably exit the opposite side thru the shoulder blade leaving a good blood trail if necessary.
At least that has been my experience.

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

I found this in my breakfast a couple of weeks ago. It's from my dad's .270 win shooting factory 130gr TTSX. I looked rather hard for this bullet while quartering up the deer as I knew it didn't pass through and by chance I found it in a piece of meat I was cooking. The chunk wasn't cooking like I wanted so I cut it up further and put it back in the pan. When I looked back into the pan I saw the bullet just slightly inbeded in in a piece of meat.

I don't know the full details but the shot was in the 100-150 yard range, deer was quartering too. Round entered in front of the shoulder and hit the vitals passed through the stomach and intestines where I found a petal. Deer ran less than 50 yards. I'd chalk this up as a fail.

 

[Rich Coyle]

At what point in the death of the deer did the bullet fail?

 

[WyoHunter1]

At what point in the death of the deer did the bullet fail?

I agree with you Wildcater.
I have never recovered one that was missing any pedals let alone all of them, but the Deer was dead within a few yards and it sounds like the bullet had full penetration.
Looks like a win to me.

 

[just country]

morning, TXaoudadKLR, u r cooking preparing a meal of DEER venison. u state

that the barnes bullet failed, well I will accept all of the venison with ur permission

ur father killed thank him and thank barnes for the terminal damage the bullet did in

doing its job. plus I will enjoy all of that delicious venison. just a ribbing

FOOD FOR THOUGHTlightbulb

 

[Pdvdh]

I'd be content with that bullet's performance. Had their been no expansion - folding back of the petals - that would constitute failure in my opinion.

 

[d11r529]

Whitetail buck in the 150 class shot at 514 yards 130gr X bullet, broke both front shoulders. Bullet was stuck in the hair on exit, another 1/4 in and I wouldn't have found it.