Barnes TSX bullets

[Ronald W Schaefer]

Raudy 707...A couple of suggestions:

1. Switch to the 165 gr MRX; better BC and expands more reliably
2. Try 41-45 grs RL-15, 40-43.5 grs H4895, or 41-45.5 grs of Varget-- Out of the Barnes Manual #4.

I load for a friends .308 and he has a 22" barrel in SAKO 85. I use Lapua brass and CCI BR-2 primers. We found best results with 41.5 gr H4895, 43 gr Varget and, 43 gr RL-15. RL-15 gave the best velocity of 2670 FPS with about a .9 MOA. Varget gave a bit better group .7 moa but was a little slower around 2600 and H4895 turned in 2550 and accuracy was .8 moa, so he opted for velocity.

 

[WYO300RUM]

It's a hunting bullet. They only designated it match due to it's shape and the fact it's 168 grains like a marketing thing. I will try it on some gel this week. And water jugs too.

I've used every time bullet Barnes has made for many years. I've pulled TSX out of dirt before also. Even at 100 yds. I've found similar bullets. It may well be hydraulics. I
haven't tried it with TTSX though. I've recovered a few TSX and TTSX from deer and elk from 200 450 yds. and they all had 4 pedal mushroom. I've never had to shoot an animal twice with a TTSX or TTSX. Almost all took instant dirt naps. I aim for shoulder though. I like busting it and taking out lungs. I just started using Hammers last year. They are just as accurate as Triple Shoks but easier to get to shoot good. Difference concept also. The pedals break away. I shot my Nelson desert bighorn in Ca. with a 168 TTSX in 2003 at 334 yds. Pollaxed him. Glad I left before.copper was required in So Cal but I already had my loads. Try LRX. Or Hammers !

 

[MTbackwoods]

You could look into Hammer and Cutting edge bullets as well

 

[Battering Ram]

I am in California and have to shoot lead free bullets for hunting. I shoot a 308 with a 20" barrel. Was doing some load development this morning and using up some IMR 4320 44.0 grains I got a decent hunting load at about 7/8" group at 100 yds with the Barnes 168 tsxbt match bullet. Velo was 2520 avg and I was feeling good to go so I shot a few 200 and 300 yds to confirm my drops. I was planning on shooting out to the 400 yd mark on deer hogs and bear and stopping due to my concern with lack of expansion under 1900 fps. I checked my group at 200 yds and found this bullet of mine in the dirt embankment. Do Barnes only open under hydraulic pressure? Impact velocity is 2170 fps. They should open at this velocity right? Any feedback is appreciated

Raudy707 - I can say that most of the TSX or TTSX OT LRX I've dug out of the ground look like what you are showing here. When it comes to game rest assured you will experience the bullet working as it's designed.

 

[Raudy707]

And you know it's a "Marketing thing" because that's what they told you or you're an expert, or?????

It appears to me that there is no expansion hole in the metplat - in fact it "looks" like a solid from your pictures.

The meplats were wide open I checked and Barnes says the 168 is a secant ogive and the boat tail adds additional BC so they consider it a "match" bullet, their words not mine. And yeah I do feel like everyone is trying to market the long range niche so I'll consider myself an expert on that.

 

[tooth doc]

I am in California and have to shoot lead free bullets for hunting. I shoot a 308 with a 20" barrel. Was doing some load development this morning and using up some IMR 4320 44.0 grains I got a decent hunting load at about 7/8" group at 100 yds with the Barnes 168 tsxbt match bullet. Velo was 2520 avg and I was feeling good to go so I shot a few 200 and 300 yds to confirm my drops. I was planning on shooting out to the 400 yd mark on deer hogs and bear and stopping due to my concern with lack of expansion under 1900 fps. I checked my group at 200 yds and found this bullet of mine in the dirt embankment. Do Barnes only open under hydraulic pressure? Impact velocity is 2170 fps. They should open at this velocity right? Any feedback is appreciated

Shoot a pig already! Much better guage than a yote. Have use 165/168 x, tsx, ttsx for over 20 years iut of various 30 cal from 308 to 300 rum and never had a bullett failure. Thats on hunts in the us, and 22 trips to africa. Game from 300 lb african antope to 1700 lb eland. They just work. Sure work on wart hogs and bush pigs!

 

[longtubeman]

If you want them to expand down lower, use a lrx. They are for long range, they will expand down to 1500 fps. I load for a 20" savage 308 at 2850 with the 168 ttsx using imr 4064. Shoots .125 groups at 100 yards. I shoot 175 lrx in 26" 308 savage tak. I use ww760 for 2850 fps, it groups .128, with a bc of 506. Savages have a long throat, you can get more speed with them.

 

[TysonLeal]

My user feedback FWIW- I'm in California as well. 270 win, 6.5x284 and 7RM are in our stable for CA blacktail and hogs. I've run LRX and TTSX BT. I swapped all of our guns to hammers because I kept getting pencil on blacktails with Barnes (6 different deer, 100-500yds). Barnes all shot great, wonderful accuracy when pushed to the top, just couldn't get consistent expansion. Even moved shot placement forward to center shoulder.

Good luck in your search and finding the right thing for you.

 

[Raudy707]

Anybody ever use Reloader 16 in a 308? I am gonna shoot some water jugs with the 168's tomorrow, try the 130's with IMR 4064 and see if I can get additional velocities with the 168's using Rldr 16. Should be a fun range day. I'll report my findings after and update everyone. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Lapuatom]

I am in California and have to shoot lead free bullets for hunting. I shoot a 308 with a 20" barrel. Was doing some load development this morning and using up some IMR 4320 44.0 grains I got a decent hunting load at about 7/8" group at 100 yds with the Barnes 168 tsxbt match bullet. Velo was 2520 avg and I was feeling good to go so I shot a few 200 and 300 yds to confirm my drops. I was planning on shooting out to the 400 yd mark on deer hogs and bear and stopping due to my concern with lack of expansion under 1900 fps. I checked my group at 200 yds and found this bullet of mine in the dirt embankment. Do Barnes only open under hydraulic pressure? Impact velocity is 2170 fps. They should open at this velocity right? Any feedback is appreciated

I run the ttsx 225gr in my 338 win for elk. Only recovered one slug from a moose shot at about 100yds. It shed all four petals and just the rifled slug under hide. ALWAYS otherwise pass throughs

 

[LVJ76]

It is widely known that at longer diatances monolithic bullet can and in cases will fail to expand, it even happens at higher velocities.

You have to push them fast, really fast if you want them to expand as required. Which means you need to go with a lighter bullet, 130gr will work best and since they retain most weight it will almost equal to using 150gr to 160gr cup and core bullet after those lose some during penetration.

Hammer bullets is another option to consider if they fall under your budget, they are expensive but you can hunt with them and practice with other bullets.

Which ever mono you pick you are best going lighter in bullet weight and push them as fast as possible.

 

[HTJ]

I am in California and have to shoot lead free bullets for hunting. I shoot a 308 with a 20" barrel. Was doing some load development this morning and using up some IMR 4320 44.0 grains I got a decent hunting load at about 7/8" group at 100 yds with the Barnes 168 tsxbt match bullet. Velo was 2520 avg and I was feeling good to go so I shot a few 200 and 300 yds to confirm my drops. I was planning on shooting out to the 400 yd mark on deer hogs and bear and stopping due to my concern with lack of expansion under 1900 fps. I checked my group at 200 yds and found this bullet of mine in the dirt embankment. Do Barnes only open under hydraulic pressure? Impact velocity is 2170 fps. They should open at this velocity right? Any feedback is appreciated

why not try Barnes 150 TTSX bullet out if your 308? Better velocity and your really not shooting that far, well 400 yards under hunting conditions at a live target is far. ALL Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets require A min of 1800 FPS to get expansion. Your SD and BC will be plenty for any animal. They are fantastic hunting bullets. Best of luck

 

[Backcountry sports]

I'll try to shoot a coyote or varmint of some sort this week too and see what type of performance I get. I have shot the 140 grain tsx out of my 270 wsm with great results but those are cookin along at 3200 fps. Same for the 115 tsx out of my 25-06. I could drop down to 130's or 150's and get my velocities up but I like 168's. Thanks for the feedback.

I agree 270wsm with 140 tsxworks great

 

[WYO300RUM]

Wow, kind of a strong response. He only said it was "kind of a marketing thing" and gave us the bullet which is 168 tsxbt, which isn't a solid, but is a hunting bullet in my limited knowledge. People used to be nicer.

Another exspirt... And a team member...
Raudy, were you shooting solids ... ?
Lol ! .