Barnes TSX/TTSX vs Nosler Partition

[Varberger757]

I must admit that I don't have much experience with the Barnes. Used it (250 gr) once before in a Heym SR 20 9,3x62 loaded by Sako. The bullet was precise though, but a huge amount of copper fouling and the performance on game was so la' la'. Nothing I was impressed about. On the other the (7 x65R) 175gr Nosler Partition that I have been using in a break action rifle (Sauer & Sohn Drilling) since 1992. I killed many different kinds (red deer, fallow deer, wild boar, roe etc.) of game in large numbers and the Nosler never let me down. Therefore, I will use it also in future times. gun)

 

[Stocky]

Just returned from Africa where I used the Barnes 300 TSX Vor-Tx @ 2650 (clocked) factory on everything from a 20 lb steenbok, thru cape buffalo and a 3000 lb giraffe. Here's the ones I recovered ....

For what its worth, my impression was that the 260 Partitions (last trip) killed the various antelope a bit faster but I sure wouldn't want to use them on anything larger than eland for penetration reasons. As an example, the Livingston Eland absorbed three solid shoulder hits from 3 different angles with the TSX before he tipped over, whereas a single 260 partition finished the last one, but this is far from conclusive.

Far-hide recovery on an angling-away shot at a 3000 lb giraffe is about the best one can expect from a bullet, yet on a 20 lb steenbok or 100 lb bushbuck the exit wounds indicated some expansion had taken place.

 

[RTK]

Excellent pictures and documentation

 

[waltercrouse]

I would pick Barnes , I hunt in aarea which requires the use of copper only bullets. I not happy with the new nosler green tip copper bullets. I feel that the green tips are to soft. I had to reduce the powder charge, showing pressure signs.

 

[Stocky]

I would pick Barnes , I hunt in aarea which requires the use of copper only bullets. I not happy with the new nosler green tip copper bullets. I feel that the green tips are to soft. I had to reduce the powder charge, showing pressure signs.

I tend to agree, though haven't used any Nosler or Hornady all-copper bullets yet. I did attempt to use the older, non-banded Barnes including the old blue XLC and was not successful in getting them to shoot. The Barnes TSX/TTSX seems to have solved that problem as some of the better / hotter loads I've been shooting have been with them.

Interestingly, I have not been able to improve on Barnes new VOR-TX factory fodder. With them I have been getting as good or better velocities than I care to handload, and accuracy has been outstanding.

Barnes bullets seem to shoot best in my rifles when seated well away from the lands. I built the .375 H&H shooting the expanded bullets in the photo to accept a loaded OAL of 3.8" with Wyatts Extended Mag Box. Had Kevin Wyatt machine the receiver and I monkeyed with the bolt stop and ejector length for a week to make it 100% reliable on dangerous game.

Seating the 300 and 350 .375 TSX to the lands results in an OAL of 3.775" in a SAAMI standard H&H chamber with the TSX's. The leade is so long to accommodate round nose solids. Multiple attempts to get TSX (outfitter insisted on them for buffalo) handloads to shoot sub-moa when the bullets were seated to 3.720" (0.055" away) were unsuccessful.

All this was for naught, as VOR-TX Safari factory loads with an OAL of 3.348" nearly cloverleaf and do it at 2650 fps in this, my pet 26" barreled and breaked "375 M70 Dragonslayer" with almost 1/2" (0.427") of freebore! So much for seating them into the lands...

It is not a fluke. Another 24" Kimber 8400 Captiva I use clocks 2550 or so with the same load and the groups are just a tad bigger, just over an inch, certainly adequate for dangerous game.

I can keep going. I have a .300 RUM with an 26" 5R Bartlein barrel that shoots the Barnes VOR-TX TTSX 180 factory better and faster as well. I'm sitting here looking at a 0.610" 5-shot group at 200 yards I fired with it last summer. Clocked 3375 fps at 10 feet even though it says 3250 on the box. Haven't come near the loading bench for it since. I just wish all of the factory stuff was like this.

I know this sounds like a Barnes ad but it really comes from the surprise I got when, after years of less-than-satisfactory attempts to make the all-coppers shoot in a variety of big-game rifles, they finally came out a winner. I have to say, though, the 260 Noslers continue to be a great choice in the .375 @ 2800 fps. for thin-skinned game, and the 160 Accubonds @ 2950 fps (62/H4831 OAL 3.462", .030" gap) in my .280 AI are half-moa as far as I can shoot well, better than anything I was able to do with the TTSX so far this year.

 

[RTK]

I too have had good results with the barnes ttsx/tsx in my 7mm & 300wm. Since I live in komnifornia and our illustrious governor just signed a state wide ban on ALL lead ammunition, we are left with few choices at this point.
I have tried most all mono's and have found the cutting edge and barnes to shoot the best for me. I taken a lot of game with barnes and have had good results, waiting to try the CE's some day.

 

[firstcoueswas80]

Ive illed 30 or more head of game, including an entire African Safari with the TTSX and I have never had a poor performance. A black wildebeest is the animal to make it the furthest, running about 70 yards or so pouring blood from a double lung shot, then fell over dead. I have used them from 50 yards to 550 with flawless performance.

 

[idaho elk hunter]

I tend to agree, though haven't used any Nosler or Hornady all-copper bullets yet. I did attempt to use the older, non-banded Barnes including the old blue XLC and was not successful in getting them to shoot. The Barnes TSX/TTSX seems to have solved that problem as some of the better / hotter loads I've been shooting have been with them.

Interestingly, I have not been able to improve on Barnes new VOR-TX factory fodder. With them I have been getting as good or better velocities than I care to handload, and accuracy has been outstanding.

Barnes bullets seem to shoot best in my rifles when seated well away from the lands. I built the .375 H&H shooting the expanded bullets in the photo to accept a loaded OAL of 3.8" with Wyatts Extended Mag Box. Had Kevin Wyatt machine the receiver and I monkeyed with the bolt stop and ejector length for a week to make it 100% reliable on dangerous game.

Seating the 300 and 350 .375 TSX to the lands results in an OAL of 3.775" in a SAAMI standard H&H chamber with the TSX's. The leade is so long to accommodate round nose solids. Multiple attempts to get TSX (outfitter insisted on them for buffalo) handloads to shoot sub-moa when the bullets were seated to 3.720" (0.055" away) were unsuccessful.

All this was for naught, as VOR-TX Safari factory loads with an OAL of 3.348" nearly cloverleaf and do it at 2650 fps in this, my pet 26" barreled and breaked "375 M70 Dragonslayer" with almost 1/2" (0.427") of freebore! So much for seating them into the lands...

It is not a fluke. Another 24" Kimber 8400 Captiva I use clocks 2550 or so with the same load and the groups are just a tad bigger, just over an inch, certainly adequate for dangerous game.

I can keep going. I have a .300 RUM with an 26" 5R Bartlein barrel that shoots the Barnes VOR-TX TTSX 180 factory better and faster as well. I'm sitting here looking at a 0.610" 5-shot group at 200 yards I fired with it last summer. Clocked 3375 fps at 10 feet even though it says 3250 on the box. Haven't come near the loading bench for it since. I just wish all of the factory stuff was like this.

I know this sounds like a Barnes ad but it really comes from the surprise I got when, after years of less-than-satisfactory attempts to make the all-coppers shoot in a variety of big-game rifles, they finally came out a winner. I have to say, though, the 260 Noslers continue to be a great choice in the .375 @ 2800 fps. for thin-skinned game, and the 160 Accubonds @ 2950 fps (62/H4831 OAL 3.462", .030" gap) in my .280 AI are half-moa as far as I can shoot well, better than anything I was able to do with the TTSX so far this year.

I am glad to see others that have figured out that these all copper bullets with a longer bearing surface and length work better in freebored rifles. The banded design and the harder the bullet really work better than the thin jacketed target/hunting bullets that seem to be popular on this forum. Be cautious there is a member on here that will argue and ridicule you for saying anything else. He is a Berger follower and a Know it all. I have coined a saying for these people. "The internet has made us experts over night" He does have over 4000 posting on here so he truly is a internet warrior! Definetly not one of our Brothers

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

The 250 gr TSX @2750 MHz fps in. 366 dia is a pretty great all around bullet.
For my real world hunting.in Alaska , tough angle shots some times are the only shot there is. Maybe the Bergers would work. But I KNOW that the Barnes works.
Kindof a if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I would like to try the heavier weight. .338 TTSX bullets in the Win Mag to see how they preform tho. See how fast they will go from a standard 24" barrel.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

First, I live in Crazyfornia. Idiots trying to use 'lead' in the environment as a tool to control ammunition and components. Hoever....

We tried Nosler for out of state hunts (I'm the reloader, buddy is the shooter, some day I will 'hunt').

The TTSX always came out better in the accuracy race. Nothing helps like confidence in your gun+ammo.

He has taken pigs to 565 yards with the 270Wby and 130 TTSX and over 1000 with the 300RUM and 180 TTSX.

Just got text pictures of the mule deer at 735 yards with the RUM and a pronghorn at 915 yards.

I'd have to ask permission to post his pics.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

Oh yeah, for the 'lead only crowd'. Sorry I disagree....

Because I live in Crazyfornia, I did the work to figure out lead vs non-lead (copper).

The biggest thing I believe is to over stabilize you bullet.

Using JBM - Calculations - Stability JBM Ballistics, lead is fine at anything over 1.3 but 1.5 seems to be better. For copper, we had problems under 1.5 getting up higher is better.

My own 270Wby load (12 twist, not the modern 10 twist) became pinpoint accurate when I switched to 95 TTSX. The stabilization number from JBM is 2.032. 110's are OK too but not as good for me. Either one is 1000LB of force at 450 yards. Plenty for anything I will use that rifle for (until it becomes a 338 Edge).

 

[Rustystud]

Thirty years ago I was a avid Nosler Partition shooter. I was not a fan of the first two generations of the Barnes X bullets. I migrated to the Nosler Accubond and then the Swift Scirocco. This year I started shooting the Barnes Tipped Triple shocks and have found them to be superior in consistency, accuracy, and terminal performance. I now am loading them in all of my personal and customers hunting rifles.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Nikkel]

My300wsm liked the Barnes ttsx over the partition at 400 plus yds. but just could be my particular rifle. The Barnes has harvested me 3 bull elk in last 3 years with this past year shot being 685 yds with no 2nd shot. That Barnes went all the way through him!! I'm sold but as I am learning it may be different in a different rifle or calibe so just relaying my own experience but not knocking the partition at all.

 

[Longrifle2506]

I have both of these bullet types in premium ammunition for my 25-06. The Barnes is TTSX. I was wondering, would the partition have the same point of impact or would it be slightly different due to the flat base and other variables? It would be great if it had the same point of impact, I may just have to fire a couple of rounds. But if anybody is in the same boat and has both of these bullets in the same caliber and same weight, maybe they could help me and tell me the difference in point of impact, if any.