80gr ttsx

[Diamondhitch]

With ammo harder to come by than hens teeth these days I found myself on the phone today for hours to every dealer in Alberta, BC, and started into Saskatchewan before finally finding some 100gr ttsx. There were plenty of 80gr to be had though and I was considering switching (out of neccessity) so I would have enough ammo for my upcoming sheep hunt.

When I ran the data on quickload for my rifle (.257 wby) it predicted a velocity of nearly 4000fps which using a 6" point blank would only drop 12.4" at 500yds and 24.5" at 600yds with 100 ft/lb less at the muzzle and about the same at 600yds.

Ft/lb are not momentum to be sure but what do you guys think of this set up for sheep/ibex? Marginal/plenty? Definitely not overkill anyway. I did get my 100s but it got me thinking, especially after seeing almost a foot less drop at 600yds. Of course the chance of having to take a shot at that range is slim but I like to plan for the worst. I have shot a goat at 569yds with a .270 and 140gr barnes xbt and can say that is alot of air under the crosshairs at that distance.

Any thoughts?

 

[enysse]

I still look at the mass of the bullet, those are some BIG sheep, I wouldn't chance it. Plus you have to take wind drift into consideration, lighter bullets drift sideways more than heavy bullets (just my opinion). I would have considered my 7mm Rem Mag the minimum.

 

[35bore]

Long range shooting in my opinion, should not be done with marginal weight bullet. YES, you could have the hunt of a lifetime using the 80gr. ttsx, and have a fantastic story to tell us here on the forum. If however it is a tragic failure (i.e. bullet preformance at600 yrds or so much wind drift that you shoot out my truck window here in Missouri) I would hate to see you beat yourself up for under arming yourself. The 257 WBY is more than enough to get the job done with heavier bullets. I will stand with Eric on this, go with a bigger bullet or bigger caliber. A 7mm rem mag or even the 8mm rem mag would be my thought, as long as the accuracy was there.... 8mm remmie would be my choice topped with a 210gr tbbc out to about 400-500 yards.

 

[sestoppelman]

My Barnes book doesn't show the 80gr, just 90, 100 and 115 TSX. The book shows the 100 TSX as being good for lopes, deer and up to sheep. The 115 up to kudu size game. If I was using your outfit I would use the 100gr bullet at least and might prefer the 115 if my gun liked it.

 

[enysse]

I've watched a lot of TV hunts and sometimes the wind is nasty! No problem with the 8mm Rem Mag either . I like my .325 WSM!

 

[Diamondhitch]

I still look at the mass of the bullet, those are some BIG sheep, I wouldn't chance it. Plus you have to take wind drift into consideration, lighter bullets drift sideways more than heavy bullets (just my opinion). I would have considered my 7mm Rem Mag the minimum.

I agree with you guys. The only reason I even got looking at it was the near impossibility of getting 100s right now.

Eric I think you have Marco Polo confused with High Altai, Hangay, or Gobi Argali which are huge animals, MPs are about the size of a bighorn kn body , horns however...

With the increase in velocity the 80s actually drift slightly less than the 100s, but practically speaking are almost identical.

There is no question the .257 is plenty of gun IMO it is the best sheep rigle ever made.

Sheep are also far more fragile animals than similarly sized animals like whitetails, it is rare for a sheep to run after a well placed shot, even with a .240 wby or 6mm. Still, despite the samd KE in both bullets I have a hard time wrapping my head around packing 80 grainers for big game.

My other concern, which would require some testing, is accuracy at 4000fps. My only experience with bullets over 4000fps was with 45gr ballistic tips in my .220 swift and no matter what I tried with them they would not group anywhere near as well as heavier slower bullets and even thew out the occasional flier out into left feild.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Long range shooting in my opinion, should not be done with marginal weight bullet. YES, you could have the hunt of a lifetime using the 80gr. ttsx, and have a fantastic story to tell us here on the forum. If however it is a tragic failure (i.e. bullet preformance at600 yrds or so much wind drift that you shoot out my truck window here in Missouri) I would hate to see you beat yourself up for under arming yourself. The 257 WBY is more than enough to get the job done with heavier bullets. I will stand with Eric on this, go with a bigger bullet or bigger caliber. A 7mm rem mag or even the 8mm rem mag would be my thought, as long as the accuracy was there.... 8mm remmie would be my choice topped with a 210gr tbbc out to about 400-500 yards.

I am sure I have plenty of gun for the job, few guns can compete with the .257 at long range on medium sized game. I do like the tbbc as a hunting bullet but not as a long range bullet, the extremely poor bc makes them like lobbing mortars at long range. Both guns mentioned have 20 or more jnches of drop at 600yds than the 257 and that makes range estimation and holdover estimation much more difficult.

 

[Diamondhitch]

My Barnes book doesn't show the 80gr, just 90, 100 and 115 TSX. The book shows the 100 TSX as being good for lopes, deer and up to sheep. The 115 up to kudu size game. If I was using your outfit I would use the 100gr bullet at least and might prefer the 115 if my gun liked it.

SES, the 80gr is only available in ttsx. I didnt know it existed either.

 

[Diamondhitch]

I've watched a lot of TV hunts and sometimes the wind is nasty! No problem with the 8mm Rem Mag either . I like my .325 WSM!

Nasty wind will definitely shorten my max range significantly regardless if what caliber I use. Although heavier bullets do tend to drift less than light ones, i find the difference to be jyrgyzstan when compared to fifferences in trajectory

 

[enysse]

I was comparing bighorns to Marco Polo.

I just don't feel comfortable with light bullets, hold over is something you can practice. I have seen guys lose sheep to marginal hits on TV, it scares me. I thought you owned a .338 Lapua? I think I would take my 7mm Ultra Mag.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Diamondhitch I think you'll do fine with ether of the Barnes bullets test them out and see how your rifle likes them. as far as size in Comparison the Ibex weight in at 32-71lbs our North American Prong Horn weighing in at 88-140 lb and I've used my .243 (6mm) shooting 85gr TSX for Prong horn plenty of times with shots over 300 yards and it gets pretty windy on the plains of Wyoming. that .243 loves those 85gr bullets. Test them out you never know.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Is there such a thing as too fast with the TSX/TTSX bullets? With a muzzle velocity of 4000fps, at 200 yards I'd have to guess you're still well above 3000fps. And of course anything inside that, that much faster. I realize typical sheep shots tend to be longer, but then again you never know what may happen.

Just something to think about Diamondhitch. I'm really not advising one way or the other.

 

[Diamondhitch]

I've watched a lot of TV hunts and sometimes the wind is nasty! No problem with the 8mm Rem Mag either . I like my .325 WSM!

Nasty wind will definitely shorten my max range significantly regardless if what caliber I use. Although heavier bullets do tend to drift less than light ones, i find the difference to be insignificant when compared to differences in trajectory

 

[enysse]

I love my .243 Win, I use it for whitetails and antelope. I have killed animals at 350+ yards with it, got lucky on wind too. I love that Ruger too. Think it would be a fine caribou gun too. I'm parinoid about mountain hunts, something scares me about elevation, wind, elements etc. I guess I killed a elk in the high mountains with a .270 Win and it was super windy. Anything is possible if you are a good shot!

 

[Diamondhitch]

I was comparing bighorns to Marco Polo.

I just don't feel comfortable with light bullets, hold over is something you can practice. I have seen guys lose sheep to marginal hits on TV, it scares me. I thought you owned a .338 Lapua? I think I would take my 7mm Ultra Mag.

MPs and Bighorns are the same size but sjnce I have never hunted them I should not be so quick to lump them in with NA sheep for toughness.

I do have a Lapua and it will be coming slong as a spare rifle.

Marginal shots are just that, of the mark. A stomach wound from a Lapua is no more effective than a 257. My thought is this, the Lapua groups a nice 1" at 100yds. This translates loosely to 6" at 600 yards. That doesnt leave alot of room for error, whether holdover, wind, or personal shooting skill. The .257 is dhooting 1/2" groups at 100yds which would be 3" at 600 which allows for far more personal error and less chance of making a marginal shot.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Bob and Phil, I will definitely be using the 100s on this hunt. My bullet 'crisis' just got me thinking abouf things.

390yd point blank range tends to do that to me!!! :huntingrifle:

 

[Diamondhitch]

I love my .243 Win, I use it for whitetails and antelope. I have killed animals at 350+ yards with it, got lucky on wind too. I love that Ruger too. Think it would be a fine caribou gun too. I'm parinoid about mountain hunts, something scares me about elevation, wind, elements etc. I guess I killed a elk in the high mountains with a .270 Win and it was super windy. Anything is possible if you are a good shot!

Mountain hunting is not for everyone, it seems you either love it or hate it, there is not much middle ground.

.243 is a great little gun. Mountain and alaskan caribou would be on the large end of its spectrum but Caribou also tend to require ver little killing as long as you hit them well.

 

[BRICKBURN]

The biggest deal I see is making sure of the "new" animals size. If they are indeed like BHS then you should be fine at determining hold over. You've been there done that.

Sight in further out and you'll also cut down that hold over a bit.

Shot placement is king whatever you are shooting with.

Good luck with the hundreds.

I feel for you, having to find bullets right now.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Bob and Phil, I will definitely be using the 100s on this hunt. My bullet 'crisis' just got me thinking abouf things.

390yd point blank range tends to do that to me!!! :huntingrifle:

I hear ya, been there and done that. Coues deer hunting here in Arizona tends to be a long range affair. My longest shot to date is 400 yards. Missed on the first and as far as I know that bullet may just now be landing in Canada.

Second shot dropped him on the spot. Hit him in the neck....right where I was aiming.....hbrother:

I do believe wind played a part in that one. Shooting across a canyon, you just don't know what's between here and there and the thermal currents that occur in the morning. Between wind and finding it very difficult to find a solid rest on that slope, I was fortunate to get that buck.

 

[Bobpuckett]

I do believe wind played a part in that one. Shooting across a canyon, you just don't know what's between here and there and the thermal currents that occur in the morning. Between wind and finding it very difficult to find a solid rest on that slope, I was fortunate to get that buck.

Yeah thats the one thing I worry about with any gr bullet. On my first trip I took a Blesbok at 320 yrds across a small canyon, where I was sitting the wind was very calm I was shooting 190gr bullets and by the time it hit its target I had a 11 inch wind drift. I was able to see where my shot hit and ajusted for it next shot, down!