Barnes TSX reviews/question

[CoElkHunter]

Gentlemen - What is a 750GRN Barnes?

A bullet?

 

[steve white]

I have not read this entire thread, so pardon if I am being repetitive. Impact velocity is one of two criteria I use for whether or not to utilize monometals, though some are better at opening up than others. The other criteria is weight/momentum. This means that while a 300 gr. TTSX might not open up at 400 yds on a light weight animal offering little resistance, especially if no bones are encountered, it will perform admirably on a 50 yd shot at Cape buffalo and give deep penetration if not out the other side. For the (unlikely) long shots, I would choose a different projectile whose characteristics match impact velocity/mushrooming performance, tho a lighter mono might retain enough velocity to make it work acceptably. In their parameters, TTSX's work great.

 

[Soutie18]

Barnes tsx 375-300 grain Shot From a 375 Ruger on Gemsbuck 186ms entered in the shoulder messed the bone stop behind the opposite shoulder bone . 98.43% weight retained. desotored the shoulder meat on the opposite side

 

[Soutie18]

I also used 150 gr Barnes tsx out my tikka 270 @ 2600 fps on springbucks. The distance was 121 ms the bullet did not really open like advertise the shot was a texas heart shot and the bullet stop in the heart . The springbuck did drop just there

View attachment 493913

Some more pictures of the 150 grain tsx 270 . quick questioned how far must the petals roll back on barnes tsx what would you guys say is a failure to open

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Some more pictures of the 150 grain tsx 270 . quick questioned how far must the petals roll back on barnes tsx what would you guys say is a failure to open

It looks like the .277 150 gr TSX may be better suited for the 270 WSM or Weatherby. Or maybe you can load them hotter. Barnes load data shows you can run the 150 gr 200+ Fps faster than your load.

Also probably just go lighter for caliber with the TSX due to the greater length and weight retention of the monometal bullet. Like a 130 grain bullet. Maybe lighter than that.

 

[Thomas Rutledge]

Any experience here with 450 gr TSX in 460 weatherby on game?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

A bullet?

Of the .585 persuasion I imagine

 

[Ridgewalker]

Some more pictures of the 150 grain tsx 270 . quick questioned how far must the petals roll back on barnes tsx what would you guys say is a failure to open

JMO&E, but for plains game I would prefer a lighter bullet with more expansion. The longer the Barnes bullets are, it seems to me, the less expansion and deeper the penetration.

 

[Philip Glass]

Any experience here with 450 gr TSX in 460 weatherby on game?

No but just used my .470 with 500g barnes on the buffalo (TSX)and elephant ( Barnes flat nosed solid). Could not be better.
With Barnes TSX there is no reason to have solids for anything but elephant. Buff follow up shot was a Texas heartshot that went all the way through and stooped on the far shoulder doing incredible damage on he way.

 

[MS 9x56]

Some more pictures of the 150 grain tsx 270 . quick questioned how far must the petals roll back on barnes tsx what would you guys say is a failure to open

View attachment 494048View attachment 494049View attachment 494050

Good illustration of Barnes copper bullets limitations. They need speed to succeed. I am not a fan of any solid copper bullet but that probably because I am solidly in the Elmer Keith camp of larger caliber and heavy for caliber bullets at moderate speeds. Less tracking, more bleeding.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Good illustration of Barnes copper bullets limitations. They need speed to succeed. I am not a fan of any solid copper bullet but that probably because I am solidly in the Elmer Keith camp of larger caliber and heavy for caliber bullets at moderate speeds. Less tracking, more bleeding.

@MS 9x56
Since we can't have semi autos in Australia my philosophy is now if I can't put a lot of holes in it I just put BIG holes in them. Shit loads more fun.
Bob

 

[steve white]

Some more pictures of the 150 grain tsx 270 . quick questioned how far must the petals roll back on barnes tsx what would you guys say is a failure to open

View attachment 494048View attachment 494049View attachment 494050

Some of those pics don't show much text-book opening. Were probably piledrivers

 

[Jwg223]

I use 70gr TSX pretty much exclusively to hunt deer with, using my 11.5" SBR. Here is one I harvested at 95 yards.

This is what the same round/rifle does to the lung area on a smaller deer (or larger, this one just happened to be smaller) on a pass-through at around 80 yards:

Bullet path L to R in photo, you can see it opened instantly.

 

[MS 9x56]

Many members swear by the Barnes TSX/TTSX and we have all seen recovered projectiles to prove the bullets performance.
I’ve acquired Barnes bullets for every caliber I reload (7mm08, 280, 300 WSM, 404, 416) for but i still have the concern that maybe the Barnes isn’t the best bullet for deer or hogs. Maybe this job should be left to something more soft?

Does anyone have a real world experience for soft skinned game such as deer or hogs?

We don’t need 6 pages of testimonials to tell you, your assumption is correct.

 

[Jwg223]

We don’t need 6 pages of testimonials to tell you, your assumption is correct.

I've found Barnes to work amazingly well on "soft" critters. I absolutely murder coyotes with them, as well as the smaller deer in the southern Midwest. They expand violently and immediately, even past 100 yards from my 11.5" SBR. It is typical to see it "blow the stuffing out" of animals at the impact site. This is lung tissue blasted forth from a small white tail at an 80m impact from my 11.5" SBR using 70gr TSX. Impact velocity estimated at 2375fps.

 

[kfreeze]

Many members swear by the Barnes TSX/TTSX and we have all seen recovered projectiles to prove the bullets performance.
I’ve acquired Barnes bullets for every caliber I reload (7mm08, 280, 300 WSM, 404, 416) for but i still have the concern that maybe the Barnes isn’t the best bullet for deer or hogs. Maybe this job should be left to something more soft?

Does anyone have a real world experience for soft skinned game such as deer or hogs?

I really like the tsx, but had a bad experience with the ttsx (tipped) it was in a rifle with a slower that the normal twist rate for a 7mm-08 on the tipped one though. The bullet didn't seem to open and destroy the heart and lungs like the tsx and other ttsx before that one. I went back to the tsx and all is great. The tsx hits hard and doesn't damage a lot of meat like lead bullets.

 

[ftrovato]

Many members swear by the Barnes TSX/TTSX and we have all seen recovered projectiles to prove the bullets performance.
I’ve acquired Barnes bullets for every caliber I reload (7mm08, 280, 300 WSM, 404, 416) for but i still have the concern that maybe the Barnes isn’t the best bullet for deer or hogs. Maybe this job should be left to something more soft?

Does anyone have a real world experience for soft skinned game such as deer or hogs?

I have used 338 diameter 160 & 185 grain Barnes on Russian Boar, US Antelope & Whitetail Deer.
I have used 243 diameter 90 grain on Whitetail Deer
I have used 257 diameter 100 grain on Whitetail Deer.

All worked like dynamite with medium to large exit holes regardless of what they did or did not hit (tissue or bone) and the animals expired quickly.

I really dont shoot them that much anymore because I'm tired of all the work needed to keep the rifle bore clean with solid coppers. But I do still shoot some in 338 and 416 diameter.

I think were you get into trouble with them is if they are moving to slowly and dont expand properly. But that is a question for Barnes in terms of minimum velocity to expand properly.

Just my observations and 2 cents...

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have used 338 diameter 160 & 185 grain Barnes on Russian Boar, US Antelope & Whitetail Deer.
I have used 243 diameter 90 grain on Whitetail Deer
I have used 257 diameter 100 grain on Whitetail Deer.

All worked like dynamite with medium to large exit holes regardless of what they did or did not hit (tissue or bone) and the animals expired quickly.

I really dont shoot them that much anymore because I'm tired of all the work needed to keep the rifle bore clean with solid coppers. But I do still shoot some in 338 and 416 diameter.

I think were you get into trouble with them is if they are moving to slowly and dont expand properly. But that is a question for Barnes in terms of minimum velocity to expand properly.

Just my observations and 2 cents...

@ftrovato
The 25 call 100gn TTSX work fine and dandy out of my 25 started of at 3,600+ fps. Zero problems with expansion as far as I can see at the ranges I shoot. Usually 200 and much less. Up close the hold together better than any lead bullet.
Bob

 

[Jwg223]

I have used 338 diameter 160 & 185 grain Barnes on Russian Boar, US Antelope & Whitetail Deer.
I have used 243 diameter 90 grain on Whitetail Deer
I have used 257 diameter 100 grain on Whitetail Deer.

All worked like dynamite with medium to large exit holes regardless of what they did or did not hit (tissue or bone) and the animals expired quickly.

I really dont shoot them that much anymore because I'm tired of all the work needed to keep the rifle bore clean with solid coppers. But I do still shoot some in 338 and 416 diameter.

I think were you get into trouble with them is if they are moving to slowly and dont expand properly. But that is a question for Barnes in terms of minimum velocity to expand properly.

Just my observations and 2 cents...

That's any bullet, though. You need to keep the velocity within the expected performance envelope if you don't want an ice pick.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

That's any bullet, though. You need to keep the velocity within the expected performance envelope if you don't want an ice pick.

@Jwg223
Or one that blows up on impact or doesn't make the target because it vaporised mid flight due to to high a velocity. Had both of these happen to me.
Bob