Which bullet - Should I load TSX or TTSX?

[steve71]

I am going on my first African plains game hunt in May. I am taking my 30-06 and loading Barnes 168gr bullets. My question is. Should I load TSX or TTSX? Using 49 grains of IMR4064

 

[BourbonTrail]

I’m thinking TTSX will give more consistent expansion at 30-06 velocities.

 

[mark-hunter]

I vote for ttsx, but both will do the job.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Make sure you set those Barnes to jump 30-50 thousandths to the lands. I didn't and couldn't get the same bullet you're loading to group.

 

[AimSmall]

Which one groups best?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

What kind of plains game are you after ?

 

[steve71]

What kind of plains game are you after ?

impala, wildebeest, zebra, blesbok, and warthog

 

[Hunter-Habib]

impala, wildebeest, zebra, blesbok, and warthog

TTSX

 

[dchum]

TTSX is just better in 30-06 for many reasons. You will be happy with the combo

 

[meigsbucks]

Whichever groups better. Both will work well, just put it in the vitals.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I have used both in the US, Argentina, Scotland and Africa. I couldn't tell the difference and was never able to recover a bullet for comparison. They have always grouped the same in my rifles.

Safe hunting

 

[gizmo]

Assuming the both shoot equally I prefer the TTSX on plains game as the flex tip does initiate and control expansion on medium size and smaller game (medium as in all the plains game as opposed to DG) on DG I way prefer the TSX as they don’t make the tipped bullet for most big bore cartridges anyway and I want that bullet to penetrate a bit before initiating expansion.
I would recommend bumping up to 180gr bullet because of the zebra, and really a 190 or higher. Zebra are tough as hell. I’ve shot 2 and my daughter has shot 1. My daughter and my second one we found readily. My first, by all accounts it looked like a very solid quartering away hit. Zebra reacted nice, and there was one hell of a blood trail for the first few miles. It started to Pieter out after that and we lost blood after what my PH told me was 18 kilometers through the Khomas Highland Mountains. We never did find that zebra. In hindsight I think it may have been a touch back and low although I know I hit at least 1 lung and really well at that because of the blood.
Philip and I both agreed if I’d been shooting a heavier bullet it may, and I stress may, have made the difference. It was also a fairly decent poke out there and way up hill so there are some other factors at play.
I just have learned over the years to shoot large animals with the largest bullet that my rifles will shoot accurately. I think it does make a difference in the field. Barnes IMHO, make the best hunting bullets on the market. I’ve never ever had a failure issue with them. They shoot well out all of my guns though oddly they seem to prefer a little bullet jump.
Most avid hunter/shooters can shoot nice pretty groups at the range off of sticks or the bench etc… those aren’t field conditions and in 99% of the cases it is on a flat or pseudo flat range. There is no stress and a clear open target. In the field, there is stress, elevation variance, brush in the way, and a billion other things working against you. I try to stack every advantage I can in my corner so I have 100 % confidence in my rifle and ammunition. Then if something screws up it’s on me and there are no excuses.
That’s just my 2 cents. I’m sure there are some that will both agree and disagree with me. I hunt for a living and it’s just a formula I’ve developed for the African and large heavy framed exotics.
Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[R.M.C.]

I'd go with the tipped version, I used to shoot both out of my 30.06 and I liked the tipped triple shocks better, they definitely open up more and still penetrate well. Over the last several years I've fallen deeply in love with federal trophy bonded tips, but I grudgingly admit there's nothing wrong with triple shocks lol

 

[DLSJR]

I’d go with the TTSX. I have had the regular TSX fail to open on blacktail deer, just sailed through as a solid would. Went to the TTSX and fixed that problem.

 

[mdwest]

I shoot barnes in almost every caliber and every rifle platform I own…

As a rule of TTSX is available in the caliber and weight I want, thats what i go with… where TTSX isn’t available (300 gr 375 for example.. or 400gr 416…)… I use TSX

Neither have ever failed me in any caliber… so no complaints or problems with either… and I’d be just as comfortable shooting a 165gr tsx in a30-06 as I would be shooting a 165gr ttsx at any PG or NA game a 165gr 30 caliber rifle is appropriate for…

 

[steve71]

I am convinced. I have both TSX and TTSX but I will be loading the TTSX for the trip
Thanks for your help

 

[375er]

Assuming the both shoot equally I prefer the TTSX on plains game as the flex tip does initiate and control expansion on medium size and smaller game (medium as in all the plains game as opposed to DG) on DG I way prefer the TSX as they don’t make the tipped bullet for most big bore cartridges anyway and I want that bullet to penetrate a bit before initiating expansion.
I would recommend bumping up to 180gr bullet because of the zebra, and really a 190 or higher. Zebra are tough as hell. I’ve shot 2 and my daughter has shot 1. My daughter and my second one we found readily. My first, by all accounts it looked like a very solid quartering away hit. Zebra reacted nice, and there was one hell of a blood trail for the first few miles. It started to Pieter out after that and we lost blood after what my PH told me was 18 kilometers through the Khomas Highland Mountains. We never did find that zebra. In hindsight I think it may have been a touch back and low although I know I hit at least 1 lung and really well at that because of the blood.
Philip and I both agreed if I’d been shooting a heavier bullet it may, and I stress may, have made the difference. It was also a fairly decent poke out there and way up hill so there are some other factors at play.
I just have learned over the years to shoot large animals with the largest bullet that my rifles will shoot accurately. I think it does make a difference in the field. Barnes IMHO, make the best hunting bullets on the market. I’ve never ever had a failure issue with them. They shoot well out all of my guns though oddly they seem to prefer a little bullet jump.
Most avid hunter/shooters can shoot nice pretty groups at the range off of sticks or the bench etc… those aren’t field conditions and in 99% of the cases it is on a flat or pseudo flat range. There is no stress and a clear open target. In the field, there is stress, elevation variance, brush in the way, and a billion other things working against you. I try to stack every advantage I can in my corner so I have 100 % confidence in my rifle and ammunition. Then if something screws up it’s on me and there are no excuses.
That’s just my 2 cents. I’m sure there are some that will both agree and disagree with me. I hunt for a living and it’s just a formula I’ve developed for the African and large heavy framed exotics.
Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

Agreed! Wildebeest and Zebra are damn tough animals. Use enough gun (and bullets)!

 

[sestoppelman]

I dont have that much personal experience with them, but in my sons .284 Winchester using 140 gr TSX at just over 3000fps, it is a hammer on game from pigs to kudu and oryx, and cleaved the heart on a frontal chest shot on a blue wildebeest, one and down.
I have rarely had any trouble getting them to shoot in various calibers, in fact it was because my dads old .284 seemed to have lost its past accuracy edge that I tried the TSX in it and immediately it seemed to gain its edge back.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I shoot barnes in almost every caliber and every rifle platform I own…

As a rule of TTSX is available in the caliber and weight I want, thats what i go with… where TTSX isn’t available (300 gr 375 for example.. or 400gr 416…)… I use TSX

Neither have ever failed me in any caliber… so no complaints or problems with either… and I’d be just as comfortable shooting a 165gr tsx in a30-06 as I would be shooting a 165gr ttsx at any PG or NA game a 165gr 30 caliber rifle is appropriate for…

.30 168gr. is a TTSX. .30 165gr. is a TSX if I'm not mistaken. Not that it matters.

 

[375er]

TTSX is available in .30 165. Have a box in my reloading room.