Barnes TSX reviews/question

[M70375!]

I think we can all agree that the TSX is great for African game up to the Cape buffalo. But I’d is the right choice for whitetail deer?

Of course they will work for whitetail, they will expand, penetrate and cleanly kill any deer if placed properly from a suitable caliber and there will be slightly less meat loss because you don't have the extreme fragmentation that many of the lead core bullets do. Deep penetration , 2 X expansion within the first 2 inches of penetration, no lead fragments in your meat, what is not to like? If you are in doubt about whether they will expand properly, just look at this coyote I shot with 300 grain TSX from my 375 H&H. It doesn't get much softer and thinner than a coyote..

 

[SRvet]

So TSX in 500J and 470 Nitro is good for buffalo?

Based on these recovered bullets from a buffalo, hippo skull and giraffe (which was shot at extended range with terminal velocity of around 1800fps) I would feel very confident that the large calibre TSX bullets will perform exactly as intended.if heavy bone is hit a petal may shed, otherwise 100% weight retention. In the picture there is one 300g .375 bullet from a hippo and the rest are 450 grain TSX from buffalo and giraffe.

 

[skydiver386]

They expand nicely.

This was a 450gr .458dia before it was shot into my Cape Buffalo, and .914 at it's widest after it was recovered just under the hide on the far side.

 

[Altitude sickness]

The Spin rate calculator on the previous page was handy and I ran a few numbers through it from two rifles I am dialing in now.
A newly acquired Dakota 76 in .338 WM and a Remington 700
In .300 RUM

So it makes complete sense that with any bullet design, they need to make impact 100% nose first. with zero yaw

Here circled in blue are three shots from the Remington 300 RUM at 430 yards ( aiming for top left square not shown)
It is zeroed at 100 yards and the drop is 15 inches.

I didn’t clear low brush and weeds below my target. The bullet hole to the right obviously hit a weed or brush and tumbled. So an extreme example of not hitting nose first.

So of course a bullet not hitting perfectly straight due to the wrong rate of twist or spin rate will impact expansion. Also as the bullet slows enough it starts to wobble it’s not going to open correctly.

The right two in green (Barnes TTSX) were the Dakota also at 430 yds but with a custom turret scope so elevation was on.

Grandsons .223 at the bottom

 

[Arty0802]

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?

Yes, I've used them on multiple axis deer and they worked beautifully. Full pass-through as you would expect, but the exit wounds were noticeably larger than the entrance, leading me to confidently assess that the projectiles expanded as designed. I would be supremely confident that they would work even better on hogs. I used them on a warthog in South Africa and they were perfect.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

They expand nicely.
View attachment 783670
This was a 450gr .458dia before it was shot into my Cape Buffalo, and .914 at it's widest after it was recovered just under the hide on the far side.

Ok, thest last two posts set my mind at ease. Thank you.

 

[Gomer]

I use the TTSX and LRX on deer. The 130gr TTSX from a 308 and the 150gr TTSX from a 300 Win Mag are very effective.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

This morning I shot a large old dry cow giraffe at 150 yards with Barnes TSX 400 gr 404 Jeffery through the heart and shoulder with bullet stuck under skin of opposite ribs. She maybe ran 40 yards and fell over out of sight. I'm guessing muzzle velocity is around 2200 fps considering what I'm reading in loading data. The bullet did open up into four petals but perhaps not split open as much or as deeply as I would have expected. Two days ago I shot a very old bull eland in poor condition three times at 196 meters, all in the boiler room. First shot behind the shoulder broke the opposite shoulder. Two more a little further back and higher almost on top of each other, all exited variously. Still had to wait for him to fall over. Exit wounds only slightly, if slightly, larger than entrance. Therefore, at that range the bullets still had enough gas to go completely through that large animal and exit but apparently not enough to make them open up. Yesterday I shot an old dry cow buffalo lying down at 110 meters well behind the right shoulder (it was quartering slightly away). It jumped up, ran about twenty yards, tipped over, and never got up. Dead by the time we got to it. Blew off ascending aorta etc and both lungs. Bullet lost two petals and two remaining were substantially peeled back. Speed is obviously needed to make those bullets work. So today a brief opportunity presented for 175 meter shot at cow giraffe and I declined. Short time later I declined again at 150 meters but we managed to cut it to 136 meters and I took that one. I believe that was the right decision. .423 caliber is a large diameter bullet even if it didn't open up. But giraffe is a VERY large animal.

 

[gregrn43]

I have never shot a animal with Barnes bullets. Honestly never even shot a Barnes bullet. Is there any difference between the TSX and TTSX other than the tip? Is one constructed stronger than the other?

 

[Winmdl71]

I’ve used a TTSX 180 gr in a 300 wsm at 3,000fps on everything from a dik dik to an eland. Everything has gone less than 40 yards. Good expansion and penetration on everything. An excellent bullet for sure

 

[dchum]

I have never shot a animal with Barnes bullets. Honestly never even shot a Barnes bullet. Is there any difference between the TSX and TTSX other than the tip? Is one constructed stronger than the other?

I am under the impression that the TSX is a little "Tougher" meaning opens up less rapidly/easily. I have found TTSX expands better. At least in .277 and .308 cal applications I have used it in.

 

[Surgeon1]

Had a long discussion with a fellow Double Rifle shooter who is using TSX 500 gr in his 470NE.
He is using slow burning powder and loads exceed Barnes listed max loads, both of those issues make
me nervous.
I don't load any Barnes bullets especially for my Doubles and never will.

If there are any of you using them, would you share your experience in a 470 and your loads.

 

[SRvet]

I have never shot an animal with Barnes bullets. Honestly never even shot a Barnes bullet. Is there any difference between the TSX and TTSX other than the tip? Is one constructed stronger than the other?

Have used TSX bullets on perhaps 60-70 deer, warthogs, antelope from medium to very large and a few bovines of the domestic and Cape buffalo variety. I’m about 800 to 900 deer deep with the TTSX. Mostly the 130 grain TTSX in .308, the 150g in 30-06 and the 120gTTSX in the 7mm Rem Mag. Whilst I recall there are a few with the 100 and 120 grain 6.5 from the 6.5x55 and 6.5x47 Lapua as well. I can honestly say I have never witnessed a bullet failure in what has been a fairly comprehensive test over the last 25 years or so.

 

[deewayne2003]

Had a long discussion with a fellow Double Rifle shooter who is using TSX 500 gr in his 470NE.
He is using slow burning powder and loads exceed Barnes listed max loads, both of those issues make
me nervous.
I don't load any Barnes bullets especially for my Doubles and never will.

If there are any of you using them, would you share your experience in a 470 and your loads.

I understand your concern about over max loads but I’ve learned that’s why chronographs are critical; my .470 came with load data for IMR3031 and Dacron load that shot beautifully.

Loading for Tuskless I wanted a modern mono bullet and people did backflips with opinions on using Woodleigh Hydros with IMR3031, so I decided to use a slower burning powder.

I tried RL22 and found that Woodleighs book load of 110gr was much too slow; it took 117gr to regulate = A colossal wait of expense Hydros and extremely rare at the time RL22 powder.

Then switching to foam wads for ease of loading and lower pressure and then tried the Hydro with the IMR3031(78gr), foam wad, WinLRM and Hydro bullet = Tears to GLORY

Perfect regulation and same POI as RNSN with zero pressure signs and same velocity as RNSN Woodleighs.

NOTE: My rifle does have modern 4150CM barrels

 

[62flint]

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?

Whitetail deer from this past season. 308 Winchester 168ttsx lapua brass federal gold medal match primer 44.0 varget powder. 2550 fps mv 20inch barrel suppressed.
From 20 yards to 200 yards. No bullets recovered all pass through. No deer lost. None ran more than 50 yards. Most dropped with in feet of impact or in their tracts.
like results in Africa on plains game.
I will be loading 180ttsx in my 300wm for elk.
They work , and they don’t have to hit bone.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

This morning I shot a large old dry cow giraffe at 150 yards with Barnes TSX 400 gr 404 Jeffery through the heart and shoulder with bullet stuck under skin of opposite ribs. She maybe ran 40 yards and fell over out of sight. I'm guessing muzzle velocity is around 2200 fps considering what I'm reading in loading data. The bullet did open up into four petals but perhaps not split open as much or as deeply as I would have expected. Two days ago I shot a very old bull eland in poor condition three times at 196 meters, all in the boiler room. First shot behind the shoulder broke the opposite shoulder. Two more a little further back and higher almost on top of each other, all exited variously. Still had to wait for him to fall over. Exit wounds only slightly, if slightly, larger than entrance. Therefore, at that range the bullets still had enough gas to go completely through that large animal and exit but apparently not enough to make them open up. Yesterday I shot an old dry cow buffalo lying down at 110 meters well behind the right shoulder (it was quartering slightly away). It jumped up, ran about twenty yards, tipped over, and never got up. Dead by the time we got to it. Blew off ascending aorta etc and both lungs. Bullet lost two petals and two remaining were substantially peeled back. Speed is obviously needed to make those bullets work. So today a brief opportunity presented for 175 meter shot at cow giraffe and I declined. Short time later I declined again at 150 meters but we managed to cut it to 136 meters and I took that one. I believe that was the right decision. .423 caliber is a large diameter bullet even if it didn't open up. But giraffe is a VERY large animal.

The 400 gr 404 Jeffery bullet almost exited the boiler room of giraffe.

404J lengthways through boiler room of Cape buffalo

30-06 Barnes TTSX 168 gr into ribs of warthog quartering away at 220 meters. Bullet lodged in opposite shoulder.

 

[dchum]

View attachment 785923
The 400 gr 404 Jeffery bullet almost exited the boiler room of giraffe.
View attachment 785924
404J lengthways through boiler room of Cape buffalo
View attachment 785925
30-06 Barnes TTSX 168 gr into ribs of warthog quartering away at 220 meters. Bullet lodged in opposite shoulder.

Awesome stuff.

 

[skydiver386]

View attachment 785923
The 400 gr 404 Jeffery bullet almost exited the boiler room of giraffe.
View attachment 785924
404J lengthways through boiler room of Cape buffalo
View attachment 785925
30-06 Barnes TTSX 168 gr into ribs of warthog quartering away at 220 meters. Bullet lodged in opposite shoulder.

I've never seen a Barnes X with that large a opening or two striations on each petal. Is this something exclusive to the 404 Jeff?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I've never seen a Barnes X with that large a opening or two striations on each petal. Is this something exclusive to the 404 Jeff?

Possibly exclusive to shoulder bones of giraffe. They are HUGE. Bone structure of Cape buffalo is on the large size but no comparison to giraffe. Anyway, the 404 bullets in these images are Barnes TSX not X. You can see same two striations pattern in the image of 30-06 TTSX bullet that killed the warthog so not exclusive to 404J.

 

[MTJumbo]

What an interesting thread. I must say that barrel break in was carried out with an obsession in my Lilja .375 barrel. Now I have no copper build up at all. I have been using Barnes TSX bullets for years. I have found the same experience as well. Lighter bullets, i.e. 235 gr. in .375, performs well on Oryx, elk, and any other game. I am stilll going to try more Woodleigh and Swift A-Frame bullets however. But I am starting out with Barnes in my .416 Rem. Mag. and in the .416 Taylor. In my rifles, the Barnes TSX is also the most accurate bullet. Accurate rifles are the only interesting rifles.