Barnes TSX vs. TTSX

[ryan80]

Obviously these bullets are form the same manufacturer and seemingly the same material, however, are they the same hardness? I have read various places that the tipped version opens better, but is that due to the tip providing expansion or is it also a softer metal?

For instance, Chuck Hawks recommends the TSX, but not the TTSX for thick skinned dangerous game.

Anyone shot both and have any experiences to share?

 

[Edster]

Following

 

[Opposite Pole]

In an email I got from Barnes they said both these bullets perform the same

 

[Areaonereal]

My son uses only the TTSX now . Previously used the TSX, but lost two oryx due to a probable pencil thru...good hits just lack of expansion, minimal if any blood trail. That blue tip starts expansion. Using. 30 06 ...168 gr. On over 80 head of PG. loss of petals was prevalent on over 25 per cent of recovered bullets, a few lost all petals, but still terminated the animals

 

[JimP]

I have shot a lot of old X bullets then I switched to the TSX and now all I shoot are the TTSX.

I used the TTSX on all 6 of my plains game

I like going with the new and improved

 

[meigsbucks]

I’ve used both with great results. I usually use the TSX versus the TTSX due to the fact they are shorter. However, if the TTSX gives a significant BC advantage, I’ll go with them. So far I’ve only used TSX in Africa: 180gr in a .30/06 and 400gr in a .416 Ruger.

 

[crudeoildude]

I have shot both in 25 and30 cal and cant tell much difference,It seems that I can run the ttxs a little bit faster and still keep awesome groups.

 

[crs]

I use NF, Barnes, Hornady, Kodiak, Nosler and Woodleigh in my big bores and have never lost an animal when I place the bullet properly.
The closest I came to that was my first impala shot with .338 BlackTalon/Fail Safe which missed all bones and vitals ( my fault) and left a .338 hole that bled OK. PH and I had to bring in a tracker to find the dead Impala. Without the tracker, I might have been blaming the loss of that animal on the bullet.

 

[browningbbr]

I've used TSX in several calibers for a while now. I'm very happy with the performance and accuracy.

I've tried several times to work up a load using 250gn TTSX in my .375 H&H, but so far, the groups are too large. Ditto the poor groups for 160gn TTSX in my 8mm Mauser, but I've only tested about 5 loads.

Certainly, this is only anecdotal information, but I'm staying with TSX at this point.

I will keep testing TTSX with different spacing off of the lands, different powders and different powder amounts.

Somewhere on the Barnes website, I read that the copper is the same in TSX and TTSX. The same post said that the polymer tip improved expansion.

 

[Areaonereal]

Try H414 in the 375.....070 off the lands. The TSX would be my preference in the 375 h h over the TTSX got heavy game. Your barrel needs to be copper free and clean as new. Some barrels can not be accurate with the Barnes after using standard bullets....can be a pain to get that copper out and not “pollute” the barrel with a non Barnes bullet. The Barnes are a fine bullet and will shoot small groups if the stars are aligned

 

[375Fox]

For heavy game I would really recommend you don’t use the TTSX. My Sako 375 shoots 250 grain TTSX very accurately consistently less than an inch at 100 yards and less than 3 inches at 300. But last year I shot a very large eland at around 40 yards, we recovered bullet on opposite side of eland, but all petals had broken off and only the base of the bullet remained. They are great for lighter game or longer distances, but I’d hate to try them on a buffalo after what I saw on an eland.
I shoot TSX with my 300, the expansion isn’t always best but it appears bullet is always intact when we recover them.

 

[BRICKBURN]

For heavy game I would really recommend you don’t use the TTSX. My Sako 375 shoots 250 grain TTSX very accurately consistently less than an inch at 100 yards and less than 3 inches at 300. But last year I shot a very large eland at around 40 yards, we recovered bullet on opposite side of eland, but all petals had broken off and only the base of the bullet remained. They are great for lighter game or longer distances, but I’d hate to try them on a buffalo after what I saw on an eland.
I shoot TSX with my 300, the expansion isn’t always best but it appears bullet is always intact when we recover them.

What did the bullet pass through?
How far did the Eland go?
What damage to the Eland?

 

[neckfred]

I have been looking for a thread like this for awhile. My question is does anyone have any experience shooting the new Barnes Long Range round and how does it compare to the TTSX

 

[Tanks]

...

For instance, Chuck Hawks recommends the TSX, but not the TTSX for thick skinned dangerous game.

Anyone shot both and have any experiences to share?

I think the reasoning is that TSX is heavier than the TTSX bullets in each caliber. For example in .375 heaviest TTSX is 250 grains whereas you can get 300 and 350 grain TSX bullets.

Of course for elephants I'd use neither but a solid.

 

[TMac]

I have been looking for a thread like this for awhile. My question is does anyone have any experience shooting the new Barnes Long Range round and how does it compare to the TTSX

Yes on mule deer and whitetails. Worked very well. Opens even faster than the TTSX according to Barnes. I use which ever my rifle shoots best between the LRX and TTSX.

 

[375Fox]

What did the bullet pass through?
How far did the Eland go?
What damage to the Eland?

I had both Swift a frames 300 grain and 250 grain TTSX for this hunt. We decided to put a Swift in for first shot at about 80 yards. Second shot to finish it was about 40 yards had only gone about 20 yards. We recovered both bullets under skin on opposite side. I shot a different eland that morning with a TTSX that was facing/semi quartering. We didn’t recover bullet but it passed through vitals and lodged somewhere in stomach. Eland ran about 40 yards. They are excellent bullets, but I think there are better options for heavier animals.

 

[ZooKpr]

I have used both a fair amount from 243 to the 416 Rigby. I feel that the TTSX definitely opens faster.

The only real failure that I have had is the 130g TSX in 270 win. One fall I shot 4 whitetails and a coyote on a trip to South Dakota. 3 of the deer and the coyote were shot on the run. The results to shots reminded me of the past when I used FMJs to shoot fox and coyotes for fur. I shortly found that this was very misguided. I lost to many animals that went in there holes after being shot, and had ricochets that are very dangerous where there maybe something or someone over the hill.

I regress, the 130g TSX has a very small nose cavity compared to other TSX bullets I have worked with. I’m not sure why this is.

I switched to TTSX in the 270. The next year I shot a couple deer with it with very different results. Then my wife used it in SA to shoot several animals from springbuck to zebra. All 1 shot kills except a clean miss when trying to hurry a shot on a blesbuck before it re entered the trees.

I and my wife have used both the TSX and TTSX in 243, 270, 7mm mag, 300 win, 375 H&H, 375 Rum, and 416 Rigby, and the TTSX in 30/06.

After a several hundred rounds at animals from ground squirrels and pigeons to a lion, bison and buffalo. I have found that both bullets work very well in all sizes of game.

However going forward I will in general use the TTSX for thin skinned game and TSX for thick skinned game. The TTSX seems to provide faster kills on thin skinned game while the TSX seems to provide deeper penetration.

I however will not use or recommend the use of the 270 130g TSX unless they have improved the design.

 

[browningbbr]

Try H414 in the 375.....070 off the lands. The TSX would be my preference in the 375 h h over the TTSX got heavy game. Your barrel needs to be copper free and clean as new. Some barrels can not be accurate with the Barnes after using standard bullets....can be a pain to get that copper out and not “pollute” the barrel with a non Barnes bullet. The Barnes are a fine bullet and will shoot small groups if the stars are aligned

Thanks. Since the day I had it built, Barnes are the only bullets that have been down the barrel of the 375 . I use Barnes solvent and scrub until there is no blue tint on the patches, so I'm pretty sure the barrel is very clean. I'll give the H414 at .070" off the lands a try.

 

[gizmo]

TTSX’s is my all time favorite bullet. I love the TSX as well. Just in my experience the TSX works a little better on larger and heavier animals as without the polymer tip it needs a bit more density to start to open up. Both penetrate like a big dog. Basically, from what Barnes has told me the TTSX is nothing more than a TSX with a press in polymer tip.
I am about to use the TSX to try and develop a load for my double for buffalo this year.
Between us and clients I’ve seen hundreds of animals taken with these bullets and they are fantastic. I have never seen one fail and can only think of maybe one or two times that even a petal broke off. In 99% of the cases these things are recovered poking out of the skin on the opposite side and look just like the mushroomed bullet in the ad.

 

[Terry Blauwkamp]

I've used both in several calibers on Plains Game, and they both seem to work equally well.