Barnes ttsx in 243
03-05-2015, 12:59 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Dublin,Ga
Posts: 70
Barnes ttsx in 243
I am gonna get some Barnes ttsx 80gr pills done up for my Rem 700 243. I'm new to useing a all copper bullet but have read a good bit about them. I'm planning on useing them on deer. Was wondering if anybody was useing this and how it has worked for you
03-07-2015, 04:13 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 797
Why?
I'm not a fan of this bullet at all. Its yours to choose.
Personal experience I've tracked more game from this bullet than any other in the last five years. Lets just say sometimes they just don't open. Sorry this is a fact from my experiences. Maybe the tip will help more but the TSX bullet is crap and might as well us a FMJ. I haven't seen one open up yet. So my opinion is formed for life. It's yours to choose there are so much better choices out there. A lot will disagree and maybe have actually seen them work as they are supposed to. I cringe when someone brings them to elk camp. I've spent a lot of time tracking because of these particular bullets. No sir not in my rifle.
I'm not a fan of this bullet at all. Its yours to choose.
Personal experience I've tracked more game from this bullet than any other in the last five years. Lets just say sometimes they just don't open. Sorry this is a fact from my experiences. Maybe the tip will help more but the TSX bullet is crap and might as well us a FMJ. I haven't seen one open up yet. So my opinion is formed for life. It's yours to choose there are so much better choices out there. A lot will disagree and maybe have actually seen them work as they are supposed to. I cringe when someone brings them to elk camp. I've spent a lot of time tracking because of these particular bullets. No sir not in my rifle.
03-07-2015, 07:22 AM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: ****ifornia
Posts: 5,052
I have a few boxes of them but haven't shot them yet. My buddy uses them in the condor area (lead is banned) on pigs and they do the job on 300+ lb boars. He also uses them for deer and has been pleased for the last few years.
If you don't HAVE to use them like we do in some areas, then like Blackelk said, why? I would use a 90gr Accubond.
If you don't HAVE to use them like we do in some areas, then like Blackelk said, why? I would use a 90gr Accubond.
03-07-2015, 11:32 AM
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Dublin,Ga
Posts: 70
[QUOTE=Blackelk;4188560]Why?
I'm not a fan of this bullet at all. Its yours to choose.
Personal experience I've tracked more game from this bullet than any other in the last five years. Lets just say sometimes they just don't open. Sorry this is a fact from my experiences. Maybe the tip will help more but the TSX bullet is crap and might as well us a FMJ. I haven't seen one open up yet. So my opinion is formed for life. It's yours to choose there are so much better choices out there. A lot will disagree and maybe have actually seen them work as they are supposed to. I cringe when someone brings them to elk camp. I've spent a lot of time tracking because of these particular bullets. No sir not in my rifle.[/QUOTE. Why is BC I wanna try them . Never had anyone say the wldnt open. I have shot a lot of 243 bullets but never copper. I'm gonna give them a shot so I can make my own opinion on them. Not everyone is gonna be a fan of them and I don't expect them to be but I was looking for the best bullet for deer in penetration and exspantion!!!! I want the biggest blood trail possible with this caliber
I'm not a fan of this bullet at all. Its yours to choose.
Personal experience I've tracked more game from this bullet than any other in the last five years. Lets just say sometimes they just don't open. Sorry this is a fact from my experiences. Maybe the tip will help more but the TSX bullet is crap and might as well us a FMJ. I haven't seen one open up yet. So my opinion is formed for life. It's yours to choose there are so much better choices out there. A lot will disagree and maybe have actually seen them work as they are supposed to. I cringe when someone brings them to elk camp. I've spent a lot of time tracking because of these particular bullets. No sir not in my rifle.[/QUOTE. Why is BC I wanna try them . Never had anyone say the wldnt open. I have shot a lot of 243 bullets but never copper. I'm gonna give them a shot so I can make my own opinion on them. Not everyone is gonna be a fan of them and I don't expect them to be but I was looking for the best bullet for deer in penetration and exspantion!!!! I want the biggest blood trail possible with this caliber
03-07-2015, 11:53 AM
#5
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 9
duckslayer............. I have not used them and in fact, am wondering the same thing as I just bought my wife a .243 and was thinking about trying them.
I have used TSX and newer TTSX in a number of calibers, from .25 up to .375, and I have seen a bunch more used by hunters I have guided. Can't say that I have experienced the failing to open event others talk about.
I certainly have seen a bunch of complaining about this on the internet, but have not personally experienced it. I imagine there could easily have been some bad lot numbers over the years, most manufacturers have had them.
I do have to agree however with the mention of the Accubond. It is certainly worth considering and one of my favourites. I have never had one fail to do what they were designed to do.
I have used TSX and newer TTSX in a number of calibers, from .25 up to .375, and I have seen a bunch more used by hunters I have guided. Can't say that I have experienced the failing to open event others talk about.
I certainly have seen a bunch of complaining about this on the internet, but have not personally experienced it. I imagine there could easily have been some bad lot numbers over the years, most manufacturers have had them.
I do have to agree however with the mention of the Accubond. It is certainly worth considering and one of my favourites. I have never had one fail to do what they were designed to do.
03-07-2015, 12:25 PM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Dublin,Ga
Posts: 70
duckslayer............. I have not used them and in fact, am wondering the same thing as I just bought my wife a .243 and was thinking about trying them.
I have used TSX and newer TTSX in a number of calibers, from .25 up to .375, and I have seen a bunch more used by hunters I have guided. Can't say that I have experienced the failing to open event others talk about.
I certainly have seen a bunch of complaining about this on the internet, but have not personally experienced it. I imagine there could easily have been some bad lot numbers over the years, most manufacturers have had them.
I do have to agree however with the mention of the Accubond. It is certainly worth considering and one of my favourites. I have never had one fail to do what they were designed to do.
I have used TSX and newer TTSX in a number of calibers, from .25 up to .375, and I have seen a bunch more used by hunters I have guided. Can't say that I have experienced the failing to open event others talk about.
I certainly have seen a bunch of complaining about this on the internet, but have not personally experienced it. I imagine there could easily have been some bad lot numbers over the years, most manufacturers have had them.
I do have to agree however with the mention of the Accubond. It is certainly worth considering and one of my favourites. I have never had one fail to do what they were designed to do.
03-07-2015, 01:23 PM
#7
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 9
As with the TSX and the TTSX, I have not used the Accubonds in a .243.......... that cartridge is new ground for me. My wife will be using it from up close to possibly 250 or 300 yards and on coyotes, wolves, deer and speed goats.
I have used the Accubond in .25, .30, ,338, and .375. Have seen them used in pretty much everything else in-between these as well. They work very much like the Partition, in that you usually end up with weight retention of around 65%. Some of the lead washes off during penetration, but I have had retention on a few of closer to 80%. In most cases they have been passthroughs and I did not recover the bullet.
I have shot a moose and a couple of bears at around 25 yards and furthest at 410 yards, plus many in-between. The close shots were complete pass throughs. One was a 510 pound black bear and the Accubond smashed both shoulders and out the other side. Bear dropped like a stone and did not move.
My last moose was taken with a 165 Accubond at 240 yards, double lung, passthrough and didn't go more than ten yards and tipped over.
I think the new TTSX open much quicker and more violently than the TSX from what I have seen so far. Makes sense if you think about it as the tip is driving in like a wedge to initiate expansion on impact.
I shot a wood bison a couple years ago with a TSX at around 80 yards. Complete pass through and broke the off shoulder. The bull lunged forward about 5 yards and then wobbled a bit and tipped over. Things don't get much bigger and he weighed around 2400............ this was a true wild bison, not a farm bison.
I would go ahead and try the TTSX in the .243. I am going to. We can compare notes. I am also going to try the Nosler E-tip in my .257 Weatherby this year and the 250 grain TTSX in my .375 H&H.
We are blessed, there is a fantastic selection of outstanding bullets these days.
I have used the Accubond in .25, .30, ,338, and .375. Have seen them used in pretty much everything else in-between these as well. They work very much like the Partition, in that you usually end up with weight retention of around 65%. Some of the lead washes off during penetration, but I have had retention on a few of closer to 80%. In most cases they have been passthroughs and I did not recover the bullet.
I have shot a moose and a couple of bears at around 25 yards and furthest at 410 yards, plus many in-between. The close shots were complete pass throughs. One was a 510 pound black bear and the Accubond smashed both shoulders and out the other side. Bear dropped like a stone and did not move.
My last moose was taken with a 165 Accubond at 240 yards, double lung, passthrough and didn't go more than ten yards and tipped over.
I think the new TTSX open much quicker and more violently than the TSX from what I have seen so far. Makes sense if you think about it as the tip is driving in like a wedge to initiate expansion on impact.
I shot a wood bison a couple years ago with a TSX at around 80 yards. Complete pass through and broke the off shoulder. The bull lunged forward about 5 yards and then wobbled a bit and tipped over. Things don't get much bigger and he weighed around 2400............ this was a true wild bison, not a farm bison.
I would go ahead and try the TTSX in the .243. I am going to. We can compare notes. I am also going to try the Nosler E-tip in my .257 Weatherby this year and the 250 grain TTSX in my .375 H&H.
We are blessed, there is a fantastic selection of outstanding bullets these days.
03-09-2015, 06:39 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SW Montana
Posts: 550
I have not used Barnes bullets in calibers smaller than .308, but I have had excellent results in both accuracy and performance with TSX bullets in .375 caliber and both TSX and TTSX bullets in .30 caliber.
In 2005 I used 300 grain TSX bullets in my .375 RUM on a variety of African animals from Bushbuck to Buffalo. These bullets shot sub moa in my Rem 700. The only one that I recovered was from the Buffalo which was a one shot kill, the bullet passed through the near shoulder, the lungs, and was found in the off shoulder. That bullet had expanded to the classic Barnes mushroom and still weighed 300 grains.
In 2007 I made another hunt in South Africa with my .375 RUM, this time shooting 270 grain TSX bullets. These bullets also shot sub moa in my rifle, and they made one shot kills on a variety of Plains Game animals from Steenboks to Eland, including a gemsbok shot at a lasered 348 yards. Most of the bullets completely passed through the animals, but the two that we recovered again were the classic Barnes mushroom.
In 2010 I built a .300 Weatherby, and the first hunt that I used it on was for exotics in West Texas where I used 168 grain TSX bullets to make one shot DRT kills on three animals from a Blackbuck to an Aoudad. Both 168 and 180 grain TSX bullets shoot sub moa in my rifle.
In the fall of 2010 I also shot a 5 point Montana bull elk with my .300 Weatherby and a 168 grain TSX bullet. The bullet passed through the bull, just behind his shoulders, and he fell dead within 10 yards of where he was shot. There was blood sprayed on the snow 10 feet out from each side of the bull.
In 2012 I used my .300 Weatherby on another South African hunt, this time shooting 168 grain TTSX bullets. These bullets also shoot sub moa in my rifle, and again they made one shot kills on 5 Plains Game animals including a baboon at 290 yards and a Klipspringer at 310 yards. The bullets completely passed through 3 of the animals, but the other 2 bullets were recovered , and again they were the classic Barnes mushroom, identical to the mushroomed TSX bullets that I had recovered from other hunts.
In the fall of 2013 I killed another 5 point Montana bull elk with my .300 Weatherby and a 168 grain TTSX bullet. The bull dropped dead as the bullet entered his near shoulder and stopped just under the skin of his off rear leg. It had also expanded to the classic Barnes mushroom.
Last year I took my .300 Weatherby to New Zealand where it made one shot kills with 168 grain TTSX bullets on 5 animals there. These included a great Red Deer stag and a Fallow deer shot at a lasered 320 yards. All of those bullets completely passed through those animals, and all animals fell dead within 10 yards of where they were shot.
I haven't tried Barnes bullets in any of my other rifles that I use primarily for North American animals like deer and pronghorn antelope as I have had almost 40 years of success with common cup and core bullets like Sierra GameKings and Nobler Ballistic Tips.
In 2005 I used 300 grain TSX bullets in my .375 RUM on a variety of African animals from Bushbuck to Buffalo. These bullets shot sub moa in my Rem 700. The only one that I recovered was from the Buffalo which was a one shot kill, the bullet passed through the near shoulder, the lungs, and was found in the off shoulder. That bullet had expanded to the classic Barnes mushroom and still weighed 300 grains.
In 2007 I made another hunt in South Africa with my .375 RUM, this time shooting 270 grain TSX bullets. These bullets also shot sub moa in my rifle, and they made one shot kills on a variety of Plains Game animals from Steenboks to Eland, including a gemsbok shot at a lasered 348 yards. Most of the bullets completely passed through the animals, but the two that we recovered again were the classic Barnes mushroom.
In 2010 I built a .300 Weatherby, and the first hunt that I used it on was for exotics in West Texas where I used 168 grain TSX bullets to make one shot DRT kills on three animals from a Blackbuck to an Aoudad. Both 168 and 180 grain TSX bullets shoot sub moa in my rifle.
In the fall of 2010 I also shot a 5 point Montana bull elk with my .300 Weatherby and a 168 grain TSX bullet. The bullet passed through the bull, just behind his shoulders, and he fell dead within 10 yards of where he was shot. There was blood sprayed on the snow 10 feet out from each side of the bull.
In 2012 I used my .300 Weatherby on another South African hunt, this time shooting 168 grain TTSX bullets. These bullets also shoot sub moa in my rifle, and again they made one shot kills on 5 Plains Game animals including a baboon at 290 yards and a Klipspringer at 310 yards. The bullets completely passed through 3 of the animals, but the other 2 bullets were recovered , and again they were the classic Barnes mushroom, identical to the mushroomed TSX bullets that I had recovered from other hunts.
In the fall of 2013 I killed another 5 point Montana bull elk with my .300 Weatherby and a 168 grain TTSX bullet. The bull dropped dead as the bullet entered his near shoulder and stopped just under the skin of his off rear leg. It had also expanded to the classic Barnes mushroom.
Last year I took my .300 Weatherby to New Zealand where it made one shot kills with 168 grain TTSX bullets on 5 animals there. These included a great Red Deer stag and a Fallow deer shot at a lasered 320 yards. All of those bullets completely passed through those animals, and all animals fell dead within 10 yards of where they were shot.
I haven't tried Barnes bullets in any of my other rifles that I use primarily for North American animals like deer and pronghorn antelope as I have had almost 40 years of success with common cup and core bullets like Sierra GameKings and Nobler Ballistic Tips.
