RedAllison

Vangunsmith what in the hell are you talking about? "...Some of these big fast cal.now days that are on the market, shooting bullets so fast that they are in the next time zone iln ablink of an eye are, well lets say for those not in the know about hunting!..." Everytime I comment about a supermag you pipeup basically calling me a liar and now are insinuating that I don't know anything about big game hunting. Well I don't profess to be Myles Keller or Barry Wensel BUT I do know a damned thing or two about big game hunting. I have been deer hunting for 20 years and have killed WELLOVER 200 too date (with some impressive ones I might add and the number being rather high from being on managed lands for many years taking ALOT of antlerless deer and spending years watching and learning from bucks that most would shoot at first sight) from various locales including MO, TX and KS which include two P&Y whitetails. I have 1 NM bull that scored well into the Longhunters Society record books and likewise have taken mulies, antelope and SCORES of record class turkeys from a family ranch in southern MO. I likewise have worked in the hunting and fishing retail business for more than half my life. I THINK I CAN COMFORTABLY PASS ON SOME INFORMATION TOO THOSE THAT ASK. Furthermore I don't need some self proclaimed "gunsmith/expert" (there a dime a dozen and the good ones need no introduction) to come on here and redicule me just because I offer information that you obviously don't agree with.

Like I said, I have taken over 50 whitetails, 1 mulie and 1 lope with the 150TSXs and nearly that many with the 130Xbullets before that. I probably killed a dozen or more deer and the one huge bull with Xbullets in my muzzleloader. How many heads of game have you taken with Xbullets that would merit your running them as well as totally dismissing my experience with them?

A friends grandmother summed it up best once, "You can kiss my azz in the red"!


RA

stubblejumper

I tested the 168gr tsx's today in both of my 300ultramags.Conditions were horrible with rain and gusting wind and my results were mixed.One rifle averaged no better than 1-1/2" but the other averaged around 3/4" to 7/8".Given the poor conditions the groups could have been slightly better but it appears that this bullet shows promise in one rifle but not in the other.However,I am going to test the 180gr tsx's in both rifles before deciding if I want to pursue any more load development with the 168's.On a side note,I did shoot a couple of the 168gr tsx's into a 1/2" steel plate 100 yards away and they both completely penetrated the plate.Given this,I doubt that any moose or elk shoulder blade will stop them.

trailer

That’s one thing I read about the Barnes bullets that you very rarely retrieve the bullet.

Roskoe

Red - I don't dispute your endorsement of the TSX for .30 caliber Super Magnums. But like Old Elk Hunter said, they seem to be at their best at muzzle velocities over 3100/3200; and below that there are lots of regular bullets that work really well. I have probably learned more, cumulatively, in the last 30 years from my customers than my customers have learned from me - and quite a few of these customers want no part of the earsplitten loudenboomer super magnums. They are unbearably loud and have a very harsh recoil impulse. And they are probably a waste for shots inside of 300 yards. And there probably aren'teven 10% ofshooters who have the skill to responsibly shoot beyond this distance.

So although I agree with the logic of using these bullets for high performance hunting rifles, the package as a whole is not for everyone. Regards. Roskoe

Scott Gags

I agree with youstating the TSXis at its best in the magnums, but they also havebenifits in the non magnums. The Barnes bullets have better BC than most any conventional bullets and this will help maintain downrange energy in a cartridge that is marginal for the job like some non magnumscould be in certain situations. The weight retention of the X bullets especially in a non magnum is also very high which will help with penetration in a shoulder shot for example. I have always felt like the extra penetration of the Barnes was like jumping up a cartridge vs the jacketed bullets.Some say the Barnes bullets may not open at low velocities and that may be a good thing. If the bullet lacks velocity and KE I feel it may actually be better to not expand and just penetrate to ensure the vitals are damaged.

RedAllison

Roskoe you are so right about learning from customers, a closed mouth learns MUCH. I only answer questions when they are asked of me. You are also correct about supermags NOT being for everyone. I only recommend them when someone asks about tools (afterall that's ALL they are) that are a lil stronger than the typical whitetail guns or perhaps are contemplating hunting in terrain that allows for shots over 300yds. If a man is only hunting the deepwoods of northern Maine or wading a swamp for webfoots, yeah he doesn't need a "lasergun". But if he is interested in "goin long" and asks for opinions/experiences with longer ranges, then I will give them my .01/2c.

I have never called Nosler Partitions, Accubonds etc "POC bullets" because obviously they aren't, they are great bullets. I just believe the TSXs to be better. Another thing I don't quite understand is that EVERYONE agrees that penetration is KEY when dealing with bowhunting and also when talking about large dangerous game. From my standpoint I can't see why if it is a key for the other two types of big game hunting, why is it not key for small and midsized big game firearms hunting?

A passthru the boiler room is a guarantee too venison steaks!
RA

Roskoe

Red - this may be one of the great debates of current bullet technolgy. It seems like if you have to choose between penetration and expansion, obviously you go for penetration. But there don't seem to be any free lunches here. A bullets that has 50% more penetration than a regular soft nose is going to do so at the expense of a smaller wound channel. Something along the lines of there is only so much "volume" a wound channel can produce with a certain weight bullet and a certain impact velocity. So the volume can be long and narrow or short and wide - or some of each, like the Nosler partition.

From what I have seen so far, the Barnes X has the most reliable "kill from any angle" performance of any bullet out there. The Swift A-Frame also has similar terminal performance. But theirperformance on broadside rib shots, particularly in standard calibers, is not as good as many other more conventional bullets. For instance, the performance of the 165 Barnes X, out of a .300 Win Mag., onelk was not realconvincing on rib shots. It did not appear to make as bigofa hole through the lungs as a .25-06 with conventional soft points and allowed several elk to stay on their feetmuch longer than I would have preferred.

But, as you say, they have absolutely reliable penetration - and theelk is going to go down . . .it just might take 6 or 7 seconds to happen on the classic broadside rib shot with standard calibers. Shoot for the shoulders - or end-for-end(either coming or going) - and its usually DRT.

One other thing folks really seem to like about the Barnes X bullets is the general lack of bloodshot meat. Even a Texas heart shot won't usually ruin more than five pounds of meat.

Personally, I kinda sold on the Swift Scirocco's. I usually wait for the broadside rib shot and these bullets, at least in the .270 Magnums and .300 Win Mag, will put an elk on the ground quicker than any bullet I have used so far.

ejpaul1

Well, I got a box of those hornady interbond 180's and I am gonna sight with them tomorow and saturday. I still might grab a box of the tsx's in the 165 persuasion, but this sems a happy meduim after all the discussion. EJ

Gundigest

I loaded up some 165gr and 180gr XLCs for my 300 WSM and both shot .6" groups at 100 yards. Last fall I shot a whitetail with the 165s at 130 yards. It was a broadside double lung shot and the exit hole looked like it was about a 1.25" hole. I didn't get to see the inside because the deer was no good due to a bad shot someone made earlier in the season. If I had known the deer was no good I would have put it threw both shoulders to see how it performs. When I shoot up all of my XLCs I am going to go to the TSXs. So far I am happy with their performance.

herman

Have only one experience with the TSX and it is with 270 wsm,load was I4831@ 66.5 grs. and 130 TSX bullet.
Was going on a hog hunt and wanted to try the Tsx out,will add the target I worked the load up with.
Picture of the hog (weighed 185 lbs)I shot the hog in the throat at 150 yds,It dropped at the shot ,got up and went about 20 yds before pilling up for good.If you see the red spot straight under its ear that is where I shot it ,should have taken a pic of it bullet passed through and you could have probably put 2 fists in the hole.
These bullets are very accurate and I think they did a very good job.I worked out a load for my 7/08 that I may try out this season.There really isn't need for a bullet for the deer around here but I like trying new things.