Barnes TSX Shooters?

6mm06

6mm06

Well-known member
I've been playing around with Barnes TSX bullets in both 7mm and .338 recently. I'm getting some very good accuracy and am quite surprised with just how well they shoot. I have no experience with them on game, so thought I would ask anyone who has experience to share their comments.
 
What weight 338's are you loading, 6mm? I just loaded up some 210's for a ladder test but haven't shot them yet. I noticed that some of Barnes' suggested loads are as hot or hotter than listed in other manuals for same weight conventional bullets.
What was your experience re: charge weight in your tests?

Currently shooting 210 NP's w/good results but thought I'd try some TSX's in a 338 WM and also in a 243 WSSM.

Regards,
hm
 
I have no big game rifles but have a little experience with the .22 caliber 62gr TSX. Seems to be a very accurate bullet out to 330yds(furthest I've shot them). I've only shot 2 coyotes and 1 fox with them but none took a step. Shots between 40-150yds. Exits on coyotes were quarter size and the fox was a bit bigger.
I loaded them for larger predators but wanted to try them out on coyotes. I'm curious if I'll still get good expansion out past 200yds.

One hunter I know who mainly shoots 257 Weatherby swears by the 100gr TSX. He was getting more reliable exits than when he loaded the 100gr Partition.

If and when I get a larger rifle the Barnes TTSX sounds interesting. Ryan
 
HM,

I'm shooting a 210 gr. in the .338, and 140 gr in a 7mm STW. I'm loading IMR 4350 in the .338, 70.5 gr. I shot hotter loads but seems I get the best accuracy with this charge.

I've only begun to experiment so I may not have found the "sweet" load yet. Accuracy wise, it's averaging .77 for three groups with the same powder charge. I shoot 2 shots instead of the usual 3 shot groups that I used to do. I know a lot of guys will question that, and that's ok, but I've found that 2-shot groups are good enough for me and if they are consistent, I feel confident with them.

I have a Weatherby Vanguard Sub MOA in the .338. This is the third .338 I've owned, and I've never got what I consider good accuracy from any of them. The Weatherby comes the closet to giving what I think a rifle should do.

The 7mm STW is quite another story. It's a Remington stainless Sendero. I shot 4, 2-shot groups with the 140 grainers that went 1/8", 1/4", and two groups of 5/8". I'm happy with that. My chronograph is messed up, thanks to an arrow my son let fly, so I'm not sure what velocity I'm getting. Accuracy is right up there with many varmint rifles of smaller calibers.

I'm just curious as to actual field performance on a variety of game animals, and I'm hoping people will tell about their experiences. Will be interesting to see what others have experienced with these bullets.

Ryan,

I hope you get lots of opportunities to test those 62s on coyotes. Keep us posted as to their performance.

I will say this before ending, that the TSX bullets caught me quite by surprise in the accuracy department. I never expected the kind of accuracy I'm getting with a bullet of this kind. I've never got good accuracy from a Partition bullet in a variety of calibers, and the old Barnes X bullets were not much better, at least in my experience. But, the TSX seems to be yet another story, with my limited experience.
 
great bullet!...they don't "jelly" meat as much as conventional bullets....plus make darned sure that there's not another game animal on the offside of ur target...their penetration is phenominal...no kiddin...
 
my boys shot two really big cow elk last week with the 168tsx out of a 308 both went about 5 steps after the shot and fell over.The one was a high shoulder shot that blew up both big bones and exited.the second was a double lung with lots of damage and an exit.the bullets shoot 5 shot groups around 3/4 with boring regularity.
 
Quote:I'm shooting a 210 gr. in the .338, and 140 gr in a 7mm STW. I'm loading IMR 4350 in the .338, 70.5 gr. I shot hotter loads but seems I get the best accuracy with this charge.

I have a large quantity of H450 on hand from when I used to shoot long range HP rifle competition so am trying to work up a good load with that. I have been shooting the 210 NP's & 200 gr. BT's @ 2900 fps in my Savage 116 w/H450 and getting 5/8" five shot 100 yd groups on a good day and moa on average days (extreme spread on this load is only 12 fps). The neat thing about this load is that both the BT's & NP's hit same POI @ 100 yds. and both are extremely effective on nilgai.

Plan to try a ladder w/the TSX's around this load and see what happens. If that doesn't work out for some reason will try the 4831 next as I don't have as much 4350 on hand and Barnes lists the 4831 as most accurate load tested. We'll see.

Quote:I will say this before ending, that the TSX bullets caught me quite by surprise in the accuracy department. I never expected the kind of accuracy I'm getting with a bullet of this kind. I've never got good accuracy from a Partition bullet in a variety of calibers, and the old Barnes X bullets were not much better, at least in my experience. But, the TSX seems to be yet another story, with my limited experience.

I tried the 200 gr. X bullets in a 300 WM and was very disappointed in the accuracy and copper fouling was terrible, so never tried another Barnes bullet, but heard some really good things about the 3X so figured they were worth a shot.

Have loaded a ladder test batch of 243 WSSM's w/85 gr. TSX's starting w/41 gr. H4831SC and ending @ 43.4 gr. and hope to shoot them this week. Will pick a load from that and load some up to try on coyotes and WT deer (deer season opens first week in Nov.) so should have an idea on performance on the 85's soon. May be Mid Jan. before I get to try the 338 out on some nilgai.

Glad you started this thread, Ryan,looking forward to input from others on their experience w the 3x's.

Regards,
hm
 
i've loaded the 53's and 45's in my 22-250 and .222 the .222 does not shoot either very well becuase of the 1-14 twist the 250 with a 1-12 shoots the 45's real good but not the 53's. as for on game preformance i'd say they work great. full penatration but small exit holes. hammers coyotes hard.
 
I have heard alot of good things about the 85's in the 243 for deer. I have some that I am getting ready to try for my daughter's rifle this week. My 7mm-08 shoots the 120's into 1/2". Only 1 deer with them so it is a little early for any conclusive evaluation. Seems like rifles either love or hate the Barnes in the accuracy department.
 
I've been using Barnes X, XLC and TSX since about 1992, in 8 different calibers, from 22Hornet to 300 Weatherby, and 11 different rifles.

The BArnes TSX should be an extremely accurate bullet in your rifle. I get sub-moa in every rifle, except the Hornet, where I get moa with the 45gr XLC.

Extreme penetration is normal. Using my 270win and a 130gr Barnes, I have only recovered one bullet from an elk, and the elk don't travel much more than a few feet, if at all.

These are the hardest hitting bullets I've ever used. I used to use Nosler Partitions for about 20 years, and never lost an animal. But, the Barnes hit game harder, and are more accurate.
 
I shoot:

85g in 243
110g in 270
140g in 7 Mag
120g in 7 STW

They work, but you can not use the same loading
data as the cup and core bullets.
 
Originally Posted By: ackleymanI shoot:

85g in 243
110g in 270
140g in 7 Mag
120g in 7 STW

They work, but you can not use the same loading
data as the cup and core bullets.

Ackleyman,

How do you work up your load? Do you use a Barnes manual?

What is your experience (on game, if any) with the 120 gr. in the STW?
 
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It is really hard to believe how well these bullets perform with extreme accuracy.

My brother and good friend use them also in
30/06-125g
308-125g

I use the blue tip in the 270, longest shot is 280 yards on a 230 lb buck.

I am shooting the 120g tripple shock in the 7 stw, accuracy less than half inch at 3850 with close to max load of IMR 7828 with Win Mag primer(proved more accurate than Fed 215's). This load is flatter shooting than a 220 swift, and deer are dead on their feet, never, never a runner.

No doubt that the blue tip TX are more explosive than the regular hp, but we have never had a failure.

I work up a load just like any other bullet, with the exception that I start with a bullet jump of .050, find the accuracy load, then play with seating depth. I have never found a load that liked less than .035.

Pressure spikes are common with the barnes bullets, the bullet is hard to start in the barrel compared to regular cup and core bullets.

I don't own a Barnes manual, looked at one and it made me mad at the slow velocities...they are lawyered up pretty good.

I can not stress how accurate these bullets have been in my rifles.

The need for such a high quality bullet may indeed be a fabricated myth based on marketing. A guy that can place his shot will usually get his game.

I am a die hard cup and core bullet man, these barnes were something new to play with. They are indeed quality all the way around. We skin all our deer, damage is massive with the barnes tripple shocks. The 7 Mag with the 140g Barnes tripple(3250) shock will destroy both shoulders, so will the 120(3550), just worse.

Last year, I had a large doe come out on me and she stared walking straight down the road, about 150 yards away. I shot her right in the [beeep]. Bullet was lodged underneath the hide on the front shoulder after it broke the shoulder.
The doe collapsed at the shot. I took this shot after my friend had made the same shot with a 6mm Rem.
 
for those who have no experience with barnes all copper bullets & wonder why ackleyman is using what appears to be lighter than normal bullet weights,the X-family allows you to go down in weight but still gives you heavier bullet performance...i hav no experience with other manuf's all copper bullets so i don't know if this applies to their product...their bullets may have a diff ductility (sp?).
 
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I loaded some of the GMX from hornady the other day. They are very accurate and appear to perform like the Triple Shocks on steel at 300 yrds. Don't have any data on big animals yet, but they kill coyotes pretty good.
 
I have been using Barnes bullets for several years, and have had great success. I have used 300gr TSX, and 270gr TSX in my 375 H&H, on moose, and caribou. I use a 140gr in my 7MM, and a 62gr in my 243 Win.

The 300gr, and 270gr TSX in 375 H&H have been simply devastating on moose. One shot kills on two bulls, with a step, or should I say stagger. Both had large exit wounds, I added an insurance shot to a one big bull, but he was dead on his feet, literally. Bullets broke ribs entering,and exiting.
Caribou shot was complete pass through, and I hate to say the first shot was low, but shattered both femurs, and exited, second shot quartered from neck thru chest and was recovered against the far skin, completely intact. I had to shoot from 225 yds without a solid rest, and attempted the second shot quickly. Needless to say I did not thread it through the antlers like I wanted. Upon inspection, I had smashed through an antler, entered the neck, quartered across the chest, broke the far shoulder, and lodged in the skin. The bullet was intact, and had only lost it's petals. I'm not proud of that shooting, but the TSX "anchored" that caribou after smashing two major bones. Many other bullets would have come apart.
I took an antelope with a 140gr X bullet, before the TSX line, and with one shot at 75yds, lifted the buck off his feet, and dropped him with complete exit.
Have not hunted with the 243, but get .5 MOA with the 62gr TSX. The accuracy in all the calibers is at least MOA, or better with the Barnes X, or TSX.

I might sound sold on Barnes, and I am, but not due to anything but success. I have confidence that the Barnes bullets will "anchor" whatever game I pursue, and that is why I use them.
 
I worked with two 25/06's yesterday with the 100g Barnes Tripple shocks, sendero and 700 Stainless sporter.

56.0g of R#19, Win brass, Win primer, bullet jump from .035 in one rifle and .050 in the other rifle.

Primers were flat as pan cakes, easy extraction, grouping with all bullets in the same hole with each rifle. Both of these guys were out of their minds with excitement...they are hunting this morning.
 
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