BARNES BULLET ?'s

MHUNT

MHUNT

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
Duncan BC
About 15 years ago I bought a very nice used 30-06 and having read some of the great things that were being written about the barnes X bullets, I picked up a box of PMC factory loads with the 165 grain X bullets. They were the most accurate factory load I can recall. (1/2")
That fall I went on a horse back hunt for mulies and lost 2 deer. :puke: Minimal blood trails from both. When I got home I did some comparisons with the X bullets, and a couple of other -06 loads that I had. Remington C/L, Nosler partitions, etc. I filled a box with old hunting magazines and shot holes in it at 100 yards. The X bullet penatrated much further but hardly opened at all....I stopped using X bullets and stopped believing what I read in hunting magazines.
I keep hearing how the TSX is a much better expanding bullet and would like to know what you guys have experienced with its performance on game. I am particularly interested in its performance in the 338 W/M on moose and grizzly.
 
Last edited:
Go with confidence the TSX is an excellent moose/bear bullet. I have used 140gr tsx harvest 2 bull moose and 2 bull elk with excellent results in my 7 rem mag. All but 1 were behind the shoulder shots pass thrus, trashing the vitals and showing good expansion via the the exit wounds they left behind. The only recovered bullet was on a bull moose heavy 1/4 away and short yardage. In this case the bullet entered ribs took out the lungs, broke through the opposite shoulder and came to rest neatly in the opposite side hide. Bullet retention was 92% and expansion was over 2x original dia. - bull fell in heap. Meat damage to the opposite shoulder was very minimal. They also foul less and are more accurate, IME then the original x bullet.

I don't use them for deer personally, feeling their is little need for such a stout bullet on light skinned game. If a shoulder shooter they'd be great and should limit the meat wastage you'd see from other styles.
 
I have heard good things about Barnes TSX bullets, I think they have addressed the issue of original X's not opening up. I have had real good luck and accuracy with 225 Partition's in the .338 and never have any doubts about them working as they are supposed to.
I have heard of people using Matchking bullets for big game and I believe this is the mark of an inexperienced and unethical hunter.
I use the proper type bullets and shoot the brand I have confidence in......
 
When the X-Bullets first came out, I bought some but they had a nasty habit of shooting fliers so I gave up on them. After hearing of the all the other problems associated with them I went back to more familiar bullets.

The TSXs have been getting very good reviews, so I got some for my .270 and some on the way for my 257Roberts.


.
 
I use the 180gr tsx in my 300ultramag and it performs great on elk and moose.I have not used it on deer.The tsx produces almost no fouling and is very accurate in my rifles.
 
i had trouble with the original x-bullets aswell. i put 3 into a running deer with a 243 without it flinching. luckilly my partner put it down with a 3006. when we dressed it all of my shots were in the chest, all were .243 entrance and exit. that was the only deer out of about 40 i shot with the 243 that didn't fall where they were hit.

i have heard good things about the tripple shok's and am thinking of trying them in my 257 WBY.
 
I have been using Barnes XLCs and TSX in my .300 RUM, a little overkill for deer and I have experienced one failure to open in an XLC so I switched to the TSX when they became available.
The TSX seem to shoot very well and I haven't had a problem with them not expanding. My experience to date with the TSX is based on 2 mule deer (165g TSX), 1 elk(180g TSX) and 1 moose(180g TSX). So far, so good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom