First Hunt with my 375 Ruger and Barnes 235 gr TSX

Gatehouse said:
I believe you have your answer right here:


For deer I loaded 235 gr Barnes TSX's with just above a starting load

and here:

The shot hit her high on the shoulder/neck and passed diagonally down and accross her body as she was facing me but on a slight angle.


:dancingbanana::dancingbanana:
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Still, all kidding aside, I must admit that I'm a little suprised. I've shot two moose and two mulie buck so far with TSX's and the only one I recovered was a 160gr 7mm Rem Mag from basically the same shot on a bull moose. Entry between neck and shoulder and bullet recovered on the off side kidney area.

Another broadside shot on a bull moose with a 225gr TSX from my Whelen was a pass through. Last year mulie buck with 120gr TSX in my .260 Rem was quartering towards, in behind the shoulder and out of the off side ham. This year mulie buck, again with the 120gr TSX, through both shoulder blades and spine.

Gotta love the TSX!:dancingbanana:
 
What powder you using and how is accuracy?
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I am using IMR 4007SCC. 100M 3 shot groups are pretty much right at 1".

I'm a little surprised, too, but weird stuff happens.
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Keep in mind the bullet was 2x expanded and had 100% weight retention after hitting bone (shoulder and ribs). Deer bone is pretty light, I am guessing if you hit a moose in the shoulders the petals would shear off and the core would penitrate.
 
I shoot deer with my 375 hh 300gr RN Hornady interlock, very little meat damage and no death run (No bullets ever recovered either). My BRNO won't shoot the lighter bullets with any kind of accuracy, so good on your Ruger. Thanks for posting.
 
Interesting results. Goes to show that heavier and/or monolithic bullets have their advantages.

Not to hijack the thread, but far as the destruction caused by lighter bullets (and weird results), last Sunday I had a 130 grain (.270 Win) Nosler AccuBond destroy the shoulder of a Whitetail buck.

Totally unexpected, but the bullet put a little pencil-diameter hole into the near side of the ribcage after destroying the near shoulder. The far side of the ribcage had no marks whatsoever.

Lungs were damaged enough to cause death within 100 yards or so, but there was no blood trail for the first 75 yards or so. The distance at the shot was just under 300 yards and the deer was walking when shot.

I'll be using the Triple Shocks or Nosler Partitions, in the future.
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I shot a deer a couple of days ago with a 150gr TTSX moving abotu 3300fps. At 58 yards.

The shoulder it hit on entry had some bloodshot meat but not anything like depicted above. I'd say I lost about 2 lbs of meat, I expected it to be much worse.

The same shot taken with more frangible bullets has resulted in complete loss of the shoulder. I'd say the TSX bullets that hold together at least help with high velocity hits, but nothing is going to eliminate meat loss from velocity.
 
I've drilled the shoulder of several deer with a 7RM as well as with a .25-06 shooting X/TSX bullets, and the bloodshot around the wound channel is always minimal, sometimes non-existent. Deer go straight down, too.
 
Got to admit it was a surprise to see a bonded bullet act like a frangible one. especially at a somewhat longer distance.

Still, I'd agree that a Triple Shock would probably have produced less bloodshot meat.
 
shiftybullet said:
I have a question regarding the 375.

From what you have described, the bullet bounced around and could have caused meat damage.

Why not load up a hot 300gr? Would that not go straight through the deer making less of a mess?

Kody
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Not necessarily. Bullets don't "bounce around", the large face and short shank of the bullet would have had a lot to do with the hide not being penetrated. Meat is damaged by bone being hit and by explosive bullet expansion due to soft bullet and high velocity impact.

I have had lots of Barnes X, TSX and TTSX's impact at 2800 to 3100fps on big game, and meat damage has been far better than any other bullet used. The next best I have had would be the Accubond and Trophy Bonded Bear Claw.

I think that the bullet in this case performed perfectly and exactly how the manufacturer would have expected at the velocities described. I would think that a non-premium bullet like a 270gr Interlock would have performed quite similarly.
 
Big and Slow

I am a african hunting guide (PH) and i fequently use a versatile custom built .375 RUM as my carry along for backup on large antelope hunts.

I have found that the heavier bullets at moderate velocities (<2600fps) work superbly with minimal meat damage and spectacular knock downs.

My favorite load is a 380gr Rhino bullet at 2500fps with the 300gr Barnes TSX a close second.
 
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