Hey Guys.

-Shooting the .338 Win. Mag. with the Barnes 225 gr. XTST,
what has been your hunting experience with this bullet?

The bullet is very long...,- have you had any stability problems due to this?

Can you recall what velocity you were able to reach with this 225 gr. bullet?
_______________________________________________________

-Do you feel the 210 gr. XTST would be a better choice
than the 225 gr., even on Big Game?!

Take care you all.
Chr.

What is the XTST????

Did not see it on the website.

Perry

If you mean TSX, the 225 is my favorite bullet for the .338.

Is that the Barnes triple shock?

If you mean 225 grain Barnes TTSX or TSX, they are what I use now pretty much to the exclusion of all others.

Great bullets. Great accuracy and no problems achieving nominal .338 Win. Mag./225 grain bullet velocities with them.

The 225 grain Barnes Triple Shok is my go to bullet for the 338 WM. My load is 73.3 grains of Rl-22 with a Fed 215M primer. My M70 is zeroed for 200yards and get close to an inch groups at that range. I am getting 2778 fps average.

I shot a bull elk with this load at a range of 80 yards and he ran 40 yards and expired. I am pleased with this load. I wouldn't change a thing.

I started loading the original 225 grain Barnes Xs back in the late 90s. Two years ago I switched to the 225 grain TTSX. I got about 2720-2750 with 68.5 grains IMR 4350 in my 24 inch Weatherby. I have some loaded up for my Browning Stainless Stalker and its 26 inch tube. I expect faster velocity with that length barrel. I've had no problems with the Barnes bullets.

With the .338 225 grain TTSX bullet I have prepared loads for two different Tikka rifles.

They are excellent long-range plains game bullets. The .500+ BC produces awesome effects at ranges over 200 yards. Last October one impacted a hartebeest heart at a lasered 250 yards and a loud impact noise heard distinct and loud by my wife 800 yards away across a wide 'mbuga' (open grassland between forest).

One of my rifles likes 69 grains of R-17 for 2805fps average, the other likes 70.8 grains R-17 for approx the same velocity. (Both with Nosler brass and Fed 215 Gold Match.) The difference is that the chamber in the second rifle is about .002" wider than the first rifle, despite same manufacturer. It needs more powder to produce the same velocity. Neither has any pressure issues in my rifles, used in midday African sun, though both are over the Barnes recommendations. As they say, your mileage may vary.

I have shot a few smaller game animals with the 160gn Barnes X and TTSX at 3390fps MV, and they are devastating. I have recently worked up a load with the 225gn TTSX (also interchangeable with the 225gn TSX) which is 71.5gn AR2209 (equiv to H4350) for 2810fps and around 1.0 MOA average accuracy out of my 24 inch barrelled Ruger M77. This is a maximum load in my rifle so work up your loads carefully from around 67gn AR2209, and make sure you seat the bullet to have at least 0.050" jump to the rifling lands. I have yet to take any game with it, but judging by the performance of the 160gn bullets I am expecting that they will be excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by chr:
Hey Guys.

-Shooting the .338 Win. Mag. with the Barnes 225 gr. XTST,
what has been your hunting experience with this bullet?

The bullet is very long...,- have you had any stability problems due to this?

Can you recall what velocity you were able to reach with this 225 gr. bullet?
_______________________________________________________

-Do you feel the 210 gr. XTST would be a better choice
than the 225 gr., even on Big Game?!

Take care you all.
Chr.

I used the 225 grain TSX on a buffalo and got slightly more penetration than a buddy did shooting the 300 grain 375 TBC bullet

I have been favorably impressed with the 225 TSX on everything that I have shot or seen shot

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

Originally posted by chr:
Hey Guys.

-Shooting the .338 Win. Mag. with the Barnes 225 gr. [TTSX],
what has been your hunting experience with this bullet?

The bullet is very long...,- have you had any stability problems due to this?

Can you recall what velocity you were able to reach with this 225 gr. bullet?
_______________________________________________________

-Do you feel the 210 gr. XTST would be a better choice
than the 225 gr., even on Big Game?!

Take care you all.
Chr.

I used the 225 grain TSX on a buffalo and got slightly more penetration than a buddy did shooting the 300 grain 375 TBC bullet

I have been favorably impressed with the 225 TSX on everything that I have shot or seen shot

I'm with you JWP. I wouldn't hesitate to use the 225 TTSX .338" even on a cape buffalo if I didn't have something significantly bigger within reach. It certainly penetrates and has become the practical replacement of lead-core bullets weighing 250 grains of the last generation of bullets.

For chr--
There is no stability problem with this bullet in 1x10" twist barrels. In fact, it's "stability factor" is an ideal 2.0. More importantly, it is sleek, with a .514 BC, meaning that it delivers a maximal amount of energy out at 300 and 400 yards. When shot at 2803 fps the bullet delivers 2660 footlbs. at 300 yards and 2320 ftlbs. at 400 yards. Over a ton-feet still remains at 500 yards. Practically speaking, it doesn't get much better than that. That is a lot of wallup and potential tissue damage. [Yes, you could load up a 338 Lapua with the new 265 TTSX 1.79" bullet and better this, but I consider 400 yards a far piece, and this 225 TTSX bullet would still do 500 or 600 yards if you had a stable rest, precise range, and no wind.]

So for guaranteed penetration on elk, or African plains game, the 225 is your bullet. The 210 would work but starts to give up 2-4 inches of terminal penetration. The 185 TTSX would also work but gives up even more penetration. The 160 TTSX is a deer and antelope bullet, and the 185 is more of a deer or broadside elk bullet. For quartering away you will want the 225 TTSX or at least the 210 TTSX.

On flight ballistics the 210 can get you about 100 fps over the 225 at the same pressure level. Using 2903 fps that works out to about 0.8" higher at 300 yards and 1.8" higher at 400 yards (with a 3" max arc over line of sight).
________ 100 sight in__ 300 drop ___ 400 drop
225 TTSX ___ +2.7" _____ -4.7" ______ -17.8"
210 TTSX ___ +2.6" _____ -3.9" ______ -16.0"

So you can gain an inch or so in trajectory, but give up a little bit of potential penetration.
It's your call. I needed the extra weight for potential eland or buff. (We just have 416s now, also at 2800 fps. Yes. Sweet.)

416Tanzan:

I agree with everything you said. However, I opted for the 210 grain TSX in my .338 RCM. On soft skinned game of any kind, including a bison, i'll bet the 210 will provide more than adequate penetration but the 225 TSX is indeed a great bullet too.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
416Tanzan:

I agree with everything you said. However, I opted for the 210 grain TSX in my .338 RCM. On soft skinned game of any kind, including a bison, i'll bet the 210 will provide more than adequate penetration but the 225 TSX is indeed a great bullet too.

Absolutely, I would bet that the 210 TTSX would adequately penetrate, too, in North America. I'm not sure which bullet I would choose if I had a chance for elk. But with eland and buffalo around, those extra inches of penetration are desirable, and that includes other game like waterbuck and zebra, if ever out around 300 yards.

PS: They now have a TTSX 350 grainer in .416" with a .444 BC. Ought to hit like a freight train.

One of the most accurate bullets I've shot out of the 338 win mag. 1/2" groups at 200 yards. I found the best accuracy was when the bullet was seated just below or at the bottom of the first crimp groove.

This was out of a factory ruger markII