Stepped outside to check the rain around 6:30 this morning and scanned the pasture for any activity while I was out there. To my delight, my Leupold thermal lit up with about 15 heat signals near the creek. So I reached back into the house, grabbed my Contender with 24" Van Horn 30-30 barrel and stepped over to my shooting rest.

There was just enough light to see their forms in the pre-dawn hour, and I quickly put the dot of the Docter 2.5-10x50 on the front portion of the shoulder on a quartering-to target.

Even the gentle nudge of the 30-30 made me momentarily lose the sight picture, but when I got back behind the scope, I saw the hog tip over about 30 yards from where it was originally standing.

The 110 grain Barnes Tac-TX AAC Blackout bullet flew true, ripping through the front edge of the scapula and driving secondary bone fragments through the vitals. The bullet severed plumbing near the heart, heavily damaged one lung, drove through the liver and corn-filled stomach and then exited two inches behind the last rib.

I haven't clocked this load yet but estimate it's in the 2750-2800 fps range. I am using two-tenths of a grain less Re-7 powder than I do with the 110 grain Hornady GMX load, which exits the muzzle at 2805 fps. My Hornady load is 0.5 grains under book max.

As some of you guys know, I don't care for the monos in general. But those specifically designed for the speeds of the Blackout are in another league altogether when driven to 30-30 velocities. The 110 and 120 grain Barnes and the 110 grain Hornady GMX open quickly and WIDE but still manage to retain virtually all of their weight while driving that impressive mushroom forward.

Here is a 110 grain Tac-TX taken from test medium. Impact speed was app. 2097 fps. I just wish there's be a 120 grainer in 6.5 and 7mm with these same characteristics.



Here's a 110 grain GMX taken from a quartering shot on a large boar:



Here's a 120 grain Barnes taken from a bruiser boar:

Fine looking little pellets there.
Never tried pointed 110's.

Glad you got some rain again and a sow
too.

First time in over a month we had a 15 minute
fairly hard rain this evening on a 45-50 mph
southbound wind.

Stay dry Bobby.

George

Good job Bobby! I have had good results with that bullet out of a Blackout.

Bobby, what twist on that 300 Blackout bbl??
Thx in advance.

Thanks for posting your results with the TACTX bullets at higher velocities. I tried them on quite a few hogs on my .300 Blackout, but was unimpressed with the results at typical velocities for that round. I went up to the 120 grain flavor - with better results, but still didn’t seem as lethal as SSTs. After seeing your post I’m going to load some in my .308. Betting you have found the right speed for that bullet. Thanks for sharing your experience!

quote:

Originally posted by boomer46:
Bobby, what twist on that 300 Blackout bbl??
Thx in advance.

I don't have a Blackout, but my Van Horn Contender 30-30 is either 1:12 or 1:10 (my memory is not cooperating the the moment LOL).

quote:

Originally posted by Acer:
Thanks for posting your results with the TACTX bullets at higher velocities. I tried them on quite a few hogs on my .300 Blackout, but was unimpressed with the results at typical velocities for that round. I went up to the 120 grain flavor - with better results, but still didn’t seem as lethal as SSTs. After seeing your post I’m going to load some in my .308. Betting you have found the right speed for that bullet. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Keeping your speed south of 3K should work very well for you. I have tested the 120 grain Barnes Blackout bullets with an impact speed of 2800 fps. They expanded to over .9", and there was definite thinning of the petals. But they held together and retained virtually all of their weight.

Those X bullets look like jewelry don't they? That, and lethal. Be Well, Packy.

Thanks for the mono bullet pictures. Lethal medicine for sure. That last one reminds me of a broadhead with pop out cutters.

Good shooting sir!

I too have had excellent luck with both the Barnes and Hornady's.

super cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had to come back to this. I always like the looks of a recovered X. Especially the TTSX. I have some loaded in my 458 SOCOM for deer. The 458s are nothing like subsonic though. I shot a guy's 22 pistol with a suppressor and his 45 ACP with a suppressor yesterday. If he had told me I would have brought out the SOCOM with some subsonic loads. But he said the 458 is too large of a bullet with the 45 ACP suppressor. I need to get a suppressor for the 30-30 contender barrel and the SOCOM. Then the pigs and deer would truly fear me. Bobby have you ever thought of a suppressor for your single shot guns? Be Well, Packy.