does anybody know what velocities you need for reliable expansion?
do you think 2200fs impact velocity enough for a 180gr .308"?

From what I saw in a couple of bullet test articles a few years ago, 2200 fps is the minimum for the smaller bullets---.338 or less. .375 and larger have a much larger hollowpoint. Barnes has in the past said some will expand as low as 1800 fps, but I want more velocity.

LWD

yes 2200 is fast enough . from my exp. and mfg. data you should be fine at 2200.

Get a hold of Branes and they will send you a free DVD, has a lot of cool high speed film footage and good info. barnesbullets.com

not only will barnes send you a free DVD but also a whole lot of .......
Daniel

Seems to me somewhere I saw something from Barnes on the NEW TTSXs that they were designed for good expansion at 2100. I would think that if I am remembering right you have to be marginal at 2200 with a TSX.

My experience with TSXs would lead me to think anything you are going to handle safely with a 308-180 TSX can be done with a 308-150 TSX which would provide a lot more velocity. Certainly you wouldn't lack for penetration on moose with a TSX-150, and you still have the 168 in between.

I don't think trying top put a 150 through a hip and then on the the heart/lungs would necessarily be a sure thing, but anything short of that a 150 will handle. Those bullets are truly outstanding penetrators, and they just don't seem to deflect near as much as a cup & core

quote:

My experience with TSXs would lead me to think anything you are going to handle safely with a 308-180 TSX can be done with a 308-150 TSX which would provide a lot more velocity. Certainly you wouldn't lack for penetration on moose with a TSX-150, and you still have the 168 in between.

+1

I'm using the 168s in my .30-06 and couldn't be happier with the results having gotten more than 32" of penetration on two occasions. With these, when in doubt use the lighter bullet and drive them faster.

LWD

+2 on the 168 TSX/30.06 combo with a measly 55.0 H4350. Passed through 12 shoulder blades on 6 buck deer, mulie included.

For a 308, I'd load the 130 TSX and call it a day.

I shot a wounded blue wildebeeste at 250-300 yds up the butt with a 168 TSX out of a 300 wby; bullet penetrated to chest, animal never moved!

Go light and movem fast. I shot a deer with my 243, 85gr tsx moving about 3300fps over varget, recovered the bullet, good expansion, no lost petals 100 percent weight retention. Animal was less than 100 yards.

Im really excited about trying the 160gr TTSX in my 338 winmag. Should be able to get 3300fps out of those and I bet they hit with AUTHORITY!

I killed a buck at 404 yards this year and impact velocity was about 1800 and bullet mushroomed about +50%, 42 caliber, size. 2200 you will be fine.

Perry

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
+2 on the 168 TSX/30.06 combo with a measly 55.0 H4350. Passed through 12 shoulder blades on 6 buck deer, mulie included.

now THAT is penetration.
how did you get them lined up?

In the Barnes video they show a 180 TSX though gel at 2200 fps. It's not full expansion, but it does expand.

Here are two bullets I recovered recently. The one on the left was recovered from a Kudu at 75 yards and the one on the right from an Eland at 180 yards. These are 200 grainers from my 8x57 that started out at 2600 fps.



Here is the off side of the Eland.

With the TSX in .30 caliber and under, I'd suggest a minimum impact velocity of 2200 fps.

The related problems stemming from long range/low velocity expansion -- or the lack thereof -- prompted Barnes to introduce the TTSX. It features a more cavernous hollow point and a polymer tip designed to initiate expansion upon impact.

Barnes claims full depth-of-cavity expansion down to around 1600 fps, but in all of my testing, I've yet to witness such performance.

I will say this, though: the 7mm, 120 grain TTSX bullets have demonstrated exceptional accuracy in a couple of guns that I have used them in.

The retained weight on the bullet from my wife's Kudu was 199.9 grs and from the Eland was 197.7 grs.

Not the exact bullet you are curious about but, there is a X bullet here in a expansion test with most common 180 gr 308 cal bullets.
The TSX should be similar in its expansion window.
http://www.seahook.com/bestbullet.jpg

Ol' Joe,

That was a fantastic link!

I just finished a hunt taking 6 Blue Wildebeest at up to 250 yards with 180 TSX at 2900 fps muz, and that should give you about 2400 fps impact at 200 + yards. I recovered all 6 bullets and they all expanded perfectly.