15 April 2008, 06:03
bpesteveModerate vel .35 TSX and Accubond
TSX and Accubond bullets have been discussed here lots of times, but it has always involved fairly high velocity ctgs and usually smaller bores. I've just picked up a nice '98 Mauser in 9x57 that slugs .359" in the grooves and I'm fired up about taking it to Africa for plains game: kudu, haartebeest and the like, not buff.
It seems like it will be easy to get 2400 fps from a 225 gr bullet in the 9 and both the Accubond and TSX have good enough bc's to arrive at 200 yards with 2000 fps.
Anybody have experience with 225s in .35 on game at these velocities?
15 April 2008, 06:50
raybassWell mine starts out faster but the only game I've taken with it was an elk at 300 yds so it had slowed down quite a bit. The damage was more than I thought it would be. The 225 gr TSX broke both shoulders and lodged under the skin on the offside. Both shoulder bones were pulverized, really. 15 feet from the muzzle the load is running 2730 but at 300 I'm sure it was below 2000 fps. Oh he was DRT.
15 April 2008, 17:53
bpesteveThanks Ray, just the kind of info I'm looking for. I wish Woodleigh made a pointed 225 in .35 but I'll try their RNs as well.
15 April 2008, 18:27
phurley5bpesteve ----- I have killed several Bull Elk with my .358 STA with the old style 225 grain Barnes blue coated bullet. I have never had them move out of their tracks except one that turned around where he was standing. The longest was 275 yards and two out of four petals were shed and retained in the off side hide, the rest of the bullet blowing through and exiting. That bullet was traveling at 2900 fps at muzzle, and considerably less at the 275 Yards. Although this was not the TSX, I think it would give you an idea of performance of Barnes bullets in general. Good shooting.
16 April 2008, 08:58
raybassI went to handloads.com ballistic calculator and ran my load through it. Probably not exact but it was somewhere around 2022 fps at 300 yds with 2043 ft lbs of energy left. The tsx also had retained almost all its weight.
17 April 2008, 23:53
bpesteveSeems like my 9 doesn't like boattails much, so the Accubond is out. It shot well with 225 Woodleighs. Now that I have the bore cleaned up again it's time to try the TSX.
18 April 2008, 01:11
900 SSAt least the 200 gn TSX works excellent at impactvelocities around 2000. Top penetration and everything, 225's should give same performance with even more peace of mind.
I'll get back on the 225 accubond in october, but if experience from other calibers is anything to go by they should be great also.
18 April 2008, 20:50
Bill/Oregonbpesteve:
Your 9X57 is an intriguing one. I'll bet it is another of that small group of cartridges that gets a whole lot of work done quietly and efficiently. Hope you will post more on it, and maybe a photo or two.