Have any of you made side-by-side comparisons, with respect to accuracy, with these 139-/140-grain bullets? If not in an AI, then in a 7mm Remington Magnum or .280 Remington?

I'm seriously considering playing with the TSX. I have a crackerjack load with the 139-grain SST, using RL-22, but I'm hearing so much "good" about the TSX, I might blow some money on a box.

As a STARTER (!!!), could I start with identical powder charges? I know the pressure should be less with the TSX, and to be fair I'll probably want to bump it up, but... for starting out, just testing bullets, could I go with my current charge of 61.0 grains?

Also, would anyone know the length of both bullets? I ask with regard to seating depth versus case capacity for each bullet.

Should the question come up, I'm only interested in using these bullets on whitetails and pronghorns. For elk and larger, I have other rifles.

Thanks.

Russ

you can email Barnes for specs but on loads they recommend using X data, not XLC data to start. They then tell you you will probably move past X data by 1-2 grains. That puts you up into XLC territory. Just be careful or wait a couple of years for the TSX data. They will start putting it out piecemeal this summer they said.

Russell,

If you get the X bullets just make pressure test loads by loading up two of each from a minimum load to what may be the maximum. Write the load on each case with a marking pen.

As for the X's on deer sized game I am not going there. The bullets are very hard and a solution to a non problem for that class of hunting.

The testing that I have done shows that X bullets expand to very small diameters as compared to other bullets. In water tests they only go from .308" to about .440" where a Corelokt will get to about .750". Also the petals blow off of the X bullets at high velocity impacts and then they are more like .308" again! This is not to say that Corelokts have not blown up on bone because they have and that X's will not bag stuff because they will.

See my comments on bullet X bullet failures Here

If you want a devastating whitetail combo...140NAB and VV N-165 powder. My 280AI is pushing that bullet at over 3200fps with NO pressure signs. I took a buck last season with this combo @<60yds. Shot placement was purposely dead center of the shoulder. I got an exit wound, a very dead whitetail, and minimal meat damage. You can play around with powders all u want. When it comes to the 280AI....V V N-165 has NO peer or equal. As for accuracy, my rifle consistantly produces groups <.5moa@100yds.

I can't get the SST to shoot anywhere near as well as the NBT, or a-max, or scenar, or accubond in any rifle I worked up. I would bet that from what I hear, the TSX will be at least as accurate or better, and I can almost garantee the load workup on a NBT will be better on paper (but maybe all my rifles just dont care for the sst) The SST has a VERY simialr design to the a-max, but alloy changes in the jacket and a slight angle change make the a-max walk past the sst every time. And, although they call it a match bullet, one must understand the jacket is thinner, and the polycarbonate tip will initaite a violent expansion.

side by side, same weight and same powder charge, the a-max walks the SST all day long.

The 139 gn SST shoots 2 - 3 MOA in my 7mm WSM .Tried 4 powders , different charges / seating depths . I'll never use them on game .If they shoot for you then good luck . With sensible bullet placement they should be sufficient for the game you mention .
The 140 gn Nosler shoots 0.85 MOA (5 Shots) in my rifle .If I wanted to go a step up in penetration then first choice would be the Accubond .

I've gotten incredible accuracy with Nosler Accubonds, that's not the bullet you asked about, but if you are looking for an accurate hunting bullet that will open consistently and hold together, that's what I would use.

I've enjoyed reading all your posts, gentlemen, thank you.

I've been using the SST 139-grainer and had thought about going to the TSX for some trials... but boy, it sure seems like I ought to give the Nosler AccuBond a try. You know, it's tempting, as a reloader, to look at the two bullets and figure they're basically the same. However, appearances are often deceiving in many things, and this might be one of those instances. I noted with interest the comment about the AccuBond outshooting the SST. They're a bit pricey, but I'll pick up a box.

On the N-165, that's one "N" I don't have on hand, but I'll go pick some up. I had thought long and hard about it... as well as the 500-series pseudo-equivalent, N-560. I've been running 63.0 grains of RL-22 and had pretty good success with it, but I'm always up to try another powder if it shows promise.

Thanks, folks. I'll look at getting some of the AccuBonds.

Russ

Here are some loads in a 280 AI with 26" barrel. They are accurate and reach MAX in my opinion.

NBT=Nosler BT
LRB=Lost River Ballistics
SBT=Sierra Boat tail
SFB=Sierra flat base

R25…66.0 140 NBT 3274 OK Pockets
R25…66.0 140 LRB 3314 OK Pockets
R25…66.0 140 LRB 3335 Pres OK
R25…66.0 140 SBT 3211/3256 Accurate
R25…66.5 140 SBT 3205/3271 Accurate
R25…66.5 140 LRB 3287/3257
R25…67.0 140 LRB 3334 accurate(MAX!)

R22… 63.0 140 SFB 3241
R22… 64.0 140 SFB 3300
R22… 64.0 140 NBT 3342
R22… 64.5 140 SFB 3318
R22… 65.0 140 SFB 3340 (MAX!)

Why not the 139 grain or 154 grain Hornady Interbonds? If the SSTs shoot well for you the Interbonds could use about the same load and might as well. Save some money too.

I shoot the 154 grain Interbond in my 280 Rem AI but use WMR powder which is getting harder to find recently.

280 Remington Ackley Improved 40 degree
154 grain Hornady Interbond seated to 3.36" COAL
Remington brass
CCI 250 primer
55 grains WMR START
61 grains WMR MAXIMUM
MAXIMUM yields 2970 fps in a 24" barrel.
Work up carefully from START towards MAXIMUM watching for signs of excessive pressure or velocity.

FYI,

In my 7mm-08 that I first started reloading w/ SST's (139 good accuracy as reduced velosity but poor accuracy the closer to max I got), then Nosler Partition, then Accubond (decent accuracy but not spectacular) the TSX has been accuracte with every powder I've tried with it. I shot 4 deer with the TSX this past season, all one shot kills, none went further than 50 yards and that one was a misjudged gut shot at dusk. The entrance hole in each deer was good size and all bullets exited. I'm sold.