Guys do you think .284 120gr TTSX good enough for quartering shots on mule deer from a 7mm-08 out to 300 yards? Don't want too use the 140gr as I want to save meat.

Why would the heavier bullet do more meat damage? I usually see more meat damage with higher velocity projectiles.

Unless you thing you won't get an exit would with the 120. Given the toughness of the TTSX I think you are likely to see full penetration on any shot that doesn't his solid bone.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Why would the heavier bullet do more meat damage? I usually see more meat damage with higher velocity projectiles.

X2

Why not give the 139 gr Hornady Interbond a try?

They typically don't make a mess on the entry side & hold together well.

That's one in my Avatar that hit a large Whitetail in the scapula @ 30 yds travaling @ over 3000 fps when it hit.

The only reason I recovered the bullet was that it was a quartering on shot. The bullet was under the hide next to the femur on the far side..

quote:

Don't want too use the 140gr as I want to save meat.

????? Have you used Triple Shocks before?

LWD

I've used Barnes since 1992. I can assure you the 120gr TSX will work just fine.

quote:

Originally posted by LWD:

quote:

Don't want too use the 140gr as I want to save meat.

????? Have you used Triple Shocks before?

LWD

no just know from what the reviews are is that they hit hard and penetrate deep.
I have seen photos of the 140 gr Berger VLD and it was like a grenade going off on the far side and wasted way too much meat. So I figure the barnes 120 gr would not be a meat waster as it would slow down somewhat on the longer shots yet give me nice flat trajectory.

Barnes are famous for just sizzling right on through, so either is a good choice, technically, you will have less damge with the higher weight, slowere velocity projectile.

shoot whichever shoots best!

I use the 140 TTSX in a 280 Ackley for whitetail, and meat damage is not a problem. The 120 would travel faster, and therefore do more damage, if anything, than the 140.

You can't really compare these to other brands, because they are not. They never blow up like a lead core can.

I have killed several deer with the 7mm08 and 140TSX and you will be surprised at the very minor meat damage. I previously used sierras and always got a lot of bloodshot meat. The 140 TSX works great.

Bergers and Barnes are COMPLETELY different bullets. In fact, the only thing they have in common at all, is that they are bullets and are fired from guns lol. Thats it.

The Berger is a target bullet that some people find works on animals while hunting. They do have a devastating effect, I witnessed this 2 weekends ago on an antelope.

The TTSX will expand, but not explode like the Berger. Shoot the one that groups best in your gun. Honestly though with a 7-08, I WOULD choose the 120. Barnes, being pure copper, are longer then other bullets for the same weight. That 140gr is probably about the same length, if not even longer, then standard 7mm 150-160gr bullets. You'll eat up a lot of powder space in the -08 case. The 120TTSX will likely be about the same length as the 139/140 class of 7mm bullets, so you'll be just fine.

its an excellent bullet and great for north american critters

great length for the 708 ... in fact, probably the beast all around for the tsx+708

Yes!

I wouldn't hesitate to use 110gr out of my 270 on that presentation.

I figure the 120 out of a 7mm is pretty much the same.

+1 to what the other posters have said. The key thing to note is that you don't get the same kind of "explosion" ala Berger and cup and core bullets driven too fast so there's not the same kind of bloodshooting of meat. Some can be lost but it's localized around the entry or exit wound. The difference in penetration over the 140s will be minimal. The higher velocity might get you even more penetration.

LWD

I vote for the 140.

thanks for the info guys, just starting to work on my first loads it needs to shoot flat and take a mule deer quartering at 300 yards max.
The first two I will see if they are accurate will be the barnes 120 gr ttsx and the speer 130 gr hotcore. If neither one of those is accurate enough for me I'll move up to a 140 gr
bullet

With the Barnes, try seating them a bit deeper than normal, though I have had excellent results using standard COL's. Barnes suggests seating the TSX .050 off the lands for best accuracy.

It is rediculous to pick a bullet based on meat damage. Meat damage is irrelevant unless you make a bad shot and hit the rear quarters. Damage is more a result of high velocity, hitting bone, or using frangible bullets at high velocity.

Don't be concerned about some fallacy of meat damage. Kill the sucker first. If you hit him in the ribs or neck, meat damage is a total non-issue. If you hit him in the good meat even with a fairly slow, heavy bullet, you will have meat damage.

Use the bullet that gives you the ballistics that you are looking for.

quote:

Originally posted by wildcat junkie:

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Why would the heavier bullet do more meat damage? I usually see more meat damage with higher velocity projectiles.

X2


Why not give the 139 gr Hornady Interbond a try?

They typically don't make a mess on the entry side & hold together well.

That's one in my Avatar that hit a large Whitetail in the scapula @ 30 yds travaling @ over 3000 fps when it hit.

The only reason I recovered the bullet was that it was a quartering on shot. The bullet was under the hide next to the femur on the far side..

Pretty impressed with that pic. Interbond certainly did a great job!

140 grn. Kill'em dead and don't worry about meat damage. Hit'em in the kill, and you won't ruin meat. If they're quartering, you can make the shot and keep out of the good meat. If they're more than quartering to, or away from, just wait until you can get a better angle.

what a 7mm monometal looks like after HV impact, the sheared petals do their devasting work inside the chest cavity, rather than creating worthless mincemeat.

I think that you will have very good results with the 120 Barnes and the trajectory will be very good, however, a standard 139 grain Hndy Interloc will shoot more than flat enough out to 300 yards. You will spend less money on it, too.

Trax, is that a GS Custom, Barnes, Or??

Thanks.

Yes!

I would also say that at 300 or less I would prefer the weight of the of the 140 just in case you find the beastie of beastie muley...But I wouldn't be shy with the 120 either.