120gr TSX in 7x57

23 November 2005, 08:11

perry

120gr TSX in 7x57

I've got a 7x57 that shoots 140gr NAB under 1/2moa but I always like "playing" with new stuff. I picked up a box of 120gr TSX's and was thinking of running them up to 2900-3000fps and shooting whitetails with them. Anyone have any experience with this bullet. I have been playing around with the 100gr TSX in my 257 Roberts and have been completely impressed with their penetration and tissue/bone distruction. My thought is to have a load with very little recoil completley capable of killing deer and hogs with heart/lung shots. I'd love some feedback.

Perry

23 November 2005, 08:17

Thomas Jones

You have good tastes in cartridges !
I shot my buck with the 100 grain tsx from my Roberts this year. It ws amazing what that little bullet did ! My 7X57 is a CZ and it has a looooong throat. It will shoot most 140 and 150 grain bullets prety well but 160s it shoots great ! but my 20 inch barrel manlicher only gives me about 2650 fps. I am hoping the new 150 grain tripple shock will let me boost that up and be a long enough bullet to get close to the lands as I think that is what makes the 160s shoot so well...tj3006...tj3006

24 November 2005, 00:58

Gerry

Perry,

I've got a 7x57R (Rimmed, so we are at least in the same ball park) that has a 20.5" barrel. Me & my buddies nic-named it "Stubby"; comical but it shoots great. We don't really laugh about the rifle, just sorta grin at each other when animals shot with it do the Bang-Flop routine.

I use three bullets for loading this cartridge and all the loads are spectacularly accurate (I'm sure 95% of that is the rifle, not my loads). They are the Nosler 140 gr. BT, the Hornady 154 gr. RN Interlock and the Barnes 120 gr. TSX.

Nevertheless, accuracy aside the best performing bullet of the bunch is the Barnes 120 grain TSX, by a country mile.

I've been lead to believe, told and rumored that Barnes TSX's are supposed to function optimaly at the upper end of their velocity spectrum. Whether or not this is true I couldn't say. I'm certainly getting enough velocity to make them perform correctly, since animals die a sudden death. I've never recovered a Barnes TSX since they just shoot through everything I've ever shot them at.

The rimmed version operates at lower pressures (supposedly) since it was developed for break open rifles and if the Barnes will work at the little bit less velocity I'm getting with that short tube and a little bit less powder, then you ought not have any problems at all.

I'm using 50.0 gr.s of VV N-160 and crimp the 120 gr. Barnes in the upper groove with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I'm sure with the great powder selction you have in the States, either the VV's, IMR or H4350 or similar RE powders will get you where you wanna be in a hurry.

Like you remarked, the recoil with this bullet/load in my very light Blaser K95 Single Shot is, well, insignificant.....and it cleanly (bag-flops) takes European large game similar in size to a Whitetail.

24 November 2005, 02:14

Dwight

The TSX needs around 1800 fps to expand properly.

quote:
Originally posted by Gerry:

Perry,

I've got a 7x57R (Rimmed, so we are at least in the same ball park) that has a 20.5" barrel. Me & my buddies nic-named it "Stubby"; comical but it shoots great. We don't really laugh about the rifle, just sorta grin at each other when animals shot with it do the Bang-Flop routine.

I use three bullets for loading this cartridge and all the loads are spectacularly accurate (I'm sure 95% of that is the rifle, not my loads). They are the Nosler 140 gr. BT, the Hornady 154 gr. RN Interlock and the Barnes 120 gr. TSX.

Nevertheless, accuracy aside the best performing bullet of the bunch is the Barnes 120 grain TSX, by a country mile.

I've been lead to believe, told and rumored that Barnes TSX's are supposed to function optimaly at the upper end of their velocity spectrum. Whether or not this is true I couldn't say. I'm certainly getting enough velocity to make them perform correctly, since animals die a sudden death. I've never recovered a Barnes TSX since they just shoot through everything I've ever shot them at.

The rimmed version operates at lower pressures (supposedly) since it was developed for break open rifles and if the Barnes will work at the little bit less velocity I'm getting with that short tube and a little bit less powder, then you ought not have any problems at all.

I'm using 50.0 gr.s of VV N-160 and crimp the 120 gr. Barnes in the upper groove with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I'm sure with the great powder selction you have in the States, either the VV's, IMR or H4350 or similar RE powders will get you where you wanna be in a hurry.

Like you remarked, the recoil with this bullet/load in my very light Blaser K95 Single Shot is, well, insignificant.....and it cleanly (bag-flops) takes European large game similar in size to a Whitetail.

24 November 2005, 02:59

Donato

Perry, I've shot several deer and a 250 lb black bear with the 120gr Barnes X Bullet in my 7x57. All were killed with one shot. I will use it again.

24 November 2005, 09:09

perry

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the input. I'm sold on that TSX bullet. I shot 5 hogs tonight at the ranch, 2 with the .257 TSX and 3 with Nosler AB. The 2 with the TSX dropped in their tracks dead, 2 of the others ran 25 yards and died and one dropped dead but he was head shot. All were with in 30 minutes so there was good comparison and that TSX just kills better and hits way harder. I'm sold and will probably switch in all my guns.

25 November 2005, 20:02

El Deguello

quote:
Originally posted by perry:
Thanks guys. I really appreciate the input. I'm sold on that TSX bullet. I shot 5 hogs tonight at the ranch, 2 with the .257 TSX and 3 with Nosler AB. The 2 with the TSX dropped in their tracks dead, 2 of the others ran 25 yards and died and one dropped dead but he was head shot. All were with in 30 minutes so there was good comparison and that TSX just kills better and hits way harder. I'm sold and will probably switch in all my guns.

That's interesting! I once tried the Nosler BT 120-grain in my 7X57mm on those little central TX deer, and not a one moved from the spot where it was when hiot. However, internal damage was severe, so I switched back to 140-grain bullets in order to have something to eat!

My observation has been that no two deer will act identically when shot, even with the same load in the same spot, except by accident!