Lets see a show of members who like TSX's, recovered bullets, pics of game taken, etc.

I was worried about this bullet at first as I have been more a Partition guy myself. But after getting on the board and seeing some of the goods (4 petal, like advertisement) and bads (no expansion) I would like to hear from ya'll.


Just to add more info into the thread, I bought some 500gr TSX's for my .458 Win mag to try out.

With cartridges of moderate velocities and bullets of high sectional density as I prefer, there's no need for a premium such as the TSX when it comes to the deer, hogs or exotics I hunt. In fact, in cartridges as described above, the TSX is, in my experience, no more effective as a game-dropper than more conventional bullets.

And with the expansion issues that tend to arise on occasion with the all-copper Barnes bullets, I see no need to complicate a recipe that works without fail.

Yes, I've used Barnes bullets -- and used them to take game, I might add. In the 90s, I used the 85 grain X in a .250 Savage XP-100 to take a good bit of game. It worked quite well, though it wasn't the accuracy equal of a number of other projectiles. But then I ran into a batch that refused to expand on game and would not expand on test medium, either. Barnes did acknowledge the problem at the time.

Now, with the TSX, I do see a propensity for overall better accuracy than the standard X. But I recently ran into a batch of 6.5mm, 120 grain TSX bullets that expand only minimally at around 2500 fps. Other batches expand fully to the depth of the hollow cavity, but this particular one does not. In fact, below 2200 fps, this particular batch does not expand at all.

I'm not a gambling man and tend to prefer the "sure thing." And that's why the TSX sees minimal use in my firearms.

Again, with cartridges developing higher velocity, the TSX may just be the cat's meow. But the TSX may also be history as Barnes, in an apparent response to the expansion issue, is on the verge of releasing the TTSX, a poly-tipped version that features a more cavernous opening to enhance expansion at lower velocities/longer ranges.

In short, yes, there is a specific niche filled by the X, TSX and their ilk. They just don't serve any real purpose for my hunting applications.

And when I do use a premium, rest assured that if it's not an Accubond, it will be a Nosler Partition, the most infallible thing to come out of a rifle barrel to date.

Particularly in the 6.5x55, 6.5x.308 (aka .260 Rem), 6.5x30-30 IMP (aka 6.5 Bullberry Imp) and others, I really like the performance of the Sierra 140 grain GameKing. Below is a hog I took using the 6.5 Bullberry Imp, from which the Sierra 140 exits the 26" barrel right at 2600 fps. The hog was taken at 225 yards, and the bullet took out the opposite-side shoulder before exiting. That's the type of performance I have come to expect of it.

After years of hunting with a bunch of different bullets I can not see any realjustification for using a non-premium bullet. The TSX is, in my opinion, the best of that group.

I hunt a variett of game for a variety of reasons, and under a variety of circumstances, and have come to find over the years that most hunting/killing situations in the wild fall under less that ideal situations. Bottom line, I want a bullet that, when shot from my 06, will reach the vitals of the biggest animals in NA from virtually any angle and still be able to neatly and cleanly take the smallest deer standing broadside at 75 yds.

Here is some game taken in the last couple of years with the TSX.

Black bear at 220 yds.


The bullet recovered from the ground behind him.


Small whitetail at 140yds


Another whitetail at 230yds


Another bigger black bear at 270 yds (camera crapped)


Wifes deer shot at 75 yds (I then shot the doe he was with at about 40yds)


Bighorn Ram at 427 yds.

Here is a 180gr tsx recovered from an elk after it destroyed a large section of the spine.It was fired from my 300ultramag at 3380fps and likely had an impact velocity of between 2900fps and 3000fps.

A groundhog shot with a Barnes 165 gr. TSX out of a 30/06. The bullet wasn't recovered and the groundhog died real fast.

The things I don't like about Barnes bullets are the bands that give less surface area for seating in the case neck. They also have to be pushed faster than other bullets for optimal accuracy.

At least for my 30/06, I like them because they're quite accurate (1.5 MOA) over Varget and the Barnes solids shoot to the same place with the same powder charge and turn in about 1 MOA out of my Encore.

The TSX has been quite accurate for me in several different rifles. I have recovered .375 and 9.3 mm bullets from moose and 30 cal bullets from a grizzly that expanded and performed as advertized. With the 9.3 the shot was made at quite a distance so I suspect velocity was quite slow upon impact yet the bullet still performed as the magazines claim.

I certainly don't think it is the only bullet for me because frankly that would be a little boring.

It wasn't a T.S.X.,but my niece (13 yrs.) dropped a nice Black-Tail three point D.R.T. with a Barnes 100gr.X bullet loaded at 2800fps from a .270 Win. It was an impressive kill. Mid lung shot. 25 yards.
Never recovered the bullet. Total "Gel" of the lungs. I never seen an animal drop so fast!!!
She was using my Ruger #1 International .270 with a light hunting load developed just for her.
Entrance wound, a .270 hole...Exit, a quarter sized hole.

The only one I have recovered looked literally looks good enough to be in one of Barnes' magazine ads. But I won't use them any more.

Do a search of most of the forums here and you will find a lot of Barnes horror stories. You won't find that many negative reports for any other bullet. Go to other hunting web sites and search and you will find the same exact thing-plenty of Barnes horror stories, but few horror sotries of other bullets.

For some reason, people who shoot Barnes X's are often very emotional about their bullet of choice. If you tell your own life experiences that do not jive with their thinking, they will flame you worse than if you kicked their dog, talked bad about their wife, or soemthing like that.

One thing I will say about the TSX's is that if your rifle will shoot at all, they usually make it look like a superstar. If it weren't for that penciling problem they have...

I can only speak to the accuracy that I've had with the TSX bullets as I've just started shooting them this year. From my '06 they are sub MOA using Federal 180 factory ammo. My 338-378 Weatherby is right at MOA with factory ammo. I'll certainly know more once I've worked up loads for both of these rifles...

Ken....

I love the accuracy of the TSX. I've taken three antelope with them and they all worked great but I've never recovered one.

It seems that antelope bodies aren't tough enough to stop a 140 grain TSX shot out of a 7 Rem Mag.

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
Just to add more info into the thread, I bought some 500gr TSX's for my .458 Win mag to try out.

Perhaps you should also pose the question in the Big Bores forum. Be sure to include specifically what animals you intend to hunt with that cartridge. Someone who has specific experience doing exactly that will probably have the advice that is most germane to what you are trying to discover.

Some bullet designs work much better than others when driven at specific velocities, by specific calibers at specific game. Sometimes the best bullet for a certain caliber and animal turns out to be one you have previously written off as being junk because of experience with it in a different caliber. And unfortunately, the reverse is also true, sometimes the best bullet you've used in another caliber on certain animals really sucks when launched out of different caliber at new beasts.

If there's a bullet that is the best performing design for every caliber on every animal, I honestly haven't seen it. So for now I consider every new caliber and animal pursuit a new ballgame.

The 500gr TSX might be a fabulous choice for the 458WIN and what you plan to hunt with it. But you may find someone else who has used them and found something better. It's best to keep an open mind on these things.

Count me as a fan of the X bullets. They shoot great and hit harder. In 35+ years of big game hunting, I have only used the Partition and the Barnes X, XLC and TSX.

As good as a Partition is, it is NO X bullet.

Im a TSX fan. Only four kills..well...3..one was with the old X. The 110 gr .277 TSX shots pretty well out of 6.8 SPC Contender. Only running about 2550 FPS. Three deer..80 yds,50 yds and 150 yds. Bullet worked great. Here are a couple pics of exit wounds.

50 yd exit wound..small WT


150 yd exit wound...mid sized WT doe. I think the small exit wound is from bone..frontal quartering shot.


And 80 yd shot on this WT buck.


Hope to harvest many more animals with the TSX

I shot 14 Namibian plains game animals with the now discontinued X flatbase bullet. Never saw so many one shot, drop on the spot kills before. Everything from hyrax to springbok with a 85gr; and tiny steenbok to kudu and zebra with 225gr. Not a single one recovered. I stocked up on lots of them when Barnes had them on closeout with free shipping.

I have yet to use a TSX so can't comment on them.

Bugle’m,
After over 30 years of reloading and big game hunting across North America, for many species, I found that at impact velocities of over 2800 fps, standard bullet configurations tended to fragment and also fail to achieve my ideal objective; sub MOA accuracy, reliably penetrate hide, bone, muscle on it’s way THGOUGH the vitals AND create an exit wound if possible. This last requirement was born out of decades of bow hunting where blood trails from pass throughs were shorter and easier to follow.

Over a 25 year period I shot Sierra Game Kings, Nosler Partitions, FailSafe, and other bullets. About 4 years ago I tried the Barnes TSX. Without exception they are the most accurate bullet I’ve shot in EVERY rifle I’ve tried; .300 RUM (180 gr at 3300 fps), .270 Win. (130 gr at 3100 fps and 150 gr at 2900 fps), .30-06 (165 gr at 2800 fps), .22-250 (65gr at 3400 fps), and I’m about to try them in a .416 Rigby. Every one of these rifles shoot the TSX around ½ MOA.

How have they worked? Excellently. To see my latest harvest (and a recovered bullet) on a Barren Ground Caribou in AK, go to https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=342109245#342109245
The story there will explain how well I think the bullet performed.

I’ve even gone so far as to participate in a rather extreme test. A buddy and I worked up a load for our .22-250 to see if it would work effectively for his 12 year old son on his first deer hunt. But first we had to validate its effectiveness ourselves. My buddy shot a forked horn buck from a treestand, at a distance of about 40 yards. The bullet entered on a rib (fractured) passed through the vitals, struck another rib squarely on the other side (fractured again) and left an exit wound the size of a typical bullet wound (i.e. ½ inch dia). Clearly the wound channel indicated that the bullet solidly struck bone coming and going, yet didn’t fragment, and the deer only ran about 30 yards. The meat showed only normal amounts of blood shot.

Why do some folks claim bullet failure with the? I suspect there may be some unexplainable failures, but I respectfully suggest most claims of failures are in error. If a bullet doesn’t fragment, the exit wound will look more like the entry wound than most hunters would expect. By far, most TSX bullets will not be recovered as they are designed to bust through hide, bone, muscle and vitals .. then exit! Yet the TSX bullet will mushroom consistently at fairly low as well as very high velocities. Barnes offers a free DVD that wonderfully demonstrates this in ballistic gel with his speed video. Lastly, I’ve seen too many slams of the TSX with pictures of recovered animals following a blood trail that exceeded the hunter’s expectation. Yet by examining the photo closely I can see many had marginal to poor bullet placement.

Many forum members worry that the TSX doesn’t expand as much as conventional bullets… and hence not enough! You’ll realize what an unfounded fear this is when you compare the wound channel from a hunting arrow (1 ¼ inch wide) to the wound channel of a high power rifle with even FMJ bullets (3 inches or more at the widest point). A 1 ¼ inch wide double lung pass though from an arrow will kill big game in seconds. A 3-4 inch wide pass through from a non-expanding FMJ will kill at least as quickly. The TSX expansion is more than adequate. With this bullet you’re getting accuracy and toughness that is unsurpassed to boot!

In summary, the Barnes TSX is a superior premium bullet that I doubt will ever let you down if you do your job.

Just to clarify the glowing report by onefunzr2 when he said "...I shot 14 Namibian plains game animals with the now discontinued X flatbase bullet. Never saw so many one shot, drop on the spot kills before..."

Keep in mind, however, that they weren't all one-shot, instant kills. In another thread, he noted the following:

"I did kill 14 Namibian plains game animals in September '04 using only Barnes X bullets. Only three required a second, finishing shot."

----

So, 3 of 14 animals required a "second, finishing shot" with the X bullet.

I thought we needed this bit of info added in order to fairly weigh the equation in its entirety.

I know lots of people use the X and TSX with great confidence and excellent on-game performance. But like I noted in my earlier post, they simply aren't the best choice for me and the cartridges I use.

I've used TSX in the 270 Win on up to 338 Win Mag, and can certainly recommend them.

I am a fan and have used them from the 77gr .223 to the 570gr .510's.

Have shot piggies with 300 gr TSX at 2700 fps from a 375 H&H. DRT No bullets recovered. Little meat destroyed.

Piggies with the 225 Barnes bullet from a .338 Win Mag. All DRT. No projectiles recovered. Relatively little meat damage.

Hartebeast with same bullet ... recovered projectile was the perfect mushroom.

Gemsbock, American Bison, and Cspe Buffalo taken with 350 gr X. Only recovered bullet entered the Buf's rump, broke the femur, travelled through the gut, and was found in the front wall of the chest. Petals were broken off ... probably in destroying the femur.

I have no issues with the Barnes bullet at all and will continue to use them.

Bobby Tomak’s original post hinted at the explanation of why I shoot the TSX. He wrote “With cartridges of moderate velocities and bullets of high sectional density as I prefer, there's no need for a premium such as the TSX when it comes to the deer, hogs or exotics I hunt. In fact, in cartridges as described above, the TSX is, in my experience, no more effective as a game-dropper than more conventional bullets.†Though I have converted over to TSX for ALL of my hunting loads, I would tend to agree with Bobby. In fact, I would likely still be using my old standard Sierra Game Kings in my own .270, but I tend to hunt larger game than hogs and exotics, and expect to … no REQUIRE my loads to hit game at well over 2500 fps.

Using the .270 as an example, I’ll explain my rationale and what is possible with the TSX. I’ve hunted deer, antelope, and elk with my .270 and expect to have solid lethal hits out to 300 yards. My 130 grain deer load has a muzzle velocity of about 3100 fps, which is comfortably below max pressure thanks to the grooves/bands along the TSX bullet shank. That load doesn’t fall below 2500 fps until nearly 300 yards! That is a very flat shooting load that is easily capable of killing big bodied mule deer beyond 300 yards. But what happens if I have a shot inside of 100 yards? The TSX performs exactly the same from the muzzle to 400 yards.. Yet a standard lead core bullet (even a Partition) will fragment if it strikes bone at that velocity (over 2900 fps). Fragmented bullets mean reduced penetration, increase possibility for meat damage, less chance for an exit wound, and possibly loss of the animal. I expect more from my bullets.

Just for comparison, a 2800 fps muzzle velocity in a 130 gr .270 will have 2500 fps retained velocity at just over 100 yards. Again, this might be acceptable for some hunters for their hunting requirements, but I hunt differently.

I see Doc’s post of my Caribou and recovered bullet are no longer retrievable. I will PM copies to anyone interested. The 180 gr TSX bullet was fired from my .300 RUM (3300 fps), into the bull from about 125 yards. It shattered the femur, traveled through the abdomen, vitals, and was recovered in the opposite front shoulder. The retained weight was over 90%! I chased that bull for a long ways and took the best shot I had before collapsing in an exhausted heap. Thankfully I had a premium bullet I could count on to shoot accurately and go through bone without fragmenting. i.e. one I can count on.

I agree with Chuck Nelson’s comment and believe it is especially appropriate for hand loaders; “… I can not see any real justification for using a non-premium bullet.â€

Bugle’m, make the change and don’t look back. - Bill

quote:

One thing I will say about the TSX's is that if your rifle will shoot at all, they usually make it look like a superstar. If it weren't for that penciling problem they have...

I hope that you aren't assuming that the standard x and tsx perform the same on game.In fact Barnes did redesign the nose cavity on the tsx for more reliable expansion,and I have yet to see a single case where the tsx did not expand.On the other hand I have seen a couple of the standard x bullets that did not expand.However in both cases the bullets were heavy for caliber and the impact velocity was quite low.

Wow, somebody asking for pics with animals taken with Barnes. I resemble that remark. Maybe Barnes should send me a check.

Hope the pic posting works.

These were with Barnes .375 270XLC.


These were with Barnes .257 100TSX.




And finally these were with .308 168XLC or TSX.

Count me in.

Been using a bunch of the TSX's in:
53gr, 22-250 (turkeys and a bunch of deer)
110gr, 270 Win(antelope, deer, blackbuck & Axis)
130gr, 270 Win (antelope & deer)
210gr, 338-06 (deer and elk)
next up is 250gr in a 9.3x64 Brenneke which isn't finished yet

contemplating between 370gr Northfork softs and CPS or 350gr TSX's & banded solids out of my CZ (1:16 twist) 416 Rigby. I would go with the 400gr Barnes but I don know if the twist rate is optimum for those long bullets.

I have only recovered two. Both last year on basically stem to stearn whitetail bucks with the 110gr out of my 270Win. Recovered both in the offside necks. Both looked like a magazine add and both weighed 109gr, which is probably what they started at. I imagine if I would have been using the 130gr, I would not have recovered either.
Both of these bucks had been shot previously, the first was a finisher on a wounded (by someone else) buck.
The second was a severe quartering away on a buck that was dead and didn't know it.

some of these I can remember some I cant. please remember I only recover about 1 % of these. this is a small sample of the ones I have recovered and a very small sample of the ones fired.

270 gr tsx recoverd from brisket of waterbuck shot in the ass runing away at 650 yards.


270 gr x fb from a wildebest and two 30 cal xfb from a whitetail I used to wear around my neck so I would have them with me for the pencil icepic nay sayers and for luck.


six 338 200 gr x recovered from the second or third pig lined up in the road. Yes I did this more than six times and NO I dont want to hear about it. fire through the first pig recover the bullet from the pig behind him.




210 gr x from first africa trip


160 gr x fired from wildcat at 2400 fps 60 lb pig 100 yds through the first pig completly drt slapped the second pic in the ass found bulett laying on ground behind first pig


210 gr tsx 338 recoverd from sheep shot in the ass at 250


12 ga slug from whitetail


2 50 cal muzle loader from 2 deer


lose pile o x and tsx plus the 338 on my keychain recoverd from very long shot made in foolish youth


a few tsx and banded solids from zim in sept



I am posting a small sample of these because someone asked not realy wanting to argue or call anyone down if they dont like the x or tsx.
I like them so much I am building a battery of rifles around them at every 100 grains from 600 to 100 then 1 at 53 gr just for fun

quote:

Originally posted by CRUSHER:
I am posting a small sample of these because someone asked not realy wanting to argue or call anyone down if they dont like the x or tsx.

Thank you for the pictures! Very interesting reads on each

I'm a little on the fence yet. My brother shot his bull elk at 250yrds with a 300 ultra mag 180gr TSX and we recovered the bullet. It was perfect!! My bull I shot it around 200yrds with my Mashburn 140gr TSX. We recovered both bullets and they were not curled back much at all. One of them had three curls but the bullet looked about the same length as it was when i loaded it. The other bullet had no curls and looked like you hit it with a hammer and just flatend the tip. BUT!!! the DAMAGE inside that elk was unreal. Through his side into his lung and into the shoulder, looked like a hand gernade went off and he never moved from his bed. So they did the job but didnt look good to me so still on the fence

With the posts above, (great posts Tundragriz, SDHunter, and Crusher) it looks like the only thing to add is Q.E.D (quod erat demonstrandum)!

Keep 'em coming folks, I'm on the fence too.

Also, what is it about the relativly low BC of TSX bullets. I notice in .270 the Nosler's NAB, NBT, and even NP bullets have higher BC values then TSX.

I'm no fan. My standard response when asked is: Barnes is the most heavily advertised bullet on the market because they need to be.

Anyone given the new Polymer Tipped TSX a whirl yet?

CRUSHER wrote:

quote:

270 gr tsx recoverd from brisket of waterbuck shot in the ass runing away at 650 yards.

Was this a shot at a wounded animal? If so, where did the initial shot(s) impact, and were these Barnes bullets as well?

I was just wondering why anyone would attempt such a low-percentage shot...

I put lots of rounds through my guns under a variety of conditions and know the trajectories forwards and backwards. But even for a seasoned shooter, 650 yards at a running animal -- under any circumstances -- is an extremely low-percentage shot.

yes it was a followup . too far for a realy comfy feeling and dont think I would have shot at an unwounded runing animal at that distance but the percentages in this instance were 2 out of 2 100%. the best bullet in the world cant make up for poor placement and they will go untill you hit them right.

CRUSHER wrote:

quote:

the best bullet in the world cant make up for poor placement and they will go untill you hit them right.

---

Well said...

Crusher

How do you like the 210 TSX in the 338 WM. I am thinking of working some of those up?

quote:

CRUSHER wrote:
quote:
the best bullet in the world cant make up for poor placement and they will go untill you hit them right.

---

Well said...

However, a crappy bullet can't make up for anything.

Chuck

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
Just to clarify the glowing report by onefunzr2 when he said "...I shot 14 Namibian plains game animals with the now discontinued X flatbase bullet. Never saw so many one shot, drop on the spot kills before..."

Keep in mind, however, that they weren't all one-shot, instant kills. In another thread, he noted the following:

"I did kill 14 Namibian plains game animals in September '04 using only Barnes X bullets. Only three required a second, finishing shot."

----

So, 11 of 14 animals required a "second, finishing shot" with the X bullet.

I thought we needed this bit of info added in order to fairly weigh the equation in its entirety.

I know lots of people use the X and TSX with great confidence and excellent on-game performance. But like I noted in my earlier post, they simply aren't the best choice for me and the cartridges I use.

Bobby,

The title of this thread is, "Who's a TSX fan?" It's one thing to vent your displeasure with whatever shortcomings you have observed with them. It's another to twist what I said by virtue of your poor mathematics schooling. Read my posting once again. Only three required a second, finishing shot." I never said all 14 were one shot kills. Did I? How in the world you deduce that 11 of the 14 required a coup de grace is beyond me.

I didn't go to Africa to provide testimony that Barnes bullets are some kind of magic elixir, only requiring 1 shot each. If any animal is still breathing I give it another to put it out of its misery as quick as possible.

You've got a bug up your ass about me. I don't know why. But when you put me up for ridicule, using your poor math skills to do it, you make an ass out of yourself. Now everyone on AR knows you're not even as smart as a first grader.

14 minus 11 equals 3. Perhaps you would do better on the hate TSX thread. Just don't try and use your math skills there either. It might be your downfall once again.

quote:

Originally posted by TrackersNZ:
Anyone given the new Polymer Tipped TSX a whirl yet?

Yes, just this past week. Used the 168gr in loads for my 300Wby on a deer hunt in Colorado. My son was shooting the rifle and killed a nice buck at a bit over 300yds. Bullet went clear through and tore up a lot of the internals along the way. Great shooting bullet too.

Dave-Pardon me for typing fast and having a mistake. But the fact is that 3 of 14 animals required a second, finishing shot.

Your glowing report failed to mention that fact.