Killed two 8 points this year with my .270. Both were killed in south east AR. I was able to recover both bullets.

I was shooting a 140gr TSX over 54.5gr of H4831SC in a RP case with WLR primer. I haven't finished my load development yet, but so far this was my most accurate one.

The first deer was at about 20yds and moving fast. He was apparantly checking his scrapes(tarsals were wet), one of which was about 40yds from me. I didn't have much time to look at him so I went ahead and shot, but I wish I had let him walk. He dropped on the spot. After I got down and walked over to him I realized he was just a yearling, still had 5 or 6 spots on his back. I really regretted shooting though b/c he had a really nice rack. He would have been a great buck in another couple of years. Entry wound was aboud the size of a dime, and the exit wound was about 3 inches. I found the bullet about 6 inches deep in the ground just behind him. It expanded fully, though it could have been caused by the dirt. But, it wasn't. Even though the wounds weren't very big, what I found inside was. His heart and both lungs were shredded. I think I might have been more excited about the bullet performance than the kill.

The second one was at about 60yds. I shot him in the neck at a downward angle. He also dropped where he was. I found the bullet in the body cavity between the hams. Full expansion. The heart and the right lung were in shreds. It also busted 3 ribs which caused it to ricochet back into the body.

I loved the accuracy I was getting with the TSX's, but was a little worried about expansion since most shots I take when hunting are usually under 100yds. Not anymore. I doubt I will be loading anything for hunting other than TSX's for a long time.

I killed 3 does with TSX's this year:

1st 9.3 x 62 . . . 250 gr . . . doe about 80 yards, complete pass-through, shattering front side humerus

2nd 300 WSM . . . 165 gr . . . doe about 300 yards, complete pass-through

3rd 7 x 57 (14" Encore pistol) . . . doe about 15 yards, complete pass-through, shattering front side humerus

(where I was hunting this year - extremely dense South Texas brush or my small hill country property, I needed very short blood trails, so shot to put them down as fast as possible)

Troy

Nice bucks! I just wanted to say that you should worry about your bullet expanding if your shots were generally farther out, say 300-400 yards. At 100 yards and less your bullet out of a 270 will still be moving right along, and will expand more reliably than farther out when it's slowed down some.

The reason I was a little worried was b/c some have mentioned in the past few months on here that they have the TSX go through w/o expanding at short range/high velocity.

At 54.5 H4831SC, you were about 4+ gr. under max. Velocity probably wasn't all that high even though the shots were close. Nice to see they performed with the lower velocities too.

I currently use the TSX in my 7 MM Rem Mag (160 grain), took a big deer in Maine with it at 40 yrads, one shot went 30 yards and crashed. Recovered the bullet looked like the pic from Steel Slinger. Weighed 139.5 grains; 87.2% weight rentention less than I expected, but very satisfied with the results. Very accurate in my rifle.

Took a 7' grizz/brownie in September in AK with 350 grain TSX in my 416 Rigby. In the front chest and out behind the right shoulder. It absolutely devestated the bear's heart and lungs. Very accurate, and very happy with it in my 416.

Getting ready to set up my 338 win mag and ordered two boxes of Federal 225 grain TSX's. Expect same results in this cailber as well, can't wait to shoot something with it.

quote:

Originally posted by ole_270:
At 54.5 H4831SC, you were about 4+ gr. under max.

I have tested loads up to 57gr, and they began showing pressure signs. I don't quite get why my brass wasn't handling the pressure from loads that were less than the listed max loads. Out of the tested loads, the 54.5 were the most accurate, so I went with them. I'm planning on heading to the range in the next few weeks and finishing up my development.

quote:

Originally posted by Steel Slinger:
The reason I was a little worried was b/c some have mentioned in the past few months on here that they have the TSX go through w/o expanding at short range/high velocity.

That is urban legend. The faster a bullet goes the more likely it will expand.

What do you do to get all that copper out of your bore? I have heard that pure copper fouls your bore. Nice bucks!

quote:

Originally posted by .223 VARMINT-VENTALATOR:
What do you do to get all that copper out of your bore?

I use Barnes CR-10. It is ammonia based and works well.

I find the TSX does not foul as much as the regular X-bulet in the two rifles I've used them in.

They haven't fouled my rifle much worse than any other jacketed bullet I've used. I use foaming bore cleaner and Hoppes #9. Does the trick for me.

I used the TSX in (2) different guns this year with excellent results. My 257 Roberts I have them loaded to about 2800fps, not fast, and have yet to recover a bullet from 10 hogs and 20 deer. In my 7x57 I recovered (1) 120gr from a buck at 200yds and shot through (1) buck with the 140s at the same distance. Everything was autopsied and the bullets performed beautifully. Clean through shots with large wound cahnnels starting about 2 inches into each animal. The accuracy is sub 1/2 MOA!

First I've ever heard of a 1 1/2 year old deer still having spots?

Jeff

It would have to be a pigmnet blemish, birth mark. If the first rack is that of a 1.5 year old he'd be a MONSTER at 6.5.

I can't rule out that the spots may have been a permanant birthmark or something. He was young though. The spots were between his shoulderblades in the center of his back. My guess was that those few hadn't gone away yet, but would have been by next year. Like I said earlier, I wish I had let him walk b/c in a few years he would have been huge.

quote:

Originally posted by Steel Slinger:
I have tested loads up to 57gr, and they began showing pressure signs. I don't quite get why my brass wasn't handling the pressure from loads that were less than the listed max loads.

I'd say it's because it's RP brass. I've had the same problem. I used RP brass the first 4 years of reloading. Always easy to find loads but WW and Fed brass proved better for adding powder.

quote:

Originally posted by .223 VARMINT-VENTALATOR:
What do you do to get all that copper out of your bore? I have heard that pure copper fouls your bore. Nice bucks!

the copper buildup is actually easier to remove than guilding metal fouling is.

and it doesn't collect as fast if you get the guilding metal fouling out BEFORE using any Barnes bullets.

I use BoarTech copper remover cleaner and it rarely takes more than four wet patches
(with dry ones in between) before I stop seeing blue on the dry patch.

AllanD

I love TSX. I use 56.0gr H4831 SC with 140gr in one rifle, gets 3000 fps and 1/2 in groups. Took 3 deer this year with that rifle, no recovered bullets.

My other 270 win likes 59.0 gr IMR 4831 with 130gr TSX, also 3000 fps, 1/4in groups. Last year I shot a 218 lb (dressed) deer at 70 yards head on and recovered that bullet in the rear ham with 100% weight retention.

Last year I also shot two elk with a 300 win, 180gr TSX don't have the load off the top of my head, but it's RL 22 also at 3000 fps. One at 227 yds, no recovered bullet, the other at 279 yards, recovered bullet also with 100% weight retention.

That is the ONLY bullet I now reload with ANY rifle I hunt, the only exception being my K-hornet.

good work steel slinger.

I shot two pronghorns and one 168lb field dressed whitetail buck with 7mm 140 gr TSX bullets last year. I didn't recover any of them, but at 3450fps+, who would?

I love them and plan to shoot them in all of my rifles. I have killed animals with partitions, scirroccos, interbonds, ballistic tips, game kings, accubonds(which suck) and host host of other bullets and can tell you that the TSX is a superior hunting bullet. No other bullet have I used has caused less meat dmage in the form of bruising and blood shot and killed as quickly as a TSX. I realize I need to kill some more animals with them, but for now, they are the "stuff".

Finaly saw the LIGHT did you !!!!!!!!!!!!! or should I say copper?

No, blood, something I never saw with BT's.