235 gr. TSX (.375 H&H)

12 December 2011, 08:56

Eland Slayer

Has anyone here tried the 235 gr. TSX load that Doubletap Ammunition offers for .375 H&H? They claim it is moving at 3,100 fps out of a 24" barrel (which just so happens to be the length of my rifle's barrel). I am thinking about using this load on Nilgai next year.

Any experiences (good or bad) would be great to hear about.

12 December 2011, 15:29

Don Heath

Like the bullet- never used that brand of ammo. Works well on all game up to and including lion and eland. Not a Giraffe bullet though unless you take neck shots (which I prefer anyway)

12 December 2011, 16:22

JudgeG

I haven't used that brand, but I've used 235 grain Barnes bullets (handloads) in various evolutions in my .375's on game from zebra to little Southeast Georgia whitetails. I've never recovered one or had an animal do anything but DRT or run 50-100 yards on shots that didn't hit major bone (and then, blood trails looked like a drunk spraying a fire hose). Exit wounds were about 1/2" indicating good expansion and interior damage was typical Barnesesque (straight line penetration, little meat damage and gooey lungs). Even on the 100 pound whitetails, the bullets seemed to expand some, btw.

My loads were 200 fps or so slower than advertised by DoubleTap, but with the solid shank on TSX's, I'd not even worry a bit if I lost a petal or two occasionally at the higher velocity.

12 December 2011, 19:23

Lee Woiteshek

Double Tap is supposed to have released the 250 grain TTSX in 375 H&H at 2900 fps. I havent' seen it on their website (been awhile since I've been there) I emailed them and they told me they had a half a dozen boxes. I couldn't ascertain whether or not it was due to popularity or they just couldn't get the bullets from Barnes. I've tinkered some with the 250 TTSX, and can't find a load my CZ likes. I do however have pulled a bullet from the berm at 425 yards, and its a Barnes advertisement. I think the 250 TTSX will be a better bullet at extended range should you find yourself there.

13 December 2011, 00:00

Atkinson

I have shot a number of Nilgai on the King Ranch and they are about the toughest plainsgame animal I have every hunted, they do not die easy...I shot my first with a .338, then a 375 and the rest with my 404, The big bores leave much better blood trails...My advise is stay with at least a 250 gr. Monolithic and I would only uset the 300 gr.

I observed a hunter shoot a Nilgai facing him with a 300 gr. .416 Rigby, the bull lurched back and trotted off with the guide yelling shoot him again, they hunter said no need, the bull was tracked for about 5 hours that day until dark, took up the track the following day and it quit bleeding..They found him a couple of weeks later some 10 miles from where he was shot. The shot was dead center as far as they could tell, but my guess is it slid to the side and and came out behind the shoulder only ruining one lung...for what its worth..

The guides on the King ranch tell of many Nilgai that go long distances before expiring.

13 December 2011, 02:12

pagosawingnut

I load the 235 TSX for my .375 H & H and it is absolutely devastating on everything I've taken with it. From Impala to Zebra to Elk. It is one of the deadliest combinations I have run across. The bullet performance plus the fact that it holds together almost perfectly makes it almost a perfect combo in my book. My handloads run about 3040fps in my Remington 700 and will shoot one hole groups all day long. IMHO you can't go wrong with it.

13 December 2011, 04:49

jeffeosso

learn to reload ... breakeven is about 3 boxes of ammo

13 December 2011, 21:33

Blacktailer

I've used the 235's in handloads for years at about 3000fps mostly on blacktail and coyotes. While the effects are devastating, the meat damage on deer at that velocity is significant.
Since the 270's (and I assume the new 250's) have a higher BC, they actually have much better ballistics. Since the heavier bullets shoot flatter and retain more energy downrange, why would you use the 235's? I intend to switch.

13 December 2011, 21:43

Atkinson

I agree with Blacktailer, as opposed to shooting short stubby 235 gr. bullets in a .375, I would opt for a 338 with 210s or 225 or even a 300 with 200 or 220 gr. bullets and keep the SD up there and the velocity at the distant ranges. I mean that if one wants to shoot 235 gr. bullets or any other bullet, then have at it, just stating my personal choice.

14 December 2011, 22:00

DGR Shooter

Before I started reloading, I bought a couple of boxes of Double Tap's 235 gr. TSX's for my .375. The load was very accurate in my rifle and absolutely devastating on a couple of Georgia whitetails.

The couple of rounds I shot through a chronograph were a little slower than advertised, somewhere in the mid 2900's if my memory is correct. To be fair though, the chronograph wasn't mine so I can't say for certain how accurate that reading was.

FWIW, Double Tap has been a great company to deal with in my experience.

14 December 2011, 22:19

Atkinson

I bet it was devastating on Whitetails!

15 December 2011, 04:12

wyocoalminer

75 gr RL15 gives me 3k w/ a 235 tsx in my 375 ruger. Took that combo to Namibia last year, w/ perfect results on PG.

16 December 2011, 04:46

pagosawingnut

If I want to kill something DRT, and I wasn't worried about meat damage, I wouldn't hesitate to use this bullet on anything short of Dangerous Game. and I'm not too sure that it wouldn't cause havoc on a buffalo as well. For N. American game, I have gone to the Sierra 250 gr Gameking. I haven't had a chance to try the 260 Accubond yet but am not a big fan of Noslers anyway.

19 December 2011, 21:47

Atkinson

Most of the local big bore gun nuts shoot the .375 or 338 around here for elk with the 250 gr. Sierra in the .375, and they all get these pretty little mushrooms and apparantly not much penetration as they all recover thier bullets, and scatter them all over the coffee table in town with huge grins of success...

I use mostly 300 gr. Woodleighs or GS customs and I never have any bullets to show. guess I need to take pictures of big exit holes for the coffee bunch...

IMO a .375 is a .375, if I want 235 gr. bullets then I'll shoot something smimular in the .338 or 300 H&H..but I have had good luck with the 300 gr. Sierras on some pretty big animals..The usually stop under the skin on the off side, and I prefer to holes in stuff..

I would think the 235 monolithic is the equivelent of a 270 gr. conventional premium bullet as far as penetration is concerned..I do think lots of folks get carried away on what a monolithic can do..I usually go one bullet weight less in a monolithic.

19 December 2011, 22:24

pagosawingnut

Yeah, I also like the 250 Sierras for the .375. I get a mix of exits and retentions with that bullet. It doesn't tear up as much meat as the .235 TSX. If I really don't want to tear up much meat, I use the .416 Rem Mag. the 350 TSX does a good job and moves slow enough that the hydrostatic shock isn't very bad at all. I tear up more meat with a .30-06 and a 165 than the 416.

20 December 2011, 02:52

416Tanzan

Sierras used to separate cup and core for me in 338 and 375.

For lighter weight 235 grains I would recommend the 225 in 338WinMag, RUM or 338Lapua,

But since you already have the 375, then you should definitely check out the 250 grain TTSX. It has a .424 BC, which will deliver a lot of energy and a huntable trajectory out at 300 and even 400 yards, should such a need ever arise. You don't need to look beyond the 250TTSX unless it doesn't match your particular bore/rifle for top accuracy. They usually do. If it doesn't, then you will need to do some tinkering with a lot of different bullets.

21 December 2011, 07:05

pagosawingnut

I also had a bad experience with bullet separation from Sierras as well as Noslers early on. In 07, I only recovered 2 of the Sierra Gamekings out of the .375. One of them retained 78% of its weight and the other retained 76%, Both were perfect mushrooms and did their job in an excellent fashion. I don't envision having to go to a midweight TSX for the .375 as I have a thing for bigger is better. Love the 416, 458 (both WM and Lott) and my .470 NE is a tack driver. And for the game here in Colorado, I don't need the added performance for elk, deer or bear. Haven't ever tried the tipped Barnes bullets, I will one day just to tinker with something. Now in Africa, that is subject to change. Still experimenting with bullets for the big bores. Just got in some CEB's both softs(or solid hollowpoints) and solids for the .458 and the .470 NE. If Michael458 is correct, and I'm betting he is, I will have found my big bore bullets.

21 December 2011, 09:07

416Tanzan

quote:
If Michael458 is correct, and I'm betting he is, I will have found my big bore bullets.

Yes, many of us are waiting for the Raptors to come out. They will be CEB hollowpoints with very long ballistic tips. They should change the landscape of bullet choice . . . very soon.

23 December 2011, 04:30

Austin Hunter

quote:
Originally posted by Atkinson:
I have shot a number of Nilgai on the King Ranch and they are about the toughest plainsgame animal I have every hunted, they do not die easy...I shot my first with a .338, then a 375 and the rest with my 404, The big bores leave much better blood trails...My advise is stay with at least a 250 gr. Monolithic and I would only uset the 300 gr.

I observed a hunter shoot a Nilgai facing him with a 300 gr. .416 Rigby, the bull lurched back and trotted off with the guide yelling shoot him again, they hunter said no need, the bull was tracked for about 5 hours that day until dark, took up the track the following day and it quit bleeding..They found him a couple of weeks later some 10 miles from where he was shot. The shot was dead center as far as they could tell, but my guess is it slid to the side and and came out behind the shoulder only ruining one lung...for what its worth..

The guides on the King ranch tell of many Nilgai that go long distances before expiring.

Wade - sounds like you need Double Tap's 375 H&H 350 grain load at 2,450 fps!!!

"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan

"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."

Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.

24 December 2011, 01:50

Atkinson

Pagosawingnut,
I assume from your above post statements that sometimes you want to save meat and sometimes you don't????????? or are you saying it's your choice and nobody elses?

24 December 2011, 07:05

Fjold

I just loaded some up but they won't stay supersonic. (Elevation 2,700 feet above sea level) At 3,100 fps they go subsonic at 800 yards.

Bummer,

Frank

"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953

NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite

24 December 2011, 09:27

416Tanzan

I haven't a clue what you're shooting at 800 yards, but for a 375HH, try the Barnes 250 TTSX with BC of .424 and you'll pass 1000 yards supersonic with a 2900 fps launch.

For long distance they invented calibre like the 338 Lapua and CEB has some extra long bullets in various calibre. Otherwise, you need to carry a twenty pound outfit.

24 December 2011, 20:54

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
I haven't a clue what you're shooting at 800 yards, but for a 375HH, try the Barnes 250 TTSX with BC of .424 and you'll pass 1000 yards supersonic with a 2900 fps launch.

For long distance they invented calibre like the 338 Lapua and CEB has some extra long bullets in various calibre. Otherwise, you need to carry a twenty pound outfit.

I shoot 1,000 yard paper. I was just looking at the ballistics of the 375 loaded with this combination for fun.

I shoot the 6.5x284, 243, 308 and 22.250 (fast twist), at 1,000 yards. The small bores are easier on the shoulder prone.

24 December 2011, 23:12

pagosawingnut

No Ray, that isn't what I'm saying. I'm saying that for my tastes, the 250 gr tears up less meat on my elk than the the 235 does. I have used both. The 235 is a little flatter shooting and kills everything that has a well placed shot DRT. The 250 does as well, with again, a well placed shot. For game that I can't butcher and consume, for example Kudu or impala or other PG that I don't get to bring home, the 235 TSx is my bullet of choice. For elk, I go to the 250 or just use a .338 with a 210 or 225 TSX. Not much difference though. Might go back to the .416 but I have to get a little closer with it. It really doesn't do much meat damage.

27 December 2011, 11:01

Atkinson

Gotcha, makes since to me now and your spot on IMO, I just wasn't on the same bus with you I guess!..

27 December 2011, 11:24

416Tanzan

quote:
The 235 is a little flatter shooting and kills everything that has a well placed shot DRT. The 250 does as well, with again, a well placed shot. For game that I can't butcher and consume, for example Kudu or impala or other PG that I don't get to bring home, the 235 TSx is my bullet of choice. For elk, I go to the 250

Besides better meat handling, there is an additional advantage:

You will find that at 300-400 yards, where 'flatter' actually means something, the 250 TTSX will be flater than your 235 when loaded to equal pressures, with better penetration and energy. That's one of the miracles of significantly better BC. At 300 yards the 250TTSX gains about 1" less drop over the 235, and about 3" less drop at 400. (Both loaded to about 4670 ft lb loads.)

28 December 2011, 04:45

Ackley Improved User

Just got back from a Moz hunt, and the 250 TTSX was devastating on all plains game. Also killed a baboon at 350 yards. Not sure Barnes wiibe selling many 235 gr bullets now.

28 December 2011, 20:06

pagosawingnut

I haven't tried the 250's yet, still have plenty of 235's. Probably enough to last the rest of my natural shooting life. Most of my shooting is well under 300 yards. Furthest elk kill was a tad over 400, since then under 200 yards is the norm. and the Sierra does a bang up job for that.