I just got my first TSX 180grs in 8mmS. Anybody some experience and load data in 8X60S and 8x64S with this bullet?

P.S.: This season I use the 220grs Woodleigh RN in my BRNO in 8x60S with great succes on red deer, boars, fallow deer and moufflon. I think, the combination 8x60S and the heavy Woodleigh is something like "Poorman`s .318WR"!!

M-F,

Merry Christmas!

I've little expereince with these two cartridges but I think mho just added an 8x60S to his battery - perhaps he's some info on loads?

I have been using some 259 gr. Woodleigh Weldcore in my 9.3x62 (thanks to Stu C!) and my experience has been extremely positive - they are SUPERB bullets, period.

Gerry, vielen Dank und ein frohes Fest nach Frankfurt ais der Lüneburger Heide!

Guys, I wish I could contribute anything useful, but the embarrasing fact is that my (custom) dies for the 8x64S did not arrive in time for me to develop loads before the range closed during winter. Consequently, I have been getting through my driven hunting using (dare I admit this?) factory loads. Mind you, the couple of animals that came my way have not greatly seemed to notice, and have fallen down when they were supposed to. From the few animals I have managed to whack with it, the 8x64S looks like a wonderful caliber, mild mannered but effective.

I have shot TSX in quite a few other calibers, but I normally reserve these bullets for calibers that run as fast as possible - normally something in excess of 3000 fps muzzle velocity. You simply can't tear these bullets apart, so they work well with a lot of speed (.257 Wby, .270 Wby, .300 Win Mag etc). Now, I know that Monestary Forester runs his 8x64S handloads at zippy 2840 fps (if I can get 2700-2800, I'll be more than content) with bullets in the 196-200 grs range. With a 180 grs bullet, that probably means you'll approach 3000 fps. That would bode well for the 180 grs TSX. With my limited availability of these bullets in Switzerland, I hope to be able to standardize on a single load for everything, and was hoping a 200 grs AccuBond would do the trick. We shall see what transpires when the range opens again this spring, dies and handloads in hand...

As far as loading the TSX is concerned, it has been my experience it devlops pressures very close to "conventional" bullets - in contrast to the original Barnes X. That means, data for regular 180 grs bullets can probably be used as a starting point, and max loads found by working up prudently...

- mike

I have loaded the similuar 180grs HDB - something like a german X-bullet - to 2830fps, while with this same load, the Nosler BT developped over 2950fps, but with much higher pressure(near the absolute max., while the HDB was 18% under max.)
A friend shoot the normal X in a 8x57IS with little under 2700fps, but his results on game are great!