I just shot my first deer with one of these out of a 6mm Remington pushed by RL 17 to a book speed of 3300-3400 fps. The deer was hit at about 240 yards; I was very surprised/impressed by both the destruction and penetration.

I haven't used the Hornady GMX, but I have taken a few critters with the 80 gr Barnes TTSX out of my 243 Win. I'm pushing these bullets with Ramshot Hunter at 3365 fps.

Of these the longest shot has been 228 yards on a doe antelope that dropped in her tracks. The closest was on a whitetail buck at roughly 100 yards or slightly less, dropped in his tracks. The third animal was a tiny whitetail doe fawn that was hit at roughly 130 yards and made a made death run about 60-75 yards before piling up. The shot was perfectly broadside and punched thru both lungs with the exit still showing expansion, which if the bullet would have penciled thru, this would have been the shot.

To say I'm very happy with the performance of these bullets would be an understatement.

There is a big difference in the gilding metal GMX bullets and the pure copper TSX bullets. Gilding metal is harder and Hornady says they will not expand below 2,000 fps. They work great if you can launch them at speeds above 3,000. According to Barnes, the TSX will expand at velocities as low as 1,600 fps. You just have to be sure to pick the bullet that is matched to the velocity of your rifle. Here is a link to an interesting article by Chuck Hawks on the GMX Bullets:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/hornady_GMX_bullets.htm

Dave-Barnes used to claim full depth-of-cavity expansion down to 1600 fps with most of their TSX bullets. That has been quite a few years ago. They no longer do so as they finally admitted that full d-o-c expansion did not happen in any medium at 1600 fps. Now, most Barnes TSX offerings are listed as requiring a minimum of 2000 fps at impact for any soft-tissue expansion.

The 110 grain .300 Blackout bullet, which I have not tested, is reputed to open down to 1300 fps.

quote:

Dave-Barnes used to claim full depth-of-cavity expansion down to 1600 fps with most of their TSX bullets. That has been quite a few years ago. They no longer do so as they finally admitted that full d-o-c expansion did not happen in any medium at 1600 fps. Now, most Barnes TSX offerings are listed as requiring a minimum of 2000 fps at impact for any soft-tissue expansion.

The 110 grain .300 Blackout bullet, which I have not tested, is reputed to open down to 1300 fps.

And based on photos of tested bullets, I want at least 2200 fps at impact with a Barnes TSX and 2400 with the TTSX. With most loads that will give you at least 300 yards of effective range, which is farther than my skills really merit shooting at animals.

The upside to the GMX is that it looks like it will retain all its petals to at least 3400 fps. So it may be an excellent choice for higher velocity cartridges. I've loaded some 150 GMX for a friend's 300 Weatherby, but we haven't shot them yet.

LWD

LWD-

That is my thinking exactly: 2200/2400 at impact with the TSX and TTSX, respectively. Cartridges that give them ample velocity can wring out their positives, but for me -- in the modest-velocty rounds I generally use -- they just aren't the best choices.

quote:

I've loaded some 150 GMX for a friend's 300 Weatherby, but we haven't shot them yet.

I've shot 7 Red Deer & 1 Wild Boar with the 150 gr. 308" GMX's & 86 grs. of H-4831sc outa 300 Weatherby crimped with a Lee FCD in the foremost relief groove.

I purchased the bullets (400) as a Test for cost reasons as they were much less expensive than the Barnes TTSX's.

Accuracy is superb, basically 3 shots in one-ragged-hole. Like Barnes they beg for a squeaky clean barrel.

As far a terminal perfomance goes; IMO a verdict hasn't been reached yet. The distances have been 250-300+ meters. Exit wounds have all been @ quarter-sized; and lungs/hearts extensively damaged. 1 Stag received two bullets as a perfect heart shot at 278 meters depicted absolutely no reaction from the Stag who stood motionless at the shot and then finally walked in a small semi-circle, receiving another in the same spot from the opposite side. Both shots <2" apart. He ultimately did the "shove-off with the back legs and drive his nose in the dirt" Trick as I was preparing to launch #3 bullet. Another Stag ran 180-190 meters after receiving a perfectly placed heart shot; Ida put another one in him too; 'cept my German Forester frowns on the Texas-Heart Shot Trick with his valuable meat.

In summary; I'm used to animals dropping at the shot or visibly showing a dibilitating wound with my 300 Weatherby on European sized game & African antilopes. So far the GMX's leave me wondering if I've delivered a telling shot at all.

Last Fall hunting season and one summer Namibia trip later; I'm wondering why I ever switched from the 170 gr. Priv Patizan Grom's (a semi-monometal bullet with a small lead cavity in the nose) or the 180 gr. Barnes TTSX's as 18 of 23 animals dropped in their tracks at the shot with the Weatherby using the Barnes & Privi's.

Like LWD, we've also got some 90 gr. GMX's loaded for a 257 Weatherby & 25-06 Remington and the accuracy has been superb as well but we haven't managed to give them the Acid Test yet, either.