Barnes MRX - 180gr for 30-06

[bullet]

Now don't anybody have a heart attack or think I have been drinking anything. You all know I don't conjure up to Barnes TSX bullets. I order by mistake a box of MRX 180gr bullets for my 30-06. I don't feel like going to all the trouble of shipping them back!!!!!

So here is my question since I have not used them. Has anyone on this forum used the 180gr MRX in a 30-06 to take game. I am not interested in how it performed on paper, I want to know it's terminal effect on game because you shot something with this bullet. Thanks

 

[SJB358]

Seems like the MRX would act exactly like a TTSX. The front end is exactly the same. Not sure, they are too expensive anyhow. Not sure how they can think those bullets are worth that much? Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Mike,

I have a few on my shelf, but I'm loath to develop a load at the cost of those bullets. Likely, I'll never use them. I have worked up loads for a few people using the bullets. One fellow was headed to Tajikistan for a sheep hunt. He was carrying a 7.21 Firebird and wanted to use the MRX. I never heard how he made out. I'm willing to spend a bit of money for bullets that I want, but the packaging of twenty per box is a turn off. I used to buy TBBC bullets direct from Jack Carter; even with shipping to Canada, they were reasonably priced. When ATK began marketing the TBBC in smaller quantities and at higher prices, I quit buying. The MRX falls into the same category.

 

[bullet]

Well I am not crazy at all about the TSX and never tried the TTSX. These I am wondering if the Silvex core and especially the tungsten base would drive the bullet forward in a more direct manner keeping the bubble in front of the bullet meplat allowing a better cavitating wound channel than the TSX?

You are right about the cost, I also noticed that there is more variation in the weight of the bullets than I experienced with the TSX when I weighed each of the MRX bullets. I can see where you would not have as good accuracy with the MRX as opposed to the TSX if each bullet was not weighed and sorted before loading.

Man, these are expensive bullets indeed!!!! You would almost have to be lucky in picking a load that shoots good the first group or you would certainly run out of bullets. What in the world was Barnes thinking???? Oh, well I will at least shoot a few groups with a known powder charge and load that gave me good accuracy with the TSX because I am curious. Thanks again guys for the impute.

 

[barthowes]

I have used both the TSX and TTSX in 30-06. They just flatten whitetails here in VT. Sorry to say never tried the MRX.. I like the TSSX the best. I've shot thru 30" of black bear with the TSX died before it stopped rolling. In front shoulder out rear quarter on opposite side. Perfect X bullet recovered an inch into a hemlock.

 

[bullet]

Good, starting to get some responses and different experiences.

 

[sithlord6512]

I have shot and recovered 180 grain TSX, TTSX, and MRX from SEA ICE. They were drive by the the charges of RL19. As might be expected, the TSX and TTSX were virtually indistinguisable (other than the base of the TTSX which had an X stamped on the base of the bullet that the TSX did not). While I did not measure the diameters of the expanded bullets, the MRX was noticably/observably larger in diameter (i.e., expanded better). The tungsten/silvex cores of the MRX bullets appear to have been driven deeper into the front core of the MRX bullet (a small recess observed behind the MRX bullets) - this may explain the greater expansion. Imagine the front copper exterior of the MRX slowing down slightly and the tungsten core, because of its greater density/inertia "wanting to drive further in", thereby hammering the copper front of MRX bullet while "leaving the copper sides of the MRX" slightly behind (i.e., where the Inertia of the MRX would not be applied). That is the best way that I can think of to explain the greater expansion and the recess behind the recovered MRX bullets.

 

[bullet]

Good info indeed