TSX

[old #7]

Any Barnes fans out there?
I got talket into buying a box of 7mm 150gr TSX yesterday and have never tried them.

I did get a Shooters Bible from 1962 out of the deal though.
Pretty interesting to see the prices and new guns from 62.
Nosler Partitions were going for about $5.00 a box.

 

[Guy Miner]

I've tried the TSX in both my .25-06 and my .308 Winchester. In both cases the bullets proved accurate, and easy to work with.

They seem to like being seated to magazine depth, and jumping a bit to get to the rifling instead of being loaded long.

Barnes initially published only rough guidelines on how to load them - but more data is now avail on the Barnes web site, for some cartridges. I found them to be far more accurate than the previous Barnes bullets I'd worked with. Being built of pure copper, they are soft, and can foul a bore quickly. Have GOOD bore cleaner on hand - something that removes copper aggressively. The factory barrel on my .25-06 Remington fouled very quickly with the Barnes bullets. The hand-lapped Krieger custom tube on my .308 barely fouled at all and cleaned up in a jiffy.

I was able to safely reach 3340 fps with the 100 gr .25-06 load, and 2730 fps with the 168 gr TSX in the .308 Winchester - both velocities were comparable with top velocities achieved with conventional bullets.

Have only shot one game animal with them, a mule deer buck - but I can't really offer much info on bullet performance because I cheated and made a head shot with the 100 gr TSX. That dropped him instantly, but I think any bullet would have done the same.

That's pretty much my TSX info summed up in a short post! :grin: A friend of my swears by them for hunting and has taken an antelope with the 85 grain TSX from his 6mm Remington, as well as a couple of elk with the 180 TSX from his .300 WSM. He is completely hooked on the TSX for killing game.

Regards, Guy

 

[MDP]

I have been using the 150 tsx in my 300 wsm with good results in accuracy and performance on medium sized game has been excellent. I have used several different brand of bullets over the years and have never seen a bullet more difficult to work with on load development. Seating depth seems to be VERY criticle in working with the tsx.

 

[longwinters]

I have also loaded them, but never hunted with them. OAL does seem critical and my magic spot seems to be about .030 off of the typical OAL's given in most reloading books for any specific cartridge. This would not include Hornady's load info because they seem to load everything shorter than other bullet manufacturers. I have had good accuracy using them on paper and have not had copper fouling problems out of my Sako's or Remingtons. But then I have not shot boxes of them either.

For me, besides the price, I don't see a need for the TSX in my type of hunting for deer etc...I guess if I wanted to shoot a lighter for caliber bullet than what I normally would then the Triple Shock would be in the running. But otherwise Nosler is usually my choice if they shoot well in the needed application.

Long

 

[Black-tailed bandit]

I use the 225 TSX in my 350 Rem Mag. I have put 5 shot in 1" ( center mass of 3 different groups) at 200 yards with them. Fouling is not an issue. I had to come up whit the loading data on my own,but I have had great results so far, will have to wait until next year to see if it works on game. BTW I'm getting 2625FPS with 60.5gr Win 748 COl Of 2.915

 

[FOTIS]

In theory they are awesome. In fact I like them except one worry...
I am not convinced of their expansion abilities and this is what scares me. Also I have witnessed 3 of these phenomena!

2 with 7mm rum and 140 TSX and 1 with 85 tsx from a 240 wby. 2 of the ocassions (deer 7mm rum and 240 wby) were under 100 yards (so velocities were smoking) and one on antelope at 300 or so yards with the 7mm rum.

240 wby details:
I am talking about a mature mule deer doe at about 50 yards. The load was 85 TSX at 3500 fps from a 240 WBy. The doe was hit through the lungs--classic back of the shoulder hit. She took off--long trail job --additional finisher through the neck etc.

Autopsy revealed that bullet went in through ribs, lungs and out the other side. No sign of expansion or jelloed lungs. Looked like someone had poked a hole through lungs with a 6mm diameter knit needle. This is no bull fellas! I have seen many other TSX wounds that worked fine and this was not one of them.
I am really hoping the new tipped tsx do not have these expansion problems.

 

[TBASTIAN]

I use the 225 TSX exclusively in both my .338 Win Mag A-Bolt and BAR, they both shoot under an inch, three shot groups, at 100 yards. I tried countless loads with 225 & 250 Partitions, as well as, 225 Accubonds. This was the only bullet I've been able to shoot out of these guns.

I've also shot 3 Roosevelt Elk with them...they worked flawlessly each time. I couldn't be happier.

I've also had a bit of trouble getting a new Mark V Weatherby in .257 WBY to shoot. I'm now shooting the 117 Sierra Pro-Hunter, which was the only thing I could get to continually shoot under 1". I'm worried about their integrity though, so I've recently purchased a box of 115 TSX's to try in a few weeks. I'll be using the Sierra's in Idaho, on Whitetails, next week!
-TB

 

[FOTIS]

You're better off with the 115 TSX. I refuse to use any Sierra unless I am varminting.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've shot all the Barnes solid copper bullets including the TSX. Accuracy was always difficult to achieve and barrels fouled like crazy. However, the newer TSX has changed these two problems dramatically. An accurate load is easier to find and fouling is reduced, not eliminated, but better.

I would suggest following Barnes recommendations:

Start with a squeeky clean barrel. When you "think" the bore is completely clean, run a couple of patches of Barnes CR-10 or similar aggressive copper remover through the barrel and wait the recommended time (follow directions on bottle) then patch out again. If any blue/green is present, you've got more work to do. Barnes copper bullets HATE fouling left behind by other jackets which are made of a different copper composition.

Start with bullets loaded .050" off the rifling and work from there. I have found loads that were .150" off the rifling before accuracy improved. X bullets are different and loading them often defies conventional wisdom.

This tip is from my own observations:

I have frequently found that Barnes bullets respond better to a powder that is in the middle of the burning rate within the choices listed in the reloading manuals. In other words, of all the powders listed, the slowest burning & fastest burning powders rarely gave me the best accuracy. Just my observation after years of shooting X bullets.

Naturally, all guns are unique unto themselves and these starting ideas are just that, good starting ideas.

 

[FOTIS]

I think the new Tipped TSX is going to be good. HP cavity is quite larger too.

 

[Lars]

I have tried the TSX this fall and got two moose of experience so far.

They are far more accurate and foul a lot less than the old style did. I used a 200 gn. in .35 Whelen, loads on the slow side. The holes were a lot bigger with more meat damage than my previous experience with old style X in .270 win and .375 H&H.

All in all they worked really well, but the Struck by lightning effect Barnes brags about is pure bullshit. Both moose got two chest shots with one heart and lungs and one lungs only and at least one of them got the heartshot first. Neither got far but thay stayed up 10 - 15 seconds.

E-tip next year if I get them around 250 gn in .375 or 200 gn. in .35

 

[FOTIS]

Cograts Lars

 

[Guy Miner]

Just got my second mulie kill using the 100 gr TSX. This one punched through the shoulder, tore the heart in half and punched out the other side... DRT.

 

[SJB358]

I have been using the 225gr TSX in my 35 Whelen, loaded over 60gr of R15. Seems to be pretty accurate with groups at the 1.25 mark pretty easily. I took an Idaho Black Bear this with it at 50 yards and had a strong quartering towards me shot, broke the bears front leg and penetrated all the way through the rear leg bone and came to rest under the skin. Bear was dropped instantly. Bullet mushroomed perfectly, but lost one petal. the load i developed was for elk, and I wanted a bullet that will break an elk down on an off angle shot, and this bullet seems to work very well. i have taken mule deer, moose, and caribou with the older X bullets and they have all performed very well, and they penetrate like gang busters. If your rifle likes them, I don't think you will be let down. Scotty

 

[Guybo]

I have a good load worked up for my 30.06 with the 130gr tsx. I wanted to shoot a lighter bullet but wanted one with good construction and the tsx fit the bill. I've only shot one deer with it so far and it performed perfectly. The shot was about 160yds and the deer fell right there. I didn't recover the bullet because it went through both shoulders and into the dirt. The hole going in was about the size of the bullet and the exit hole was about the size of a nickel leaving a very good wound channel in between. It took a little time finding the right load but once i did and got everything dialed in it's very accurate in my rifle.

 

[FOTIS]

Nice shooting Guybo. Congrats on your harvest!

 

[old #7]

I just loaded some for my 280 and 7mm mag. i can'y wait to get to the range. I am at the mercy of the weather now and the weather man said rain for a week. :evil:

 

[FOTIS]

Could be like here...50+ mph wind gusts! :evil:

 

[old #7]

We had that last week. The wind was blowing siding and roofing off.

 

[Racklover]

Here is what I got using a 160 TSX out of my 7 mag. Shot was at 60 yards thanks to the rolling hills.