Barnes copper bullets?

VikingsGuy

VikingsGuy

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Thinking about hand loading some Barnes copper bullets. I understand I should go down a little on bullet weight to keep fps up, but have two other questions:

For antelope, I was thinking 100gn TSX in my 25-06, but am concerned antelope may not be tough enough to provide proper expansion -- Your experience?

TTSX vs TSX, would like the added BC, but don't see the TTSX recommended as often on HT as TSC. Any thoughts on one vs the other in 100gn 25-06 for 'lope; 150gn for elk; or 120gn 7mm08 as all around?
 
I shoot 115gr TSX for antelope, deer, and occasional elk, never an issue with performance over 15 years in my 25.06, and that weight shoots plenty fast and flat. I also shoot TSX in my 375 and have had much better performance in the TSX over Nosler, Speer, Berger, and others. Just my opinion but any gun I own or plan to own will be shooting Barnes.

I prefer the TSX over TTSX as I don't shoot long ranges and the TSX has my preferred weights over the TTSX. I can't see why the TTSX wouldn't be a great bullet though.
 
We use a Lot of Barnes bullets and they ALL work flawlessly .
Every thing from 17 Hornet to 338/378 , 375 H&H and 45/70.
Most are TTS.
In my deer/antelope 6mm rem. I use an 80gr TTS at 3600 fps, They always open.
I have shot coyotes with it and would guess they open on them too.:hump:
 
If I were to use one of those type bullet's, it would be one with a plastic tip. Earlier one's without the tip were known to close up now and then rather than expand. I found out the same is true to a lesser degree with cup and core HP bullet's. They do that and it'll be about like shooting a solid. First I read about the reason for the plastic tip was from Wincheter. They admitted that one of the reason's for the tip was to assist in expansion. On an antelope I don't think a premium bullet is required at all, they are easy to kill and fragile enough that standard bullet's work fine. The antelope I have shot, just two, were both killed with the 117gr Hornady inter lock. They worked fine. I have shot a few animals with 100gr bullet's and they kill fast but you will not be able to eat up to the bullet hole if that matter's. Shot a porcupine with that 100gr bullet, exploded like a watermelon! Died instantly!
 
Im a big fan of the ttsx bullets.

I switched from 168 gr to 150 gr ttsx this year in my 308 for the added fps. I shot a bull at 226 yards and had a complete pass through. I'll be sticking with this combo this year. I would have no problem shooting an antelope or deer with this bullet either.
 
Dad has used Barnes bullets for years and always has good performance. I've tried them in my two main hunting rifles and neither one shoots them all that well. Guess I just got two odd ball rifles :confused:
 
I have been messing with these bullets for some time and growing to liking them more and more. Several years ago when I first used them in my Tika .308, I loaded up 150 gram TTSX with 46 grains of varget behind it and was utterly amazed at their accuracy. That following season I shot two blacktail, one at 50 yards and the other at 325. Both shots were complete pass-thru's and dropped them but required a follow up to finish them off. First deer as behind the shoulder and the second one at 325 was quartering away so it went in the back of the rib cage and through the shoulder. In both cases these were the messiest deer I had to clean and decided to go back to lead. Fast forward to last year when my youngest son started hunting. He started off on a family members 6mm rem as he was a little sensitive to recoil and decided to give barnes another try as you can shoot approx 20% lighter bullet compared to lead. Since this gun had the old 1-12 twist, it would not stabilize anything heavier then 85 grans and decided to give the 80 gran TTSX a try. Well just like my 308, the accuracy was amazing and to this date, he has shot two, both one shot kills at 75 and 80 yards. I can go on about my oldest son who shoots a Savage TH in a 30-06 and like my other guns, the accuracy is amazing and the performance on deer could not get any better.

Right now I'm working up a load with TTSX in my 338 and plan on shooting this if I draw an elk tag this year. One thing when you reload them, seating depth does make a huge difference in their accuracy so you might have to play with that to really dial it in, once you have it dialed in, I don't think you will be disappointed.
 
They're great bullets. I think all of the antelope I have shot have been with barnes and none of them have gone far at all. That is from a 7mm mag, but I don't see why the .25-06 would be much different. If I were building a rifle specifically for antelope it would be a .25-06 using barnes 100 gr.
 
This fall, my girlfriend shot a coyote with a 120gr. TTSX out of my 260 Remington. The bullet punched through the ribs, leaving a classic half-dollar sized exit hole, with some internal organs hanging out. While I don't think that the size of the exit hole is a very scientific way to judge bullet expansion, I feel confident in saying that this bullet expanded. Impact velocity was was probably in the high 2500 fps range, on a critter that is significantly smaller than an antelope.

I think that a 100gr. TTSX out of your 25-06 would be an excellent bullet for antelope.
 
375H&H said:
I shoot 115gr TSX for antelope, deer, and occasional elk, never an issue with performance over 15 years in my 25.06, and that weight shoots plenty fast and flat. I also shoot TSX in my 375 and have had much better performance in the TSX over Nosler, Speer, Berger, and others. Just my opinion but any gun I own or plan to own will be shooting Barnes.

I prefer the TSX over TTSX as I don't shoot long ranges and the TSX has my preferred weights over the TTSX. I can't see why the TTSX wouldn't be a great bullet though.
Click to expand...

I shoot the Barnes 235 gr XBT in my .375, works great but Barnes quit making the BT's, now they're flat base. I also loaded the Barnes X 260 gr. X bullet they shoot to the same point of aim as the 235's.
 
I’ve had great luck with the standard TSX. Never used the TTSX, but im sure they would be fine. If nothing else they will look sexier.

I’ve killed a pile of antelope with an 85 grain TSX out of my .243 and never had one not expand because they of the small body.
 
My hunting partner uses 180gr TTSX in his Kimber .300 WSM and it is a tack driver. He uses it from deer to moose. I am a Nosler fan but I purchased some to try in my .300 WSM.
 
I’ve used the TTSX in a 25-06 (80 gr) and 300 WBY (150 gr)

Never had a “problem” with them, but game does seem to run a little further and bleed a little less before tipping over. Accuracy has been very good. Plan to try some in my 7mm Rem Mag this year. 7mm/150 @ 3150 should be deadly.
 
In 2015 two antelope were felled by 85gr TSX fired from my 243. The first was a shot inside of 100 yards that resulted in a "bang-drop" complete pass through. The second antelope was taken via a shot that entered the right flank from 100 yards and was found under the hide on the offside shoulder. The bullet was intact and had expanded picture perfect. A 25-06 barnes pill will have no trouble doing the job as long as you do you part.
 
A few additional thoughts having used LRX bullets over the past few years. OP touched on it, run these light for caliber. The bullets perform well with speed. Additionally, you can afford to run them light because they retain weight so well. The LRX bullets I have recovered have all retained over 90 percent of the original weight. Barrel twist can be an issue. Because copper is not as dense as lead, the mono bullets tend to be longer than the same weight lead-based bullet. Longer bullets may require a faster twist. If you are handloading them, follow Barnes suggestion and seat them 50 thou off the lands when beginning load development.
 
180 grain ttsx at maybe 50 yards on a whitetail doe, this was the exit wound. Granted this is out of a 300 win so it was a bit excessive. I'm a fan of their bullets because I feel like they are the most reliable expanding bullets I've used.
IMG_1229.jpg
 
i too use Barnes bullets with fantastic results, i've only used the TTSX, very accurate, deep penetration, and DRT results every time.
 
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