120g Barnes TTTX: range report

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  • 120g Barnes TTTX: range report

    I know many have gotten away from this bullet for deer hunting but it's the one I bought 6 months ago and thought I'd check it out. Plus I just got my own chrony!

    Tried standard range of loads of TAC and 2520.

    Found one nice load that gave me a 0.7" group with 4 of 5 rounds... 2408fps, s.d.10. This was 28.6gr of TAC powder; Lapua brass; max mag length

    Does anyone see any reason for me to look toward 100g TTSX for my hunting load? Does anyone know what the minimum opening velocity for this bullet? Do my ballistics jive with others'?

    I think this is the load I'm going with....

    Thanks

  • #2
    Originally posted by mpstan View Post
    ...Does anyone see any reason for me to look toward 100g TTSX for my hunting load?...
    Depends on how you like to shoot when hunting. If you use a tactical scope and routinely adjust for the precise range, it may not matter.

    On the other hand, if you use a typical hunting scope or prefer not to be so careful with clicks out to 300-400 yards, the 100 grain TTSX does show a somewhat longer point blank range for the typical 10" vital zone.

    The added impact velocity will likely result in somewhat more expansion, hence better wound channel.

    Comment


    • #3
      I'm not a tactical guy... I have a 19.5 Hunter with a 4-16X Nikon Buckmaster scope with mildot reticle.

      Hunted once; never shot at a deer. All pretty new to me. 90% chance I'll be shooting within 100 yds; 100% chance within 300. At 300 I have an 18.5" drop or 1.7 mildots..... I should be able to make this adjustment shouldn't I?l

      Comment


      • #4
        You should be using a 200yd zero

        2.20" high at 100yds

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by mpstan View Post
          I'm not a tactical guy...90% chance I'll be shooting within 100 yds; 100% chance within 300. At 300 I have an 18.5" drop or 1.7 mildots....
          The advice from Warped is about as good as it gets with your description of hunting ranges.

          For deer, the 100 gr TTSX is probably an excellent choice. You could also look at the 100 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. Their website indicates it is good for "hogs, antelope, deer" and is good between 1800 and 3200 ft/sec.

          The trajectory should prove to be a tad flatter over your ranges with the lighter but still very effective bullets.

          Comment

          • gophernuts

            #6
            +1 on the 200 yard zero....It will make what you are doing much MUCH easier.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by mpstan View Post




              Does anyone know what the minimum opening velocity for this bullet?

              I think this is the load I'm going with....

              Thanks
              I called Barnes a few months ago and asked this very question. I was told that the TSX is 1800fps and the TTSX is 1600fps.

              Comment


              • #8
                I hunt the north woods of Minnesota and after 30 years hunting deer here, I have never had a shot beyond 100 yards. There are circumstances where I could feasibly get a shot out to 200 yards down a long stretch of logging trail, but that's about it. I sight in at 100 yards, regardless of the caliber. That having been said, I've always been a big Nosler Ballistic Tip fan. They're simply devastating in the deer. I have yet to need to search further than line of sight from where I shot them and I've only gotten skunked twice in those 30 years.

                I am however, getting tired of encountering and spitting out sizable pieces of lead. For every piece I find, there is a good chance I missed several. Lead is a toxin. It's health impact is worse, the younger you are, but it's still a toxin. Having recently tried Barnes bullets on the range, including water jug tests, I am impressed by their consistent reliable performance if I shoot them at the correct velocity. Use an online ballistic calculator and plan on a bullet rated for the slowest velocity you will encounter. They'll do fine at faster. Barnes bullets are ridiculously expensive, but they deliver the goods. Though I will not use them for load experimentation, I will use them for a box of hunting loads as deer season approaches.

                After 4 milk jugs full of water, this recently shot bullet weighed 200.7 grains when I loaded it and 200.7 grains recovered from the 4th jug in a line of 7. The first two jugs were rendered to shards. The third one was split open and the final resting jug did not show any adverse trauma other than a quarter sized entry hole.



                Loaded down and with grits filler to simulate a velocity at 300 yards after leaving the barrel at the same velocity the previous picture used, here's a picture of jug #7 as the bullet waved bye-bye and went on downrange.



                Zero expansion, though the first two jugs were split somewhat from the force of impact. It might as well have been an FMJ. In their defense, this particular caliber in the pictures has a terrible BC (my choice) and the 300 yard velocity was only 1175 fps. That particular bullet was designed for 1800 fps and the first picture was achieved 15 feet from leaving the barrel at 2300 fps. It is also not the TTSX model, but still demonstrates the precise performance you get from a monolithic bullet engineered from the get-go to behave a certain way. That precision costs, but so does a week in deer camp.

                Do your homework ahead of time, pick the right bullet for the velocity and they will do the job.

                Hoot
                Last edited by Guest; 08-01-2011, 02:19 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks for the insights guys. Great photo of an expanded TSX! I reworked my zero and come up with 2.5" high at 100 yds and a maximum point blank range of 265 yds (6" radius for vital area). I don't see shooting this far but if I do I'm at 1930 fps and 993 ft lbs. At 300 yds my holdover is one mildot (1869 fps).

                  Again, on paper I don't see why I should be considering the 100 TTSX everyone is talking about given my objective (easily less than 300 yd shots) since they seem to group sub MOA. But then again I've never shot a deer.....

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I am currently shooting 120 gr TTSX's from a 16" Lw barrel. 2359 fps using 30.5 of blc2. Shot a whitetail last week at 165 yds. He never took another step. I will work up some loads with 100gr ttsx to gain more speed.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Apexarms,

                      Welcome. Are you the actual Apex Arms? I have an Apex handguard on one of my blasters, and really like it. Cerakoted it FDE, along with the rest of the carbine.



                      Comment


                      • #12
                        This what they told me Mitch,

                        We would suggest the 6.5mm 100gr TTSX to maximize velocity of the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. We recommend use of the Hodgdon data for bullets of equal weight starting with minimum loads and working up as is customary with the reloading process. At your current velocity of 2300fps you will get good expansion up to about 125yds. If you up your charge you can get good expansion - another 100yds for every 200fps increase in velocity

                        Originally posted by mpstan View Post
                        I know many have gotten away from this bullet for deer hunting but it's the one I bought 6 months ago and thought I'd check it out. Plus I just got my own chrony!

                        Tried standard range of loads of TAC and 2520.

                        Found one nice load that gave me a 0.7" group with 4 of 5 rounds... 2408fps, s.d.10. This was 28.6gr of TAC powder; Lapua brass; max mag length

                        Does anyone see any reason for me to look toward 100g TTSX for my hunting load? Does anyone know what the minimum opening velocity for this bullet? Do my ballistics jive with others'?

                        I think this is the load I'm going with....

                        Thanks

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I am not the apex arms you are thinking if. I used to have a firearms business in Idaho called Apexarms and I still use the name from time to time.

                          Comment

                          • texasgrunt

                            #14
                            That APEX looks nice. Gives me an idea on how to set up my next build...

                            Grunt

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Shot 100gr ttsx's the other day out of the 16" barrel. 30.5 grains of xbr 8208 gave me an average of 2685 fps over 300 fps faster than the 120's. Hornady brass cci 450. These drop to 1800 fps between 450 and 500 yards. I will try these next year for deer.

                              Comment

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