This topic gets talked about a bunch: do I go to a mono-metal bullet for maximum penetration & bone crushing power or do I use a "conventional" bullet for a higher BC w/higher delivered energy & less wind drift at extended distances?
There is no easy answer here, for those harvesting muleys, whitetail & speedgoats at extended distances (greater than 500yds). I don't know if there is a need for a TSX or E-Tip, I honestly believe a VLD will work fine with proper shot placement.
Would I recommend using a VLD (i don't care the weight or caliber) on a 75yd broadside shoulder shot on a mature bull elk?? No a chance in this life time... as stated by many of our peers here on LRH, a bullet/cartridge combination needs to be tailored to your tasks (preferably the most strenuous). Just as you would select a tow rig, you probably shouldn't select an F-150 to pull your 40' 5th wheel camper. (although I'm often suprised at what I see on the interstate headed toward the mountains!)
Think of your bullet selection the same way, you are talking a Maximum distance of 500yds & probably much less, I would recommend the TTSX in the 140-150 weight (I don't believe there is any reason to go heavier). As stated in the post above, the Barnes has by FAR provided the most reliable results in the game fields. Keep the bullet weight on the mid-low side & CRANK the velocity, a fair number of LRH members as well as myself have found this to be the best way to achieve fantastic results from Barnes bullets.
This thought process sounds funny right? Why would I shoot a lighter bullet faster in a magnum cartridge? Won't it blow up like all the horror stories say it will??.... Lets take a look at why this works; first you start with a "conventional" bullet.... say a Partition. Most people I know who shoot Partitions use the 160grn partitions in a 7mm which is 10-20 grains heavier than any Barnes I would shoot in a 7mm. Why the difference? Because the Partition is designed to shed weight like it's a contestant on the biggest loser while the Barnes is designed to retain it's weight & penetrate farther. So we put a 160 Partition next to a 160 grn Barnes (or E-tip or GMX) on a perfect standing broadside Mule Deer and we will notice that the mono-metal bullet zips right through our critter providing somewhat substandard performance (my experience) while the Partition sheds up to 50% of it's weight (all over the inside of the animal- yay) & most of it's energy in the animal (most of the time) doing exactly as it was designed to.
Now we drop the Barnes weight down to a 140 TTSX, Crank the velocity (My hunting partner is running over 3200 in his factory 700). Now we are going to have a higher impact velocity, which will increase the hydostatic shock upon impact as well as help or MUCH tougher bullet expand & punch through those shoulder bones that like to eat the bullets with lesser integrity. With the increased velocity the bone fragements tend to travel farther & cause more trauma in the wound cavity. The bullet retains it's shape, thus less worry about deflection inside the animal, no time spend picking pieces of core & jacket out of you meat while you are field dressing your anmal & dumping nearly the same amount of energy in the animal while still exiting (a must to me) providing double the blood loss & easier tracking (if applicable).
It was put to me like this, if you take a bullet that was designed for a broadside shot on an elk lets say... this bullet is designed to expend all of it's energy in the ~24in of the elk's chest cavity & either stay in the chest or exit with very minimal energy/velocity. We have spotted our trophy animal & have to RUN our hardest to the top of the ridge to catch him before he goes out of sight. We flop to our stomach, chamber a round in our trusty rifle & try our hardest to settle the crosshairs behind the shoulder of our trophy... breathe, breathe, (stupid cross hairs won't stay still!!) exhale, squeeze....BOOM!!
%$#@#!! our shot has gone farther back than we wanted, now our prize bull is headed full steam ahead towards the thickest timber you have ever seen & the only shot we have is an
extreme raking shot to get into the vitals. Do you really think a bullet that is designed to shed up to 50% of it's energy in 24in of animal has ANY chance whatsoever of penetrating a full 48in of excited elk to reach the vitals??
I won't be betting my elk hunt on it any time soon... Keep in mind the above "soapbox stand" is my experience & opinion only, I shoot a LOT of Barnes Bullets, my hunting partner, my father & his hunting partners all shoot Barnes bullets; Why do you ask (there so darn expensive) Because they have provided us with the best chance possible at cleanly harvesting our animals.