TSX v. Etip V. GMX

[Derek M.]

Well, naturally, with the recent threads on TSX/TTSX controversy, I'm inclined to ask if anyone is having similar, not-so-favorable results from similar bullet makes.

I would think that since the TSX style bullet has been around the longest, more hunters will have the most experience with these bullets over the newer Etip and GMX by Hornady.

Does anyone have a comparison on similar hunting situations, such as same bullet wt from same rifle on same type of game? i.e., 30.06, 180 TTSX v. 180 GMX v. 180 Etip all on, say, whitetail or moose or elk?

I have tons of Barnes bullets on my shelf and have no intentions of stopping their use so long as they continue to give me the 100% favorable outcomes I've seen in the last 7 years. But I'm interested in any Etip and GMX news as well.

 

[jimbires]

Derek , I hope you don't mind me piggybacking on your thread .

guys , if you have any on game information please include that and also accuracy information and how easily you found accuracy . Jim

 

[Derek M.]

Derek , I hope you don't mind me piggybacking on your thread .

guys , if you have any on game information please include that and also accuracy information and how easily you found accuracy . Jim

Looks like we're after the same info. Of course I don't mind. What concerns me is both Nosler and Hornady stated to me many times over the years that they had no intentions of a non-lead bullet to compete with Barnes, nothing was on the drawing board, etc. Then, suddenly, they both have non-lead bullets. I don't know if this is in response to the lead ban in California where the soon to be extinct anyway condor is or if it is to compete with Barnes or both or what.

So, I can't help but think that speed was the priority in fabricating their product, v. lots of testing. I don't know. But it reminds me of the endless promises made by Hillary Clinton that she didn't have, had no intentions of, had no interest in running for the presidency, yet she strategically ran for Senator in NY, got elected, and ran for president.

 

[Wildhog]

I have killed 2 180# plus hogs and a 6pt 150# with superformance 270 win 130gr gmx. shots were from 100yd to 200yd plus. All fell dead in tracks. Complete pass throughs and lots of wound channel damage. rifle savage 110 3 shot groups at 100yd .5 moa. Im going to reload sone for my 7 rem mag. Hope this helps.

 

[Derek M.]

Yes, it helps. Thanks.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I have killed animals with the tsx,ttsx and etip. Never a recovered bullet. All animals dead. The ttsx and tsx are easy to load for to get accuracy. The most accurate of all hunting bullets I use. I can weigh a box to seperate out the bullets and they are always dead on and one pile. The only bullet company I can say that for. Perfect performance on game. They all die quick.

The etip is very temperamental to load for and can produce quick and erratic pressures with near max loads producing extreme velocity spreads. I had to back off my loads 100 fps from other bullets to get acceptable accuracy. This to me takes away the bc advantage it holds. The 150 grain 30 caliber is the one I have experience with and the .469 bc is attactive. For me it has been very difficult to load for.

I have not shot an animal yet with the gmx.

 

[Wildhog]

This is the first copper type bullet i have ever tried. I usually load nosler accubonds and like there performance. I just happened upon these gmx bullets. My wife bought 2 boxes of hornady custom 270 win 130gr sst from sportsman warehouse and the cases were sticking in chamber after fireing. I sent them back to hornady after calling them and explaining the problem. They replaced them with 2 boxes of superformance 270 win 130 gr gmx. They said the cases on the custom ammo wasnt shrinking after firing and this was causing them to stick. they said they have had this problem with the custom line of ammo before. It is produced with a lower quality brass case than the superformance.They also said they ran pressue test on the ammo I sent back which was acceptable. I beleive Im going to try the ttsx after reading your last post. thanks for the imfo

 

[Shootin4fun]

@Wildhog - Geez, their "Custom Ammunition" is made with a lower quality brass than the Superperformance?? I'm surpirsed this isn't all over the web blogs. After all, they only introduced Superperformance ammo recently - a few years ago now. What does that say about their "standard ammo" brass? One wonders - Did they downgrade all their brass when they came out with Superperformance ammo, or did they come out with a better brass FOR the Superperformance ammo?

I have never had that sticking problem with Remington Core Lokt or Federal Power shock (both basic ammo - old school SP bullets) or Vital Shock in 270.

 

[tpbscha]

I have only used the 210TTSX in my 338RUM. Groups are just under .5" at 3278fps. Took a frontal shot on a Kudu @ 160yds and the bullet angled up into the spine and finally came to rest at the back of the stomach. Recovered bullet was a perfect mushroom and weighed 206gr. Broadside shot on a Red Hartebeest at 278yds was a complete passthrough through one shoulder exiting behind the far shoulder with a quarter size exit hole. Wildebeest dropped at 387yds with a shoulder shot. Complete passthrough near shoulder exiting behind the far shoulder.

 

[jpeaston]

First off, I have never shot the etip or gmx. The major majority of my experience is with .243, .257, .270, and .284 with first and tipped generation barnes bullets.

I live in the lead free zone in CA, and have had to deal with copper bullets for couple of years. Because of the drought of shelf ammo, I sort of became to nighborhood reloader so guys around me could hunt legally here. Here are some tips that I would personally recommend to someone starting in with these.

1. Don't use them if you don't have too for most hunting situations discussed on this particular forum.
2. Use the tipped version, they seem to expand better.
3. with most factory twists, use a lighter bullet than your current lead set up.
4. dont believe the perfect little mushrooms you see in the magazines at 2000fps.
5. when shooting under 200 yards in the vitals at 2600fpsplus, you are good to go, and there may not be a better bullet available.
6. when bullet-animal contact will be at less than 2600fps, I prefer to hit bone(pin shoulders) to get them to open up.
7. confirm drops, BC seems a bit high at sea level.
8. most of the combinations that I have reloaded for, would have no problem gettin .5 to .75 moa at 300yds, but would really open up fast past that.

I did try some Cutting Edge Bullets in a 25-06, and did not have any luck with them in the accuracy department, but admit that the barrel was at the end of it life. The packaging and appearance of the bullets and uniformity were A++, and I suspect they would shoot accurately with a good set up.
I am not an expert by any means, and alot of reputable guys on here have had success, in the .308 and .338 calibers, I have no experience with those. Maybe the larger diameter would help expansion, which is my biggest reason why I don't like them.

 

[bruce_ventura]

Looks like we're after the same info. Of course I don't mind. What concerns me is both Nosler and Hornady stated to me many times over the years that they had no intentions of a non-lead bullet to compete with Barnes, nothing was on the drawing board, etc. Then, suddenly, they both have non-lead bullets. I don't know if this is in response to the lead ban in California where the soon to be extinct anyway condor is or if it is to compete with Barnes or both or what.

Nosler and Hornady introduced their non-lead bullets when Barnes' patents expired. The threat of a patent infringement lawsuit kept them out of the non-lead bullet market before then. Both companies tried to best tsx/ttsx performance but did not appear to succeed.

I started using Barnes bullets because I'm in the Ca condor area. Now I use them for all big game and varmint hunting (too much trouble to develop loads for other bullets, I guess).

 

[RTK]

Does anyone else have any information to add?? Unfortunately I live here on the left coast and am supposed to shoot lead free

 

[lloydsmale]

I killed 3 deer and wounded and lost 2 with tsx bullets last year. So my opinion of them isnt to high. I also shot 4 deer with etips out of one of my 7mags at ranges from a 150 to 350 and all were drt kills. they gave complete penetration and had a much better wound cavity then the barnes bullets did.

 

[brentc]

I never had issues with the Etip after putting hundreds down range and across a chronograph in a 300 WSM. I like them a lot better than the Barnes simply because the Barnes copper composition fouls every barrel I've used them in badly. I decided I liked spending more time shooting than cleaning copper out of my barrel after every 20 rounds down the tube.

I followed Noslers recommendations for seating depth by starting at .050 off the lands and found a load quickly. My load ended up shooting 3/4 MOA or better at 3200 fps with a 168 Etip, which was more than adequate for the limitations I had already placed on the rifle. They were DRT medicine on whitetails, pigs, auodad and Red stag.

I don't shoot them much anymore because I choose to go with heavier bullets with a new 300 WSM that has a longer magazine that allows me to reach the lands with my handloads.