Fiftydriver
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Well, this past week I was able for the first time to test the 265 gr Tipped TSX bullet out of my 338 Allen Magnum. The rifle was one of my 32" Xtreme Heavy Sporters that I made for a customer.
The customer wanted a bullet option for closer range hunting, 500 to 800 yards on game up to elk size critters. Now the 300 gr SMK is my standard bullet choice for the 338 Allen Magnum but at 500 yards it will turn into nothing but scraps with the AMs velocity potential. Past 1000 yards, it performs great.
Looked around and noticed that Barnes had their 265 gr TTSX out. First off, let me discribe this bullet a bit. Barnes lists them as having a BC of roughly .570. In all honesty, this is a mystery to me. Here is why. When I set this new bullet next to a 300 gr SMK with a BC in the .800 to .820 range when fired from my 338 Allen Magnum, the first obvious difference is that the TTSX bullet is roughly 0.075" longer. In fact, its not much shorter then the Barnes 300 gr VLD!
The Ogive design is nearly identical to the 300 gr SMK in profile and length. The boat tail design is SLIGHTLY shorter then the SMK but not by much. Seeing this, I had a very hard time believing that this bullet had a BC of sub .6.
For testing this rifle, the customer wanted me to test the 300 gr SMK, 300 gr Rocky Mountain Aluminum tipped bullet and the 265 gr TTSX. I did some quick velocity development at the shop and was impressed to see that with 148.0 gr of H-50BMG, the 338 AM could drive the 265 gr TTSX to a legit 3500 fps, 3497 fps on average to be specific for five shots. Extreme Spread was 18 fps. Not amazing but plenty good.
A few days later I was able to get out to the range and test these bullets. I started with the 300 gr RMB loaded to 3300 fps and zeroed the rifle at 1100 yards. After testing those bullets I switched to the 265 gr TTSX. The first shot landed dead center in the group that had been made with the 300 gr RMB. This impressed me. Does not say alot about the BC value but with the same sight adjustment, it impacted at exactly the same point as the 300 gr RMB which is advertised to have a BC in the .97 range. To be fair, I believe the BC of the 300 gr RMB is closer to the .850 range from what I can tell comparing it to the 300 gr SMK.
Accuracy was very good for the Barnes. I shot three, three shot strings and 8 of the 9 shots landed in a sub 5" cluster. The one shot did fly a bit to the right to open the total group to around 3/4 moa but that easily could have been me with a slight pull or the wind catching me a bit.
I was very impressed to see how well this bullet shot at this level of velocity. Obviously there was no slippage of the lands even in the 1-10 twist at this velocity.
Giving this bullet a conservative BC of .750 with a 3500 fps velocity, at 1000 yards, this bullet should retain just under 2400 fps and have just shy of 3300 ft/lbs of retained energy. THis should be PLENTY for complete expansion on game. In fact, Barnes says that this bullet will expand at velocities as low as 1600 fps. I find this a bit optomistic from what I have seen from other X bullets but even if we put a velocity limit of 1800 fps on this bullet, it will reach out to 1600 yards with 1800 fps and a retained 1900 ft/lbs of energy.
Remember these numbers are with a conservative BC of .750. I would not be surpised to see the BC of this bullet be in the .83 to .85 range but I have not proven that with testing at several different ranges and figuring moa adjustment needed for these other ranges. IF it does have a BC in the .85 range which again, would not surpise me, it will retain 1800 fps out to +1800 yards. For a true extreme terminal performance bullet, this is most impressive.
When I was done with the accuracy testing at 1100 yards, I drove over and recovered some of the fired bullets. The SMK will be in a mangled ball of copper and lead when fired into this wet sand at this range from the 338 AM. THe RMB remains were pretty limited. There were some larger jacket frags but not much more then that.
I only found a couple of the Barnes bullets. Not sure if the others bounced out of the dirt and were somewhere on the hillside but the two I Did find were laying on the top of the impacted sand, each had fully expanded to the base of their HP. Each had lost one part of one petal but other then that, looked picture perfect retaining 90 and 92% of their original bullet weight.
Now I have just started testing these bullets but so far, Accuracy is right there with the 300 gr SMK and that is saying alot. Velocity is very high, consistancy is good and so far terminal performance looks impressive. My only real worry is how these bullets will expand on soft hits at long range, such as clean chest impacts on smaller game such as deer and pronghorns. Only one way to test this though!!!
I will also be testing these bullets in my 338 Allen Xpress where I suspect they will be able to be driven to 3200 fps. Even at this reduced velocity, they should still retain 1800 fps out to 1450 yards or so.
I have never been a huge Barnes bullet fan. In fact I distain the old standard X bullet. I fully admit that the new TSX design is a vastly improved bullet but it has also always been a bit weak as far as long range expansion was concerned. The tipped design will hopefully solve this problem. Time will tell.
I also ordered in several other of the TTSX bullets to test in my Allen Magnums. Namely the 200 gr TTSX for my 300 Allen Xpress and the 120 gr 6.5mm TTSX for my 6.5mm Allen Magnum.
The 200 gr TTSX is another impressive bullet. It is easily 50 thou longer then even the 240 gr SMK!!! I am hoping and expecting to see this bullet reach 3450 fps in my 300 AX, excited to see!!! I can drive the 200 gr Accubond to 3500 fps in my 300 AX with a 30" barrel length so time will tell.
The 120 gr TTSX is another neat bullet. Only slightly shorter then the 142 gr SMK or 140 gr A-Max. The 142 gr SMK can be drive to 3550 fps in a 30" barrel length so who knows what the 120 gr TTSX will be able to handle and it should also be able to survive the impacts as well!!!
Time will tell, will keep you all posted.
The customer wanted a bullet option for closer range hunting, 500 to 800 yards on game up to elk size critters. Now the 300 gr SMK is my standard bullet choice for the 338 Allen Magnum but at 500 yards it will turn into nothing but scraps with the AMs velocity potential. Past 1000 yards, it performs great.
Looked around and noticed that Barnes had their 265 gr TTSX out. First off, let me discribe this bullet a bit. Barnes lists them as having a BC of roughly .570. In all honesty, this is a mystery to me. Here is why. When I set this new bullet next to a 300 gr SMK with a BC in the .800 to .820 range when fired from my 338 Allen Magnum, the first obvious difference is that the TTSX bullet is roughly 0.075" longer. In fact, its not much shorter then the Barnes 300 gr VLD!
The Ogive design is nearly identical to the 300 gr SMK in profile and length. The boat tail design is SLIGHTLY shorter then the SMK but not by much. Seeing this, I had a very hard time believing that this bullet had a BC of sub .6.
For testing this rifle, the customer wanted me to test the 300 gr SMK, 300 gr Rocky Mountain Aluminum tipped bullet and the 265 gr TTSX. I did some quick velocity development at the shop and was impressed to see that with 148.0 gr of H-50BMG, the 338 AM could drive the 265 gr TTSX to a legit 3500 fps, 3497 fps on average to be specific for five shots. Extreme Spread was 18 fps. Not amazing but plenty good.
A few days later I was able to get out to the range and test these bullets. I started with the 300 gr RMB loaded to 3300 fps and zeroed the rifle at 1100 yards. After testing those bullets I switched to the 265 gr TTSX. The first shot landed dead center in the group that had been made with the 300 gr RMB. This impressed me. Does not say alot about the BC value but with the same sight adjustment, it impacted at exactly the same point as the 300 gr RMB which is advertised to have a BC in the .97 range. To be fair, I believe the BC of the 300 gr RMB is closer to the .850 range from what I can tell comparing it to the 300 gr SMK.
Accuracy was very good for the Barnes. I shot three, three shot strings and 8 of the 9 shots landed in a sub 5" cluster. The one shot did fly a bit to the right to open the total group to around 3/4 moa but that easily could have been me with a slight pull or the wind catching me a bit.
I was very impressed to see how well this bullet shot at this level of velocity. Obviously there was no slippage of the lands even in the 1-10 twist at this velocity.
Giving this bullet a conservative BC of .750 with a 3500 fps velocity, at 1000 yards, this bullet should retain just under 2400 fps and have just shy of 3300 ft/lbs of retained energy. THis should be PLENTY for complete expansion on game. In fact, Barnes says that this bullet will expand at velocities as low as 1600 fps. I find this a bit optomistic from what I have seen from other X bullets but even if we put a velocity limit of 1800 fps on this bullet, it will reach out to 1600 yards with 1800 fps and a retained 1900 ft/lbs of energy.
Remember these numbers are with a conservative BC of .750. I would not be surpised to see the BC of this bullet be in the .83 to .85 range but I have not proven that with testing at several different ranges and figuring moa adjustment needed for these other ranges. IF it does have a BC in the .85 range which again, would not surpise me, it will retain 1800 fps out to +1800 yards. For a true extreme terminal performance bullet, this is most impressive.
When I was done with the accuracy testing at 1100 yards, I drove over and recovered some of the fired bullets. The SMK will be in a mangled ball of copper and lead when fired into this wet sand at this range from the 338 AM. THe RMB remains were pretty limited. There were some larger jacket frags but not much more then that.
I only found a couple of the Barnes bullets. Not sure if the others bounced out of the dirt and were somewhere on the hillside but the two I Did find were laying on the top of the impacted sand, each had fully expanded to the base of their HP. Each had lost one part of one petal but other then that, looked picture perfect retaining 90 and 92% of their original bullet weight.
Now I have just started testing these bullets but so far, Accuracy is right there with the 300 gr SMK and that is saying alot. Velocity is very high, consistancy is good and so far terminal performance looks impressive. My only real worry is how these bullets will expand on soft hits at long range, such as clean chest impacts on smaller game such as deer and pronghorns. Only one way to test this though!!!
I will also be testing these bullets in my 338 Allen Xpress where I suspect they will be able to be driven to 3200 fps. Even at this reduced velocity, they should still retain 1800 fps out to 1450 yards or so.
I have never been a huge Barnes bullet fan. In fact I distain the old standard X bullet. I fully admit that the new TSX design is a vastly improved bullet but it has also always been a bit weak as far as long range expansion was concerned. The tipped design will hopefully solve this problem. Time will tell.
I also ordered in several other of the TTSX bullets to test in my Allen Magnums. Namely the 200 gr TTSX for my 300 Allen Xpress and the 120 gr 6.5mm TTSX for my 6.5mm Allen Magnum.
The 200 gr TTSX is another impressive bullet. It is easily 50 thou longer then even the 240 gr SMK!!! I am hoping and expecting to see this bullet reach 3450 fps in my 300 AX, excited to see!!! I can drive the 200 gr Accubond to 3500 fps in my 300 AX with a 30" barrel length so time will tell.
The 120 gr TTSX is another neat bullet. Only slightly shorter then the 142 gr SMK or 140 gr A-Max. The 142 gr SMK can be drive to 3550 fps in a 30" barrel length so who knows what the 120 gr TTSX will be able to handle and it should also be able to survive the impacts as well!!!
Time will tell, will keep you all posted.
