I've heard great things about the penetration of Barnes TTSX. But 4 weeks ago I filmed my dad putting a 145gr eld-X through one shoulder and exit the other side of a big muley (it went four hobble steps before falling). I have quite a few 100 gr TTSX and 110gr ELD-X in my closet - when setting up for antelope and mule deer with my 25-06 - which would you recommend.
25-06…. Barnes 100gr TTSX Vs Hornady 110gr ELD-X
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john k
Well-Known Member
Which ever bullet your rifle shoots best and gives you best confidence. They are 2 entirely different bullets that both have good results with the game you are hunting. I promise you will receive great feedback with specific results on both bullets.
Of the maybe 20 comments I'll have here, that was probably the most insightful one I'll receive. Thank you.
Gary in MD
Well-Known Member
Yea, you have to choose the one that your rifle shoots well. I have used the TTSX out of my 257wby with great success so that would be my pick out of those two.
I do not think you can go wrong with either bullet, I think both bullets will perform well. I would also suggest seeing which bullet of the 2 shoots the most accurately and if you hunt in open country and have a possibility of a long shot I would also look at which bullet has the best ballistic coefficient because as you probably know the bullet with the higher ballistic coefficient has the better retained down-ranged velocity and energy.
Good luck with your decision
Jack
Good luck with your decision
Jack
I do not have any experience with the TTSX but I have heard it is a great bullet. I do however have a lot of knowledge with the ELD-X in 6.5 creed, 270 win and 300 win. It is a great bullet at distances out past 400 yards. I have dropped deer where they stood at 980 yds with the 143 for 6.5 and 1,000 with 212 for 300. Had to track every deer under 400.
ObiWanKannoli
Well-Known Member
I am a huge fan of the the ttsx, and while not as much of a fan of the eldx I've had great experiences with it. All that said if you want explosive on target performance the eldx is a better bet, if you want surety of pass through then the Barnes is your choice. I prefer pass throughs and being able to put the cross hairs on bone if need be, so I am partial to copper bullets in general. If you are going the copper route, it may be worth taking a look at the LRX from Barnes as well. Sort of an 'evolved' ttsx.
Sendero270
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My daughter has shot deer with both bullets out of a .243. The deer shot with the eld-x had a tiny entrance and no exit (no major bone structure hit). Blood trail was non existence. The shot was slightly low and back some, but the deer still only went 50 yards. The deer shot with the Barnes ttsx had a good entrance hole, went through heavy bone structure, and still passed. Excellent blood trail, deer went 40 yards. My vote goes to the Barnes in the .243 at least.
I only got into reloading about a year ago so I don't have different components laying around - the only ones I can find is the TTSX and the ELD-X. I like the being able to shoot at any angle though. Thank you for your opinion
Winfwt338-06
Well-Known Member
I have taken a lot of deer with Barnes buleets since 1991, and my bull. I worked at Barnes and shot their #3 loading manual data as well as all daily function and accuracy testing. I have not shot the ELD-X. I truly don't think, like the other replies, you will make a bad choice with either bullet. Deer are not difficult to get pass through performance out of a bullet. Base your decision on what shots best from your rifle and does your shot distance match the how the bullet is designed to perform. The ELD-X is designed to expand at extreme long range, and will retain more of its weight at those ranges. The TTSX will retain better weight and likely leave a larger exit at closer ranges and typically have less bloodshot meat, in my experience. If your shots are under 500 yards on average, my vote is TTSX. ELD-X further out. As long as your impact velocity is 1800fps and up the TTSX odds a to notch performer. Good hunting!
Battering Ram
Well-Known Member
This is a timely post since I just worked up a load for my 25-06 with the LRX bullet. I bought a box of ELDX 110 to see how they shoot. First: the LRX using Retumbo has given me an average of .8 over a 21 shot, 3 at a time plus cool down, string. I use Barnes exclusively in all my hunting rifles because I to want to have the ability to hold bone and get pass through. In my 6.5 PRC I use the ELDX 143. It killed the muley I used it on, but I was under 200 yards.
I used an average speed of 3260 to runs ballistics on the Barnes. 800 yards my bullet would be at 1800 foot lbs. I will update you with the eldx but at 3000 feet per second the same calculator shows my 1800 foot pounds at 775. I'm not advocating you shoot animals this far out but I'm demonstrating how close these to bullets are for down range energy. Barnes is great because it goes fast and passes through.
I shot a bull a few years ago with my 300 RUM at 760 yards and that is the first non pass through Barnes bullet I've ever had. I wil include the picture.
This year I helped my friend get his first elk and first animal ever. He used a Tula 300 WM and the Hornady 178 ELDX precision hunter ammo. At 600 yards neither of his rounds passed through. I saw them both hit the elk but she had very little reaction. Elk are tough but even at 760 yards my bull flipped over backwards when he was hit. At that distance last year my son drop his elk with a 300 win mag and a Barnes 175 LRX right there in her tracks. No bullet recovered because it was a pass through.
The first picture is the bullet recovered on my 760 yard bull. The second picture is where the two ELDXs hit the elk. I showed those to demonstrate these were rib shots and not heavy bone. The third is the eldx I recovered under the hide on the off side.
Let me know how your load development goes. My 25-06 belonged to my wife's grandfather. He and her grandmother were killed in a car crash this year and the rifle was given to me. I don't think he ever shot it. It's a 1972 model Winchester 70. I had to shoot it because I felt it would do the honor to Benny Gumm.
I used an average speed of 3260 to runs ballistics on the Barnes. 800 yards my bullet would be at 1800 foot lbs. I will update you with the eldx but at 3000 feet per second the same calculator shows my 1800 foot pounds at 775. I'm not advocating you shoot animals this far out but I'm demonstrating how close these to bullets are for down range energy. Barnes is great because it goes fast and passes through.
I shot a bull a few years ago with my 300 RUM at 760 yards and that is the first non pass through Barnes bullet I've ever had. I wil include the picture.
This year I helped my friend get his first elk and first animal ever. He used a Tula 300 WM and the Hornady 178 ELDX precision hunter ammo. At 600 yards neither of his rounds passed through. I saw them both hit the elk but she had very little reaction. Elk are tough but even at 760 yards my bull flipped over backwards when he was hit. At that distance last year my son drop his elk with a 300 win mag and a Barnes 175 LRX right there in her tracks. No bullet recovered because it was a pass through.
The first picture is the bullet recovered on my 760 yard bull. The second picture is where the two ELDXs hit the elk. I showed those to demonstrate these were rib shots and not heavy bone. The third is the eldx I recovered under the hide on the off side.
Let me know how your load development goes. My 25-06 belonged to my wife's grandfather. He and her grandmother were killed in a car crash this year and the rifle was given to me. I don't think he ever shot it. It's a 1972 model Winchester 70. I had to shoot it because I felt it would do the honor to Benny Gumm.
I agree with you on bullet performance. I shoot both the 257 Roberts and the 25-06. My conclusion on bullet performance mirrors your thoughts. If you enjoy eating venison and your shooting distances are 200 yards or less, don't hit bone other than ribs with the ELD-X. Stay in the rib cage. Of course, hitting bone with a TTSX, or any of the mono bullets on the market, will cause some damage, but nowhere near what happens with the ELD-X from my observations. The monos gives more consistent pass throughs as you indicated and FAR less meat damage from what I have seen. If keeping meat destruction to a minimum is not a concern, take your pick. Our family enjoys eating venison and as a result controlled expansion bullets have been getting the nod more and more.
As mentioned above, pick the bullet your rifle shoots the best. I have the 25-06 and the 257 Wby - have found the 25's to be picky on which bullet it likes best. Have shot both bullets, but for me pesonally, prefer the 110 ELD-X. Have had great luck with these on antelope hunts in WY and CO, shooting at distances from 200 to 700 yds.
Every deer I have shot with .243, 250, 6.5 and 30-06 with ELDx has died and went less than 50 yds. If close, bullet typically dumps all energy in deer with no pass through, but a few have passed thru. But damage internal is great. I have also used Barnes on many animals almost always pass thru. But animal almost always run, some quite far. But usually a good blood trail. Very different bullets but both work. For deer I like the eldx better.
