Barnes LRX vs cup and core bullets

[Colin78]

Nosler Balistic Tip hunting bullets have always been my go to and I trust them 100%. Get a bang flop 99.9% of the time. Problem is they are getting harder and harder to find. Seems like the Barnes LRX are pretty easy to get and I have some on hand I'm thinking of trying. My question is has anyone else switched from a cup and core like the NBT to the LRX? We're you disappointed in the performance on deer sized game? Our deer in Texas are pretty small and I don't want to have a bullet just pencil through leaving me tracking a deer more than 30 or 40 yards. I also don't want to have to make sure I hit bone every time. I typically do try to crush the shoulders but Im not perfect and sometimes end up hitting a little behind the shoulder. With the NBT is doesn't matter they die immediately anyway. Same for LRX? This will be in a short barrel 7 SAUM so with the 145gr would probably be going 3000fps.

Thanks.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Nosler Balistic Tip hunting bullets have always been my go to and I trust them 100%. Get a bang flop 99.9% of the time. Problem is they are getting harder and harder to find. Seems like the Barnes LRX are pretty easy to get and I have some on hand I'm thinking of trying. My question is has anyone else switched from a cup and core like the NBT to the LRX? We're you disappointed in the performance on deer sized game? Our deer in Texas are pretty small and I don't want to have a bullet just pencil through leaving me tracking a deer more than 30 or 40 yards. I also don't want to have to make sure I hit bone every time. I typically do try to crush the shoulders but Im not perfect and sometimes end up hitting a little behind the shoulder. With the NBT is doesn't matter they die immediately anyway. Same for LRX? This will be in a short barrel 7 SAUM so with the 145gr would probably be going 3000fps.

Thanks.

ELDM or ELDX bullets would probably be a close replacement for the NBT.

 

[Hela52]

Antelope are pretty light-framed. We shoot them with 127g and 129g LRX out of 264 WM and 270 Wby. Always try for lungs/heart not bone. Never had any problem. Bullets expand well and animals die very quickly. We love 'em!

 

[Ucsdryder]

Wife shot her antelope with a 145 CEB at 3k fps and I shot mine with a 180 eldm at 2780 fps MV, both out of a 7saum. Hers went 20 yards and mine was DRT. They're antelope, you can kill them with a well placed spit wad. The 145 has significantly less recoil which is why she shoots it, but neither recoil much at all!

 

[Colin78]

Wife shot her antelope with a 145 CEB at 3k fps and I shot mine with a 180 eldm at 2780 fps MV, both out of a 7saum. Hers went 20 yards and mine was DRT. They're antelope, you can kill them with a well placed spit wad. The 145 has significantly less recoil which is why she shoots it, but neither recoil much at all!

What is a CEB?

 

[Mike D Texas]

What is a CEB?

Cutting Edge Bullets.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Have had good results with the LRX bullets. They offer a good BC and compared to the standard TTSX they do have better energy transfer then the TTSX also. Like all solids, they thrive on speed. However, they are solid bullets and act as such in game, they will penetrate very deeply but do not expect the extreme visual energy transfer you see with ballistic tips or other lead core cup jacketed bullets. As mentioned, put one through the lungs and you will be punching your tag. They may run a bit farther then with the ballistic tip but that is of little concern with pronghorns.

 

[rooster721]

LRX is a terrific bullet... we shoot the 168's @3200 , and if I had a lifetime supply of that bullet, I'd never switch as far as anything hunting goes. We too shot Nosler Ballistic tips as our #1 back when driving a bullet as fast as possible so a guy could hold on hair at as great a distance as its trajectory straight-lined. But long range hunting/shooting evolved greatly since those days, the LRX was where we settled in the end.

You won't be sorry with the switch.

The bullets in my picture were rare finds, I pulled them out of a 50" northern Alberta bull moose a couple yrs back.. shot was pretty much 300 yards, and they plowed through alot of body. The only other LRX bullets I've ever recovered were out of an Elk, big 6x7 from up against the yellowstone 10/11yrs ago... shot on that bull was a full 700 yards. And 1 bullet stuck on the offside skin trying to break out. Performance has never let me down.

Today, my supply has all but run down to the last 300 bullets I could scrounge , and Barnes seems to have quit that 168 for some reason in favour of the 145's. So I'm looking for a new bullet again... hoping Hornady's entry to the long range solids and their CX bullets will rival or better the LRX, but only time will tell. CX is what I'll be working with this winter to see what merits it will hold after the Lrx supply dries out. Still hoping barnes quits it on the hind tit and starts shipping the 168's though.. they were **** good bullets

 

[Outlaw6.0]

Cutting Edge makes great bullets, I'm to the point of almost preferring them over Barnes. However, they are quite a bit more expensive but, they are almost always available as well.




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[coop2564]

The copper's work great until 2000fps and below, so there is a speed/yardage limit shorter than most cup and core.

 

[Fiftydriver]

The copper's work great until 2000fps and below, so there is a speed/yardage limit shorter than most cup and core.

We have seen good expansion with the LRX down to 1800 fps but for the standard TSX and TTSX i would agree with that 2000 fps window. As mentioned they do thrive on speed!!