Whitetail Advise

[Syriis]

I could use some advise, my sister and I will be deer hunting this year in SE Wisconsin. This will be our first year.

Where we hunt is public land Kettle Moraine Southern Unit, our shots will be limited to about 100 yards or so except maybe along the power line route but we aren't allowed to shoot using those lanes. I have 2 rifles at this time one being the Vanguard series 2 in 257 mag, the other a Remington 770 bolt gun in 300 win. mag. that gives me .78 Inch groups on the bench. Freehand I can only get a best so far, only 80 rounds down range so far, of 1.1 inch.

My sister will be shooting my Vanguard since she love the thing so much, I will be shooting my 300. My main question is this:

I'm sighted in with the 300 with 180 grain Barnes TTSX, under say 50 yards or so I have read about bullet blow up. Am I going to have issues with short range on the 300 with this round? Should I go heavier say 200 grain?

 

[junior71]

I could use some advise, my sister and I will be deer hunting this year in SE Wisconsin. This will be our first year.

Where we hunt is public land Kettle Moraine Southern Unit, our shots will be limited to about 100 yards or so except maybe along the power line route but we aren't allowed to shoot using those lanes. I have 2 rifles at this time one being the Vanguard series 2 in 257 mag, the other a Remington 770 bolt gun in 300 win. mag. that gives me .78 Inch groups on the bench. Freehand I can only get a best so far, only 80 rounds down range so far, of 1.1 inch.

My sister will be shooting my Vanguard since she love the thing so much, I will be shooting my 300. My main question is this:

I'm sighted in with the 300 with 180 grain Barnes TTSX, under say 50 yards or so I have read about bullet blow up. Am I going to have issues with short range on the 300 with this round? Should I go heavier say 200 grain?

Shoot for the lungs and you will be fine.

 

[Tikkamike]

The barnes will not blow up at any range. Break both front shoulders that whould anchor it instantly. I shoot Barnes bullets in 4 of my rifles and they are very good.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I'm sighted in with the 300 with 180 grain Barnes TTSX, under say 50 yards or so I have read about bullet blow up. Am I going to have issues with short range on the 300 with this round? Should I go heavier say 200 grain?

Bullet blow-up does exist, but not with the Barnes. Usually in the instance of inefficient penetration, you are looking at a "traditional" lead cored bullet of insufficient weight traveling at excess velocity.

Fear not just like Mike said, the Barnes aren't going to blow up, no need to aim for the lungs. Aim for the point of the shoulder, you will break both shoulders & zero tracking. Whitetail is no match for the TTSX, enjoy your hunt.

 

[junior71]

Bullet blow-up does exist, but not with the Barnes. Usually in the instance of inefficient penetration, you are looking at a "traditional" lead cored bullet of insufficient weight traveling at excess velocity.

Fear not just like Mike said, the Barnes aren't going to blow up, no need to aim for the lungs. Aim for the point of the shoulder, you will break both shoulders & zero tracking. Whitetail is no match for the TTSX, enjoy your hunt.

I shot a barnes 20 years ago that was way to hard! Wouldn't expand at 25 yards on front shoulders. So I really don't know the bullet they have now.

I do know, that telling a young hunter to aim for the shoulders, could end up ugly.

 

[RT2506]

Young or old hunter does not matter. If you can shoot place the bullet on a spot in the center of the front shoulder. If you can't shoot well enough to do that then DO NOT GO HUNTING UNTIL YOU CAN. Just pick a spot on the center of that front shoulder and shoot that spot. Forget about shooting a general place like shoulder of lungs. SHOOT A SPOT, tuft of hair crease in hide etc.

 

[J E Custom]

I could use some advise, my sister and I will be deer hunting this year in SE Wisconsin. This will be our first year.

Where we hunt is public land Kettle Moraine Southern Unit, our shots will be limited to about 100 yards or so except maybe along the power line route but we aren't allowed to shoot using those lanes. I have 2 rifles at this time one being the Vanguard series 2 in 257 mag, the other a Remington 770 bolt gun in 300 win. mag. that gives me .78 Inch groups on the bench. Freehand I can only get a best so far, only 80 rounds down range so far, of 1.1 inch.

My sister will be shooting my Vanguard since she love the thing so much, I will be shooting my 300. My main question is this:

I'm sighted in with the 300 with 180 grain Barnes TTSX, under say 50 yards or so I have read about bullet blow up. Am I going to have issues with short range on the 300 with this round? Should I go heavier say 200 grain?

There are several things that you can do for limited/close shots with the 300wm.

One is to simply load down to lower velocities(Your not looking for trajectory at 100 yards anyway)
You may substitute heavy bullets for the 180s but recoil will increase unless you load down.

A word of caution: if you use the ttsx they sometimes dont expand at lower velocities, so I would use something like the Accubond or Ballistic that will perform well at the lower end of velocities.

For close range I have also had great results with big/heavy Round nose bullets.

Remington also makes there 300 WM ammo in a managed recoil for about $30.00 a box if
you wanted to try this concept.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I shot a barnes 20 years ago that was way to hard! Wouldn't expand at 25 yards on front shoulders. So I really don't know the bullet they have now.

I do know, that telling a young hunter to aim for the shoulders, could end up ugly.

I'm somewhat confused, maybe I'm not interpreting correctly, please help me understand. How could a bullet that "wouldn't expand at 25 yards on front shoulders..." end up ugly? I don't usually call broken shoulders ugly. Please don't feel chastised, i'm simply trying to gain clarification. My statement was that Barnes bullets don't "blow up", you've pretty much validated my statement, albeit the original X is a far different animal than the TTSX the OP is talking about. I feel statements like that may induce an unvalidated fear for the readers that don't have first hand experience with a good bullet, especially in relation to the range the OP stated.

I have heard of a few lots of the original X being very hard (work hardening in the manufacturing process?), but try to keep in mind. That bullet hasn't been produced since Barnes introduced the Triple Shock (TSX) in 2003, nearly a decade ago. 2008 saw the introduction of the TTSX, being the tipped version of the Triple Shock, designed to provide a higher ballistic coefficient as well as increase expansion consistency. Bullets, along with all other things we use in life evolve & improve to meet our demands; is it the greatest bullet for every single hunting/shooting scenario a shooter can imagine? No; is any bullet perfect? Hell no. But for what the OP is looking for, I heartily feel there is no BETTER choice than the TTSX.

 

[Tikkamike]

I'm somewhat confused, maybe I'm not interpreting correctly, please help me understand. How could a bullet that "wouldn't expand at 25 yards on front shoulders..." end up ugly? I don't usually call broken shoulders ugly. Please don't feel chastised, i'm simply trying to gain clarification. My statement was that Barnes bullets don't "blow up", you've pretty much validated my statement, albeit the original X is a far different animal than the TTSX the OP is talking about. I feel statements like that may induce an unvalidated fear for the readers that don't have first hand experience with a good bullet, especially in relation to the range the OP stated.

I have heard of a few lots of the original X being very hard (work hardening in the manufacturing process?), but try to keep in mind. That bullet hasn't been produced since Barnes introduced the Triple Shock (TSX) in 2003, nearly a decade ago. 2008 saw the introduction of the TTSX, being the tipped version of the Triple Shock, designed to provide a higher ballistic coefficient as well as increase expansion consistency. Bullets, along with all other things we use in life evolve & improve to meet our demands; is it the greatest bullet for every single hunting/shooting scenario a shooter can imagine? No; is any bullet perfect? Hell no. But for what the OP is looking for, I heartily feel there is no BETTER choice than the TTSX.

I have to agree, in my opinion the old motor head saying "There is no replacement for displacement" applies big bullets going all the way through an animal especially in the shoulders is pretty devastating.

 

[junior71]

I'm somewhat confused, maybe I'm not interpreting correctly, please help me understand. How could a bullet that "wouldn't expand at 25 yards on front shoulders..." end up ugly? I don't usually call broken shoulders ugly. Please don't feel chastised, i'm simply trying to gain clarification. My statement was that Barnes bullets don't "blow up", you've pretty much validated my statement, albeit the original X is a far different animal than the TTSX the OP is talking about. I feel statements like that may induce an unvalidated fear for the readers that don't have first hand experience with a good bullet, especially in relation to the range the OP stated.

I have heard of a few lots of the original X being very hard (work hardening in the manufacturing process?), but try to keep in mind. That bullet hasn't been produced since Barnes introduced the Triple Shock (TSX) in 2003, nearly a decade ago. 2008 saw the introduction of the TTSX, being the tipped version of the Triple Shock, designed to provide a higher ballistic coefficient as well as increase expansion consistency. Bullets, along with all other things we use in life evolve & improve to meet our demands; is it the greatest bullet for every single hunting/shooting scenario a shooter can imagine? No; is any bullet perfect? Hell no. But for what the OP is looking for, I heartily feel there is no BETTER choice than the TTSX.

Well we use to shoot a ton of deer on crop damage permits. Back then we didn't have money for good bullets and shot whatever we could find cheap. "Yes, young and dumb, with no respect to the animal"!
We got a box of those old armor piercing bullets in 30-06. Long story short. I can tell you first hand that just because a deer is shot in the front shoulder does not meen he will fold up. The shoulder has to be hit perfect with those hard *** bullets. The old barnes was the same way. Miss the spot high and your **** out of luck. We even had deer survive those shots, and killed them the next year.
Even today with good bullets, there is not a lot of room for error shooting the shoulder. Esp. for someone just starting out. I advise aiming at the crease until they get a few deer under their belt. I don't know the op, and he may not know broadside from quatering away?
This has nothing to do with bullet performance, and the TTSX is a good one from what I have read.

 

[Syriis]

Well I can tell ya I know quartering away, toward, and of course broadside and how to shoot accordingly on a 3-D target to make sure my shot hit the vitals. Now mind you the best I have been able to do is 3-D handmade cardboard targets painted at varying distances but I have never had a live Whitetail in my sights, just the best I could do to get ready.

With that said the only time my shots are in question or my wondering if I can make the shot I choose not to even try. I have always been taught if I question the shot let it walk. My uncle was military, though he could never tell any of the family what he did, taught me how to shoot. With his teaching and lots of practice I'm very comfortable with my rifles to 400 meters and knowing the spacial orientation of my target. He did ingrain it in my head if you are unsure let it walk and obviously practice practice practice and when you think you got it practice some more.

 

[Syriis]

Thank you all for the replies, at least I know I can have complete confidence in the Barnes TTSX in the 300. Lets me know that once I get my reloading kit setup I can start loading the TTSX for my 257 Weatherby mag as well.

 

[junior71]

Aim center of the triangle, or the pink. Esp. if you feel buck fever coming! If they are perfect broadside, the closer you shoot to the right corner, the faster they go down. Beware, the target gets a whole lot smaller the closer to the right! Your shooting a 300, so you have a lil room for error. Your sister, not so much with the 257. Not trying to scare you, but this is more about ethics. A fast humane kill.
Practice for accurate speed. The faster you can get on your target, get still, and squeeze off a in the bull shot, the better hunter you will be.

 

[cahunter805]

You will be fine with your rifle and so will your sister bud. Just get out and practice. Dont just shoot off the bench either. Try some shots maybe from prone, off shooting sticks, or sitting. Practice in the field shots after shooting from the bench and verifying sight in. Build your confidence in the rifle and become familiar with it and the shot will be much easier when the time comes.