130 TTSX(Barnes)30 cal

[nagantguy]

Wasn’t sure where to put this, going on a back country elk hunt in CO, have been killed elk and hunted this terrain before rifles sighted in been doing hikes and runs all year - gear checked and rechecked - I’ve a question for those with experience killing big game with the Barnes 130 TTSX out of a 30 cal rifle.
my plan is to switch rifles every day between 3. The rifle in question is an 18 inch LR308- bushmaster lower , DPMS upper and JP barrel .it shoots really well and the AR fits my hunting style and after my years in the core find the platform very familiar and comfortable.
because I’d never played with them and actually saw a few boxes at my local gun store I got some of the 130TTSX and man do they shoot in this rifle, and fast - 2860 with my Varget recipe. First 3 shots at 100 went into a just under half inch group. This will be a walking around timber rifle and don’t plan on shots over 300-400 yards with this combo. I know conventional wisdom is that one can go lighter with a mono bullet and expect as good or better penetration than from traditional cup and core or controlled expansion bullets. 130 enough for elk?
Rifle was and can be quickly sighted back in for 180 grain bullet but this lighter round gives better accuracy

 

[bullseye13]

130gr ttsx at that speed kept within 3-400yds is more than adequate.

 

[larryh128]

I've shot a bunch of 130 TTSX out of a 06. Lightning in a bottle on deer. Never shot an elk but there were a bunch of guys using them on moose in a 300 WM. If they work on moose you certainly won't have an issue on elk. I wouldn't be afraid of shooting very large bear with them. Amazing bullet.

 

[bullseye13]

They just need to be kept above 1800fps for reliable expansion. As long as that happens whatever you hit in the vitals is dead.

 

[diggler1833]

Unfortunately I'm sitting on a few hundred 130gr TTSX for my .308, but haven't got around to loading them and using them on hogs.

FWIW, I get about the same penetration (6.8 SPC) with the lighter 95gr TTSX as I do the 120gr SST. I’ve killed probably ~50 with each bullet in that chambering.

I've noticed that the lighter TTSX in .264 and .277 don't expand quite as much as their heavier counterparts. The exit wounds when comparing 120gr TSX vs. 100gr TTSX in the 6.5 Grendel, and 110gr TSX vs. 95gr TTSX in the 6.8 almost always favors the heavier bullets. In regards to killing though, I haven't noticed enough of a difference to rule out the shooter.

 

[SkyScrapin]

Why are you switching between three different systems? Different terrain?

Having a backup is fairly important, but haven’t heard of anyone switching between multiple systems.

 

[Rifletuner]

When my son was 14 or so, I loaded up 130gn Barnes TTSX in his 308 Win to give him a lighter recoiling bullet combo that was still capable of good terminal performance on larger game. He only shot one sambar deer (a little smaller than elk, but bigger than say mule deer) with this load, but we found the bullet performed well in that one case.

 

[nagantguy]

Why are you switching between three different systems? Different terrain?

Having a backup is fairly important, but haven’t heard of anyone switching between multiple systems.

Switching rifles from day to day is something you’ve never heard of? I do it quite often as there are lots of rifles and unfortunately only a handful of good hunting days every year. And yes terrain will very greatly- depending on day and location but our best producing areas seem to be a few pockets of “dark timber” or what I call tall trees filled with brush and dead falls. So on most days in our best areas a shot at over 200 would be all but impossible. And the days we hunt above conundrum creek where I can see 6-7 yards in every direction I’ll lug the 7mm WBY .

 

[nagantguy]

Here is a why I’m thinking of using this rather light Barnes bullet- not only does the rifle carry very nice especially with the mountain sling but it shoots these little pills very well. Standard playing card center heart was POA- this is the second sub half inch group at 100- and the scope isn’t dialed in for them yet and the scopes top magnification is 6. I’m very pleased and never expected this kind of accuracy from someone else’s problem rifle that I got in trade and definitely feel I got the better end of this trade- actually this is the rifle that led me to snipershide! The reading and advice here on mix o match LR308s got the bugs worked out and the rifle working 99.7% of the time. And shortly there after caused me to buy a Begara HMR and start shooting my old 300 and 7mm weatherbys at longer ranges .
so again the high points- Very good trigger, accuracy exceeds my expectations for the platform/optic, carries well, not to heavy and I’ve a high level of comfort hunting with the AR platform- 5.56,300blk 450 bushmaster and now 308. All set up very similar.

 

[SkyScrapin]

Switching rifles from day to day is something you’ve never heard of? I do it quite often as there are lots of rifles and unfortunately only a handful of good hunting days every year. And yes terrain will very greatly- depending on day and location but our best producing areas seem to be a few pockets of “dark timber” or what I call tall trees filled with brush and dead falls. So on most days in our best areas a shot at over 200 would be all but impossible. And the days we hunt above conundrum creek where I can see 6-7 yards in every direction I’ll lug the 7mm WBY .

Right, I pack in with horses and ATVs which limits space and carry capacity. I take it you aren’t facing these same limitations which is cool

 

[SkyScrapin]

Here is a why I’m thinking of using this rather light Barnes bullet- not only does the rifle carry very nice especially with the mountain sling but it shoots these little pills very well. Standard playing card center heart was POA- this is the second sub half inch group at 100- and the scope isn’t dialed in for them yet and the scopes top magnification is 6. I’m very pleased and never expected this kind of accuracy from someone else’s problem rifle that I got in trade and definitely feel I got the better end of this trade- actually this is the rifle that led me to snipershide! The reading and advice here on mix o match LR308s got the bugs worked out and the rifle working 99.7% of the time. And shortly there after caused me to buy a Begara HMR and start shooting my old 300 and 7mm weatherbys at longer ranges . View attachment 7706056
so again the high points- Very good trigger, accuracy exceeds my expectations for the platform/optic, carries well, not to heavy and I’ve a high level of comfort hunting with the AR platform- 5.56,300blk 450 bushmaster and now 308. All set up very similar.

Seems like you got yourself a shooter.

The ttsx have always performed well for me on game even at reduced velocity. The LRX is another great projectile that knocked down my bull last year. While I don’t get into the hunting Bullet v match Bullet debates anymore, the Barnes have always impressed me.

I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot those 130s at elk.

 

[nagantguy]

G

Right, I pack in with horses and ATVs which limits space and carry capacity. I take it you aren’t facing these same limitations which is cool

Gotcha; no space and weight are for sure considerations - but a we will be able to again this year get to our spot 1.5-2 days early and hopefully do a little fishing so hiking in two waves of gear isn’t that big an issue, and even if it was I’ve got 3 rifles tuned up and shooting so well I can’t decide between them and this CO elk hunt is our big only every 5-6 year thing so I’m going big rifle wise and other than food and bedding going very lite on everything else.
this year the whole group isn’t making the trip but the ones of us whom are “real hunters “ are all going fast and light- run and gun- from one “honey hole to the next “ places where we’ve encountered elk on many previous trips- all depending on weather and hunting conditions and wildfires and all those other variables.
some of the guys - most of us were in the Corps together, but some of the group only hunts every few years when we do a trip somewhere- deer bear elk pig ect. By real Hunter I don’t mean we know it all and are modern big game harvesting wonders just that we hunt several spices as many days as we possibly can every year and keep sharp varmint hunting year around , not just suit up once every few years and play Daniel Boone