7mm 140 gr Barnes TTSX for deer/wolf hunt


I have not used the TTSX bullets, but have the TSX in both a 7mm STW and a .338 Win. Mag, both on deer and generally with no more damage to the meat than if using a more traditional cartridge like a 30-06 or less. My son also used a .300 Remington Ultra Mag in Wyoming on antelope, taking a nice buck at 360 yards. The exit was minimal.

As to overkill, I guess it can be said that I don't need either a 7mm STW or a .338 Mag to anchor thin skinned antelope or whitetail deer, but I don't pay much attention to the "overkill crowd." I use what I like and enjoy it. That's what it's all about. Actually I have shot about as many antelope and deer with a 25-06 and 100 gr. Speer SP bullets, all with good results. But I love the flat trajectory of the STW and the 140 gr. TSX as well as it's drop-dead performance. It surpasses any bullet I have ever used with regards to performance, and the accuracy is fantastic.

While most of the animals taken with the TSX have had little meat damage, occasionally one does have some larger exits, so nothing is certain.

Here is Vicfox (Dave) from Australia on a Wyoming hunt with me, using my STW and 140 gr. TSX load where he took a mule deer, at 91 yards as I recall.






Dave and a small antelope taken with the STW.






Yours truly and a mule deer buck and antelope, both taken with the STW. The mule deer was at 137 yards
and the antelope at an approximate 80 yards.








This is a whitetail buck I took with a 210 gr. TSX from my .338 Win. Mag. at a distance of about 75 yards.
The entry wound can barely be seen, and the exit is not bad at all. The deer jumped and ran maybe 5 yards,
which is unusual. Most just drop on the spot.






The exit side.








This is the exit on the .338 Mag whitetail. I photoshopped the blood off around the exit, but the exit wound is untouched.
Now I admit that not all wounds are this clean and some have more damage on the offside, but in general the TSX doesn't
destroy a lot of meat, but it sure does anchor deer-sized animals. I did shoot a small antelope a little too far back and it
spilled some intestines on the offside. Nothing is etched in stone nor text book perfect on every shot.






This mule deer buck was taken by a buddy using my STW and 140 gr. TSX, shot across a canyon at 388 yards.
The bullet hit a bit high and you can see the exit. Still not bad considering the caliber and velocity.








I'm not sure how a TSX might perform on a wolf. No doubt it would hit hard and with authority, but it's a guess as to the
damage it might cause in exit. I will say however, that if you use your .280 with a conventional bullet, you may get
wounds as bad or worse depending on the bullet.

From what I have read, the TTSX is slightly more fragile than the TSX. If you have time before the hunt, it might be worth
a try to see if you can still get the accuracy out of a TSX like you do the TTSX. Just a thought. I personally would prefer the
non-tipped version for the wolf.

To answer Dan Brothers question of whether they run or drop on the spot, in my experience most of the animals my buddies
and I have shot with TSX just drop right there. There have been a couple of exceptions out of maybe 10 animals where they
ran a short distance.

Here is a compiled video of a Wyoming hunt in 2010. The first downed antelope (dropped on video) was one my son shot at
360 yards with a .300 Remington Ultra Mag and a 168 gr. TSX. The mule deer that dropped on film was the one posted above
that I took with the STW at 137 yards. Later in the video you can see me dragging it and see the exit high in the back with
very little wound. The second antelope dropped on video was my son's with a .257 Arnold Mag and a 100 gr. Sierra SP.









Here is a trailer to the hunt Vicfox and I did in 2011. The first antelope downed is one I took with the STW and TSX load
at about 180 yards. Notice it dropped so fast it bounced.









Tecumseh, sorry if I posted too much. Just wanted to give a good account of my experience with the TSX bullets.
Good luck on your hunt, and I hope you fill both tags. Be sure to post the results along with some photos.


 
I use Barnes bullets exclusively in my 7mm RUM. I have shot everything from 120 gr to 160 gr TSX and TTSX bullets.
On my trip to Africa last year, of the 12 animals shot with my 7mm RUM and 160 gr Barnes TSX bullets, every animal was anchored right where they stood and only one bullet was recovered. I shot my Blue Wildebeest through both front shoulders and the bullet hung up just under the skin on the opposite side. The terminal velocity and internal damage was incredible.
My PH just shook his head and said he absolutely loves the Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets and recommends all his clients shoot them.
I now shoot the Barnes 145 gr LRX bullet that I matched to a CDS dial on my Leupold scope. I too ignore the "overkill" crowd and would put my rifle and load up against any of them. For Wolves, I think it would be an awesome combination.
 

UPDATE to the TSX.

This evening my son took a 9-point buck on the family farm with his .300 Rem Ultra Mag and a 168 gr. TSX. As would be expected, the bullet passed completely through on a broadside shot at about 70 yards or so. The entry and exit wounds were tiny in and tiny out, but there was good damage on the inside. The bullet clipped the upper part of the heart.

The deer ran probably 80-100 yards and left very little blood trail, which is unusual for both. Normally deer and antelope drop on the spot and the very few of the ones that have run left more blood.

Here's some photos.







Entry Wound






Exit Wound








In this photo I erased most of the blood so the exit wound can be seen better.






Here is a view of the inside when we opened up the deer.




 
Nice Buck, David.

300 Rum at 70 yards, glad he had enough gun to get there !
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Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeDavid, is he running a muzzle brake ?

No muzzle break, just the factory barrel.
 

You know Tim, some guys can handle larger caliber rifles and others can't. It's just a fact of life and not saying anything bad about those who can't. I think it just goes from individual to individual as to their tolerance. I hear some guys that can't handle a 30-06, which to me is a relatively hard kicker, yet it's a pretty common round.

My son and I both shoot large calibers fairly often. I guess the mildest is the 7mmSTW. We shoot a regular .300 Win Mag, a .35 Whelen, .444 Marlin, .338 Win Mag and a 375 H&H. To my shoulder, the 375 is milder than the .338 Win Mag.

If I shoot from the bench I begin to feel the pain after a few rounds, so I use a recoil pad on my shoulder. In the field under hunting conditions, I rarely notice it.

My son and I could just as easily use a .243, 25-06, 7mm-08 or 270 for deer since we have them all, and have taken deer with them all, but there is just something appealing about the larger calibers to us, kind-of like Elmer Keith as I mentioned earlier. He essentially thought anything less than a 44 Mag or 333 OKH was for sissies. I don't share the sissy thought, but I just like the larger stuff, and the Barnes TSX helps control the meat damage quite a bit.

It's all what a guy likes and that's what makes it enjoyable.
 
I've got nothing against the big stuff,esp if the shooter can handle it. Horsepower is nice when done right.

I got to shoot a 300 Rum imp a year or so ago. It had a break on it and it was so fun to shoot. Even more so when it's someone elses ammo .
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The 338 win is more brutal than the 375, I've been told that.
 

One time I sighted in a .338 Remington Ultra Mag for a neighbor -for deer hunting! That was pretty intense from the bench.
 
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