Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 80gr ttsx

Opinions please on 80gr ttsx in 243 at high velocities. Seen a lot of talk about these bullets performance on deer. I am concerned about shock effect vs cup core bullets.

I really don't have any experience with that particular bullet but Ive shot a few dozen deer with a .224 50-55gr TSX and TTSX and it shocked them enough to kill them quickly. So I'm guessing the 80 grain would be good.

This is what I would have thought.

Killed one, only one, buck with the .25 cal. TTSX out of my 250 AI. MV at 3250fps, shot was at 80 yrds. Deer ran about 30 yrds. Inside was mush, but I could eat up to the entrance and exit holes. Fact the exit hole looked like a 4 bladed broad head had passed through.
Very accurate too.

For the past four years I have used a rather mild load of RL19 under the 80gr TTSX.

My average velocity of 2971 fps has given me great accuracy and one shot kills on hogs and whitetail deer. On hogs I aim for the head or neck and on deer the little TTSX punches through both shoulders with little blood shot meat. All of these shots so far have been under 200 yards.

The 80 TTSX works great and the recoil is very light. I say give it a try!

What is "high velocity"?

I've used .22. .25, and .26cal mono-bullets at 3,100-3,350fps and I've had good results. Lung hits had decent damage, while shoulder/bone hits were best. I've not really experienced a lot of "shock" with any 6mm projectiles on deer/hogs, but I've generally shot 95-105gr stuff at somewhere around 3000fps.

80 gr. TTSX at 3,600 fps out of my .240 was less than acceptable.

Huge blast effect on the rib cage, only min pass thru damage in the chest. Deer went 100 yds, had to be found with lights at night in the woods.

Never again, that bullet in that gun for WT's. This .240 is now a dedicated 100 gr. NPT rifle, shoots that one better than all. The 80 TTSX was very accurate, I just didn't like the terminal performance at those speeds.

At .243 velocity, the 80 TTSX could be OK.

DF

Yep, I remember you reporting that. And somebody else was shooting the .257 80 grainer at warp speed in a 257wby and it was doing something similar, remarking that it was consistently terrible at that speed.

Seems like a good spot for the lightweight monos is 2800-3400fps, when ranges are reasonable.

I think Hanco has reported fine results from the 243.

It’s an accurate bullet. And Barnes generally doesn’t give a velocity ceiling, so that’s why I was pushing it that hard.

I’ve concluded that very low S.D. bullets (even monos) at warp speed may be too much of a good thing. The only way to know that is to have done that.

DF

I have been loading the 85gr TSX in my 243, and for both my sons (a 243 and a 6mmREM) since they were little. Performance has always been complete pass throughs and decisive kills with one exception. The exception was one buck that I shot literally at 5 yards. It still died but the bullet broke up upon impact. All the pieces went into the heart and did not go far.

I will still load this bullet but may back off on the load just a tad.

I'm running 100 gr TTSX out of a 257 WBY at 3675 and every deer I have shot has been DRT.
I know that you are asking about the 80's in .243 cal and the two are not the same, just providing info.
I have a 6mm PRC and I am shooting 95 LRX at just over 3500 FPS but have not shot a critter with them yet.

An 80gr TTSX out of a 243Win at about 3200-3300 fps should be the tits.

Whether for good or for bad, I wouldn't put too much stock in a sample of one.

I've had fine results with the 80 TTSX at 3400 fps from a .243AI.

I’ve posted a picture of the gory carnage before. PM me, if curious, for carcass “evidence”.

DF

Agree, a series of one isn’t a series.

But with so many good options, I sure wasn’t gonna camp out there.

Moved on, never looked back.

DF


Edited to add. Was thinking. Maybe 3,400 is on the edge, 3,600 a tad over the edge. And who knows where the edge is unless it’s pushed to the edge.

I run them around 3200fps from two of my 243’s. They have performed excellent for me on whitetails.

No issue with accuracy. Bet they’d whack a porker.

DF

Grandkids have killed many deer, many, many pigs with that bullet

Hanco, care to share usual bullet placement, speed and load? Barnes load data leaves a lot to be desired. How far off the lands?

Thanks in advance.