Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 80gr ttsx

The 80gr TTSX in a 243 loaded over 4350 or 4831 is a good starting point. I Texas heart shot a big boar pig running away from me at about 100 yards with one and found it in the neck while skinning him.
If looking for another good mono choice look at the Hammer hunter 80gr also.

Never tried that one, do like Hammer bullets.

My last deer was taken with a .358 Win shooting a 178 gr. Hammer. The bullet did frag and whacked that WT, big time. Could see satellite exit wounds around the core exit.

I sent the 24HCF link to the Hammer web site, showing several photos. I got a nice reply from Steve Davis, pointing out frag exits. I hadn't noticed. Steve knew what he was looking for and what he was seeing.

Here's the exit picture from inside the chest cavity.

DF

I’m sure they would. Our lease is acquiring a few hogs so I may get to test your theory.

Pictures, of course....

DF

Of course


We would see sign just occasionally of hogs but the past year they’ve been there consistently. I’ve not hunted it this fall but I’m fixing to ease that way.

I’ve had great performance using the factory Barnes 80 gr. loads. My sons have shot approximately 10 whitetails with all being DRT. I shot a large axis buck with that load and surprisingly found the bullet under the hide on the offside. Was a marginal hit that was too far back but he only ran about 50 yds. Recovered bullet is advertising-worthy.

I have harvested a few antelope with a .243 shooting 85 gr TSX's

IMR-4350 @ 46.0 gr, Lapua brass, GM210M, vel 3185.

BTW 0.100 off the lands, three shot cloverleaf at 100 yards.

All one shot kills.

I believe that is the bullet used in Barnes Vortex 243 factory load. If so, a couple years ago I shot a spike buck in central Michigan through both lungs at around one hundred yards. Bullet passed through the rather small deer and a blind person could easily follow the blood trail the forty ish yards the deer ran before stopping.

Micky

We use the 55gr ttsx is the .223 as well. Only one of the deer has taken a step after being shot and it poured blood as it ran 40 yards.

Well I’ve got a sample size of 1 so far, but after all I’d read on here I wanted to give them a try this year. Running them a little under 3300 and 0.100 off the lands puts 5 in a little over 3/4” and that was good enough for me to quit messing with it.

Doe hit at 170 behind shoulder through lungs went about 40-50 yards, crossed a fence and died conveniently in the road on the other side, saving me a few gate openings. Did not go back to see what the blood trail looked like. Could eat to the hole as others have said. I’ll shoot a few more after Christmas.

My hunting buddy uses the factory Barnes Vor-TX 80 grain TTSX loads in his .243. He switched to this rifle and load after a couple of shoulder surgeries .

He has killed one 191" typical mule deer, and half a dozen Montana whitetails, the largest 150+ inches around 250 pounds. All shots within 300 yards with no repeat shots necessary.

His shoulder has healed enough where he could go back to his larger rifles...but he still uses his .243.

Manny

The have some in stock at Midway

Not exactly what the op asked about but I’ve used the 80 grain .25 ttsx at 3,400 FPS muzzle velocity out of a 25 WSSM Winchester stainless featherweight model 70 on Wyoming pronghorn antelope, African warthog & African impala. Good results, one shot quick kills on all. All 100-150 yds.

Recovered a bullet on the warthog which broke a front shoulder & came to rest under the skin on a rear hip. All the pedals had broken off. He traveled about 25 yds before keeling over.

Yup. Those frag exits are super easy to see. That one did good.

80s out of friends 243 has never blinked. No clue the speed though.

Have not used 80s in 257 wtby. Makes me want to warp em just to see. Can't imagine that more speed would be worse but then again you just never know.

If I had an inkling to use the the 257 again I'd try it on a few deer.

Though I don't feel that 100 yard run to death is a big deal. I know it can be to some. Mostly the death runs we see can vary so much. The only thing we said mostly on 157 and 100 ttsx was they generally didn't make it much more than 30-50 yards. Like the 243 and 80s and like our 10mm and 180 xtps. That said there is the now and then one that just seems to go further and harder for whatever reason.