Barnes TSX vs Swift A-Frame on Buffalo

[JG26Irish_2]

I am looking for input from a broad spectrum of this forum since it contains experienced PH's and Hunters alike. I am booked to hunt Cape Buffalo next year in 2025 and have been testing loads and plan to settle on that this fall in time to allow more practice and tuning with my chosen loads. I am not reloading for a variety of reasons and will work with factory loads. I will be using a 375HH CRF rifle. I thought I had settled on 300g Swift A-Frame with a pair of Woodleigh Hydro cup point solids in the bottom of the mag in event of a charge. But recent results by my PH and another client has given me cause for at least reconsideration. For reference, all three loads shoot to the same POI and all are very accurate in my rifle. When I take the trouble to shoot them at 100y off of the bench, they all shoot under 1" groups and more often than not those groups are closer to 1/2". We will not shoot at buff further than 100y away. In fact the ideal range should be 70-80y for the first shot. That is close enough for max impact while being far enough to allow time for at least two more shots by me should the animal want to charge and would also allow enough time for the PH to get in a pair of shots if needed. My rifle holds 4 rounds but if loaded carefully, you can get one in the chamber with four in the mag for a total of five.

Please read on and then offer your experiences.

I believe in always trying to learn more all the time when it comes to shooting, hunting, bullet performance, etc. My own experience is most important but it is more efficient to learn what we can from others. Until recently, I had never hunted with Barnes or Swift bullets. In North America, for most game those heavy bullets were just not needed. So, my experience was very limited. Most of my larger game were taken with 308 using 165g Nosler BT's or with 270 using 130g BT's. They worked so well, that I never needed much more.

In Africa on a recent PG safari, I took five animals with a 308 loaded with Fusion 180g bonded bullets and they were like hunting with Thor's Hammer. One shot and DRT in every case. I was uber impressed with them. I took one larger beast with a 375HH loaded with 300g TSX bullets and it did fine but also required three shots to finish it. Yeah the first shot killed it but it ran a short distance and then wallowed around until I could finish the job. Effective but less of a hammer than the smaller, faster 308.

My PH in Africa posted the pic below this morning from a client hunt on his reserve in SA. It was a particular Cape Buffalo bull that had a "Bad Attitude". I knew this bull having encountered him with a small herd of others while hunting plains game this summer at the same place. He called him a "Cheeky Bastid", lol. I was scheduled to hunt Cape Buffalo next year with him. This bull trotted forward to guard his herd from us when we got a bit too close. When he showed me this bull, I asked him about hunting for it next year? He said that unfortunately it had a date with another client later this year. A few days ago, the client dropped that bull with a 375HH. Since, I planned to likely use the same caliber on my hunt, I was asking him this morning which bullet was used and how well did it perform? I was pleased to learn that the client used a 375 and two of my Barnes 375HH loads that I had left with him this summer when I went home. I told him then, that he could use as much of them as he wanted, as long as he saved me a few for my buff hunt. I was very pleased to hear him report that the Barnes TSX was likely the most effective bullet on Buffalo that he had ever witnessed. He was even thinking about using them in his backup rifle in the future.

I have never had much experience hunting with these copper only bullets and was having trouble getting comfortable with them. My rifle shoots them great but I had the opinion that they are slow to expand and as such were slow to dump energy into the target. Perhaps that is by design? If you have hunted with these, please comment and share your results. Especially on Buffalo, but other results would apply as well.

 

[375Fox]

Both bullets will do equally well. I personally would pick the swift A frame because it reliably doesn’t exit but can’t say it’s better than the TSX in 375 H&H. I think you are looking at it wrong though. Barnes TSX and Swift A Frame aren’t rapidly expanding bullets that dump energy immediately. I’m not surprised you saw better results on medium game with your Fusions. They open faster and more easily and make a bigger immediate wound channel on the right shot. Swift A Frame and TSX are made for deep penetration and reliable performance every time and every shot. You are trading a big immediate wound channel for predictable bullet performance and deep penetration on large game, particularly shots on heavy bone where lesser bullets might break up and not penetrate.
I’ve taken buffalo with Swift A Frame, Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, and non-bonded federal soft points. I’ve hunted other game in Africa with Barnes X, TSX, TTSX, Accubond, Woodleigh PP, Hornady, and local ammo. I like predictable bullets even if it’s a trade off on certain species. I’ve tracked duiker further than any other game animal in Africa post shot because tough 375 bullets don’t open well on them.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Barnes TSX

Do you have 300 grain A frames in hand ?

 

[375Fox]

Barnes TSX

Do you have 300 grain A frames in hand ?

Loaded 375 H&H Swift A Frame is available from federal now and still available at Pendleton ammunition. Barnes has definitely had a much more consistent supply though.

 

[BryceM]

I've used A-frames only a handful of times. Out of a .375 on giraffe, it did the job, but mushroomed pretty well and didn't come close to exiting.

On buffalo, I used a 400gr TSX and it performed perfectly. The presentation was quartering toward me and the bullet took out the front shoulder on the way in. It penetrated the chest perfectly and was found on the far side along the flank. He went 100, maybe 200 yards. It shed 3 of 4 petals, but that's almost certainly due to hitting the shoulder bone square-on.

For dangerous game where penetration is crucial, I'd favor the TSX, but only if it shoots well in your rifle. It may not penetrate as reliably as a solid in the skull, but I'm guessing it would work in a pinch the vast majority of the time if called to do so.

 

[roklok]

I killed my (first) buffalo two weeks ago using a 300 grain Swift A-Frame. It performed very well, breaking rib on entry, tearing top of heart apart, breaking far rib before shattering humerus, lodging close to hide in far shoulder. Speaking with two PHs involved in my hunt, the A-Frame is their gold standard. That being said, the bullet was flattened a bit more than I expected, with a retained weight of 254 grains. The bull only went about 25-30 yards before dropping and expiring. The Barnes TSX is also highly regarded, but from what I understand leans a bit more to the penetration side and possibly a bit less "energy dump". I also observed a recovered .375 TSX at the skinning shed that only partially opened. Two petals did not peel back, but "kinked". I have used the 270 grain .375 TSX in Alaska to great effect on Kodiak bear, but decided to go A Frame for Buffalo. I really don't think you can go wrong with either.