Barnes TSX vs TBBC

[Hunter-Habib]

Hunter-Habib,

on your most recent hippo you shot with the Barnes TSX, was that a brain shot while in the water or a heart/lung shot on land? I am hoping to hunt hippo on land as well as Cape buffalo. I’m interested in hearing about bullet performance on your hippo. Shot placement, shot angle, penetration, etc… Thanks

Heart-Lung shot on land. The terminal ballistic effects are best summed up with the statement: “A picture paints a thousand words”.

 

[Fatback]

Hunter-Habib,

Wow. Obviously worked quite well. Congrats on a fine hippo. That is one animal on my short list. Will be trying to get one in 2023. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

 

[C.W. Richter]

So, at 100 yds (~max. distance for DG,) you've struck the U. R. corner of the L. Ventricle with the TSX and the L. R. corner of the same Ventricle with the Banded Solid (with an unnecessary follow-up shot.) 'Handloads for ea the 375 and 416 have typically shown the Banded solids to shoot 1" lower at 100 yds than Swift A-Frames. So, I dial the rifle in a bit higher for the softs at 100 and the solids are zeroed, which works out well for longer shots at PG opportunities, at distance, with the softs. 1-1.5 (even 2") off at 100 is negligible considering the size of DG. That's typical performance of low end factory ammo which drop millions of (much smaller) deer (at typical DG range) a year in the U.S. I'd much rather follow-up a buff facing away with that Banded solid than the TSX! I did find that the 375 TSX/Solid combo worked better using 350 gr bullets (they printed similarly) and per Kevin Robertson, it tends to perform more like a 416. IF you spend a lot of time playing around with diff powder charges for the soft vs. solid (The Vs and BCs due to length, shape, density diffs) are not exactly the same with identical powder charge) you can get them to print nearly indentically, but 1"+/- variation is essentially nothing when you're shooting at a 5 gal bucket <100 yds distant. Many double rifles dropping buff/ele/etc are off 1.5" using the same load/bullet combo due to barrel alignment. Good luck!

 

[Fatback]

Hunter-Habib

Did you get a complete pass through or were you able to recover the bullet from your hippo?

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Hunter-Habib

Did you get a complete pass through or were you able to recover the bullet from your hippo?

Fatback, I was able to recover the expanded Barnes T.S.X bullet from just under the hide on the opposite side of the hippopotamus.

 

[Inline6]

The only pass through I have experience with swift, had to put a cow down went through her head at 6 yards, my buffalo through the neck at 92 yards. 416REM

TSX was a 450gr out of my 458Lott. Broadside no pass through head on no pass through, neck pass through 20 yards. He was maybe 1300ish#s

 

[Vintageguy]

“TSX shooting 3 shots all touching in the bullseye”.
I’m interpreting that as “one hole” 3 shot groups. If I get that from a premium bullet that’s suitable for the task, my search is over.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Both are great bullets it’s really a matter of personal preference. I’m a fan of the TBBC, but it may be easier to find the Barnes.

 

[Fatback]

Vintageguy,

Not quite same hole but awfully close. The 3 at the top of the bull in a row were the TSX, the 1 in the bull and the 2 just to the right were the TBBC and the other 3 were the Barnes solids. This was at 100 yards off the bench

 

[Inline6]

@Fatback what is the weight of your trigger? When you say bench how are you set up?

 

[Fatback]

Inline6

Not sure on the trigger pull. It’s a bit heavier than I would like. I just got the rifle about a month ago. I’ll be taking it to a gunsmith in January to have him give it a good once over and see about lightening the trigger a bit. As far as shooting I’m just shooting off a table with sandbags.

 

[Inline6]

Inline6

Not sure on the trigger pull. It’s a bit heavier than I would like. I just got the rifle about a month ago. I’ll be taking it to a gunsmith in January to have him give it a good once over and see about lightening the trigger a bit. As far as shooting I’m just shooting off a table with sandbags.

The reason I was asking, elevation looks good. To me that means your breathing is fine, especially with you not using a lead sled. You have horizontal stringing which is more to do with trigger control (the reason I asked about the weight of pull).

Both TSX and TBBC will be more than adequate (it's good shootingfor sure). If you have a little work done to the trigger you will see more improvement. In the meantime, if it were my rifle I would dry fire the daylights out of it. Making sure the crosshairs never moved off target with each press of the trigger.

 

[Fatback]

Thanks for the advice. I’ve been doing some dry firing between rounds letting the barrel cool. I’ll definitely do some more. I am also doing some hunting with it here at home hoping to shoot a deer or pig with it just to see how it does.

 

[Inline6]

Thanks for the advice. I’ve been doing some dry firing between rounds letting the barrel cool. I’ll definitely do some more. I am also doing some hunting with it here at home hoping to shoot a deer or pig with it just to see how it does.

Have taken pigs at the feed with my 416REM and my 458Lott. The wind was right both times was able to get within 15 yards of them. It is good practice in more was than one.

Looking forward to the hunting report. BTW don't expect to recover any bullets. It's just not going to happen, the effect of the big bullets hitting them up close. Well they drop fast.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Also, a more precise aiming point on the target may assist in tightening up the groups, but that's still fine for DG (the 1.5" spread). Draw crosshairs in the center of the red spot and aim at that!

 

[Nhoro]

Start with your PH. Go with what he recommends. The two expanding bullets are close in impact and you can easily practice with barnes and re- zero to the tbbc- that solves your availability problem.

As for correcting your benchrest technique- i admire everyones perfectionist attitudes but it is a big bore rifle. Zero then get on sticks and offhand and shoot like you will in the field.

 

[Fatback]

Nhoro, that is exactly what I intend to do. I’ve been able to get about 100 rounds of the TBBCs so I’m good there for quite awhile. I’ll practice with the TSXs and probably hunt deer and pigs with them here at home and re-zero with the TBBCs before heading to Africa. I appreciate all the input and insight. This forum is great. Thanks all

 

[fourfive8]

I’ve used TBBCs, TSXs and A-Frames for PG and buffalo. They all perform similarly. One thing though, once you get a shot into a buffalo all bets are off as to having ideal conditions for choosing bullet placement and bullet track. That is the time max penetration through whatever may become premium. Getting any bullet to penetrate through a barrel of wet fodder is a trick

Also impossible to predict pass throughs and potential of hitting animals behind. Make sure before you head out- you, the PH and trackers are all on same page for warning each other about animals behind.

 

[Nhoro]

Nhoro, that is exactly what I intend to do. I’ve been able to get about 100 rounds of the TBBCs so I’m good there for quite awhile. I’ll practice with the TSXs and probably hunt deer and pigs with them here at home and re-zero with the TBBCs before heading to Africa. I appreciate all the input and insight. This forum is

It is nice when we all think alike. My advice to you is that bullet placement is far more important than the actual bullet- so practice, practice, practice. Then enjoy your hunt!