dcrimy
Dash
Africa-Life
Dec 8, 2017

Barnes 6.5 120gr TSX

Here is a picture of a Barnes 6.5 120gr TSX I recovered from the dirt bank behind my 100yd target. It is about 1/2" across & still weighs 120 gr on my scale. It was launched from my 6.5-06 at 3235fps which means it struck the dirt bank at about 2970fps. This is a very desirable mushroom shape with the 4 petals being very evident. None broke off. Perhaps bullets striking game will not be as perfect a mushroom . Striking dirt is brutal to a bullet..


7 comments0 replies
Andries
Dec 9, 2017Edited: Dec 9, 2017



340 gr Rhino Solid Shank from .375 H&H recovered from giraffe opposite humerus-scapula joint. I weighed it the same evening: 339 gr. Need the 2.5x calibre expansion to prevent exit as the shot on giraffe is upwards over the tree line.












300 gr Peregrine from .375 H&H recovered from Cape buffalo opposite skin- broke both shoulders and cut the top of the heart. That is what "mush-rooming" looks like. 98% weight retention.








I am looking for the photo of the 500gr Peregrine VRG-2 solid from a .458 3" Express that killed 5 elephant with frontal brain shots, taken after the first shot. They reloaded it 4 times for four more of the same. Peregrine is keeping it as a demonstration piece.





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Andries
Dec 11, 2017

Sometimes I think the homogeneous consistency of dirt creates a more consistent and easier rate of expansion and not as sudden as the diverse objects inside an animal like skin, then tendons and suddenly the radius of a shoulder bone then meat and then a angled rib, etc.

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dcrimy
Dash
Africa-Life
Dec 11, 2017

I agree very likely. Ballistic gelatin also does not tell the whole story. As another thought a 6.5 129gr Hornady bonded bullet was shot into this same mound of dirt ( sifted, no rocks ) at about 60 FPS slower than Barnes TSX. It peel back like a banana & now weights 62grs. Quite a difference.

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Andries
Dec 12, 2017

That peeled back 150gr Interbond from my son's .308W into the black wildebeest's shoulder at 260+ something yards broke all the bones and killed perfectly, but for heavier animals at 70-120 yards it is too light weight - he used it only because he knew the distance will bring impact velocity down to about 2,400 ft/sec. He knows the trajectory well and the Karoo plains game are never closer than 220 yards and mostly are light boned - the black being the heaviest, so he knew the bullet would behave well.


Had he been hunting the much heavier blue wildebeest at the shorter ranges up north where I live his choice will be 180gr PMP Pro-Amm impacting at 2,400 ft/sec and the result will be similar. He has not bought into premium bullets yet but only because he has a large stash of the Interbonds for the light stuff he hunts in the Karoo. I made the shift to Peregrines 18 months ago starting with the .416 Rigby and will never use anything else again in any calibre - like you and the Barnes. In the .303 Brit I use 168gr VRG-3/4.


Of course the TSX and TTSX are available here and have some followers, but they are expensive being an import and the silly buying power of our Monopoly money, so the locally manufactured Rhino series, GS Custom and Peregrines hold the market.

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dcrimy
Dash
Africa-Life
Dec 12, 2017

Interesting, that most shots for your son are 220 yrds & over & I take most of mine under 200. I understand that the Barnes are an import for you making them more expensive as the Peregrines are more expensive to me.. Seems we have opposite but similar situations.

Don't know if you've seen my Ruger stainless RSI 6.5x55. 18 1/2" Bbl. Very accurate. One of my favorite's. Of course I have several Favorites.

Give my best to your family & in case I forget , Merry Christmas & Gd bless all. Dom

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New Posts
  • Andries
    Aug 21, 2018

    Impressive Smack Down of a Cape Buffalo

    Discussion 
    Client Michael shot his very old, very large Cape buffalo from 55 yards with the .458 Lott. The 480 gr Peregrine VRG-2 mono-copper bullet went in one shoulder, broke through a rib, took the main arteries off the heart top and exploded the top and bottom chambers on one side, broke though an opposite rib and just missed the opposite humerus, made a calibre size hole through the skin and was gone. The old bull went down in his tracks like a bag of potatoes as if he was brain shot - the first time I have witnessed a heart shot Cape buffalo do that. Impeccable shot placement and outstanding behaviour by the Peregrine flat nose solid. Photos will follow.
  • dcrimy
    Africa-Life
    Dash
    Feb 15, 2018

    Bullet weight retention

    Discussion 
    The bullet on the left is what is left of a Nosler 6.5 125gr Partition. It weights 83grs after almost passing thru a mature muley buck & has expanded to about 33cal. . It struck no bone & was recovered under the hide on the opposite side. The deer went down so you would have to say the bullet worked. The buck was about 80yds away & the bullet was launched from a 260 Rem @ 2950 FPS. The bullet to the right is a Barnes 120gr TSX recovered from the dirt back stop behind my 100yd. target. It was fired from a 6.5-06 at 3235FPS. It expanded to 50cal & still weights 120gr. Years ago I relied a lot on the partition but due to what I see as a superior design I now only use the homogeneous copper bullets like the Barnes TSX & TTSX on elk. I have used the Barnes for years now on heavy game like elk with complete success & have yet to recover a bullet , so I can't display a recovered one. Like wise when the Barnes 6.5 TTSX100gr is used on mature deer it dependably passes completely thru. They perform like a bullet considerably heavier because they tend to retain 100% of their weight. For me this is confidence. Another point is that if a meaty part is inadvertently struck a C&C bullet like the Nosler & others can destroy large amounts of edible meat. The homogeneous copper bullets tend to keep meat destruction to a minim if struck. Since my main reason for hunting is the food source I very muck appreciate the copper bullets.
  • Andries
    Feb 15, 2018

    Grand Descriptive Names Mean Nothing

    Discussion 
    " Grand Slam ", " Game King ", " Supreme ", " Fail Safe " - you name them and they break up on big game. My latest experience is with Winchester Supreme " Ballistic Silver Tip " and " Fail Safe " bullets. Like Nosler Partitions the "Fail Safe" breaks up in two to three pieces, some which go right through but the amount of meat damage is unacceptably gross on the opposite inside of the animal due to tumbling and the bullet's innards flying about. The " Ballistic Silvertip " bullets behave identical to Nosler Ballistic tips - complete break up at the moment of entry with slivers of lead and copper deposited in the meat and huge exit holes on the light weight blesbok by the tumbling rear end. On big game at 30-06 impact velocity these bullets most probably will fail against the first resistance of shoulder and rib. Like the Nosler Ballistic Tip it is only good for brain shots. On a young black wildebeest the 165gr Winchester "Fail Safe" broke up on the scapula and first rib and made two separate holes, each the size of a golf ball on the exit side. Most of the opposite scapula had to be thrown away. Clearly both pieces of the bullet had tumbled after break up. Inside the meat was a mess caused by smaller diverse pieces. On a big blue wildebeest the exit damage caused by a number of "Fail Safe" bullets passing through the opposite side of the animal was a disappointing sight when the meat was processed. Because I am unfamiliar with the design I shall section a Winchester Fail Safe bullet and post photos here. Winchester "Ballistic Silvertip" bullets were used on blesbok for body shots. Meat damage was severe - exactly the same as my experience is with Nosler Ballistic Tips , Speer Grand Slam and Sierra Game King at 30-06 and .308W impact velocities.

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