.223 Barnes 70 Grain TSX Performance [Archive]

SkyPup

12-13-11, 12:17

I shot this 150 pound hog at 225 yards with a handloaded Barnes 70 grain Copper TSX bullet yesterday and recovered the bullet under his skin on the far side when I dressed him out, it definitely worked very well.

Bullet entered behind his elbow and blew out his lungs, he made it about 25 feet and DRT. :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TC%20Hog1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX2.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX3.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX4.jpg

C4IGrant

12-13-11, 12:19

Nice! Performed as advertised.

C4

SkyPup

12-13-11, 18:15

I have not weighed that slug yet but I bet it retained at least 99% of the original weight of 70 grains.

Seems kind of strange that those petals were not torn off since they were spinning about 300,00 rpms when they entered that hog?

Wetwork

12-13-11, 22:49

I wonder if the load would be too long to fit in a AR mag. I hate doing up compressed loads, they scare me. I run Barnes in my .270 and love'em.-WW

SkyPup

12-14-11, 06:20

It is not too long for a MagPul AR15 magazine and the powder (Hodgdon BLC-2) was not compressed.

You load the round up to flush with the highest ring on the slug.

Not a problem, although this is the longest bullet that I have ever used.

I took out my micrometer and measured the length of some of the different .224 slugs I've been using just to see how long the copper Barnes TSX really is, here are the results:

Barnes TSX 70 grain - 1.040"

Hornady Match 75 grain - 0.992"

Sierra MatchKing 77 grain - 0.985

Nosler Competition 77 grain - 0.982

Barnes TSX 62 grain - 0.945

Nosler 69 grain - 0.900

Sierra 69 grain 0.890

As you can see, the Barnes are the longest slugs on the market that will run in an AR magazine.

Ned Christiansen

12-14-11, 08:28

No problem loading this bullet to mag-able length, Black Hills and Asym both do it. I have shot it from a 1-8 twist and it was stable, but I'm told and I believe that it will be more accurate in a 7. Have also shot it in a 9 and even a 10 twist. To my surprise it did not keyhole with the 10 twist but accuracy was not good.

(Edited 7/12/12)

This is a mis statement-- I was thinking of something else. I found the targets from the above test and they 70 grainers DID yaw at 25 yards from 9 and 10 twist barrels.

Wetwork

12-14-11, 14:30

Thanks a million for the info gentleman. Looks like I'm headed to the store. I have a 1-8 twist so should be fun. I've been using the Nosler 77's and Hornady 68's. I figured the Barnes would be a long one so I'm thankfull someone else tried a few. Thanks again. -WW

SkyPup

12-14-11, 16:24

The slug weighs 69.9 grains, cannot beat that! :D:dance3:

ICANHITHIMMAN

12-14-11, 19:17

Shit it could have weighed that before the shot. I would say 100% weight retention and 100% expansion. Very impressive bullets arnt they.

SkyPup

12-15-11, 06:21

Yes, simply amazing bullet performance.:)

Ironman8

12-15-11, 07:29

What would you say is the effective range (for hunting) of this round out of a 16" barrel?

SkyPup

12-15-11, 07:33

What would you say is the effective range (for hunting) of this round out of a 16" barrel?

225 yards is my maximum effective range.

arizonaranchman

12-15-11, 07:39

Nice shot and outstanding performance on that bullet. It's not just bullet weight that counts, it's CONSTRUCTION. These solid bullets are nearly impossible to beat when it comes to maximum performance in expanding bullets. They hold together and give you every inch of penetration possible for larger animals. A tough 64gr bullet will outpenetrate a lightly constructed 77gr target bullet for example.

yellowfin

01-03-12, 08:48

Looks like an albino hog. Kudos to Barnes' excellent work indeed.

Stangman

01-03-12, 12:48

The slug weighs 69.9 grains, cannot beat that! :D:dance3:

That just sold me.

I've been looking for some good bullets to load for some hunting rounds for a while. Retaining that much weight is VERY impressive. Looks like I'll be calling up midway in a minute.

nineteenkilo

01-07-12, 20:23

That is perfect expansion and very, very good retention for the bullet/velecity from a 5.56.

Looks like I have yet another projectile to play with.:D:D:D

blasternank

01-15-12, 22:15

Thanks for posting this. I've really been looking at this bullet for my 1:8 twisted AR. I wanted something with a little more weight behind it for the hogs. I'm glad you recovered it so I could see how it performed.

SkyPup

02-02-12, 18:45

The Olight M-20 Crimson puts 225 pounds of fresh boar BACON on the table tonight!

Barnes 70 grain TSX @ 225 yards DRT.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/Night%20Boar/Night%20Boar.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/Night%20Boar/Tractor%20Night%20Boar.jpg

blasternank

02-02-12, 19:19

Nice! Where did you hit the big porker?

SkyPup

02-02-12, 19:37

This time I hit him right behind the shoulder in the ribcage but I can see a large exit wound mid-belly right in front of his wanker where the slug came out downwards, must have been deflected on some bone somewhere...you can see the exit wound right above the red light beam in the lower grapple photo....

SkyPup

02-03-12, 06:39

The electric sausage grinder was going late into the night last night! :D

I nailed him right next to the small live oak tree in the far right upper corner of this pic @ 225 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Decoy%20Caller/Decoy%20Long%20Range.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Olight%20M3X%20White.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Olight%20M3X%20Green%20Filter.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Olight%20M20%20crimson%20Red%20Led.jpg

SkyPup

02-18-12, 21:17

I just ordered a PVS-14 Gen3 PINNACLE Night Enforcer NV Optic and a Green LDI-DBAL-D2 Class 1 IR Laser with IR Illuminator and a LDI-ITAL Green Laser Pointer from Tactical Night Vision for my SIGs from TNVC.

Sure hope my new NV gear works as well as my Olight M3-X Green LED does @ 225 yards! :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/Green%20Boar/Woods%20Green%20Boar%202.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/Green%20Boar/Green%20Boar%201.jpg

SkyPup

02-20-12, 08:37

I had just setup for coyotes about 7:30PM in pitch darkness, no stars as there was a big storm coming up over us. Turned on my PB caller and did a couple of domain calls as there was a lone coyote male howling like mad out behind the house the night before at this time and I thought he'd probably be back again.

No sooner did five minutes pass and a herd of hogs came out of the woods into my little prairie opening.

Turned on the Olight M3-X with green filter and put the crosshairs of my Leopold VR-X 1-4 Pig Plex FireDot on his shoulder and pulled the SIG 556 trigger.

At 225 yards I could hear a nice THWAK when the bullet hit him and put him down, walked out and he started to get up so I shot him again in the head and he was DRT.

It was a big 325 pound boar hog. There were quite a few more that size or bigger in the group.

rob_s

02-20-12, 09:10

Timely. I'm using the ASYM version of this on Wednesday on hogs. Glad to see it's a good choice.

SkyPup

02-21-12, 13:50

Good luck and post some pics if you smack a snacker with the Barnes TSX...;)

SkyPup

02-26-12, 21:03

Could not go out target practicing today because it rained all day long, however I took the SIG 556 with an Olight M-20 Crimson out after dark and immediately shot this hog in the head at 100 yards DRT. :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/Night%20Hog/Red%20Boar.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/Night%20Hog/Red%20Boar2.jpg

jimmyp

02-27-12, 06:52

How did you mount the Olight to your scope? Wonder will it fit in one of the rail mounts? I have a green light on order but its on back order right now, it comes with a rail mount, but I would like to have a red light for another gun.

also I have been pretty happy with the 62 grain TSX over 26.5 grains of TAC as fired from a Colt Carbine, its actually quite accurate even though I struggle with the Colt trigger.

SkyPup

02-27-12, 07:20

It is better to mount your light out in front to avoid flashback through your scope:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/556%20LED%20Top%20Front.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/556%20LED%20Front.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/556%20LED%20Top.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556/Troy%20Rail/Close%20Side.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556/Troy%20Rail/Front.jpg

SkyPup

02-27-12, 07:51

Postmortem is a brain stem/C1 hit…instant death, DRT.

SkyPup

02-29-12, 06:07

Man this ITT PVS14-17 is awesome, one shot @ 255 yards in the head with a handloaded Barnes TSX 70 grain dropped right there! :D

Wish I had this nice piece of NV gear 5 years ago...

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/Night%20Hog/PVS14%20Night%20Hog.jpg

SkyPup

03-03-12, 09:20

Here are some pics of my SIG 556 Night Vision Hog Killing build with a Shooting Sight Match Grade Trigger, ACE Folder, Troy BattleRail and Eotech 556 NV holosight, Eotech 3X Magnifier, and ITT PVS-14 Pinnacle Night Enforcer.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/556%20Left%20PVS%2014.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/556%20Left%202%20PVS%2014.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/556%20Left%203%20PVS%2014.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/556%20Right%20PVS%2014.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/556%20Right%202%20PVS%2014.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/556%20Right%203%20PVS%2014.jpg

Coyotes and Hogs tremble 24/7/365 now. [:D]

SkyPup

03-03-12, 19:04

Here is a night pic through the ITT PVS-14 & Eotech to my feeder at the live oak out 225 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/Eotech%20Sight.jpg

Texas42

03-04-12, 16:13

Darn, nice looking pictures and setup. Only thing missing is a suppressor. : P (Ok, my dream package. . one of these days)

I've killed a couple white tail. They didn't go far.

Never was able to recover any bullets. yet. ;)

I'm sold.

idahoshooter45

03-20-12, 08:59

I shot a whitetail at about 150 yards with this bullet in a 16in ar and it went right down. When I got to it the exit wound was about the size of a baseball. I too am sold on this set up.

uastudent12

03-26-12, 17:38

Keep us updated Skypup, I'd be interested to hear how that NV setup has worked for you. Anything you'd do differently?

SkyPup

03-27-12, 10:27

Well, I mounted the USGI 3X Magnifier onto the front Objective lens of my ITT Night Enforcer PVS-14 and behind the NV Eotech it works beautiful. Here are some photos but they do not do justice to just how damn great this setup works.

It is 225 yards out to my game feeder cam tree from my stand. Here is what it looks like though just the NV Eotech with no magnifier:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20556%20Commando/556%20PVS%2014/Eotech%20Sight.jpg

Here is what it looks like through the NV Eotech with the 3X Magnifier mounted behind it on the PVS-14 on a very dark dark:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/USGI%203X%20Magnifier/USGI%203X%20Mag.jpg

Here is the same with the 3X Magnifier but using an Olight M-20 Crimson Red LED to light up the area:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/USGI%203X%20Magnifier/USGI%203X%20Mag%20Olight%20m20%20Crimson.jpg

I get one of my 850nm IR illuminators later on this week so will update with pics of that once I get it setup.

SkyPup

03-27-12, 10:31

Also, I ordered an A-Alpha helmet from TNVC with an OPS-Core VAS shroud and a USGI Rhino mount:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/A%20Alpha%20Helmet/A%20Alpha%20Left.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/A%20Alpha%20Helmet/A%20Alpha%20Right%202.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/A%20Alpha%20Helmet/A%20Alpha%20Left%202.jpg

The helmet is great and the PVS really works great with my IR Lasers, but I went ahead and got a more structurally stronger and better mount and arm.

I got the Wilcox G24 mount with the Wilcox PVS-14 Arm instead of the Nortos USGI Rhino mount and will install same soon.

Hot Holster

03-27-12, 10:50

Holy crap SkyPup, from the photos to the equipment...awesome!

SkyPup

03-27-12, 11:08

That helmet mounted NV setup works simply outstanding with the LDI DBAL-I2 visible and invisible IR lasers!:D

The helmet mount makes it easy to scan and use the lasers, or to quickly dismount the PVS-14 and mount it on the picitanny rail.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/DBAL%20I2/DBAL%20I2%20Olight%20M3X.jpg

uastudent12

03-27-12, 13:04

Great posts skypup! I always love to see how you're keeping the hog population under control! And the first hand info on the performance of different ammo is a great resource. Keep it up!

SkyPup

03-27-12, 20:14

The USGI 3X Magnifier has a huge 50mm objective lens that really gives a surprising FOV and clarity at night.

I would move the Eotech an inch or so back except for the Butler Creek lens flip up cover. Works really good as it is now though.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/USGI%203X%20Magnifier/3X%20Mag%202.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/USGI%203X%20Magnifier/3X%20Mag.jpg

SkyPup

03-28-12, 06:36

The ITT PVS-14 Pinnacle Night Enforcer with the NV Eotech and USGI 3X Magnifier is so damn nice I can see the coyotes teeth shining in the pitch dark @ 200+ yards. :eek:

Freakin' nice!:D

SkyPup

03-28-12, 20:17

Here is the DBAL-I2 Visible green laser @ 225 yards.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/DBAL%20I2/DBAL%20I2%20Green%20225%20yards%202.jpg

SkyPup

03-29-12, 06:35

I am ordering another one of these EagleTacTC100C2 MKII IR 850nm Flashlights?

It puts out 3.4W of 850nm IR unseeable IR from an Osram LED bulb running off a Lithium-Ion 18650 lasting three hours on high and more than 12 hours on low (500mW).

One for a handheld and one for a weapon mount, they work outstanding with a nice flood and spill! out past 300 yards and I never shoot over 225 yards which is the maximum range of my rifle and cartridge anyhow.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR%20side.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR%20Warning.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR%20LED.jpg

Game Cam tree @ 225 yards with the IR on, no shadows and clear vision into the treeline:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/Game%20cam%20Tree%20225%20yards%20IR.jpg

Horses @ 150 yards no IR

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/Horses%20150%20yards%20No%20IR.jpg

Horses @ 150 yards with IR

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/Horses%20150%20Yards%20IR.jpg

The pole barn in the background, that you cannot see without the IR flashlight, is 300 yards away.....

http://illuminationgear.com/14322/26971.html

SkyPup

03-31-12, 16:09

Here is a shot of my horses in the horse pasture with the ITT PVS-14 with no magnification and no IR illumination:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/Horses%20No%20IR.jpg

Here is the same shot with the 500mW IR on:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/EagleTac%20850nm%20IR/Horses%20Low%20IR.jpg

The photos do not do reality justice but you can see the IR flashlight reaches out to the far tree line almost 1/2 mile away...and that is on low 500mW, not high 3.4W, simply awesome!

jimmyp

04-01-12, 06:08

Is the PVS-14 pinnacle pretty durable? I got the impression that the standard PVS-14's while not as bright were more durable? Also have you tried the 62 grain TSX?

Find ManBearPig!

04-01-12, 17:52

SkyPup

04-01-12, 21:09

Is the PVS-14 pinnacle pretty durable? I got the impression that the standard PVS-14's while not as bright were more durable? Also have you tried the 62 grain TSX?

The PVS is a very durable instrument with over 10,000 hours of run time on the image intensifier.

It is only rated for 5.56mm and below though as it will be damaged if it received over 500G's, some people have used them on 6.8 SPCs but long term use on anything over 5.56mm is not suggested.

The 62 grain Barnes TSX is just as good on hogs as the 70 grain TSX is IMHO if bullet is placed properly, I reload them both.

SkyPup

04-01-12, 21:12

You have turned shooting hogs into both a science and an art. :D

Do you get paid to do pest control, or is this a self-financed pork elimination crusade? Either way, awesome equipment. I think I may bring my own AR on my first hog hunt now that I see how effective a well placed 5.56 round can be on them.

We just went on a 28,000 acre State Wildlife Park and Sanctuary last night for the first time after we got a five year contract for hog and coyote removal, the place is absolutely crawling with hogs and 'yotes with massive rooting everywhere and plenty of 'yote scat on the jeep trails. Have been working and getting ready for this for the last two years.

Plenty of man toys.....:D

So little time.....:mad:

SkyPup

04-02-12, 21:28

SkyPup

04-03-12, 08:45

The scope adapter is the Night Optics Day Scope Monobloc Adapter.

Fits tight and locks on strong with no movement, pushing the release button instantly snaps the PVS-14 out of the way for day use or just easily remove it by releasing the lock down screws.

http://www.lg-outdoors.com/images/ADNPVS14NO6015.gif

http://www.nightoptics-sales.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ADNPVS14NO6015

Ned Christiansen

04-03-12, 11:55

I've had funny results with accuracy using the TSX in factory loads. Sometimes great, sometimes ho-hum..... never bloody awful, but enough dif between great and ho-hum to make me think it's the bullet, or the ammo as a whole. I've experienced sub-MOA to struggling to stay under 2" (all with 62's).

Be it known that I think very highly of Barnes. As I recently said in print (SWAT Magazine), they have been the most innovative in recent years, with the Varmint Grenade (found it extremely accurate in 6X45 loaded by both CorBon and Black Hills), the TSX and the TTSX. Barnes copper bullets to me are simply "the way to go" for most rifle and pistol applications that are of interest to me. Just maybe not match shooting. I mention this only to see what others have found.

Looking for causes, I bought some 62 grain TTSX's, thinking I will pull out all the stops and see what a carefully crafted handload might do with it. Haven't got there yet and I think I was fooling myself about the possibility of finding time for it, but in this box of 50 TTSX's, I found some things that don't seem conducive to great accuracy.

I noticed when CorBon first started loading the TSX in .223 that the grooves were a secondary operation. I always figured that even a thou or two of eccentricity on the grooves wouldb e a detriment to accuracy. I have not yet tested any for that. What I found sofar in this box of 62's though, is what looks like some inconsistencies caused by the tumbling process.Left to right, the pic below:

1. Driving bands full width, nearly
2. Bullet has been tumbled considerably more in whatever it is. Something like #7 shot, stainless I suppose. Band-to-groove transitions are very rounded.... band width for rifling engagement is considerably reduced.
3. Same as #2 but with burrs of copper left in grooves. Probably don't truly hurt but for sure they don't help. 2 and 3 have bodies and ogives mottled from tumbling.... not saying that's a problem. Maybe even some "golfball dimple" aerodynamic help. Maybe a good thing if they all had it.
4. Halfway between the two extremes, with burrs in grooves.

All out of the same box. Some of the bases are actually a tad peened over. RBS, my benchrest-legend pal, always said that really, only the base matters. They actually experimented with filing tips into all sorts of inconsistent shapes-- little effect compared to base imperfections.

The grooves look to me to be ground in.... that's interesting. I can see marks from chatter or from an out-of-round wheel. Not that I think it matters unless the whole groove is eccentric.

http://www.m-guns.com/largefoto/picts/ulfls/03042012/15747979921.jpg

zombie killer

04-03-12, 20:25

Skypup how many grains have you found to be ideal with the 62gr?

SkyPup

04-04-12, 06:29

For the Barnes 62 grain TSX, I am using 25.5 grains of Hodgdon BLC-2 in '09 LC cases with Wolf SRM primers, which is consersative....

SkyPup

04-13-12, 16:23

To mount a 3X Magnifier case, get some parachute nylon and tie it onto the helmet exactly square in the middle so it does not offset your helmet weight distribution to the side any, you want it to act as a counterweight directly to the PVS-14 in the front. Put a patch of Velcro on the bottom to keep it from moving. Also, I attached a battery bag with two charged 18650s, six CR123s, and 10 AAs too so I will never be without power all night long....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/A%20Alpha%20Helmet/3X%20Mag%20Attach.jpg

Also, another nice handy addition is an velcroed on tiny Photon Micro Infrared 11mW IR flashlight that is super powerful for lighting up a good sized area when ya need it, it is way more powerful than it looks and can have a covert cover too.

Used on NASA Shuttle missions, US Secret-Service, US Armed Services & US Special-Forces.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/A%20Alpha%20Helmet/IR%20Light.jpg

http://www.batteryjunction.com/phimiir.html

jimmyp

04-14-12, 07:40

Field of view and brightness is very very good.

I use this rifle as a hog & coyote sniper rifle and it has nailed many a hog with Barnes 70 grain TSX hand loads with obviously one shot! http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif

I actually get a decent check weld on it and it is super light weight, even with the IR I850nm Illuminator and a Klarus 1,200 lumen dual Cree XML torch on top, it weighs less than 9 pounds.

Makes for a great stand sniper rifle as it shoots less than 1/2 MOA day in and now day out!http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/TC%20NV/TC%20PVS%2014.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/TC%20NV/PVS%2014%204X%20Mag.jpg

The NV view through the scope is actually much much better than my crummy photos show.

I need to get another PVS-14 from Vic so I can use my helmet for situational awareness while using the scope mount, or another IR laser..... http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_question.gif

what "power" was your scope set on in the image? I was getting ready to buy an Eotech EXPS3-0 with the idea that I would buy a NV kit to work with it. I would really prefer to buy the pending SWFA 1-8X scope and use with an adapter as you have shown in your picture. Can you take the NV monocular off in the field and put it on in the field no problemo? Another issue that worries is that with a traditional rifles scope with a 24 mm objective set at 8X even in bright light you have a 3 mm exit pupil. I have a Minox 3-9 x 42 and as the sun sets this scope when looking into a dark forest shaded area gets dimmer as you crank the power up, maybe its this scope but its noticeable.

SkyPup

04-14-12, 13:45

That is a 3X9-50mm Redfield Revolution set on 4X, it does work very good, much better than I anticipated, especially with an IR Illuminator.

However, if you are going to go the Eotech NV route I would recommend that first, you can always get the scope adapter later if you want. Hands down the Eotech NV and a helmet are the best setup with the UGGI 3X PVS-14 magnifier.

Here is a little 3 minute 25MB WMV video I made of the LDI DBAL-I2 Visible Green Laser performance during the day and the IR Laser at night with my ITT PVS-15 Night Enforcer.

As you can see, in broad daylight the green aiming laser is fine out past 30 yards to about 50 yards, in the woods it is even better with some shade. Towards dusk it is awesome out past the range of my rifle.

I have the Eotech 1MOA center dot and the Green Laser merged @ 225 yards where they are confluent on target, at 30 yards the laser is off about 1/2" but they are pretty much commingled from 100 yards on out.

The IR Laser is setup the same way, although the doughnut bloom less than 100 yards is pretty strong.

All my night kills are less than 225 yards, mostly around 100-125 yards so these nice NV instruments serve me well.

This is my first video using my Sony miniDV HandiCam through the NV gear, I have some digital video cameras too and will be working with them in the future, hopefully on some live night hunts.

Hope that everyone enjoys it, the DBAL-I2 works better than what the video shows and I have had zero problems with it and there is no battery drain when in OFF position.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20...I2/DBAL-I2.wmv

:dance3:

SkyPup

04-15-12, 12:12

Loaded up 50 rounds of Barnes .224 70 grain TSX yesterday afternoon and went out with the A-Alpha Helmet, PVS-14, DBAL-I2 last night.

No sooner did I get 100 yards out in the woods that a whole pack of coyotes went off howling and yipping at me about 50 yards deep in the woods to my right.

Walked further down the forest road jeep trail and three bright eyes came running down the middle of the road right at me.

I could easily see their eyes with the PVS-14 over my non-dominate eye and the 850nm IR flashlight beaming from the front rail.

Turned on the DBAL-I2 IR laser and put it on the rear coyotes glowing retinas and pulled the trigger at about 75 yards.

Only got one as the others scattered into the deep brush, and I'll be dogged as it turned out to be a nice 35 pound BLACK female! :D

Had a great time and the NV gear worked fantastic! :)

We will be hammering them in the future!

Enjoy the pics!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Dominic%20&%20Me.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Sig%20&%20Black%20Coyote.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Black%20Yote%20Head.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Me%20&%20Black%20coyote.jpg

SkyPup

04-15-12, 14:36

Just so everyone knows and especially the NV newbies, it was difficult making the proper decisions on what expensive NV gear to invest in as I had no understanding of any night vision gear when I started investigating it.

It took me most of the last year to figure out most of what it was that I needed to accomplish the things I wanted to be able to do.

I'll have to admit it opens up an entire new arena of hunting experiences and basically doubles the time that you can hunt too, all GOOD!:D

Shooting a black yote in the pitch dark with only an invisible laser while watching it all go down with the ITT PVS-14 Night Enforcer was certainly an experience that of which I have never seen before and it worked just AWESOME!

I have to give credit to Victor and Teddy at Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC) who is a sponsor of this site for helping me to make the right decisions and allowing me to get setup for NV gear with confidence, they were a big learning experience and a BIG HELP!

So, I went out to check my backyard game cam today after I woke up from last nights hunt and found this interesting photo of a poor wounded deer being helped along by another deer as she carried him over to an attentive Sandhill Crane that was must have been trained in deer medicine.....simply amazing that this Crane was able to help the poor deer out! :sarcastic:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Deer%20Porn.jpg

Hot Holster

04-16-12, 08:21

Good one (the photo above)! Congrats on the night dog.

SkyPup

04-17-12, 06:39

If you do not reload your own Barnes TSX, this is the second best setup:

http://store.chencustom.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/asym-5m700.jpg

Ironman8

04-17-12, 07:35

I was wondering about the Asym load...what kind of accuracy have you gotten from it?

SkyPup

04-17-12, 08:08

Ironman8

04-17-12, 08:21

ASYM .223 70g Barnes TSX
fastest: 2,612
slowest: 2,598
muzzle energy: 1'055
energy @ 100 yards: 842

Hornady 5.56 75g bthp T2 TAP #8126N
fastest: 2,679
slowest: 2,611
muzzle energy: 1'195
energy @ 100 yards: 1'003

Both 1.5 MOA @ 100 yards out of a SIG 556 16" barrel with 1:7" twist using a Leopold VX-R 1-4X-20mm on 4 power with no bipod or no rest laying prone.

Wow, nice numbers there on the velocity...and good accuracy for that kind of setup as well! Sounds like I should be able to get sub 1" from a 16" SS Noveske barrel with 2.5-10X scope from a rest then....

SkyPup

04-17-12, 09:25

Should not be a problem, both the 62 and 70 grain TSX shoot close to minute of hog out of my rifles and I am not a target shooter.... :cool:

SkyPup

04-17-12, 21:00

The Good Guys @ TNVC sent me their nice LAS/TAC 2 pistol laser to add to my NV gear.

I installed it on one my carbines as an adjunct to my DBAL-I2 and took it out for some night NV photos.

Here it is mounted on my rifle rail:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Laser/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Side.jpg
http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Laser/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Top.jpg

It is super light weight and takes two CR-123 lithium-ion batteries. It has adjustable windage and elevation screws.

I took some NV photos of it before I dialed it in tonight and it has considerably less halo bloom than the DBAL-I2 0.7mW IR does.

Here it is by itself @ 175 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Laser/LASTAC2%20175%20yards.jpg

Here it is with the DBAL-I2 at 30 yards, there is too much bloom to differentiate them apart but they are about a foot apart:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Laser/LASTAC2%20&%20DBAL%20I2%2030%20yards.jpg

Here they both are at 175 yards, the DBAL is on top:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Laser/LASTAC2%20&%20DBAL%20I2%20175%20yards.jpg

Here they both are at 175 yards with a 500mW IR Illuminator flashlight shining from the other side of my rail:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/LASTAC%202%20IR%20Pistol%20Laser/LASTAC2%20&%20DBAL%20I2%20IR%20Illuminator%20175%20yards.jpg

It is very visible out past 250 yards and blooms way less than the more powerful civilian legal 0.7mW IR without concurrent IR Illumination, it puts out a nice precise dot.

I will try it out on some hogs and coyotes this weekend and post some more pics of it in action....

Ironman8

04-17-12, 21:34

SkyPup

04-18-12, 07:52

SkyPup! This is EXACTLY what I've wanted to see WRT the LAS/TAC!

When I get my NV setup, I was planning on a LAS/TAC at the 12:00 position on the AR like alot of guys do with the X300, but I was under the impression that the LAS/TAC was only good to about 75 yards. That is perfect!

Can you describe how the rocker switch works? Up for "ON", down for "momentary", ect.(?)

ETA: One more request: Can you take a picture (or just tell me) showing whether or not the battery compartment cap on the LAS/TAC will clear a flip front sight (such as a Troy) when trying to replace batteries after being mounted back to back with the front sight?

ETA#2: Will the LAS/TAC wash out when used in conjunction with an IR illuminator? If so, at what range(s) does that happen? I noticed that it did wash out a little in the last pic there when you used your illuminator (granted it IS a 500 mW output...)

Thanks for all the info in this entire thread SkyPup...much appreciated!

I think it would work outstanding on the top rail in the 90 degree position, it is super light weight.

It is GTG way past 75 yards out to at least 250 yards, I never shoot anything over about 225 yards anyways so that is plenty of range for me. Nice tight spot dot BTW...

The rocker switch come on momentarily when you touch it either way, and one way turns it on steady.

The laser slides onto the rail and there are two retractable posts that lock down into the rail, so you do have to have somewhere where you can slide the body of it onto the rail.

The 0.1mW IR Laser did NOT washout with the illuminator at 200 yards with my very bright 500mW IR Illuminator, it is still visible. Another great thing about this unit is the IR laser is NOT pulsed, it is steady constantly on.

All in all, it is a nice IR laser for hunting purposes for me, it was super easy to dial it in and now that it is dialed in I can turn off the Eotech and just use the 0.1mW IR laser looking through the turned off Eotech with the PVS-14 behind it as my primary sighting system at a nice sharp dot with no flare!

Even without the Eotech it would make a nice primary sight with the PVS-14 on the rail behind it if you wanted to run it that way.

Ironman8

04-18-12, 08:06

Thanks for the reply SkyPup!

What about the battery compartment cap? How much room would I need to clear a flip front sight (if any) for battery removal/installation when installed in front of the sight?

SkyPup

04-18-12, 09:01

I am not sure, but I do know that you need to slide the unit off the rail to replace the batteries since the battery cap is on the rail side down.

Here is a link to LDI's instruction sheet for the manual for the unit:

http://www.laserdevices.com/userfiles/file/manuals/LasTac2/Laser/22000R_22001R_22000RP_22001RP_22014_22015_22014P_22015P_22012_22013_22012P_22013P_22022_22023_22022P_22023P_22006_22007_22103P_22126P_22008_22009_22104P_22127P_22004_22005_22102P_22123P.pdf

Ironman8

04-18-12, 09:18

SkyPup

04-18-12, 09:25

That could be a problem?

Will have to check that out once the batteries wear out for the first time, but it would be of no consequence for me as I can simply cowitness the IR laser with my other IR laser or my NV Eotech, on a pistol though that could be a problem?

Ironman8

04-18-12, 09:36

SkyPup

04-25-12, 17:56

My buddy was out putting corn in the feeder and got his F-250 4WD stuck in the muck at the bottom of a levee, I was at an engagement party and when I got home about 7PM he had left a message for me to come pull him out with my winch. Called him back and he was still out there with his truck, so headed on over.

He was at the bottom of a hard rock levee stuck in soft peat at the bottom, so winched him up the 10 foot steep hill to the top, the peat was like epoxy glue with a big sucking sound getting him out.

After he was rescued, it was about 8PM about sundown as we cleaned ourselves up and put away all the towing gear.

I looked over his shoulder and saw a herd of hogs about a 1/4 mile out in the sticks, we headed out to nail them with us being upwind in a strong breeze.

At about 100 yards one hog looked up right at us and I thought it was all over but the hog just went back to rooting again.

At 75 yards we counted down and opened up on them. I was using handloaded 70 grain Barnes TSX in my T/C .223 Carbine and he had a Ruger Mini-30 7.62X39mm with 123 grain soft point Hornadys.

Twenty seconds later there were four dead hogs on the ground, three sows and a male shoat.

I shot the shoat head on and hit him in the neck leaving about a quarter sized entry hole, but the 70 gr Barnes exited his butt give him another 50 cent piece hole!http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif

http://www.phossil.com/thom/4th%20July%20Hog/DOM%20Web.jpg

Texas42

04-25-12, 18:12

Nice picture!

SkyPup

04-25-12, 19:23

Opportunity knocked...

and we answered.:D

SkyPup

05-07-12, 09:17

The story behind this piglet is pretty good.

My friend here, I loaned one of my PVS-14s to and invited him out on the hunt. He had never shot a pig or anything else besides paper with his SIG 556 with Eotech NV sight on it.

We jumped a sounder group again and put him onto them and stood behind him to watch him and back him up with my IR Laser.

Two big hogs are in the brush to the right of us about 40 yards and he asks me "Should I shoot them?", I'm like what are you waiting for????

So he shoots a large black hog through the shoulder, the hog jumps up and does a 180 degree turn when it lands back down and squeals real loud and takes off into the brush. He rushes off after it and I follow. After 20 minutes of scouting around we could not find the big hog in the brush, however right where he shot the big hog, I find this little piglet.

When he gets back he asks where did I get the piglet as he did not hear another shot, I tell him the Barnes 70 grain TSX went through his big hog and hit the piglet in the head going through its head too!!! :mrgreen:

So, no one even saw this piglet until I picked it up. So it is his first confirmed kill.

Should have the FLIR PS 32 thermal this week so that won't happen again hopefully....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Nick%20Hog/Nick%20Hog.jpg

SkyPup

05-08-12, 15:01

Scored a nice tusker last night @ 40 yards!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Nick%20Hog/Dom%20Boar%20WEB.jpg

meat hunter

05-11-12, 05:32

I have been shooting Barnes bullets in all of my hunting rifles and muzzle loaders for many years. I also processed game as a part time job for over 30 years. Barnes are sometimes difficult to get to shoot accurately but there is no question of their performance on game. Penetration and bullet weight retention are second to none.

SkyPup

05-16-12, 08:22

With my SIG 556, Eotech 552, PVS-14 and Sony 2X Telephoto with Barnes 70 grain TSX hand-load, one shot kill on a coon @ 225 yards tonight pitch black out no stars or moon, heavy overcast.

Ii did use the EagleTac T100C2 3,400mW 850nm IR Flashlight to light him up for the shot.

At that range, I shot him right through the shoulder where I was aiming, could have used the DBAL-I2 IR laser.....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/556%20&%20FLIR.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Coon.jpg

Now, when I head out for hog and 'yotes big time next week I will have full confidence in my equipment.:smile:

antlad

05-22-12, 08:05

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/senecanation1/156367ea.jpg
This one dropped dead in his tracks
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/senecanation1/cf561cee.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/senecanation1/e1f04ad1.jpg
These two went down with 1 shot but I had to shoot the bigger one a second time to keep it from squealing.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/senecanation1/282ee0c1.jpg

Ironman8

05-22-12, 08:20

antlad

05-22-12, 11:45

For those who reload the TSX, how much of a pain in the a$$ is it to reload with the ridges that the bullets have? I've heard a few things about how hard it was to get a consistent seating depth due to the ridges...any truth to this?

Also, what kind of accuracy are y'all getting out of the 70gr TSX?

I have a couple of boxes waiting to load, but haven't had time yet. Any tips?

The only thing different I do with the tsx's is chamfer the case mouth so it does not catch on the ridges. Even if it does I'd never had a case collapse, it just shaves off some copper. This is not a big deal for me as I'm not loading match rounds.
The obvious difference between the tsx and other hunting/barrier blind bullets is the length but if you stick to published loads this will not be a problem. Make sure your barrel is at least 1:8 or your accuracy may suffer. You may even get keyholes.
As far as accuracy is concerned I achieved 2 moa using an eotech wo magnifier. This may not be the case with all barrels however. I remember my 7mag preferred lower velocities when loaded with the tsx.
I've loaded the tsx for 338 wm, 7mm rem mag and now the 5.56. The only time i've had an issue with seating depths is on the 338 when loading above the published max loads. Since this was my moose gun I did not needs gnat's ass accuracy so I backed it off to the less accurate load which happened to be the Barnes published max load.
I assume by your post that you are not an experienced reloader so be very weary of what you read on the internet. Stick with the published loads for your specific bullet. I would also suggest maybe practicing loading a cheaper/less expensive bullet until you reach a certain comfort level as those tsx's can get expensive. I've yet to find anyone that sells any tsx's in bulk.
FWIW it's worth I shot my first animal with a 70g tsx this morning, see post above, and I do not doubt it's capabilities. I am now contemplating on hunting moose with it this fall.

Hope this helps.

NWPilgrim

05-22-12, 12:59

I reload with the 62 gr TSX and the ridges present no problem at all. I have not noticed any copper shaving or any unusual resistance, They load easily and well, and seem very consistent in weight, length and ogive. Barnes publishes some reloading data on their website, as well in a hardcopy manual.

Ned Christiansen

05-22-12, 12:59

The ridges are generally well rounded.

Ironman8

05-22-12, 13:07

NWPilgrim

05-22-12, 14:32

I crimp very lightly right at the top of the upper groove. This gives me a 2.250-2.255" COL. If you seat to a COL that does not align with a groove I would not crimp at all.

While I have shot plenty of rounds without crimps and had no setback issues, if the bullet allows I like to crimp lightly as added insurance.

antlad

05-22-12, 20:18

Thanks for the info guys. And, no, I'm not an experienced reloader, just got the components and equipment in recently but as far as load data goes, I will be using data straight from Barnes. Spoke with a guy named Ty who sent me their "updated" load data for the TSX bullet specifically...has a ton of different powders and min/max loads for 5.56 pressure loadings.

If you guys want the tables he sent me, let me know. Otherwise you could just call and ask for Ty and he'll be more than happy to talk to you about all the loadings and send them your way.

Here's my question though...do you guys crimp on the TSX bullets? That seems to be where the problems with seating depth happens...

Ty is a good guy. He's helped me out in the past as well. I'm curious what loads they have tested as I thought the latest manual was fairly comprehensive. My loadings were actually based on the 5.56 NATO loadings they issued after the manual. These are very hot loads and I am trying to shoot these for hunting only. I can only imagine the excess wear and tear being had on my rifle. I do use an h2 buffer and Wolff xp action when running these loads. If you don't mind sharing I would be interested the new tsx loads.
As for the crimp, I never have worried about it, but also never really measured the oal after multiple firings.

SkyPup

05-28-12, 11:17

We walked out about 2.5 miles one way out into Topical Storm Beryl last night hog hunting with the PVS-14s, IR lasers, FLIR PS32 thermal, and some new knee high snake boots and managed to harvest this nice sow at about 50 yards using the NV gear after we spotted her with the thermal. 70 grain Barnes TSX did the deed.

We got pretty well soaked but had a blast and made it home to process the hog @ 4AM.....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Prairie%20NV%20Hog/Dom%20&%20Nick.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Prairie%20NV%20Hog/Hog%20NV.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Prairie%20NV%20Hog/Nick%20Hog.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Prairie%20NV%20Hog/Dom%20Dragging%20Hog.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Prairie%20NV%20Hog/Hog%20Truck%20Nick%20Dom.jpg

SkyPup

05-31-12, 20:29

Right after sundown tonight I had the FoxPro Prairie Blaster on Bay Bee Cottontail for about 5 minutes when I picked up a heat signature on the FLIR PS 32 at about 300 yards out. Switched over to the ITT Pinnacle PVS-14 with LDI DBAL-I2 IR 0.7mW laser and shot him in the shoulder with a handloaded Barnes 70 grain TSX @ 175 yards, he spun and died right there. :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/NV%20Coyote/NV%20Coyote%202.jpg

SkyPup

06-09-12, 21:34

Was on my stand @ 9:30PM tonight with my SIG 556 with the ITT PVS-14 mounted on the rail and the DBAL-I2 IR Laser. The magazine was filled with handloaded Barnes 70 grain TSX bullets.

I was using a FLIR PS-32 to scan for any heat signatures and a couple of does, rabbits and coons had been milling around when I noticed a large hot object coming out of the tree canopy into the opening near my game feeder.

Turned on the PVS-14 for ID and it was a nice big boar about 375 pounds, slipped a hot round into his lungs right behind his shoulder right at 185 yards using the DBAL-I2 IR laser and he ran about 50 feet and spun in a circle and died.

Lots of fine BBQ from this one, he will feed quite a few!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/NV%20Hog2.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/NV%20Hog%20Grapple.jpg

SkyPup

06-10-12, 13:22

Holy Cow! The tenderloins on this beast were three feet long!:eek:

And we recovered the Barnes 70 grain TSX buried in the shoulder on the far side, pics to come....

SkyPup

06-10-12, 16:05

Here is the 70 grain Barnes TSX bullet recovered from the 375 pound boar shot @ 185 yards after it toasted both lungs and embedded in the shield on the other side:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Barnes%2070gr%20TSX.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/Night%20Vision%20Kills/Barnes%2070%20gr%20TSX.jpg

rocsteady

06-11-12, 12:39

When I grow up I wanna' be Skypup.

Geez, every day there's a story and picture better than the day before.

Most dangerous and exciting "varmint" I've bagged recently was a 2 gallon jug of water that I cornered in my lane at Range 14, Ft. Dix, NJ last Sunday.

I do have to point out that the 70g TSX from Silver State Armory did do a rather spectacular job of eliminating that jug at about 150 yards.

SkyPup

06-11-12, 13:41

You don't have to grow up to join us since we haven't grown up ourselves yet!:agree:

But a 70 grain TSX in a gallon jug is way more impressive than a 55 grain M-193 is!:haha:

SkyPup

06-12-12, 08:17

The front shoulders of this hog are now 60 pounds of sausage.

Half is sweet Italian the other half is bratwurst.

Some of the Italian was kept out of the case for meatballs and pasta sauces.

The tenderloins were three feet long and three inches in diameter.

Both the hams are ready for the oven.... :big_boss:

SkyPup

06-17-12, 20:01

Shot this yote with the FLIR T-50 thermal last night using Barnes 70 grain TSX at 190 yards in the pitch dark.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Front.jpg

Exit would from the TSX is very substantial..:dance3:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyote%20NV.jpg
http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyotr%20Light.jpg

This was a particularly exciting hunt that had the adrenaline going strong for about 45 minutes.

I first called this dog in using Bay Bee Cottontail on my FoxPro Prairie Blaster and he came right in about twenty feet from my Jack Attack decoy but I was on top of a ridge and all I could see was his head popping up in front of me about 60 feet in front of me. I had his head in my sight two or three times and then my wife walked up from behind me to tell me she was going shopping and he took off….he circled the dry prairie pond in front of me and went deep into the tall dog-fennels so I could not see him. He came out of the fennels trotting across my view twice but each time I held off waiting for him to stop for a lethal shot.

I called him back in again using Pup Distress and had a nice shot at him straight in front of me about 75 yards and squeezed the trigger slowly and CLICK -> no shell in the chamber. Chambered a round and he took off into the distant tree line.

I went back into the house to get my A-Alpha helmet and PVS-14 on and as soon as I walked off the carport I could see two distinct dark contrasted shapes out to my game cam about 250 yards. I slowly snuck down to my log stand setup and looked through the FLIR T-50 Thermal and saw two nice dogs @ 175 yards in front of me beside the game cam tree munching on some wild boar offal I had dumped there last weekend.

For some reason, one dog took off and went into the tree line and I lost him, but this one walked on over behind the game cam and stopped @ 185-190 yard behind my game cam (game cam tree is laser measured 175 yards), I put the crosshairs on him and he dropped. When he did, the other one came charging out of the woods and hightailed it across my view.

The whole hunt took about 45 minutes and I just wish I had the micro Digital Video Recorder hooked up to the thermal because I would have had some fantastic recording of this hunt.

SkyPup

07-11-12, 06:22

275 pound boar taken @ 175 yards with Barnes 70 Grain TSX.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/DBAL%20D2/T60%20Hog.wmv

Ned Christiansen

07-11-12, 14:24

Bad Skypup..... talking about all that tasty pork and not inviting all of M4C over for a cook-out!

SkyPup

07-12-12, 06:39

Bad Skypup..... talking about all that tasty pork and not inviting all of M4C over for a cook-out!

The two tenderloins were almost three feet long!

P.S. Here is the wicked FLIR T-60 640X480 Thermal:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Left%20Front%20T60.jpg
http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Left%20T60.jpg
http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Right%20Front%20T60.jpg
http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/DBAL%20D2/DBAL%20D2%20Right.jpg

And DBAL-D2:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/DBAL%20D2/DBAL%20D2%20Side.jpg
http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/DBAL%20D2/DBAL%20D2%20Top.jpg

This thing slaps the big boars down like Thor's hammer...:D

Ned Christiansen

07-12-12, 08:18

Correction:

In my 12-14-11 post to this thread I said I had fired the 70 grainers from 9 and 10 twists and got mediocre accuracy but no yaw. I have been thinking how that doesn't sound right. I dug out the targets and find that I must have been confusing another test with this-- I DID get yaw, at 25 yards, in 9 and 10 twist barrels with the Barnes 70 grain bullet.

SkyPup

07-14-12, 06:21

Here is a two minute 5MB WMV video I made tonight with the FLIR T-50 of a sounder group that was in a pond surrounded by a tall stand of dog fennels and weeds, I had to wait patiently for two hours to get a good shot.

Thank God for my ThermaCell as the skeets were trying to eat me alive.

Took out one of the sows with a hand-loaded Barnes 70 grain TSX from my SIG 556 using the Eotech 552 and 3X Magnifier @ 80 yards,

The 325 pound sow goes down with the first shot and stays down, but I shot her once more for insurance since she was in two feet of muck. I was up to my knees in mud hooking up the tow line from the ATV to get her out of there.

The FLIR T-50 that Vic from TNVC sold me is a solid instrument the definitely brings home da bacon....:)

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Dead%20Hog%20WEB2.wmv

Ned Christiansen

07-14-12, 09:03

Very cools stuff, SP. I see that unit is even showing, what are they moth, dragonflies, or something?

SkyPup

07-14-12, 15:53

I believe those are dragonflies feasting on the multitudes of mosquitoes that bloomed out after we had 22 inches of rain dumped on us by two tropical storms, there are also a couple of bats flying around too enjoying a good meal.

I let the other hogs go because I was out there by myself and handling that one big sow was plenty for me last night, plus the freezer it totally full now too.

Once I clean out the freezer and give away a bunch of hams, loins. etc I will be ready to go ZOMBIE on those hogs, I could have shot quite a few if I wanted to. The thermal is outstanding for follow up shots as you can imagine from the vid....I am seeing what you see in the vid @ 3X through the Eotech optic and magnifier with no distortion or pixelation. In fact, the real video is about 12X the size and quality if I did not shrink it down for the web.

TylerD

09-13-12, 19:49

Think this would work for deer that are 75 yards and in? Its all I have to hunt with so another rifle isn't an option right now.

jpipes

09-13-12, 21:45

Think this would work for deer that are 75 yards and in? Its all I have to hunt with so another rifle isn't an option right now.

75 is a chip shot for this bullet, and it will drop a deer DRT....assuming you can shoot.

SkyPup

09-16-12, 09:45

Whelp, it was raining again tonight but the mosquitoes were not so bad. We went out and check two different spots that we have been monitoring for hog signs and nailed a hog at each spot using the Barnes 70 grain TSX handloads.

First spot was near a feeder we had hiked out about a mile to and spotted this boar out about 300 yards with the FLIR PS-32 and sneaked in closer to get a line on him, finally layed down on the wet ground to get a good prone shot since it was 150 yards out, turned on the FLIR T-50 and shot him through the lungs with a Barnes 70 grain TSX, he went about 25 feet and collapsed.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/PP%20Night%20Hogs/FLIR%20T50%20Hog1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/PP%20Night%20Hogs/HOG%20T50%20Hog1B.jpg

Walked back to the truck and drove in and loaded up this boar and then left and drove a couple miles over to another spot we have set up a live trap, feeder, and stand.

Rain was still drizzling and real quiet with no wind. Was on the stand for about two hours when I saw this sow cross over a jeep trail about 1/4 mile out. Waited another good hour and was about to leave to head home when I noticed some faint thermal images with the FLIR PS-32 in a dense thicket about 100 yards out, could not tell what it was but figured it was a coon since a family of seven coons had been going in and out of the live trap.

Walked over to the thicket and turned on the FLIR T-50 and saw the outline of a hog in the thick woods but could not see anything with the PVS-14 and IR Illuminators, put the ACOG crosshairs on the lungs and did a Double Tap since the woods were so thick there I did not want to be trying to walk around trying to find a dead hog in a dense underbrush.

Hog made it about ten feet and dropped dead! Had to drag it out of the thicket about 50 feet to the trail.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/PP%20Night%20Hogs/FLIR%20T50%20Hog2.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/PP%20Night%20Hogs/FLIR%20T50%20Me%20Hog2.jpg

ccoker

09-16-12, 10:27

Awesome !!

Hot Holster

09-19-12, 16:57

rocsteady

09-19-12, 17:27

Skypup, I'm glad someone is still taking hogs. I've been out twice in the last week and an half and haven't even seen one. We're going again Friday, this time at zero dark thirty in the morning, hoping for an early morning feed meeting.

Hot Holster, where did you go out?

I'm scheduled to go out this week in TX at a hunting ranch. Point being to try out the ASYM .223 70 grainers on a hog or two just to see it for myself.

Also bringing some BH 50g TSX for same purpose.

Hope I at least get a shot or two

SkyPup

09-19-12, 19:33

Another one bit the dust last night...

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Dom%20Hog.jpg

Hot Holster

09-23-12, 00:07

Hot Holster, where did you go out?

I'm scheduled to go out this week in TX at a hunting ranch. Point being to try out the ASYM .223 70 grainers on a hog or two just to see it for myself.

Also bringing some BH 50g TSX for same purpose.

Hope I at least get a shot or two

I hunt a few miles north of LaBelle, Fla. There's usually a lot of hogs moving early in the mornings and just as the sun sets and as I said, two times out and not seeing anything but a few deer, a rabbit, and a turkey.

The previous two times out, I took a boar one time and a sow the next time so my average is dropping. We're going out again next Friday, I hope our luck changes.

We were going to do a hunt this past Friday but there was a lot of maintenance to do on the property, cutting the knee high grass around the camp area, filling the feeders, and some stand repair/installations, so by time we were done, it felt as if we were hit by trucks so we headed home.

Happy hunting and good luck on your trip.

Hot Holster

09-23-12, 00:10

Another one bit the dust last night...

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Dom%20Hog.jpg

Another productive night, nice!

Stangman

09-23-12, 00:42

Another one bit the dust last night...

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Dom%20Hog.jpg

The symbolism isn't lost on me :D

SkyPup

09-23-12, 12:27

That truly was a bush hog!!!

She was on a high point in the swamp and I shot her there and we could not even get to her through the knee deep muck, so hiked on back to the barn and got the 4WD Kubota and wallowed in to get her...

zacii

09-23-12, 14:12

Mowing 'em down huh?

;)

Sent from my Galaxy S2

rocsteady

09-25-12, 19:12

Finally got a chance to try out the ASYM 70g TSX rounds, BCM and Aimpoint on something other than water bottles this weekend.

At end of a business trip to Dallas, got out to hunt some hogs and see for myself how the round performs. Went out here: http://www.bouldertexotics.com/. They were fantastic.

First morning got my opportunity and didn't waste it. Shot ended up being less than 50 yards so I don't have any heroic sniping story to post.

Thanks to SkyPup and his anatomical pic of the hogs he posted a while back, I had a pretty good idea where to aim and upon further review, he was right on.

Pig was going from my right to left and I put the red dot basically right up from that front "elbow" and let one fly just as she was leaving the clearing I'd spotted her in. She bolted through the brush but made it only about 10 yards before she dropped.

Later as we opened her up, I got a good look at what the bullet did inside and can now say that any doubt I had about the 70g TSX or ASYM is gone! Opened up almost immediately as the round went from tiny entry wound on outer left shoulder to what appears to be full expansion even before it penetrated the outer "sheath" stuff that these pigs have just under their skin. First time I'd seen one being gutted so I wasn't too sure what was what but there was no doubt when the heart (or what was left of it) was pointed out to me.

Round continued through the body before leaving a pretty substantial (compared to the size of the unfired .223 bullet) exit wound.

Afterwards, I went out two more times and passed up a couple slightly larger boars hoping for that monster/trophy hog but didn't happen.

Guess that means I have to go back!

Thanks to you guys at M4C for all the info as it helped me get a jump on what was going on for my first hunt.

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh499/rocsteady556/boulderexotics2.jpg

Hot Holster

09-27-12, 06:22

Nice, congrats.

SkyPup

09-30-12, 20:09

SkyPup

09-30-12, 20:11

Was in the backyard tonight after sunset with the FoxPro Prairie Blaster setup playing "Cow Tip Cotton Tail".

Had the caller around 60 feet out in front of me hanging on a pine tree about four feet off the ground.

I had just started calling from my stand and within 30 seconds I noticed a heat signature about 250 yards out with the FLIR PS-32, immediately switched over to the FLIR T-50 Thermal Weapon Sight and zeroed in on this nice Bobcat. He slowly came in over a period of about 15 minutes and finally sat down on the edge of the tree canopy 150 yards out so that I could take aim at him.

Shot him once through the heart with a Barnes TSX 70 grain handload and he jumped about five feet in the air about a dozen times and ran 25 feet or so and died.

Too bad I did not have the video camera hooked up....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Bobcat/T50%20Bobcat1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Bobcat/T50%20Bobcat2.jpg

Hot Holster

10-01-12, 09:31

Nice cat, Sky Pup. Is there a market for the fur?

SkyPup

10-07-12, 02:31

Jumped another sow while walking down a forest jeep trail tonight, she was in the thick woods rooting up some acorns in a hardwood hammock, one shot right below the ear with the FLIR T-50 and Barnes 70 grain TSX and she fell over dead right there.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Hog/T50%20Hog2.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Hog/T50%20Hog.jpg

Gramaton550

10-10-12, 21:59

This thread is worth it's weight in gold for knowledge. You guys rock!!!

SkyPup

10-11-12, 21:51

Game cam Pic earlier this week:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/NV%20Coyote/Coyote.jpg

Well, perseverance off! I have been after this dog all week now....

Was out with my FoxPro Prairie Blaster playing CowTip Cottontail @ 10:15PM and 30 seconds after I turned on the caller this nice furry 'yote came charging in out of the deep woods.

Picked his thermal image up with the FLIR PS 32 and turned on the FLIR T-50 and shot him once through the heart @ 150 yards with a handloaded Barnes 70gr. TSX.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/NV%20Coyote/T50%20Coyote2C.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/NV%20Coyote/T50%20Coyote2B.jpg

SkyPup

10-21-12, 10:57

Bagged another nice meat hog with the FLIR T-50 Thermal last night.

We had hiked through the woods about 3 miles or so with plenty of sign on a 1/4 Moon with no clouds and total stars out, the PVS-14s did a great job of allowing us to roam around in the moonlight underneath a hardwood hammock canopy.

Picked up this meat hog with the PVS-14 about 150 feet off the trail and my friend (SpeedQuest) would have to transition his PVS-14 from his helmet to behind his NV Eotech so I gave him my rifle and told him to take it out with the FLIP T50.

One handloaded Barnes 70gr TSX through the neck spine and he did not even twitch, DRT!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Nick%20Hog/Nick%20T50%20Hog.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Nick%20Hog/Nick%20Hog%20T50.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Nick%20Hog/Nick%20&%20Hog.jpg

Hot Holster

10-21-12, 12:00

Again, nice work out there, and excellent photo's.

I'm going out next weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully I'll have some pic's.

SkyPup

10-21-12, 14:43

Again, nice work out there, and excellent photo's.

I'm going out next weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully I'll have some pic's.

Good luck and have a safe hunt.

I am really enjoying the DBAL-D2 with the IR laser and IR Illuminator for super fast targeting and shooting with the FLIR thermal for backup and/or longer range targeting, performs like a dream!:D

Ready.Fire.Aim

10-21-12, 14:43

Bagged another nice meat hog with the FLIR T-50 Thermal last night.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Nick%20Hog/Nick%20&%20Hog.jpg

Nice job! Fat little pigs that weigh about 40# like that one are my favorite size to shoot to eat.
Backstraps are perfect in a skillet with eggs for breakfast and the hams and shoulders are ideal on the grill. Also easy to skin & bone out.

That is the first size I shoot at when meat hunting. Also good for honing fast response shooting skills with an AR15, occasionally I can kill two out of the bunch.

I appreciate the PM you sent sharing your load data for the Barnes 70g TSX, I plan to load some this evening.

RFA

SkyPup

10-21-12, 18:10

I loaded up another 100 Barnes TSX 70grain in LC '09 brass with Wolf SRM primers and 25.0 grains of Hodgdon BLC-2 last weekend.

I only use them for hunting and have gone through another 100 this summer, hopefully this 100 will last me through the end of the year but I kinda doubt it....:cray::D

jesuvuah

10-21-12, 18:16

nice shot

zacii

10-22-12, 11:36

Have you chronographed your load? I'm curious how fast that 70 grain bullet is going.

Sent from my Galaxy S2

rocsteady

10-22-12, 11:42

Have you chronographed your load? I'm curious how fast that 70 grain bullet is going.

Sent from my Galaxy S2

See post #63 in this thread for some of the different 70 grain info...

zacii

10-22-12, 12:33

Thanks, I missed that post...

ASYM .223 70g Barnes TSX
fastest: 2,612
slowest: 2,598
muzzle energy: 1'055
energy @ 100 yards: 842

Hornady 5.56 75g bthp T2 TAP #8126N
fastest: 2,679
slowest: 2,611
muzzle energy: 1'195
energy @ 100 yards: 1'003

Both 1.5 MOA @ 100 yards out of a SIG 556 16" barrel with 1:7" twist using a Leopold VX-R 1-4X-20mm on 4 power with no bipod or no rest laying prone.

I'm curious though; does your handload match this ASYM load?

Sent from my Galaxy S2

SkyPup

10-22-12, 13:05

Have not chronographed my handload, no need to either, works absolutely perfect as it is, not interested in getting anything else out of it besides what it currently does accuracy and power wise.

SkyPup

10-28-12, 01:20

Nailed this nice 200 pound boar tonight with the FLIR T-50 Thermal @ 80 yards with one Barnes 70 grain TSX to the head, DRT:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Boar/T50%20&%20Boar.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Boar/Me%20&%20Boar.jpg

SkyPup

10-28-12, 19:25

Now that the temperature is dropping after a LONG HOT summer, the FLIR T-50 is working 100% better allowing me much more long range and precise shots to the head, and not destroying any meat!

The thermals all work much better when it cools off (including the PS-32) and there is a greater temperature differential between the ambient environment and the target.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Boar/Hog%20Hanging.jpg

antlad

10-28-12, 21:45

The 70g tsx works almost as well on caribou as it does with pigs.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/senecanation1/244A193E-F973-4781-B78D-BB490EEF474B-1384-000000D1DA0CA1A4.jpg

SkyPup

10-29-12, 16:04

Wow, now that is really something!

StrikerFired

10-29-12, 16:29

Nice shootin' Skypup!

SkyPup

10-29-12, 18:46

The thermals are working 100% better now that the ambient night temperatures have fallen into the 40's & 50's instead of the 80's & 90's, making for some easy head shots at ranges out to 250 yards with my rig.

I normally sneak up on them and try to get them within 100 yards to simplify things, but nail them accurately out past 200 yards if need be.

The FLIR T-50 is simply an outstanding instrument for the destruction of vermin at night!:D

There just is NO escaping the damn thermals now! :shout:

Oh, and bye bye mosquitoes too....

SkyPup

11-01-12, 20:53

Had these two coyotes come into some leftover hog offal after cleaning a couple of hogs up last weekend, they came in to Female Coyote Invitation and Whitetail Fawn Distress on my FoxPro Prairie Blaster with SP-55 external speaker, but I could not get them to come in closer than 225 yards so did not put the hammer down.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Hog%20Yotes.jpg

Tonight though, one of them came into BayBee Cottontail and I nailed him with one Barnes 70gr TSX handload @ 200 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyote/T50%20Coyote.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyote/T50%20CoyoteB.jpg

SkyPup

11-02-12, 10:06

Does anyone have any experience reloading the DRT 79 grain bullets?

http://store.drtammo.com/drtterminalshock223remfmhp79grbullet.aspx

SkyPup

11-02-12, 16:46

When I got home from work, a Male Bald Eagle was eating my coyote!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyote/Eagle1.jpg

rocsteady

11-02-12, 22:31

Sure can't say you have any shortage of interesting creatures roaming around your property, that's for sure.

SkyPup

11-03-12, 19:18

We've had a eagle nest for the last twenty or so years with an Adult Male, Adult Female, and Juvenile who has a white head but just now beginning to get his white tail feathers in.

Their nest tree got hit by lightning about ten years ago and burned down but they re-nested in another large dead live oak tree.

dhm

11-07-12, 16:14

I was skeptical of using a little .223 on big game, but this thread, and others, convinced me to give it a try. No photos, but my son took two deer and a turkey with the 70gr. tsx bullet this last weekend. All one shot kills. One doe dropped DRT, with the bullet taking a rib out on the way in, then destroying both lungs before taking out the far shoulder on the way out. The other doe was hit too far back, but the liver was hit and the deer went about 60 yards.
All entrance and exit wounds were unimpressive, but the internal damage seemed similar to that done by "real" deer cartridges.

SkyPup

11-09-12, 21:06

After dinner tonight I went out around 8:00PM and called for about 30 minutes using BayBee Cottontail and Female Invitation on my FoxPro Prairie Blaster, after around 30 minutes I gave it up to head back to the house for a warm cup of coffee as it is in the 40's out tonight.

As soon as I turned around I immediately spotted a coyote standing directly behind be about 50 feet, he took off running and I watched him got into the horse pasture down where the horses were eating their hay.

Came back in a got a cup of coffee and went back out thirty minutes later, as soon as I sat down and turned on the Prairie Blaster, within 30 seconds this coyote came out of the woods about 250 yards out and I waited until he got to 125 yards out to pull the trigger -> clean miss????

Well, I should have better luck next time, maybe later on tonight......

Here is the thermal video of my fantastic miss (5MB WMV):

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Missed%20Coyote/Missed%20Coyote.wmv

SkyPup

11-09-12, 21:08

Got a nice game cam pic of a mature Bald Eagle dining on my two dead coyotes and an armadillo. :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Eagle%20Coyote1.jpg

SkyPup

11-09-12, 21:09

Here is a close-up of the Supreme Predator feeding on another predator:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Eagle%20Close%20Up.jpg

SkyPup

11-10-12, 16:27

Okay, you all saw the video where I "missed" the coyote I was shooting at 125 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Missed%20Coyote/Missed%20Coyote.wmv

WOOT WOOT WOOT -> It was not a miss!:D

I shot him right through the lungs and he went about 150 yards and died right there where he entered the woods!!! HAHA!!!:D

Found this afternoon when I went back with the bushhog to mow down the lower forty, dead right there!!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Missed%20Coyote/Missed%20Coyote1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Missed%20Coyote/Missed%20Coyote2.jpg

Texas42

11-10-12, 17:04

It just seems like there are much better bullets for varmints like cyotes. Medium game, sure, but if you only need like 5 or 6 inches of penetration there are better, cheaper bullets.

SkyPup

11-10-12, 17:17

Sure there are better bullets for coyotes, only I am shooting hogs and coyotes all the time, not just coyotes....so have to be ready for hogs at the same time.

Texas42

11-10-12, 17:28

Makes sense.

:) still nice shooting.

Gramaton550

11-10-12, 22:35

Awesome pics!!!

rocsteady

11-11-12, 09:20

Never doubted you for a minute...you don't miss

Snake Plissken

11-13-12, 13:30

Dropped a button buck yesterday morning with a 70 gr TSX. Round was over 24.5 gr RL-15 and chrono'd to 2810 FPS from a 20" 5.56 NATO barrel. I thought it was a doe but that's what happens with buttons.

Anyways, round did a complete pass through from left to right side above the shoulder. Both lungs and a couple major blood vessels along the spine area. It did not appear to touch the spine but the deer still dropped where it was shot. Shot was just over 100 yards. Just more evidence that the 70 gr TSX makes 223 Rem a great hunting round for medium game. Perhaps next season I'll find a bigger deer.

Hot Holster

11-13-12, 15:14

Nice recaps and photos as usual Skypup.

SkyPup

11-18-12, 19:34

Scored a quadruple tonight with the FLIR T-50.
Blam, Blam, Blam, Blam -> Four Dead Hogs

Head shot on the first one.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/PP%20Night%20Hogs/Dom%20Hog.jpg

Did I say the Barnes 70 grain TSX is the BOMB on hogs????:happy:

SkyPup

11-18-12, 19:56

I get allot of requests to post some pics of the internal reticules built into the FLIR T-50, here are two pics of the Browning M2 .50 Cal Machine Gun BDC reticule with Chevron using 1X power:

White reticule on Hogs @ 175 Yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Hogs%20White%20Reticule.jpg

Black reticule on a coyote @ 75 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Coyote%20Black%20Reticule.jpg

Ironman8

11-18-12, 19:58

I'm with ya there Skypup!

So far this year, I've taken (All with 70gr TSX handloads):

Aoudad @ 285 yds with headshot
Aoudad @ 230 yds with headshot
Whitetail @ 190 yds with neckshot

The exit wound in the neck of the whitetail that I shot was big enough to fit my thumb in...with room to spare! There were bone fragments and all kinds of damage done.

With the aoudads' headshots, the bullet passed through in pretty much a straight line (meaning it defeated the barrier [aka: skull] easily with little deflection). I've shot deer with a .243 in the head that bounced around the skull and came out the throat...not so with the TSX, even at 285yds. Also what's interesting is, in all cases, there was coagulated blood/membrane/whatever-you-call-it coming out of the exit wound...I'm taking this as a sign of the higher velocity that the round impacts at...I could be wrong though....just never seen it with any other caliber.

However, since these are really all fatal areas to be shot regardless of projectile used, this is more about the utility of an apropriately equiped AR, in my opinion. It's really something to be able to see the whole scene from trigger pull to animal dropping, thanks to the low recoil. I'm completely sold on this for small-medium game.

Stangman

11-26-12, 12:35

Between this thread & the one on TOS, I decided to hunt with my mk18 this year with the 5.56 70gr Barnes TSX. I'll add my pics to help with anyone else debating on what the TSX can / will do.

entrance
http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t354/stangman2v/Farm/6C147443-5523-4C1B-8B61-38E507A51E01-7525-00000ECA940532FA.jpg

exit
http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t354/stangman2v/Farm/3659A2C6-F65A-485D-AD34-A472A83D7029-7525-00000ECA9E7D38EF.jpg

vitals - I'll link it due to any possible weak bellies still looking...
http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t354/stangman2v/Farm/7C40873D-B73B-457A-AC69-0638366B6C26-7525-00000EE1726F6CDA.jpg

http://i515.photobucket.com/albums/t354/stangman2v/Farm/7DD3EA15-C1C2-4E31-A24B-A360023799E9-7525-00000ECA68F7F076.jpg

quad

11-27-12, 13:11

Looks like that round does an excellent job!! Alot of it goes to the shot placement....You did it right!! :smile:

nineteenkilo

11-27-12, 23:12

clean miss????

Well, I should have better luck next time, maybe later on tonight......

[/url]

Glad you found the culprit. As an aside, it has been my experience that whenever an animal 'sits' as your yote did, it was a hit that may not be readily apparent. I've never seen one sit down that wasn't already dead.

SkyPup

12-04-12, 18:01

FLIR T-50 connects with one Barnes 70gr TSX to the neck @ 190 yards, DRT -> dropped in his tracks and did not move.:D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Big%20Boar/T50%20Big%20Boar.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Big%20Boar/T50%20Big%20BoarB.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Big%20Boar/T50%20Big%20BoarC.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Big%20Boar/Tractor%20Big%20Boar%20T50.jpg

SkyPup

12-09-12, 12:30

FLIR T-50 takes down another coyote with a neckshot @ 160 yards with Barnes 70 grain TSX, came into Coyote Distress #3 FoxPro:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyote/Coyote33.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/T50%20Coyote/Coyote33b.jpg

SkyPup

12-14-12, 17:13

Nailed this mangey adult male coyote @ 190 yard with one Barnes 70 grain TSX shot through the neck right at sundown, he came in to Coyote Pup Distress #3, he was a big ugly one about 45 pounds....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Mangey%20Coyote/Mangey%20Coyote.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Mangey%20Coyote/Mangey%20Coyote2.jpg

SkyPup

12-19-12, 16:11

For Christmas this year I am upgrading my black rifle to a SIG 716 7.62X51mm with ACOG 4X TA02 - FLIR T-50 & DBAL-D2, will get it dialed in next week when the Barnes 130 grain TSX show up to load some shells

Should be a nice couple of weeks of hog and 'yote hunting coming up!:D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/FLIR%20T50%20716%20Back.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/FLIR%20T50%20716%20Side.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/FLIR%20T50%20716%20Front2.jpg

SkyPup

12-19-12, 17:50

A 7.62mm Barnes 130 grain TSX @ 3,000 fps is going to be allot more smack down than a 5.56mm 70 grain TSX @ 2,800 fps......:D

I still have my two 556s and they will NOT be safe queens any time soon...:p

Roy

12-20-12, 08:19

You guys are all crazy. Black rifles have no place in the woods.

Kidding.. Thanks for all the pix. i was thinking i had to go buy a 6.8 SPC or .300 AAC for pig hunting.. Ill just get some of these TSX's...

Cant wait.

Scoby

12-20-12, 11:56

I've got some Barnes 70gr TSXs on the bench waiting to be rolled.
Can't wait to try them out.

SkyPup

12-20-12, 21:15

Holy Molly, it was raining cats and dogs tonight with severe thunderstorms after dark. I had just purchased my new SIG 716 7.62mm three days ago and was able to sight it in after work when I got home today for the first time with some Hornady 7.62X51mm 110 grain TAP LE rounds, since I haven't had time to work up a proper handload for this rifle.

So, it rained about two inches from 5PM to 9PM and I figured I would mosey out into the backyard and check for any song dog action with the FLIR PS-32. It was difficult to see much thermal signature of anything after the rain but I was able to detect some motion across the prairie pond in the pine trees 250 yards out.

Put the ACOG TA02 crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger at a good 225 yards out, instant DRT. :D

To say that I am impressed is a gross understatement..... :shout:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/SIG%20716%20Coyote.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/SIG%20716%20Coyote2.jpg

Scoby

12-21-12, 09:36

SkyPup

That is an impressive setup you have there. Wish I could afford something like it.

I've got hogs tearing up my pasture down by the river and I rarely see them during the day while sitting a deer stand.
They are getting worse and worse and it is pissing me off.

murphman

12-26-12, 13:40

Love coming back to this thread every so often to see Skypups kills. I cant imagine the excitement of night hunting hogs or yotes

carlo1776

12-26-12, 14:28

I use Barnes TSX with every cartridge that I hunt with. 30-06, .308, 30-30 and have seen the same results on deer, and moose. With good bullet placement they drop in their tracks or go a few yards. Either way they’re stone dead. Nice porker, one day I’d love to come down your way for a hunt.

carlo1776

12-26-12, 14:32

SkyPup

12-26-12, 23:08

FLIR keeps taking 'em down! :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Dom%20Hog/Dead%20Boar.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Dom%20Hog/Dave%20Hog.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Dom%20Hog/Boar.jpg

My friend's brother was down visiting from Illinois, he is a big dude, 6'4" 295 lbs. He had never gone night hog hunting before so we took him out. Walked about two miles and saw a sounder group but they jumped into some thick palmetto scrub and escaped. On the way back to the truck I saw this nice tusker with the FLIR PS-32 deep in the woods about 200 feet off the trail we were on. I gave my SIG 556 to my friend's brother and told him to put the crosshairs on his neck and double tap him with two Barnes 70 grain TSXs. He did the job and got his first boar hog!

Hot Holster

12-28-12, 08:54

A perfect end to a first night hog hunt.

xjustintimex

12-28-12, 09:46

Exit wound, first time I've used this stuff and I couldn't believe it.

http://i1043.photobucket.com/albums/b431/davisjustin10/1B721C33-726E-438E-BCBA-CF8277182F83-1357-000000D23DDE2422.jpg

CaptainN8

12-29-12, 07:42

Awesome thread! I developed a 62 gr tsx load, but have yet to shoot anything with it yet.
I will be out in the woods this next week and hope to have some photos to share. I run it over 25 gr of varget, should be around 2800 fps out of colt 6920 barrel, don't have a chrono.

Wanted a lil more velocity, but when checking zero at 100 yards fired two right through a ragged hole(yes, out of my colt) I stopped :D

murphman

01-28-13, 16:28

Finally got my hands on some ASYM loaded with 70gr barnes TSX, now I just need to find some hogs.

gun71530

01-29-13, 21:57

It's hard to argue with the results with the 70 gr. TSX. Next deer season I'm going to give it a try myself.

antlad

01-30-13, 18:59

Although just about any 223 round would suffice I shot this Arctic Fox with a 70 grain TSX. Got him in the neck so the pelt is still in good shape.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q60/senecanation1/2013-01-24160903_zps58d036ac.jpg[/IMG]

This makes 3 different critters for me with the tsx. I have a ways to go till I'm caught up with Skypup.

FWIW my frog lubed bcm middy with exps ran fine in -30 below weather in case anyone was wondering. Another testament to the AR platform.

SkyPup

01-31-13, 08:12

Nice, but that looks an awful long way from the swamps of Florida!!!:D

rocsteady

02-02-13, 11:23

Although just about any 223 round would suffice I shot this Arctic Fox with a 70 grain TSX. Got him in the neck so the pelt is still in good shape.

FWIW my frog lubed bcm middy with exps ran fine in -30 below weather in case anyone was wondering. Another testament to the AR platform.

Glad to see others running the 70g TSX and even better to hear about it here.

Also a good bit of info to know that temps like that are no match for the BCM/froglube combo.

xjustintimex

02-02-13, 11:54

http://http://i1043.photobucket.com/albums/b431/davisjustin10/IMG00529-20120101-1714_zps9cb2ff61.jpg

kcara

02-02-13, 16:25

Nice job with the artic fox kill. The snow looks beautiful.

SkyPup

02-08-13, 18:46

It was a difficult night for the thermal tonight, rained earlier and everything was a mono-temperature lightly grayed out. Was able to deploy the FLIR LS-64 up to #4 InstaAlert Red which usually I cannot use, but with the wetness and high winds it worked excellent, lighting up only coons, rabbits, deer and this nice male bobcat that I took out # 175 yards with one shot of handloaded 7.62mm Barnes 130 grain TSX.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Bobcat/Bobcat2.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Bobcat/Bobcat3.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Bobcat/Bobcat4.jpg

No NV, just pure FLIR Thermal...:D

rocsteady

02-12-13, 12:52

SkyPup,

Good to see that no matter 7.62 or 5.56, the results are still the same for you.

I have to admit, I am still partial to the .223/5.56 with the 70g TSX as it's what I'm stocking/shooting. But if the money was around, I'd probably add a 7.62 to the arsenal too.

You have a preference at this point, 7.62 or .223/5.56?

SkyPup

02-17-13, 19:28

We went out on the prairie right before dark this afternoon to work on some gate fencing and feeder placement, I arrived a little earlier than my friend did did so I took a walk out into the woods alone. Within 100 yards I came up on this big sow feeding with a dozen or so piglets about 150 feet in front of me so I shot her with the SIG 716 7.62mm and she took off. I walked around into the deep woods looking for her and couldn't find her in the terrible vines and brambles so decided to walk back out and see if my buddy had showed up yet. As I was leaving the woods he just pulled up and I told him I nailed a sow but she is in the thick underbrush.

He and I went in looking for her and when we got to the spot where I had shot her we saw about six piglets, so we shot two of them and went looking for the sow some more. We split up and circled around the thickets and could not see the sow anywhere? Dom heard some rustling in the leaves about 75 yards from where we were standing so we stalked carefully over towards the noise. Suddenly the noise is coming towards us in the very thick underbrush where we could only see 30 feet in any direction and out pops about 6 more piglets, so we shot three more of them and low and behold we find they were sucking the teats of the dead sow I had shot an hour earlier!!! We find the dead sow right there!!!

What a day!!! It was windy and freezing and cold as hell and we headed back home after dark.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Sounder1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Sounder2.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Sounder3.jpg

SkyPup

02-18-13, 07:07

We have been after this huge trophy quality Russian razorback black boar with a killer set of tusks on him that we have seen on the game cam the last two weeks.

We will be hunting this dude intensely over the next few weeks at night until we bring him down. This guy would make a real nice mount.....

SkyPup

02-18-13, 16:27

Hog offal provides breakfast for mature male bald eagle last night.....couple of buzzards in the foreground but those are all Osceola Wild Turkeys in the background!!!! :D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Eagle.jpg

Allison01

02-19-13, 12:53

Nice Hogs!

David Thomas

02-19-13, 13:14

Hog offal provides breakfast for mature male bald eagle last night.....couple of buzzards in the foreground but those are all Osceola Wild Turkeys in the background!!!! :D

That is cool.

SkyPup

02-19-13, 16:32

Finally managed to get three Bald Eagles in one photo, however there are two more right outside the photo border for a total of Five Bald Eagles!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Eagles.jpg

SkyPup

02-21-13, 17:30

Two more adult Bald Eagles showed up today:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Two%20Eagles%20(2).jpg

SkyPup

02-25-13, 15:23

We cleaned up last night!

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Lots%20of%20Hogs.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Big%20Hog%20Kill.jpg

rocsteady

03-02-13, 17:26

Two more adult Bald Eagles showed up today:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Sounder%20Group/Two%20Eagles%20(2).jpg

Now that is one cool picture. And that was before I noticed everything that's been picked clean lying around.

Allison01

03-10-13, 15:50

Wow cool pic. Where is that?

SkyPup

03-10-13, 16:37

North Central Florida in our backyard. There are five Bald Eagles that live here on the farm and they like munching on some tactical bacon leftovers....:D

SkyPup

03-10-13, 16:44

Here is one coming in for a landing...

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Eagle%20Cllose%20Up.jpg

SkyPup

03-11-13, 06:39

Tactial Talons don't need no pedicure..... :D

.46caliber

03-11-13, 07:25

Thanks for the thread fellas. This looks like the ticket for me this fall. I want some country fried Deer steaks.

Helped my dad get his reloading bench set back up this weekend. We've been looking for a good projectile for deer and hogs when we go to Houston to visit my brother. Nice to see the real world performance.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

SkyPup

03-12-13, 21:59

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Close%20Eagle%20Spread.jpg

SkyPup

03-17-13, 11:14

We walked out into the deep swamps on about a two mile hike to two of our feeders and hung out for around two hours listening to hogs rooting and sparring in the deep swamp thickets and ponds all around us but never had any come out in the open.

It was a beautiful clear sky night with stars shining brightly all the way down to the horizon with the PVS-14s working great under the quarter moon.

We hiked back to the truck about 2AM and loaded up to drive home.

Went through two locked gates on the way out and at the last gate I had my PVS-14 still on as I locked the gates and noticed two dark contrast objects in the jeep trail right up in front of us.

Took out the FLIR PS-64 thermal and thought that they were just large surface limerocks around 100 yards out as they were hot but not moving around, but looking at them with the NVO, one of them had an outline of a hog?

Looking more closely, I could see one hog standing sideways and another standing with its rear to us with the LS-64 thermal scanner.

We had been shutting the gates, slamming truck doors, talking, and the motor was running and there was not sign these hogs were even moving with all the noise and commotion over a five minute period of time?

Mounted the SIG 716 with Barnes 130 grain TSX handloads and put the ACOG TA02 crosshairs on the neck of one and pulled the trigger, he dropped dead and the other one took off, put the crosshairs on his head and shot, he drops with a round through his neck that split his spine in half.

No meat damage at all, both hogs were head shot and the 7.62mm did an immediate kill on both of them.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Two%20Boars/SIG%20716%20Two%20Hogs.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Two%20Boars/Full%20Hog%20Hanging.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/SIG%20716/Two%20Boars/Clean%20Hog%20Hanging.jpg

SkyPup

03-17-13, 20:18

Five Bald Eagles out feeding on the offal this morning while I was cooking fresh sausage and eggs!:smile:

SkyPup

04-02-13, 11:39

FLIR T-50 Dinner!:D

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Hog%20Head.jpg

T2C

04-02-13, 11:42

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Game%20Cam/Close%20Eagle%20Spread.jpg

No! Really! It's the truth! The fish I caught was this big.

SkyPup

04-02-13, 11:44

He looks like he is giving the Easter Sunday Benediction.....

SkyPup

04-06-13, 01:47

FLIR Thermal and Barnes 70 grain TSX puts down another boar tonight, one shot DOA @ 125 yards:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/T60%20Boar.jpg

Eagles are well fed around our house!:D

bigbang

04-06-13, 12:06

Awesome thread!

Hot Holster

04-06-13, 14:18

Yes it is. Good narratives and excellent photos.

jonconsiglio

04-07-13, 17:59

SkyPup, where are you located?

That's some great hunting. The 70gr TSX is great stuff and my favorite load for 5.56. I have some 110gr Black Tip coming for my 9" Blackout that I'm going to run through some hogs soon.

Thanks for the great pics. My son loves the coyotes and wants to shoot one (he's 3.5 years old) and I love the eagles.

SkyPup

04-07-13, 20:51

We are in North Central Florida not far from the Suwanee River, good luck on the hogs, the 70 grain TSX does a number on them, we got three more sows and three boar hogs tonight after sundown!

.46caliber

04-07-13, 21:31

We are in North Central Florida not far from the Suwanee River, good luck on the hogs, the 70 grain TSX does a number on them, we got three more sows and three boar hogs tonight after sundown!

What makes you decided to take the 5.56/.223 versus the 7.62 at times? I've seen you post pics and stories with both. I plan to get down to Houston again and do another hog hunt with my brother. I'm toying with either the next AR being a .308 or an SBR 5.56.

SkyPup

04-07-13, 21:34

We use both 5.56mm and 7.62mm depending on what we are doing and where we are at, hunting or sitting in a blind, stalking, etc.

If we have longer ranges past 200 yards I generally take the 7.62mm but the 5.56mm is plenty good out to 200+ yards day or night.

NWPilgrim

04-08-13, 02:33

I've followed most of your thread Skypup and it is chock full of information from the real world. However I don't recall you explaining why you chose the TSX in 70 gr versus the 62 gr or 55 gr. Wouldn't any of those three perform well on the size game you are taking?

Did you try any other weight TSX or did you start with the 70 gr and it worked and that was good?

SkyPup

04-08-13, 06:34

NWPilgrim, that is a good question.

I actually started out with the 62 grain TSX, have not tried anything smaller. The 62 grain TSX also performs spectacularly well but does not quite have the bone crushing penetrating power the 70 grain does. I have a couple of hundred of the 62 grain reloads loaded up still, but have only been using the 70 grain TSX for the last two years or so.

I started out using the Hornady 75 grain, Nosler 77 grain, and Sierra 77 grain bullets to begin with before I tried out the Barnes 62 and 70 grain. The length of the Barnes 70 grain is what got me thinking that they would be the best as they are the longest bullets I reload and shoot.

I have all of my rifles sighted in using the Barnes 70 grain, but I have found that my 75 grain Hornady BTHP, Nosler 77 grain BTHP, and Sierra 77 grain BTHP all print within an inch of where the 70 grain Barnes shoots. If I use lower weight bullets (45, 55, 62, 69) they always shoot lower with the 55 grain being almost 4" low at 100 yards. I also have hundreds of the Hornady, Nosler, & Sierra OTMs loaded up, but they have been sitting on the reloading shelf since I started using the Barnes 70 grain.

I think the 62 grain reloads were up around 3,000fps and the 70 grain are more like 2,700fps, but I do not have a chrono to actually check them out.

Since all my 5.56mm rifles have a 1:7" twist rate, I could use the longer 70 grain without any accuracy issues. Both the 62 and 70 are very accurate out of all my rifles.

My thinking is at close range, ie <100-125 yards the higher velocity leads to not as deep penetration.

I have shot numerous hogs over 425 pounds at 175-200 yards with the 70 grain TSX with quick lethal one shot kills, I think the lower velocity is allowing the bullet to expand properly and leads to yaw and tumble that causes massive tissue damage all the way through the animal. In fact, the 70 grain TSX is the only .223 bullet that often goes through both sides and allows me to take a straight on shoulder shot, no other .223 bullet I have tried makes it though the shield and I would not try a shoulder shot using any other .223 ammo.

I don't shoot any FMJ bullets, but if you look back earlier in this thread I have some recovered some 70 grain TSX bullets that expanded and peeled back beautifully. How Barnes engineered this tiny bullet to perform like that consistently is beyond me....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX1.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX3.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/TSX%20Hog/TSX4.jpg

My basic philosophy is that when I find something that works, I do not mess with it!:D

SkyPup

04-08-13, 06:55

Just to show you what a well placed 5.56mm can do, here are a couple of 425 plus pound boar hogs I killed at 175-225 yards with one shot:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/Monster%20Hog%20II/Monster%20Hog%20IIA.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/TC/Monster%20Hog/TC%20Hog7.jpg

That is a SIG 556 16" barrel with 1:7" twist with a Leopold Pig Plex 1-4X variable and a Thompson Center Contender Carbine with a custom Match Grade Machine 20" 1:7" 5.56mm NATO chamber barrel with a Redfield 3-9X-50mm scope.

I have nailed over a dozen hogs in the 450 pound range, not made it more than 50 feet from POI.

Ironman8

04-08-13, 07:26

[snip]

I started out using the Hornady 75 grain, Nosler 77 grain, and Sierra 77 grain bullets to begin with before I tried out the Barnes 62 and 70 grain.

[snip]

Awesome post SkyPup!

Can you share any experience using the 77gr OTMs on hogs? Does it have to be a neck/head shot for it to work properly and humanely?

I had great results with the 70gr TSX on animals last season, but I've been wondering about the 77gr OTMs since they group about .25" tighter and I can load more of them, cheaper...

Thanks.

SkyPup

04-08-13, 07:34

The ONLY reliable shot I have found with the heavy OTMs has been a double lung shot or neck shot, forget hitting the shoulder or the head as these bullets completely and totally fragment and do NOT penetrate worth a damn.

They do work extremely well if you can slip one in right behind the front elbow low and bust a rib and take out both lungs, they never make it more than 50 feet before they are completely exsanguinated. This makes for a very nice butcher job too as all the blood is above the diaphragm and virtually zero meat damage.

A neck shot is lethal too as that normally breaks the spinal column and/or slices out the blood flow to their brain.

None of the heavy OTMs are "penetrating" rounds, but they do fragment very well. You can forget taking a heart shot with any OTM, with the Barnes 70 grain you can though.

Ironman8

04-08-13, 07:57

SkyPup

04-08-13, 08:00

Ironman8

04-08-13, 08:02

To tell the truth, I have not personally made any skull shots using the OTMs, so I cannot state one way or the other.

But I am sure they would penetrate the skull on one side at least.....the Barnes 70 grain TSX, however, totally and completely smashes both sides though....

Gotcha. Yeah the TSX is no doubt devastating.

I'll get to try some 77gr OTMs here in the next month on some hogs...with the TSX as backup :D

rocsteady

04-08-13, 09:12

Now that you've had the 7.62 for a while, how do you rate it compared to the 5.56 with the 70 g TSX? What do you like better, what was more to your liking with the 5.56?

SkyPup

04-08-13, 09:27

Now that you've had the 7.62 for a while, how do you rate it compared to the 5.56 with the 70 g TSX? What do you like better, what was more to your liking with the 5.56?

The best thing about the 7.62 handloaded Barnes 130 grain I have been using is that you do not have to wait for the perfect shot to make a kill. A bad shot often, but NOT always, will anchor them and/or kill them. Even so, I do not suggest taking running away "ass" shots as it is not humane even if you do manage to put them down that way.

I am also concerned about bullet travel too as we are often not far from domestic suburban landscapes and have to be careful in which direction we are firing at night so as not to endanger anyone. The .308 is going to carry further than the 5.56mm if it penetrates completely through some hog, although using the Barnes copper bullets this may be worse than using a more frangible bullet.

I also like the increased range of the 7.62mm, I limit my 5.56mm shots to a max of 200-225 yards day or night, the 7.62mm essentially doubles that range day or night out to at least 400 yards. So if we are in a large clearing I can take advantage of the longer killing range. The 7.62mm seems to be inherently accurate. Plus it just sounds real good when a .308 hits them in the shoulder, there is a resounding "THUNK" that you can audibly hear to know that you definitely nailed another one.

The 7.62 with a 20 round mag is another 3-4 pounds to be carrying around, and we hike miles at a time often in extreme heat and humidity, the 5.56mm allows me to carry more stuff with me including GPS, camera, Night Vision gear, FLIR Thermal scanners, water, etc. , it is all a trade off.

I really like my 5.56 and I really like my 7.62, I have full confidence in both of them when I decide to take the shot they will both make it, I just may be able to make more shots with the 7.62 that I would defer with the 5.56....

rocsteady

04-08-13, 09:33

Exactly what I was looking for...thanks for the detailed response.

Seems that one of the advantages of the 5.56 would be follow-up shots but more often than not, I think you are precise and careful enough that you don't need 'em.

I don't recall seeing any pics of your hogs with multiple bullet wounds...

SkyPup

04-08-13, 09:37

I don't recall seeing any pics of your hogs with multiple bullet wounds...

Eggsactly!!! I do not take a shot unless I am confident that I will make it lethal on the spot.:D

.46caliber

04-08-13, 10:09

I think the 62 grain reloads were up around 3,000fps and the 70 grain are more like 2,700fps, but I do not have a chrono to actually check them out.

Would you mind sharing these two recipes? Feel free to PM if you don't want to post them. These are what we're thinking of for small whitetail and our trips to Houston for hogs.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

SkyPup

04-08-13, 10:28

Would you mind sharing these two recipes? Feel free to PM if you don't want to post them. These are what we're thinking of for small whitetail and our trips to Houston for hogs.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

It is nothing special:

62 grain Barnes TSX -> 25.5 grains of Hodgdon BLC-2
70 grain Barnes TSX -> 25.0 grains of Hodgdon BLC-2

Lake City Brass

CCI #450 Small Magnum Rifle Primers

Both loads are a couple of tenths below max and work very well in a short barrel gas semi-auto gun nnd are 1 MOA rounds from my rifles. There are plenty of different powders to use, but since I have 48 pounds of BLC-2 for my 5.56mm and 7.62mm, I don't use anything else. Again, it works great for me, someone else could certainly improve on it.....:agree:

zacii

04-08-13, 10:43

Have you had any problems with excessive copper fouling using Barnes bullets as much as you do?

Sent from my Galaxy S2

SkyPup

04-08-13, 10:50

Yes, it is a problem, as with any copper coated bullet, so I use bore solvent to remove the copper every 50-60 rounds or so.

I am not bench rest shooting but feel this is adequate to maintain the bore for hunting purposes. There are actually some powders that will reduce copper fouling, but for hunting purposes probably not required.

You can see the blue on the patch as the copper is dissolved so I know it is working after successive patches come out white.

SkyPup

04-09-13, 07:05

For those that do not reload, Black Hills is loading the 62 grain Barnes TSX that will work in rifles with a 1:9" twist rate:

http://blackhillsammo.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/black-hills-ammunition-new-for-2013-the-optimized-5-56mm-62-gr-tsx/

http://blackhillsammo.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/5-56-62-gr-tsx.jpg

http://blackhillsammo.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/5-56-62-tsx-gel-16-in-barrel.jpg?w=604&h=476

Gramaton550

04-09-13, 09:39

.46caliber

04-09-13, 10:21

It is because of this thread that I bought a couple of boxes of SSA 70 grain TSX Barnes ammo and will be going on not only my first hunt but my first hog hunt as well.

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It is a blast. Made for the best bachelor party i have ever attended.

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Gramaton550

04-09-13, 10:40

Yes I'm stoked, but when I grow up I want to be like Skypup.:D. As it stands my wife lets me get away with most of my purchases but she'd kill me surely if I bought an ATN and brought it home.

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rocsteady

04-09-13, 20:36

For those that do not reload, Black Hills is loading the 62 grain Barnes TSX that will work in rifles with a 1:9" twist rate:

Looks like a great middle ground between the higher velocity LE/CONUS barrier blind but short range Black Hills 5.56 pressure 50 grain TSX and the longer range/hunting ASYM .223 pressure 70 grain TSX. Best of both worlds? Since finding the 5.56 70 grain "brown tip" "optimized" round is like finding hen's teeth, this might be the civilian version!

Barron_1

04-21-13, 19:58

Based on this thread, I went out for hogs with my MRP and some barnes tsx loaded by Asym Ammo. Two good pigs went straight down. The second one was probably 180 lbs. and he went down with a shot behind the shoulder for a good 10 seconds. He then started to make it to his feet and took another round. no problems. I have hit pigs and deer with good shots from 7.62 ammo and still had them travel some after the shot. no big deal. I also put four rounds in a one inch group with the asym loads, with the fifth round being a flyer. This was with 2MOA aimpoint and the MRP 16 inch. very good stuff, considering I'm not a world class shooter by any stretch.

SkyPup

04-21-13, 20:19

Was out tonight and was able to blast these three hogs @ 125 yards using the FLIR Thermal, it was raining like hell and they were in some tall grass but they stood out like a sore thumb in the FLIR.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/3%20Wet%20Hogs.jpg

Loaded them up to drag them back to the truck and no sooner did I get them loaded that another sounder group showed up and took down two more, for a total of five.

Totally soaked through and through but we had a damn great time tonight! FLIR Thermals work great in a heavy downpour!:D

SkyPup

04-22-13, 15:04

Here is one of my three night vision/thermal hog/coyote gun rigs:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Me%20&%20Flir%20T60B.jpg

SkyPup

04-22-13, 17:22

Thermal actually works very well at night in the pouring rain....when virtually nothing else works very well. [:)]

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Rain%20Hog.jpg

SkyPup

04-28-13, 23:19

murphman

04-29-13, 13:06

Thermal & Barnes 70 gr TSX bite a small shoat @ 100 yards,entered one shoulder pencil sized hole and blew the far shoulder off:

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T60/Small%20Shoat/Small%20Shoat.jpg

in the words of Pig Man "It's gonna be tragic"

Sure would like to see the other side of that pig if you happened to take a pic :)

SkyPup

04-29-13, 13:19

I failed to take a pic of this dudes massive exit wound, but it was massive, leg entirely shattered and cut in half hanging.

Apparently I was shooting down on him as bullet penetrated upper shoulder and went down and came out middle of shoulder on the other side.

I was able to get two nice hams, one shoulder, two tenderloins, and 1/2 baby back ribs into the cooler though, should be some excellent eating here.

murphman

04-29-13, 13:26

What are your thoughts on the capabilities of loads like this one of today compared to what was available in 223/556 15 years ago? To me it seems like with the R&D put into todays loads the devastation capabilities is almost like that of a completely different caliber.

SkyPup

04-29-13, 13:38

That is a correct assessment IMHO, there was NO bullet that would petal out like these Barnes and retain 100% of weigh and perform virtually the same way from 50 yards out to 200 yards....

SkyPup

05-04-13, 01:05

Was out in the backyard tonight in the rain dialing in my LASTAC-2 IR laser on my Ruger 10-22 bull barrel when I picked up three thermal signatures on my FLIR LS-64 about 275 yard out behind my barn. Went in and picked up my SIG 716 with handloaded 7.62mmX51mm Barnes 130 grain TSX and the FLIR T-50 and went out to see if I could put a hurting on some swine.

Three nice boars were rooting deep in a pond surrounded by tall grass, so i put the ACOG crosshairs on the head of one, pulled the trigger @ 175 meters and he immediately disappears, no thermal signature or anything????

Watched the other two high tail it up out of the water through the grass and start running off towards the pine forest canopy, put the crosshairs on the shoulder of one dude @ 225 meters and took the shot and he drops in his tracks and does not even move or squeal.

Rode the 4-Wheeler out to to furthest one and he was DOA with his spinal cord severed in front of the shoulder, looked into the pond area to see the other one with the FLIR LS-64 and nothing????

Drove the 4-Wheeler down into the bottomless muck and could not see anything and finally I see an ear sticking up out of the water! Wrapped a 50 foot 1/2" rope around his head buried in the water and thick mud and dragged him up to the other one. He was shot through the ear and died immediately too.

Dressed the two nice boars out and only lost about two pounds of meat between the two of the, about 350-400 pounds of pork, real nice loins too....

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Double%20Hogs/First%20T-50.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Double%20Hogs/T50%20Double.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Double%20Hogs/Grapple.jpg

http://www.phossil.com/thom/Night%20Vision/FLIR%20T50/Double%20Hogs/Exit%20Wound.jpg