70-grain TSX?

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04-10-20, 01:13
Safton

70-grain TSX?

I'm planning on getting into hunting in the near future (current crisis permitting). I'll primarily be going after hogs, but coyotes and whitetail are a possibility as well. I own an SKS and a .45-70, but I've elected to go with my DDM4 in 5.56 as I'm far more comfortable with it.

I plan to eat anything I shoot, so I'd like a lead-free expanding bullet. After some research into the matter, I'm looking primarily at the 70-grain TSX -- preferably the hot VOR-TX loading from Barnes. It has a low expansion threshold, my rifle has the twist rate to stabilize it, and it's a lot less expensive than my previous choice (BH 50-grain Optimized). Not to mention I like the idea of the extra penetration it offers.

However, before I pull the trigger (no pun intended), I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the round you'd be willing to share? I've heard great things from hunters on other sites along with some anecdotal testaments to its lethality in military use over the last decade or so, but I'd like as much data as possible.
04-10-20, 07:32
zacii

Check out this thread:

.223 Barnes 70 Grain TSX Performance
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app

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04-10-20, 09:24
lsllc

I’ve used the round extensively. It works great for whitetail. It’s accurate, reliable, just plain works.

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04-10-20, 09:26
mack7.62

You going to eat your coyotes? :D Lead free is not necessary as the bloodshot meat along the wound channel is not edible anyway. BH 50 grain is not a hunting bullet, it's a SBR barrier blind tactical load so good choice going to the 70 grain, I would definitely use that for hogs, for whitetails there are plenty of good bullets that would be much cheaper.
04-10-20, 10:10
Safton

Quote:

Originally Posted by zacii

Check out this thread:

.223 Barnes 70 Grain TSX Performance
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsllc

I’ve used the round extensively. It works great for whitetail. It’s accurate, reliable, just plain works.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good stuff, thanks! I saw this thread during my research, but I wasn't sure if any others had used it since then and might have thoughts to share.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mack7.62

You going to eat your coyotes? :D Lead free is not necessary as the bloodshot meat along the wound channel is not edible anyway. BH 50 grain is not a hunting bullet, it's a SBR barrier blind tactical load so good choice going to the 70 grain, I would definitely use that for hogs, for whitetails there are plenty of good bullets that would be much cheaper.

...you got me. No, I'm not eating any coyotes anytime soon unless the apocalypse hits. The hogs and deer though? Absolutely. I have no doubts that conventional bullets are plenty safe for edible meat (especially at the low rate I'll be hunting), but it's more a peace of mind thing for me. Plus I just really like the things I've heard about the monos.

To clarify: the BH 50-grain was my first choice because I'm looking for a "do-it-all" cartridge for hunting all of the above game animals plus potential defensive use. The 50-grain is obviously highly-regarded for the latter and I figured the heightened expansion threshold wouldn't be much of an issue at the ranges I plan to hunt at. But it's damn expensive -- more than twice the price per round of the 70-grain. Even with being able to use M193 for a lot of my practice, I'm still wary of buying it unless I had to. Besides, I'm not an LEO and I'm not likely to be shooting through hard intermediate barriers, whereas the 70-grain's extra penetration potential and lower expansion threshold make me smile.
05-01-20, 15:36
PWB

Speer 70 grain JSP is a good choice for deer or hog. The 62 gr Gold Dot is a good choice for defensive round and hunting.