Jimro said:
Since I really doubt the OP is going to be taking game at distance (anyone who can already do that isn't asking for advice on an internet forum) I expect the impact velocities will be inside of 400 meters, meriting a TSX bullet.
I don't know what forums you've been hanging out on but people who can shoot are always asking about bullet performance. Especially with one they haven't tried before.
Devildawg3039 said:
It is a heavy rifle, not one built for long packs unless necessary. I have heard some great reviews around Sierra gameking rounds, I want to find a round that has excellent expansion while allowing me to maintain accuracy.
If he's not planning to use it on game at "range" then why worry about expansion?
And I agree with you that the TSX shines at higher impact velocities. However they added that polymer tip to aid in expansion at lower velocities. It's hard to design a bullet that will hold together at 60 yards impact at 300 Wby velocities as well as give excellent terminal performance at 500 yards at 308 Win velocities. The TSX was designed for both.
I agreed the polymer tip improved expansion but Barnes still doesn't list a minimum impact velocity. From most accounts I can find from people who shoot them is still to keep the impact velocity above 2000 fps for best results.
Cup and core match bullets on the other hand, driven too fast, will simply explode on contact and cause a bad flesh wound. Charles Askins found this out on live animals with his 8mm-06 handloads pushing 150gr bullets over 3000 fps.
Maybe before my time by quite a bit, but when was any 150 grain match 8mm bullets offered by any of the major manufacturers? Plus any light weight cup and core bullet are going to struggle to stay together at close range with a high muzzle velocity. That is why the bonded core bullets have came out and John Nosler developed the Partition. Still I hold to my original post that the TTSX isn't the bullet of first choice out of the .300 WM for long range, even though it will work.
If you go with a new
Nosler Accubond LR in 190 grain you get a BC of .640 and, the plain old
Nosler Accubond bullets offer better BC in 180 with a .507 and a 165 with a .475 numbers respectively and will work across a wider velocity spread than the TSX or TTSX. You may loose a little bit of weight but if you follow Barnes's suggestions for all of their copper bullets you drop down weight and drive them faster for reliable performance. So even with the weight loss in the heavier LRAB at close range it will wind up weighing similar to the Barnes bullet that retained a higher % of its original weight.
CEB's 165 grain solid copper bullet is a flat base that offers a .500 BC at the velocities a .300 WM can push them.
Jim Watson said:
I consider this to be a target rifle for use with artificial support. The untapered barrel is heavy and throws the balance way forward of what a sling shooter would use. I do not see where expansion or penetration are of any interest.
So, very little counts but BC, and the project is to determine which available high BC bullet is the most accurate on target from that individual rifle. The thousand yard guys like Berger Hybrids, but there are others to try.
That was my thought as well when I read the rifle barrel description, and hence my questioning the choice of a Barnes bullet. I never admonished the OP for his choice, just stated that I felt there was better options available to him.