.223 Barnes 70 Grain TSX Performance

[CaptainN8]

Has anyone done any crimp vs. no crimp testing on these or the 62gr?

I didn't try no crimp, but when my crimp loads shot into one hole at 100 yards I didn't feel the need to.

25.5 gr varget. 2.25 coal out of my colt 6920.

[SkyPup]

I never crimp any of my 62 or 70gr Barnes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk👀

[BufordTJustice]

SkyPup, I just got done reading this entire thread and enjoyed it immensely.

At the risk of a threadjack (which is not my intention or goal), have you given thought to experimenting with the 55gr and 70gr Hornady GMX round for hog in their TAP loading?

[SkyPup]

I have used the Hornady 75 grain BTHP in hundreds of my reloads as well as Hornady TAP 75 gr, they do well but are not penetrators like the Barnes are, all OTM type bullets generally fragment badly at ranges out to 225 yards (Hornady 75gr, Nosler 77gr, Sierra 77 grain, Privi 75 grain, Swift 77gr).

I have not tried any of the Hornady GMX yet though....

The only reliable 5.56mm bullets I have used that do not fragment have been the Barnes TSX to date...

[BufordTJustice]

I have used the Hornady 75 grain BTHP in hundreds of my reloads as well as Hornady TAP 75 gr, they do well but are not penetrators like the Barnes are, all OTM type bullets generally fragment badly at ranges out to 225 yards (Hornady 75gr, Nosler 77gr, Sierra 77 grain, Privi 75 grain, Swift 77gr).

I have not tried any of the Hornady GMX yet though....

The only reliable 5.56mm bullets I have used that do not fragment have been the Barnes TSX to date...

The GMX appears to be a copy of the TSX design, but in monolithic gilding metal. This is supposed to be harder than the all copper TSX, according to Hornady. Doc Roberts has also added the GMX to his list of top tier barrier blind loads along with the excellent 50gr TSX as loaded by Black Hills.

I consider your work with hogs and the 70gr TSX to be definitive from a performance standpoint. It just works.

It appears that the 70gr could offer similar performance at a much lower price point as the 70gr GMX TAP load can be found for just over $22 per box. Do you think this might be something you'd try?

[SkyPup]

I will certainly give them a try when the opportunity presents itself!

I am shooting so many hogs now that the Barnes TSX in 70 gr for 556 and in 130 grain for .308 are getting expensive, but I have hundreds of handloads to go through that I already worked up.

I also purchases 2,000 rounds of Israeli Defense Industries IMI 77 grain RAZOR ammo that has the SMK 77 grain on it, they fragment very good for lung shots...

[BufordTJustice]

I will certainly give them a try when the opportunity presents itself!

I am shooting so many hogs now that the Barnes TSX in 70 gr for 556 and in 130 grain for .308 are getting expensive, but I have hundreds of handloads to go through that I already worked up.

I also purchases 2,000 rounds of Israeli Defense Industries IMI 77 grain RAZOR ammo that has the SMK 77 grain on it, they fragment very good for lung shots...

JimD here is worth a PM. He may have access to some 70gr GMX TAP. He's in a thread with me over in terminal ballistics.

That IMI razor also appears to be extremely accurate from the testing I've seen. Those SMK s work well with enough velocity.

I used to hunt hog here in central FL with the federal xm556fbit3 using the 62gr TBBC and it performed well in shoulder shots for me. The owner of the private land I was on decided to try to charge me a fee for solving his hog problem (I used my gun and my ammo and he kept all the fresh meat), so he and I parted ways. I haven't hunted hog since. I never had a chance to try the 70gr TSX, which was next on my list. :/

Anyway, thread jack over. Keep the pix and videos coming, SkyPup. Great work.

[BufordTJustice]

Here is the Hornady page, with gel shots and ballistics info. I know they're not selling the 70gr pills individually for now, but Hornady says they will resume sales for reloading this year.

http://www.hornadyle.com/products/ri...mx-tap-barrier

EDIT: the ogive of the 70gr GMX as it is seated in the case appears very nearly identical to that of the 75gr T1C bullet as loaded into a few TAP rounds that I have laying around. Not a bad profile to copy.

[.46caliber]

Skypup,

Way back at the beginning of the thread you were using filtered Olights for your hunts. I'm considering this avenue. The only opportunities I have for hog are my annual visits to southern TX. At this point, I could hardly justify the expense for night vision of thermal gear.

Does the light hunting work well enough or did you only do it while you were researching NV gear?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[SkyPup]

The red and green Olights worked great out 100 to 150 yards and I killed allot of hogs with them, excellent lights!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk👀