.270 gr TSX vs. 300 gr. TSX

[Romo]

Getting loaded for a 2015 Kodiak bear hunt. Any recommendations on the better triple shock bullet?

[Paul54]

Haven't hunted Brown Bear yet. Planning to hunt them in about 3 years...saving my money. I'll be using the Barnes 290 grain TMZ which is a muzzleloader bullet. I shoot a .50 caliber T/C Omega. Have discussed this with several outfitters. I would lean toward the 300 grain...not sure what caliber you're shooting. Hope you have a great and safe hunt. :topjob:

[AKMtnRunner]

I'm assuming 375 cal? I came across some reports on other websites that African guides preferred the 270's performance over the 300's. I think it was the 270's higher speed that made the bullet perform better. Those were highly rated, as well as the Swift A-Frames and Woodleigh weldcores, either in 270 or 300 grains.

Good luck!

[limon32]

I'm assuming 375 cal? I came across some reports on other websites that African guides preferred the 270's performance over the 300's. I think it was the 270's higher speed that made the bullet perform better. Those were highly rated, as well as the Swift A-Frames and Woodleigh weldcores, either in 270 or 300 grains.

Good luck!

Some reading I've done indicates that all copper bullets are getting more penetration when driven fast and a little light than slower and a little heavy. I shoot the 250gr TTSX out of my .375 and it's very accurate, yet to shoot anything with it though.


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[Romo]

I'm assuming 375 cal? I came across some reports on other websites that African guides preferred the 270's performance over the 300's. I think it was the 270's higher speed that made the bullet perform better. Those were highly rated, as well as the Swift A-Frames and Woodleigh weldcores, either in 270 or 300 grains.

Good luck!

Yes sir, 375 H&H

[BrettAKSCI]

Romo,

The recoil is going to be slightly less with a 300 assuming you have both loaded to the same relative speeds (hot load, reduced load, ect). Either will penetrate just fine. The 300 will penetrate a bit better with the extra weight and momentum, but that is a very relative statement. There isn't enough drop in either to matter at acceptable brown bear distances. I once killed an impala at 300 yards with a 300 just fine. I believe the drop even at that distance is around 9 inches or so. I'd take the 300 just for the decrease in recoil velocity. Good luck on your hunt!

Brett

[1Cor15:19]

Getting loaded for a 2015 Kodiak bear hunt. Any recommendations on the better triple shock bullet?

I've used several different bullets on brown bears and have formed a number of conclusions based on real world results. The TSX bullet is a good one, but IME too many hunters use cup & core wisdom when selecting a monolithic bullet. There is NO advantage in selecting the 300 grain TSX instead of the 270 TSX for brown bears. The TSX performs best with higher velocity. Remember that and you'll make a better selection when considering the TSX irrespective of game or caliber...

[BRWNBR]

This is really a question? Your asking if 30 grains on a 800-1200lb animal is going to make a noticeable difference? To answer your question...always shoot heavy for the caliber, but in the tsx case shoot whatever your gun likes best. Your bear won't know the difference. Have fun and don't overthink the entire trip.

[Charlie-NY]

Based on my extensive reading, it seems to be widely accepted by experienced African Hunting Guides that the 270 TSX has better terminal performance on tough game animals than its 300 gr cousin. All Barnes mono-metal bullets thrive on velocity. The 270 TSX has a well deserved reputation among 375 H&H shooters. The 270 TSX is in such high demand that it is often difficult to find.
With regard to recoil; lighter bullets generally generate less recoil not more. I doubt the TSX bullets are an exception to the rule. In reality, I doubt that anyone could tell the difference between the two, especially under hunting conditions.

[Romo]

This is really a question? Your asking if 30 grains on a 800-1200lb animal is going to make a noticeable difference? To answer your question...always shoot heavy for the caliber, but in the tsx case shoot whatever your gun likes best. Your bear won't know the difference. Have fun and don't overthink the entire trip.

You're right Jake. I might be overthinking it. Either way it probably is littledufference, as long as I can run faster than my guide

[BRWNBR]

Lol well there ya go romo! Back to the basics already!

[Doc]

I have used 270grn TSX's out of my 375H&H for many years, and I've taken numerous moose and several grizzlies with that combination. The 270TSX's have done the job extremely well.

[MarineHawk]

I've used several different bullets on brown bears and have formed a number of conclusions based on real world results. The TSX bullet is a good one, but IME too many hunters use cup & core wisdom when selecting a monolithic bullet. There is NO advantage in selecting the 300 grain TSX instead of the 270 TSX for brown bears. The TSX performs best with higher velocity. Remember that and you'll make a better selection when considering the TSX irrespective of game or caliber...

As usual, 1Cor has some great advice. I would just add that, if I was going to use a 300gr bullet in the .375, I would prefer something like the NP. If I was going to use a Barnes bullet, I would prefer something like the 250gr TTSX. As 1Cor said, the Barnes bullets work best at high velocity.

My experience is not as extensive as 1Cor's, but I killed a 9'2" brown bear (albeit with a hear/lung shot) almost instantly with a complete pass-through with a 300gr NP going at about 2,520fps impact velocity. More recently, I killed a 71" moose with three shots from my .340 Wby with 225gr TTSX bullets impacting at about 3,050fps. Two of the three exited and the other one ended up under the far side hide after going through both front quarters and considerable bone:


Given that that moose had much tougher hide and was bigger, likely, than just about any bear on the planet, I think a faster 250gr TTSX from a .375 would have as much penetration as you could need on a big bear. Using a heavier Barnes bullet would just penetrate the same (i.e., more than you need) but do less damage due to the lower velocity. The 225gr TTSX rounds that hit that moose, in addition to their penetration, and possibly due to their high velocity (as became obvious when we quartered the animal), turned the tissue within several inches of their bullet paths to gel. With a brown bear, you're not worried about meat loss. Perhaps a heavier .375 Barnes bullet would be better for African game weighing several tons or more, but their extra penetration would be wasted on even a large AK bear. The 270gr TSX is apparently a good option. I do think that the 300gr NP may do more violence to the target than a 300gr TSX though, and with as much penetration as you would ever need in AK. Just my opinion.

[Jrchambers]

Romo,

The recoil is going to be slightly less with a 300 assuming you have both loaded to the same relative speeds (hot load, reduced load, ect). Either will penetrate just fine. The 300 will penetrate a bit better with the extra weight and momentum, but that is a very relative statement. There isn't enough drop in either to matter at acceptable brown bear distances. I once killed an impala at 300 yards with a 300 just fine. I believe the drop even at that distance is around 9 inches or so. I'd take the 300 just for the decrease in recoil velocity. Good luck on your hunt!

Brett

my 300 aframes kick much harder than my 270 tsx. Im shooting a 375 ruger, I have the 270 going just over 2900, 2908-2921 to be exact. I have only shot deer with it but I cant imagine needing any more. and the collateral damage was minimal.

[BRWNBR]

This is becoming a thread of useless information....from the bears perspective. I've said for years that bears can't read ballistics charts.
I've dumped a lot of 350 and 400 gr tsx and X bullets into bears of all sizes. Never once with any regret of it being to big slow fast hard small or whatever. I've also seen plenty of bears drop to a 140 gr outa a 270 or 180gr outa an aught six.
Numbers and ballistics are for shooters, not so much for targets, there are so many field variables that are never taken into the equation. The difference between a 270 grain and 300 grain in field performance is so small it's hardly worth discussion....I would shoot whatever your gun likes best and move right on to practicing field condition shots. That my friend is where the rubber meets the road. When the gun goes off....

Best to spend time figuring out what gear to take to stay comfortable and what time of year or area to hunt that burn time on which bullet weight. This is coming from my experience.....