What bullets do you use ? 257AI & Barnes TTSX

[280ackimp]

I am loading for a 257AI and need to settle on a single load. The purpose of this rifle/cambering is Pronghorn and deer both mulies and whitetail. My thoughts are along the line of the 115gr Partition for deer here in the northeast and elsewhere, with a 115 gr BTBT for Antelope.

I was looking at the Barnes TTSX in 100 gr and was wondering what you guys thought of that bullet as a one bullet for all load ? This would be about a 3,200 fps load. I have zero experiance with Barnes.

Thoughts or observations would be great.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have one load form my 25-06 for deer & antelope. I load the Sierra Game King 117 BT. I have used this bullet for 30 years or so. My loads MV is about 3250 fps. Does a great job .....no need to change.

 

[JimP]

You should be able to do better than 3200fps with a 257AI

I am shooting a 25-06 with 100 grain Barnes TTSX bullets at 3200 fps and love it. It gives me great accuracy with the loads with the speed that I want. I just looked at the Barnes on line load data and it shows with a 100 grain TTSX you can get 3200 fps with a few different powders in the AI.

As for the 100 grain TTSX it does a great job on coues deer, I haven't had a chance to try it out on a antelope yet. I shot the coues in my avatar at 420 yards with a 100 grain TTSX at 3200 fps.

 

[dan maule]

I shoot the 257 wby and my wife shoots a 25-06, you will not be disappointed with the TTX! That being said I also really like the 110 grain acubond

 

[mcseal2]

My top would be the 100gr Sirocco followed by the 110 Accubond for deer. The all metal bullets work well too, I just prefer a little more expansion and bigger wound channel on deer. A buddy shoots the 110 Accubond from his 257 Weatherby at 3400fps and I've seen it take out a big whitetail's front shoulder at 80 yards and exit the other side without looking like it exploded. The Sirocco is a little tougher, little higher BC, and a little lighter for better speed. There are lots of good choices, the TTSX, E Tip, Interbond, GMX, lots of them should work well. That 117gr Sierra Gameking is also a good one.

 

[JimP]

Here are a couple of pictures where you can see the exit holes on my coues deer at 420 yards with the 100 grain Barnes TTSX

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

One bullet I would definitely NOT use is a Nosler Ballistic Tip. Here is a picture of ant antelope with a destroyed shoulder on an entrance wound. My .257 Wby with a 115 gr BT Nosler.

 

[dan maule]

One bullet I would definitely NOT use is a Nosler Ballistic Tip. Here is a picture of ant antelope with a destroyed shoulder on an entrance wound. My .257 Wby with a 115 gr BT Nosler.

View attachment 22819

I have had similar experiences with Weatherby magnums and ballistic tips. They work really well on lung shots but explode on the shoulder. I was using 165 grain ballistic out of my 300wby. Never used them in my 257wby but my nephew used them on a mule deer hunt and had the same result as your antelope.

 

[mcseal2]

Definitely a lot bigger mess than the Accubond made on the buck my buddy shot. I was pretty shocked how well it held up at that speed with the bone he hit.

That's a darn nice Coues JimP!

 

[Tim McCoy]

I’d not hesitate to use the TTSX if your gun likes them. They excel in light for caliber bullets pushed fast. Another bullet I’ve had great luck with, not yet mentioned, out of my 25-06, is the Hornady Interlock 117. Many good bullets are available.

 

[Slugz]

FYI......Lot of people I think may have not seen that the Nosler Ballistic Tip is not bonded and fully tapered jacket which results in a " ballistic like" explosion at all velocitys......hence when hitting any bone.....she explodes and makes quite the frag pattern and mess.

Main reason I went all Accubond, all the time.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

FYI......Lot of people I think may have not seen that the Nosler Ballistic Tip is not bonded and fully tapered jacket which results in a " ballistic like" explosion at all velocitys......hence when hitting any bone.....she explodes and makes quite the frag pattern and mess.

Main reason I went all Accubond, all the time.

Only reason I used then is a friend gave me 500 of them and they grouped pretty well, so I used them for antelope. I gave them away to another "friend". LOL Stick with the ones I've been using for 3o years...Sierra Game Kings!

 

[Slugz]

Only reason I used then is a friend gave me 500 of them and they grouped pretty well, so I used them for antelope. I gave them away to another "friend". LOL Stick with the ones I've been using for 3o years...Sierra Game Kings!

Yep...identical story here....I won some in a raffle......ruined a lope one year......gave them away. Its tough to beat the Sierra Game Kings and the price is also good. My Rem 700s just seem to like the Accubonds a little better is all.

 

[Catahoula12]

Nosler Accubond in all my hunting rifles.

 

[Bruce Mc]

There is not a better 25 caliber bullet than the 117 Sierra Game King. I've shot dozens of deer with it from my Bob at 3100 fps.

 

[memtb]

We (wife and I), have used Barnes mono bullets.....since the early 1990’s, though in different cartridge/caliber than yours. We selected one bullet weight, and have used it on all big game, from deer/antelope, up thru and including moose. The “only” changes we made were, as Barnes improved their technology.....we updated as well. To clarify that a bit, I dropped down a bullet weight as Barnes “did not” offer a TTSX in my preferred bullet weight! Almost all were ?one shot kills?, except when placement was bad, and recovered only one bullet. It was the original Barnes X, which had full-lenghted? (end to end) a rag-horn bull elk.....recovered under hide before leaving the elk. One petal was broken off! This was our first kill with a Barnes X, around 1992.....Barnes only since then! They have been used on game from less than 30 yards to over 400 yards, with zero bullet failures....a pretty good testimony for any bullet! memtb

 

[Fish]

I shoot the Barnes 100gr TS and TTS out of my 257 Roberts Ruger #1. I'm getting 3,200 fps from its 26 inch barrel. I shot a lot of deer and antelope and even a CA big horn here in WA. they work very well. I probably won't go back to 117 and 120 gr bullets out of that rifle.

 

[Timr245]

FYI......Lot of people I think may have not seen that the Nosler Ballistic Tip is not bonded and fully tapered jacket which results in a " ballistic like" explosion at all velocitys......hence when hitting any bone.....she explodes and makes quite the frag pattern and mess.

Main reason I went all Accubond, all the time.

Ditto sir!!!

 

[kidoggy]

I generally just shoot factory 130 or 150 gr coreloct out of my .270.

couldn't tell you a thing about the ballistics and couldn't care less. ain't never had an animal hit by a bullet travelling 2000fps tell me it would have preferred 2500fps.

put the bullet where it needs to go and it will kill any animal on this planet.

if you can't do this ,don't take the shot.