I have tried them in several rifles and never found a load that shot good. Never shot a deer with one so I cannot speak on terminal performance first hand. But people like them and are worth trying if you can get them to shoot.

I load the 130 TTSX for my A-Bolt -06. Accuracy has been great, I haven't shot a deer with them yet though.

A $15 box of 165 grain Core-Lokt will kill every deer you ever shoot with a 30-06 8 days a week.

Superior Ballistics just called this thread and said - don't shoot light for caliber bullets.

Depends on the hunting situitation. In my case I'll most likely not have a shot over 150 yards, 200 max at which point ballistics don't mean crap. I thoroughly believe low BC bullets are more effective or kill better/faster inside 200 yards than the high BC ones. Most every deer I've even shot has been bang flops with a 308 or 30-06 with 150 gr power point or the old Winchester Silvertips. Look at how effective a 117-120gr 25 cal is and its BC is chit. A 150 gr 30 cal power point, corelock, innerlock does an amazing job inside 200 yards. I'm just trying the 130 TTSX cause I can.

Don't want to get into a ballistics discussion but inside of 200 yards.... the increased velocity is zero gain. You can shoot a larger tougher/bonded bullet if you want but that might not be necessary people been killing deer like they were hit by lightening with a 165 Sierra our of a '06 for 60 years with no issues. Nobody said you can't shoot a larger Barnes if you want either. You might pick that over a Nosler Partition if you want or feel like you needed it.

The argument for a smaller Barnes would be that the expansion and penetration characteristics are more important than ballistics AND that the Barnes bullets of significantly less size/weight possess significantly superior expansion and penetration characteristics than _____ bullet of a higher weight.

That defies logic. That is a 100% false statement. Barnes bullets have been around for a LONG LONG time. I have been shooting them since the 1980's and from the early 2000's the TSX when it was introduced. I've shot 1,000s of them. I shoot them all the time myself. I just don't shoot them as a small for caliber option because I understand the increased velocity is hurting me not helping. I shoot the LRX 250 grain in .338 and they will clean an Elk's clock like you wouldn't believe.

But - They do not kill anything any "deader" than any other bullet.

Everyone that can't handle the recoil is gonna say that 300 Win Mag can't kill a deer and "deader" than their .243. Same concept the Barnes bullet doesn't kill anything any "deader" than a Core-Lokt either.

I love Barnes bullets and think they perform well. I also shoot Berger all the time too with no discernible difference in the results...., however the facts are that Barnes bullets are not Magic.

Sorry to break some of y'alls hearts.

Barnes shining point, in my opinion, is being able to drive that bullet into the vitals from just about any angle. Weight retention is superior to almost every other cup and core bullet. No jacket to separate. The ONLY issue I’ve had with Barnes has been blowing the petals off at very fast velocities.

I disagree with goatkiller in regards to speed. Very fast bullets create more hydrostatic shock than slower bullets. My experience has shown more bang flops with very fast bullets vs slower bullets.

Any bullet however will kill a deer if you stick it in the right spot. I have a ton of confidence in fast Barnes bullets, someone else has lots of confidence in cup and core bullets. THERES NO RIGHT OR WRONG.

I would agree that Hydrostatic shock is meaningful in certain calibers, however I would state that while this can occur with velocities as low as 2200fps that is rare. Roy Weatherby chased this phenomenon with this cartridge lineup and determined that consistent Hydrostatic Shock occurs at velocities above 3000 fps..... but even then does not occur in every instance. 3200 appeared to be the sweet spot and he hunted, researched and killed more game in the development of the Weatherby calibers than any of us ever will. We are not experts in relation to his findings. In particular if the basis for our conclusion is a 150lb Alabama whitetail shot at 150 yards.

Hydrostatic shock is what built the company we know as Weatherby.

I am a huge Weatherby speed freak so I am a believer in this as well.

On the flip side however - I think shooting a 120 grain out of a 30-06 to attempt to achieve Hydrostatic shock is totally asinine. You are just going about it all wrong with that setup. You need a different caliber. The '06 is likely a 1-10 twist which is optimized for 165 grain bullets. You might catch lightening in a bottle but I would find it hard to believe the gun shoots its best with a 120 grain with a much lower B.C. Not likely. And I am 100% SURE that is doesn't shoot as accurately the further the distance. To me you can't even argue that if you understand even the basics of ballistics.

The reality is... All these factors work together.

Understanding how they all work together is understanding the point I am trying to get across on ALDeer here. Nobody has to listen but I'll keep saying it... hoping at least someone figures it out and it stops all this nonsense for them.

Fact #1 - Barnes Bullets are NOT Magic.
Fact #2 - 120 grain .30 Caliber bullets suck.

Conclusion = Shoot it if you want just understand the facts above. I am not making this up or emotionally involved. I love Barnes bullets. However I also know the logic behind why y'all are trying to tell this guy to shoot a smaller bonded bullet is 100% flawed.

My idea of light for caliber is 150s in .30 caliber. I agree 100% on 120s in .30. I chase hydrostatic shock with 100g in 25-06 and 150s in 7 mag.

120 gr 30 cal bullets suck for ballistics, yes, we get that and i dont think anyone here has argued that point. But, one of the beauties of the 130 gr TTSX is it is long for its grain weight and has near equal ballistics as some 150-165 cup and core bullets thus no loss in ballistic advantage nor accuracy. For MY hunting situation (less than 200 yds) the 130 TTSX is plenty accurate. 3 shot 1" groups at 100 yds is plenty satisfactory for MY situation. Will they group smaller, I dont know, I haven't tried. Will they shoot moa or less at 400 yds, I dont know and don't care because it dont pertain to or concern me. I want to shoot them for the speed that can be derived from them and knowing that they will hold together on any shot angle and give me an exit wound. Sure the 165 Partitions I shoot out of my Rem 760 30-06 will too but I wanted the speed and hydorstatic shock affect along with the exit wounds. Other bullets will provide the hydrostatic shock affect just as well or better but I can't drive them near as fast and they tend not to exit.

I don't know what you are talking about I have shot deer my entire life with a .308 shooting 165 grain Sierra and Core-Lokt and just all kinds of cheap stuff and I can't tell you a single deer where I did not get an exit. I am sure there was one somewhere at some point but I don't remember. There is no problem to solve. I shoot through the front shoulders not ribs a 165 Sierra will break both shoulders and blow a hole out the other size the size of Kanye West's gold medalion he wears around his neck. They don't run off if you blow the undercarriage out from under them. I don't shoot deer in the arse either maybe that's the issue?

Why do you need Hydrostatic Shock? That's never a given you can't guarantee that with any caliber. Even .30-378 which I have killed a pile of deer with.

This is not this complicated. You've got a solution looking for a problem.

Just FYI -

A Barnes .30 130 grain TTSX has a B.C. of .35

Just a Nosler .30 165 Ballistic Tip which is hardly a high B.C. bullet for this caliber is .475

That's significantly different over 30% and it only gets worse from there given nothing to the barrel twist.

Nope, never hit one in the ass and so far haven't lost one I've shot. Again inside 200 yards ballistic coefficient don't mean chit for a 30 cal fired from a 308 or 30-06 or hell even a 30-378 Why for deer. And if you read my earlier post about my MUCH success with 308 and 30-06 with traditional soft point bullets you would understand that I do not have a problem with them. My no exit comment was towards the ballistic tips, sst and the forever worst ballistic silvertip. From 130 gr 270 to 140 gr 7mag to 165 gr 30-06 I've not seen a ballistic silvertip exit yet. I don't have a solution looking for a problem, I have a freedom and right to shoot whatever the hell I want out of my rifle and experiment with new things. I have not once disagreed with you that a 165gr cup and core would turn the lights off of any deer shot properly. I'm sure you are quite a bit older than me and have many more deer under you belt and are very knowledgeable about things but You're just like my mother in law, opnionated and wanna argue with everyone who don't exactly agree with you. There ain't a wrong answer as to what pills to shoot outa yer tirdy ot six as long as it's properly constructed and that includes the Barnes/ GMX / etc.

All anybody in my household shoot are Barnes. Are they better than other bullets? In my opinion yes, but that's just my opinion. I've killed deer with every bullet sold, but have more confidence in the Barnes.

I ordered a couple boxes of the Winchester deer season xp copper. The regular xp group really well for me but I don't use them for deer hunting. Shot several the last couple years with the ttsx and have no complaints, just want to try these out and see how they compare.