6.5x55 TTSX Accuracy

[AckleymanII]

In my 6.5 creed and 6.5x47, the barnes 127g Long range has shot better than any of the other bullets made by barnes, and has been a very easy bullet to tune. We shot a few white tails, they died quickly. It has amazed us how accurate and easily tuned this bullet has shot in 4 rifles, tiny groups. We started off load development with a .050 jump, only one gun had to be changed.

 

[dfry]

Also, I shoot the 200 gr. TSX out of my Ruger 350 Rem Mag that just screams, 2950 with 3031 and just over 3,000 with Tac, but the 3031 load is a little more accurate. It has been hell on wheels on bear and elk.

But like I said, at longer range hitting bone helps expansion, but needless to say, 300-400 yds with a rem mag's a hoot. The 200 TSX .358 bullet was designed for short actions. Yes you have to watch the drift, but a 3.5" radius Kill zone gives almost a 300 yd PBR.

 

[Zero333]

If what you're hunting is not heavier than 150 kg (330 lbs), the 100gr ttsx should work better than the 120ttsx.

I have a 300winmag I use once in a blue moon for deer hunting. It shoots the 130 ttsx at 3,550 fps. Distance to lands is a little over .200" and it's the most accurate load in that rifle.

Impact velocities of 2,600 fps and higher with the tsx/ttsx usually result is the animal dropping where they stand. Thus why I think the 100 gr ttsx in you 6.5mm might be the better choice.

 

[Brians356]

Have had them pinhole on elk at 400 out of a win mag.

What bullet diameter and weight? Might help the reader glean useful data.
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[JRS]

There are plenty of stories of bullets doing this and that scattered all over the internet, SMKs, AMAXs, TSXs, TTSXs, VLDs, and they all work as designed. When any high-velocity rifle bullet hits tissue full of blood, it creates a wound channel that blows the capillaries. Broad-heads will create wound channels that are as big, and often bigger, than a wound channel from a rifle bullet. So what? The faster an animal bleeds out, the faster it dies. The TTSX cured the "pencil through" problem associated with the TSX when it didn't hit something substantial. The front shoulder is a classic "stop it where it stands" shot. Try that with something like a Berger VLD at the "classic hunters range" of 300 or less yards

 

[Kwahe]

Please take note of the highlighted sentence above and read this:
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/Homogenous+copper+bullets+can+be+inhumane.html

Provide the link to your employer and choose your projectiles with care to maximise terminal performance.

To solve your problem use a twist rate calculator to ensure the rate in your Tikka is correct for your selected projectile.
Tikka are now offering more twist rate options in their range so if you must use Pb free pills you may have to change your rifle.

Interesting reference to Nathan Foster and his ballistic studies site. Elsewhere, on the same sight:
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/6.5x55.html
he states the following in paragraph #30 under Hand Loading:

"Every once in a while, during the course of testing for this knowledge base, a cartridge and bullet combination come together in such a way as to produce unique results. This is certainly the case with the Swede and 120 grain Barnes TSX and especially TTSX bullets. These 120 grain bullets have a long bearing surface, ideal for the fast twist rate of the Swede, producing optimum accuracy. The fast twist rate and fairly high muzzle velocity of the Swede combined with the blender blade style Barnes produce a result that, to be blunt, is best described as vicious."

The 120 grain Barnes bullets (BC .381) will take medium sized game end to end with tail on shots as well as giving fast kills during this process. Wounding at close ranges is fierce and wound channels at ranges of between 250 and 300 yards remain very broad if major bones are encountered. This load is perfectly balanced for use on all game up to the size of Elk, again with attention to shot placement due to limitations of the caliber. Wide wounding tapers off after 300 yards (2200fps) and this is the one caveat with these bullets - they are not fully consistent in action. The Barnes bullets need both velocity and or a measure of body weight resistance in order to produce wide wounding. The use of a light bullet such as the 120 grain weight also helps to enhance energy transfer. But if rear lung shots are taken at ranges of 250 yards and beyond, or if the range is simply too long- all bets are off. At extended ranges, the Barnes bullets simply cannot create wide wounds. "