I HATE COPPER!

[FISHNFRANK]

I think I’ve shot 5+ deer at least with copper. I have noticed that Barnes doesn’t tend to leave A blood trail with a lung shot. and it does leave a small hole coming and going. I generally use a 7mm-08 or 270 size gun in CA. But the federal Premium trophy copper 165s out of my 30-06 I’ve used on bigger out of state deer seem to leave a pretty good blood trail. I think they expand better. Maybe the answer out here is use a 308 or 30-06 with a 165 bullet or better and you might get a little more exit wounding and damage for tracking.? I’ll have to shoot more copper to test that theory. (Also though, I did a shoot a deer in 2011 with a 85 grain .243. I had to shoot that deer twice even though it was shot through the chest. I think the .243 is a pretty marginal deer round with copper - it’s tiny even though it’s speedy. This is a 85 grain .243 pictured next to A 145 LRX 7mm and a 150 .30 Cal.) Barnes.:

PS the reason I stay with Barnes is accuracy. They are universally the most accurate bullets I’ve shot regardless of gun or caliber. I’ve just started to experiment with E-Tips. They are accurate I just haven’t shot any animals with them yet.

 

[TRICER]

We are hunting in AZ starting Thursday for a week. Both boys have tags one is shooting 243 with copper Barnes 80g ttsx the other 308 with 150g Winchester copper bullets. I don't use lead and have confidence in copper no matter what state or animal I am hunting. Stay tuned there should be some copper deaths coming shortly.

 

[HATCHET1]

the 3 knuckleheads will be polluting the AZ desert with lead out of there 300wm,s 200 grains of nosler pt to be specific on thanksgiving weekend ..this is the first year they get to jump in with the general swag population and hunt during a general season instead of the youth seasons[gonna be an eye opener for them }... I will once again just sit there and do absoulutley nothing but eat and possibly take pictures when they get back to the truck. with 3 tags on public land..there will be no quarter given..projection above the hairline gets it..KAPOOW! good luck dude, post um when you schwack um!

 

[TRICER]

the 3 knuckleheads will be polluting the AZ desert with lead out of there 300wm,s 200 grains of nosler pt to be specific on thanksgiving weekend ..this is the first year they get to jump in with the general swag population and hunt during a general season instead of the youth seasons[gonna be an eye opener for them }... I will once again just sit there and do absoulutley nothing but eat and possibly take pictures when they get back to the truck. with 3 tags on public land..there will be no quarter given..projection above the hairline gets it..KAPOOW! good luck dude, post um when you schwack um!

Dude if I put a 300WM on either of my boys shoulders it would knock them from AZ all the way back to the 16. Good luck to the threesome! We are in a unit near Tucson if your in the area hit me up. The outfitter tent gets set up Thursday we come home next Wednesday.
Duwane Adams gave us some good dirt for the unit we are in. I have hunted the unit a few times before we are excited. I had to give them a talking to they were already planning on holding out, nope first legal buck gets smacked!

 

[HATCHET1]

Hell ya!! We are prolly in the same unit..only hunted it for about 4 years now...still learning it...my buddy lives on the same street as Dwyane and has worked for him in the past. ..and has been an incredible wealth of knowledge for us as well... hope your boys put 2 down man!! Pretty much live for this time of year with the kids...get some!

 

[HATCHET1]

Heres a fatty taking a nap..hopefully he will be taking a dirt nap in a few weeks after a boy puts a 200grainer in his throat! Ha!

 

[HATCHET1]

There season starts the day after Thanksgiving...

 

[TRICER]

There season starts the day after Thanksgiving...

Ours ends on Thanksgiving but we are gonna come home the day before to keep Mom happy. They have companion tags so any Jav or legal buck gets it!

 

[HATCHET1]

Cherish those years and slam um before they grow out of the junior hunts!!! Rooting for the boys!

 

[YETI]

Same bullet I shoot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Me too.

 

[Vermonster]

Nice buck! Too funny, walking through Costco and bumping into a girl in full camouflage. Then he even more funny when I asked if she was hunting, and she said yes, that she actually just shot a buck. Then it was doubly funny when I mentioned your name somehow in the conversation and she said "oh that's my dad and he's right over there"... LOL.

 

[NBK]

Barnes TTSX exit hole from last night. You can fit a pro baseball through it. And the residual trauma is extensive. The inside of the animal was soup. This is what we typically see using Barnes.

 

[ilovesprig]

Nice buck! Too funny, walking through Costco and bumping into a girl in full camouflage. Then he even more funny when I asked if she was hunting, and she said yes, that she actually just shot a buck. Then it was doubly funny when I mentioned your name somehow in the conversation and she said "oh that's my dad and he's right over there"... LOL.

Sean,

We're a small community (hunters)...Did you ever get on any of those bucks you showed me?

John,

Maybe a cannon like you guys shoot is the answer with copper...85 grain bullet seems small for even our local deer...I do know, if I keep her on this caliber (.243)...I'll be seeing you to get some Barnes TTSX ammo.

 

[NBK]

They work great out of my little .260 and Truduct has had excellent results with his .243. She has plenty of gun.

 

[Kellendv]

This little beauty did quite a lot of damage on its way through a deer (the long way). Expanded to double it’s size and I’d be willing to bet nearly 100% weight retention. The deer didn’t fare too well.

 

[Vermonster]

No Steve, only got out twice down here. They'll be bigger next year.....

 

[ilovesprig]

View attachment 42217

View attachment 42218

This little beauty did quite a lot of damage on its way through a deer (the long way). Expanded to double it’s size and I’d be willing to bet nearly 100% weight retention. The deer didn’t fare too well.

Kellen,

Obviously, shooting a deer behind the shoulder and shooting a deer length wise is going to be different...Of the 5 or 6 deer I either cleaned or looked at...They all had clean pass throughs, with the exit wound the size of a 50 cent piece...What caliber gun was that?

 

[TRICER]

Kellen,

Obviously, shooting a deer behind the shoulder and shooting a deer length wise is going to be different...Of the 5 or 6 deer I either cleaned or looked at...They all had clean pass throughs, with the exit wound the size of a 50 cent piece...What caliber gun was that?

Steve you need to get some cutting edge bullets. I have the dies for .243 if you pick up a 100 rounds of brass and 100 bullets some powder and primers I will get you loaded up.
FFA sells cutting edge bullets. You can get 50 pieces of Winchester 243 brass for $25. I would say we can get 100 rounds loaded up for right around $200. 100 rounds will last her a long time.
I am loading cutting edge for my 260 they are wicked. For the short range shots stet is making get the Cutting Edge Raptors in 6mm and we will get you loaded up.

 

[Kellendv]

Kellen,

Obviously, shooting a deer behind the shoulder and shooting a deer length wise is going to be different...Of the 5 or 6 deer I either cleaned or looked at...They all had clean pass throughs, with the exit wound the size of a 50 cent piece...What caliber gun was that?

That is a 7 mm 140 grn Barnes TTSX.
I totally agree with you that there is much better potential for expansion with a length wise shot simply due to the time in contact with tissue. However I haven’t had one bad experience with copper since I started using them in 2017. For the most part the animals are dead on the spot. Obviously all of this stuff is anecdotal but when I hunt in Texas I don’t take a gun, I just use the 30-06 A-bolt that kills most of the animals on that property. He hand loads and uses the Sierra pro hunter bullets. I’ve killed a number of animals out there at close range (less than 100) that left no blood trail at all. I’m a double lung kind of guy for the most part as well too.

When you were shooting lead did you find you had much larger exit holes? Even with lead I never saw an exit hole much larger than an inch and half maybe. Just curious, not trying to change your mind or anything. Not like we have a choice anymore anyway.