ttsx vs gmx vs trophy copper

I've never really been a premium bullet guy and I have killed all but two of my big game animals with standard cup and core ammo. I've been intrigued by the all copper bullets recently for a couple different reasons. One is the performance. When I first learned about all copper bullets my mind immediately thought about the inferiority of steel shot compared to lead shot. From all the research and reading I have done I now know that copper bullets are the real deal and offer some big advantages over lead core bullets! Another reason I'm looking into copper is I do most of my big game hunting on the Zion unit. Due to the condors in the area and all the incentives being offered to Zion unit hunters to make the switch I feel as if the writing is on the wall and non-lead ammunition may soon be a requirement rather than a friendly suggestion so I may as well make the change now.

I have been doing a lot of reading up on the monolithic bullet offerings we have now and I am trying to make my decision. I'm shooting a .30-06 not some whiz bang magnum cartridge so paramount in my decision is finding the bullet that will give the most reliable expansion at lower velocities. When comparing the TTSX to the GMX it looks like the TTSX wins this battle. The GMX isn't solid copper like the TTSX is, but rather a zinc/copper alloy which makes for a harder bullet. This article does a little comparison between the GMX and TTSX http://www.soarraptors.org/Documents...lletStudy.pdf: At high impact velocities there is no real winner, but when the velocity drops down to 1800 fps the TTSX still expands passably well and the GMX almost turns into a FMJ. The Hornady Superformance line that the GMX is loaded in boasts a 110 fps velocity advantage over the TTSX so maybe that might help offset the lesser expansion capabilities a little...but I dunno.

The copper bullet that has caught my attention most recently is the Federal Trophy Copper. There seems to be a lot less information about this bullet than the other two, but from what I have read people are saying that it is the Nosler E-tip bullet loaded by Federal in their vital shok line. The lightest bullet the E-tip comes in for the .30-06 is a 165 grain. I would prefer a 150 since the '06 really needs some good velocity to get these to open up but the 165 grain Trophy Copper has an awesome BC of .503 which helps it retain velocity better than the other two that have BCs of .415 for the GMX and .420 for the TTSX. I've been trying to find out what the recommended minimum velocity for the Trophy Copper bullet is for reliable expansion, but I haven't been able to find anything on this subject. I would appreciate any info anybody has if they can help me with an answer on this. The Trophy Copper also has a slight economy advantage at being $35 a box compared to $40 per box for the TTSX and the GMX in the places I have looked.

Your best bet to find the velocity threshold is to contact Federal and Barnes via email and ask them.

If I were you, I would buy a box of the Federal, since it is cheaper, and test it for accuracy in your rifle. If it shoots good groups, stay with that brand. If it does not meet your expectations for accuracy, try the Barnes TTSX.

What may shoot great groups in our rifle does not mean it will also do that in your rifle.

RELH

I don't know if the E-Tip and the Federal are the same bullet or not. They don't even look similar. I killed a few critters with the E-Tip a few years ago. I did use a whiz bang magnum however. mtmuley

Barnes states that their bullets need 2000fps to expand reliably. I would consider that the be the minimum across Barnes, Hornady and Nosler. Well, actually the E-tip is 1800 fps, but the expansion is minimal so let's just say 2000 for everything.

Your -06 in just about any bullet weight will deliver that unless you're shooting extreme distances or using very heavy bullets.

I'm a Nosler guy, but I've never shot their E-tip. I do like Barnes TSX bullets and my wife uses them for hunting. I've never seen a factory load that gets them right, though. Barnes bullets, and I suspect other bullets like them, need to be set back a smidge for more pressure due to bullet hardness. I've never seen this done in factory loads as the cartridges are set to SAAMI length. Or at least the ones I've seen so far.

Your best bet if you're looking to use factory loads, is to try out each candidate and see what shoots best for your gun. I wouldn't worry so much about velocity, or at least not until you find something that works with your rifle. If the TTSX shoots better than the cheaper Federal stuff, then $5 difference isn't going to matter unless you're shooting coyotes or something.

TTSX, GMX and E-tip terminal ballistics should all perform adequately. I've just never heard of anyone yelling "OOH YEAH, that GMX or E-tip rocks!". Plenty of Barnes fans, though.

I have been fond of Federal Premium Nosler Accubonds and Partitions prior to that, but went with FP Trophy Coppers for my 2013 desert big horn hunt. I got great groups and consistency out to 500 yards from my 300 Win Mag.

I took my ram at 225 yards with a lethal heart/lung quartering away first shot. The ram did a180 degree turn, and I took a second shot (it was not needed but thought the ram was going to bail off a rock face) with the ram on an extreme quartering away. Aiming at the off shoulder, I hit the left rear ham, and the 180 grain trophy copper traveled through the entire length of the ram and exited the front chest leaving a large exit hole maybe 6-7" in diameter. It was the most devasting damage I've seen in my hunting experience to a big game animal.

I'm staying with the Trophy Coppers, and just ordered some 165 gr for a new 300 WSM.

Ed

Realizing this is a response to an old post.
However, I shot a 5x6 bull elk running at 200 yards
last year with a 50 year old Remington BDL in .30-06 caliber
using 168 gr Barnes TTSX. First shot in chest which
stopped him, then second shot in heart which put him down
for the count. My rifle shoots these bullets in 1/2 inch group of three at 100 yards regularly. Love that bullet.