NM Barbary Questions

[Ltsheets]

Hey guys. So this Feb, the wife and I will be hunting Barbary together since we drew tags as a group. I'm incredibly excited and starting to do as much scouting via google earth as possible. I'm also planning on trying to do a long weekend scouting on foot if able but with a newborn and toddler, it's gonna be tough haha. I'm not looking for anyone's honey hole location (I know that gets said a lot on here) and to prove it, I'm not gonna say which units I drew. I am just hoping for some good tips and advice for Barbary hunting in general that might help me in the field to be successful. I will be hunting with a 300WSM and the wife will be carrying a 270...both loaded with barnes TSX. I have good glass already and plan on putting as many miles down on my boots as needed to give myself and my wife a good chance at tagging out. I look forward to hearing what some of you guys who have hunted them in the past have to say. I'm so excited about doing my first sheep hunt! Thanks in advance.

 

[RabidRattleSnake1]

I am in no way an expert, but if you jump some or see them run from you go to the exact point where you last saw them, not to where you think they ran. I have had them several times run 100 yards from I last saw them and just bed down just out of sight.

The first time I hunted them I heard some other guys 600 yards from me shoot 3 shots. I glassed them up and saw them looking to the north. I then saw what I thought was a barb 200 yards to the south of them bedded down. I thought there was no way it was one just sitting there so I kept glassing to the north where they were looking. I kept coming back to this phantom barb over and over for about 45 minutes. Well low and behold I looked back at my phantom at about minute 60 and it was gone. That was the biggest barb I have seen yet.

About an hour later I spotted one and tried to sneak in on it. It busted me and ran over the ridge. After the previous experience I went to the exact spot where I last saw him and after 20 minutes of glassing I spotted a horn 130 yards away sticking out of a yucca. I moved two steps to my left and shot him in his bed.

I walked up on another one by just looking at the ground and not making eye contact. Shot him at 130 yards. He saw me no doubt, but just held tight in his brush.

 

[Cookie2]

I have had similar experiences as rabid mentioned. Barbs are odd creatures to say the least. Sometimes they do things that defy logic. If I had to narrow it down to one tip..... PATIENCE! Don't just take off running and gunning. The true monsters will absolutely lay and watch!

 

[nmarchr]

Glass, glass, and glass some more! I have only killed two sheep in my life but I have spotted both of them by sitting up on a vantage point and glassing long distance.

 

[Ltsheets]

So do you guys think the best plan is to find a good spot where I can see a lot of country that may hold sheep and glass from sun up until late morning? Then hike midday to try and jump them and then glass again in the evening or do Barbs move throughout the day so it's better to glass for a while and then move to the next glassing spot over and over?

 

[nmarchr]

I don't think they have a set pattern. I have seen them at mid day up and moving. I like to sit and glass for a while then move and sit and glass some more. I do this from sun up to sunset. Put in some effort, use your glass, and I think you will have a good hunt.

 

[Ltsheets]

Thanks nmarchr. Sounds like a plan.

 

[outdoorsdude]

Call the area Game and Fish office and talk to them; specifically inquire about land swaps and ranch unitization!

This bit me in the butt on the one Audad tag I have drawn; nothing worse than finding out the BLM land you have scouted is Non-huntable on opening morning.

 

[RabidRattleSnake1]

The land swap is a bunch of crap. Be real careful now that they have traded away BLM and State Land if you are in that neck of the woods, I mean desert.

 

[Ltsheets]

Yeah so far I don't agree with the landswap either. I'll make sure to check in with nmdgf to make sure I'm smack on that for my units.

 

[LCHC]

First thing I would do is drop the TSX (non tipped Barnes Triple Shocks) and get TTSX bullets. If they are not the tipped bullets they are going to act just like FMJ bullets. I have killed a ram with the non tipped but had to shoot him in the head to get him down. The non-tipped just don't expand. My son had to do the same thing on a mule deer. I thought he was missing him and then the deer turned over as they say a*# over apple cart. Got to the deer and he had a 4 shot group right in the kill zone. After taking his buck to Major's in Las Cruces we figured out what put him down. A bullet to the back of the head that didn't expand. Same story on my coues buck from last year bullet didn't expand. Drop the non-tipped Barnes TSX bullets.

Go in with the mind set that its not going to be easy and glass where they live. Cliffs and cactus and the places that are the roughest and toughest places to get too and where everything pokes you.

Good luck.

 

[Ltsheets]

Well that's disappointing to hear about the TSX bullets having issues. I've got them loaded for the 300 and my 270'which is likely what I'll be taking now as the confidence in my 300 is pretty bad right now. If I might ask, what gun where you shooting the TSX out of and at what velocities?

 

[Ltsheets]

To those that have hunted the southern units in Feb before, what kind of weather should I expect? I know it's desert but is it rainy that time of year where having a rifle with wood and blued barrel would be a bad idea?

 

[WapitiBob]

The TSX will be fine if you go light for caliber. My 140's expand just fine on Antelope.

 

[JFWRC]

I know this topic has drifted like a bullet in a 25 MPH crosswind but I have to respectfully disagree with my friend LCHC on the TSX discount. I love them and shoot them out of several rifles.One thing to be careful with the TTSX is that you must have the right barrel twist to make it work well.

I have recovered many bullets in my career and I love the TSX. I am posting some pics below that show very recent TSX work. The first came out of a NM Whitetail at 225 in a 300WSM. Bullet hit chest and traveled to the ham. Dead deer. Second bullet is from a cow Oryx just dumped Sunday at 377 yards. One shot, took 10 steps and keeled over. Took out the lower heart and melted the lungs. Same 300WSM with a 180 gr TSX. I have heard some folks not get the expansion.....however, I have yet to see it in many many harvested animals.

Jim
www.newmexicobiggamehunting.com

 

[JFWRC]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-14 AT 05:42AM (MST)[p]Have fun and good luck on the Barb hunt.....best thing in world to be doing in February

Jim

 

[muley505]

Sorry to get off track with the thread, but, JFWRC, do you have a better pic of your NM whitetail? I hunt whitetails in Iowa and Kansas, and I really would like to get one in NM as well. I got a shot at a half-decent, ~110" 8 point during the muzzleloader season this year and lost it because of a covey of quail. Looks like the one in the back of your truck is pretty nice, especially for NM.

I'll second your opinion on the Barnes bullets as well. IMO, they are the best thing going as far as a tough, deep-penetrating projectile that does a huge amount of damage.

 

[RabidRattleSnake1]

I shoot the TSX too. I have never had a Barbary, deer, or oryx complain yet All have been one shot kills with plenty of damage. The only animal to not drop on the spot was the oryx, but she only ran 20 yards before she figured out that she was dead.

 

[Ltsheets]

I appreciate it. I'm getting excited about my first sheep hunt of any kind. There's something about knowing it's going to be an incredible challenge that is really appealing to me.

>LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-14
>AT 05:42?AM (MST)
>
>Have fun and good luck on
>the Barb hunt.....best thing in
>world to be doing in
>February
>
>Jim

 

[JFWRC]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-14 AT 08:18PM (MST)[p]Muley505-

If you go to our site "home page" you will see 2 NM whitetails we have recently harvested (click photo to enlarge). Contact me through the site and I will get you more details.

Jim
www.newmexicobiggamehunting.com

PS-Sorry to drift folks.....back to barbs!

 

[LCHC]

Sorry guys I have been away chasing mule deer in West, TX.

I was shooting the 115 gr TSX in my 25-06 going at around 2900 fps. I will try and post the pics of the bullets so you can see the lack of expansion. This is only my experience and opinion with the non-tipped Barnes Triple Shocks in this gun. I have not shot any other non-tipped bullets because I lost all confidence in the non-tipped. What I have heard is the non-tipped are very good on bone and really thick hided game animals which will cause the expansion. So from that experience that is the reason they came out with the tipped to help expansion. I really like the Barnes bullets but will stick with the tipped just for peace of mind.

Jim I would say that they didn't do you wrong. On that note I have a full box of .30 cal 180 gr TSX, 2 boxes of .25 cal 115 gr, and 2 boxes of 6mm 85 gr bullets I will make you a deal on.

I will try and post pics of my bullets soon. Maybe we should start a new post on pics of recovered bullets so others can see how effective each bullet is on different game animals.

 

[JFWRC]

Ty-sent you a PM. Jimbo

 

[Ltsheets]

A thread showing recovered bullets is a great idea! I have a feeling though there won't be many barnes in there though. Everyone I've ever shot was a complete pass through and a dead animal. I hope that your experience with the TSX is not usual as I'm using them in one of my .270s that I just finished load development for and was considering them for my .257 wby.

>Sorry guys I have been away
>chasing mule deer in West,
>TX.
>
>I was shooting the 115 gr
>TSX in my 25-06 going
>at around 2900 fps.
>I will try and post
>the pics of the bullets
>so you can see the
>lack of expansion. This
>is only my experience and
>opinion with the non-tipped Barnes
>Triple Shocks in this gun.
> I have not shot
>any other non-tipped bullets because
>I lost all confidence in
>the non-tipped. What I
>have heard is the non-tipped
>are very good on bone
>and really thick hided game
>animals which will cause the
>expansion. So from that
>experience that is the reason
>they came out with the
>tipped to help expansion.
>I really like the Barnes
>bullets but will stick with
>the tipped just for peace
>of mind.
>
>Jim I would say that they
>didn't do you wrong.
>On that note I have
>a full box of .30
>cal 180 gr TSX, 2
>boxes of .25 cal 115
>gr, and 2 boxes of
>6mm 85 gr bullets I
>will make you a deal
>on.
>
>I will try and post pics
>of my bullets soon. Maybe
>we should start a new
>post on pics of recovered
>bullets so others can see
>how effective each bullet is
>on different game animals.