Fielding the 35 Cal 200 Grain Barnes TTSX

35 Whelen Barnes 200 Grain TTSX

 

A while back I wrote that I would be trying out Barnes 200 grain TTSX bullets. With the 2020 hunting season in the rear view mirror, I can now report my real world findings.

I took a young bull elk on the last day of my elk hunt. The shot was rushed as the elk crossed a narrow cut. I knelt down, barely centered the cross-hairs and fired. The elk dropped instantly... But I was immediately disappointed in the shot. I have pulled the trigger enough times to know where my bullet should hit, and in the rushed moment I knew I had hit high. The way the elk collapsed told me I had likely caught the spine; not an ideal shot.

I approached the bull just as it took a last breaths. Upon examination it turned out that the shot was exactly where I thought it would be.... high in the shoulder.

What surprised me though, was that the elk had died quickly; no follow-up shot was necessary. Truthfully though, it was a typical marginal shot 35 Whelen kill... Just when you think you screw up, the 35 Whelen delivers a margin of forgiveness. 

Later, as we dressed the carcass, the full story of the bad shot became more clear. The Barnes bullet had struck just below the spine and had passed through both shoulder blades, stopping on the offside hide. Meat damage was very slight as is often common with the Whelen, but the injury was severe enough that the elk had died quickly.

The bullet had shed 3 peddles, but strangely, they were all clustered around the main core of the bullet, just under the hide. They clearly had broken off after the bullet had traveled through the animal.

So, here I was, once again skinning an elk taken with the 35 Whelen, and not for the first time, experiencing success despite taking a "not-so-perfect" shot. 

Conclusion: The 200 grain ttsx bullet performs just as well as the heavier ones (225,250 gr.) because you can push the 200 quite a bit faster. In my case the latest chronograph tests have yielded an average of 2935 fps. But, you have less recoil to deal with compared to the 225s or 250s.

As well, the 200, when pushed to max velocities gives you an added 75 to 100 or so yards of practical range with a bit less recoil.

Terminal performance seems to be no different on elk size critters. 

The 200 grain Barnes TTSX will be my go-to bullet for the 35 Whelen. I hope to heck that the recent liquidation of Remington doesn't spell the end of the Barnes line of bullets. 

Update: Sierra has purchased Barnes, and has stated that the line will be continued.

Update 2: Since my last writing I have had the opportunity to harvest an elk out past 200 yards. The 200 grain barnes passed through easily, but the wound channel was quite small, as is typical of Barnes Bullets once they slow down a bit. The elk trotted off but dropped in about 25 yards. The shot was perfectly placed. But, this was the furthest any moose or elk has ever gone when hit with my 35 Whelen. I am not making any conclusions from the experience, just adding it to my knowledge base.