308 Winchester Barnes VOR-TX 150 vs 168 TTSX Ballistics Gel Ammo Test

[@masonleather_outdoors]

Get your handmade leather gear here! www.masonleather.com Get early access to videos, become a Channel Member! www.youtube.com/@masonoutdoors_masonleather/join Let me know what you think about the video and please share, it’s a big help! Visiting the websites above directly supports the channel and helps me bring you more awesome videos!

[@ThemantleofElijah]

This is the best ammo testing channel On KZbin this guy doesn’t mess around and has direct content with common calibers and common rifles which is awesome thank you

[@masonleather_outdoors]

Glad to be of service, thanks for watching! Please share the video, it’s a big help!

[@nathanbailey9153]

I really like all these Barnes TTSX loads. Thank you for testing them and everything you do.

[@masonleather_outdoors]

Glad to be of service, thanks for watching! Please share the video, it’s a big help!

[@TODinWY]

The 168 is too heavy and too slow in the .308. Stick with the 130 for game up to and including deer. The 150 for elk. Reserve the 168 for the 30-06 and larger cartridges. Opinion based on 30 years of Barnes bullet use.

[@greg6264]

I agree 1,000%

[@TomL3grandsons]

I’ve great luck with 168 grain in Nosler E-Tips in 308 and I was also very impressed with 130 grain Barnes TTSX in 308.

[@henrygilliam8488]

Agree 👍🏻 💯

[@JeffDeibert]

Hand loaders can get 2850fps in the 165 grain with CFE223 powder. Pretty close to 30-06 performance.

[@saamstaan6540]

Too slow??😂😂😂😂😂for what??wich animal out ran it?you make me laugh with your uneducated gibber jabber.

[@tylerbrisson1228]

Really like that you've been showing accuracy on paper

[@dewsports2]

I used the 150gr ttsx in my 308. Hasn’t failed yet.

[@george-ec9fc]

Great job, brother. I have been a shooter, gunsmith, instructor and so on, for a little over 50 years. I have prepared hundreds and hundreds of lesson plans, graphs, charts, hieroglyphics and other woo woo type mumbo jumbo. Just when I have my belly full of nitwits, somebody like you comes along and renews my faith in quality presentation and genuine professionalism. Great job! Just a great job! -G-

[@masonleather_outdoors]

Glad to be of service, thanks for watching!

[@scottythebody0811]

Very tempting, but damn the Fusions look awesome for white tail.

[@rowdybroomstick6394]

In over a decade of use, and not because I was a fusion fan boy just because I could regularly find it on the shelf. I've only had two instances where the bullets penciled straight through like a FMJ. I'm fairly sure it was just that one particular box of fusion's I had because one I shot that box up and was onto a different lot I didn't have that problem again. Matter of fact I've dug out a few fusion's from a nearby tree behind the deer I was shooting at and once out of the hide. They we're expanded perfectly. Because of fusion process the copper cup and lead core stay completely together. Can't say that for the Winchester XP deer season rounds. They're inconsistent with accuracy and the bullet comes apart. So very little blood trail if any, and if you don't put the shot exactly where you wanted it you'll tear up your meat.

[@14goldmedals]

⁠The jackets are electroplated onto lead slugs shaped close to size then run through a forming die and polished. I’ve tried to peel the lead from copper on both Fusions and Accubonds. Couldn’t do it. Chemically bonded at a molecular level I believe.

[@toddk1377]

Imo, depends on a few things...ammo availability, what you're desired outcome is to be achieved, and lastly, what shoots accurately from your rifle. I don't own a 308 but I do have a 243, which I've tried many loads in and my rifle really likes the 85-95 weight class. 95 grain Federal Fusion loads really help that little bullet make a big hole with great wound cavitation and almost always exits leaving a nice blood trail. I'll also shoot the Deer season XP 95 grain and while it's not as tight of a group as the fusion loads, the performance on deer is good with similar results. My particular rifle just isn't a fan of all copper bullets like other rifles in other calibers that I own.

[@jonah-n8l]

The fusion is the worse bullet I’ve ever shot a deer with! It ice picks pin holes em in a 270! No blood

[@scottythebody0811]

@ They must not be made of gel after all.

[@csbcsb2108]

Over last 13 years or so used the 308 and Barnes 130gr & 150gr TTSX and TTX for whitetail and feral hogs almost exclusively when hunting distances from 100 yards out to 250 yards. Probably harvested 20 or more dear and hogs with those two projectiles over that time. Even though I live in TX, I adopted the Barnes bullets to avoid the lead (feed the game to my kids). They've always worked very, very well and no complaints from me. Lots and lots of DRT and nothing ever ran more than 50 or 60 yards. In the woods and up close work, I've used Barnes in 44 magnum & 45-70 lever guns and found them very effective too. Haven't taken anything this year but I'm trying the Federal Fusions for a change cause Mason raves about them so much. Giving them a try.

[@billyprater3534]

Thanks for doing these bullet /ammo test they are very informative and interesting.

[@masonleather_outdoors]

Glad to be of service, thanks for watching! Please share the video, it’s a big help!

[@greg6264]

The reason the 168s penetrated further is in part because they are heavier, but maybe even more impactful is that they didn't expand as much - and therefore had less resistance to push through. The reason the 168s didn't expand as much as the 150s is because they impacted at lower velocities. Copper bullet expansion is extremely dependent on velocity. As for energy, if you double the weight, you double the energy. However, if you double the velocity, you quadruple the energy. With copper bullets it's best to shoot light for caliber so you have higher velocity, which copper bullets needs to expand. When hunting with copper bullets, I limit my range to the distance where my bullet's velocity falls to 2,000 fps. Any further / slower and I might not get the expansion I want.

[@galenpedersen4755]

I shoot te 150 grain TTSX handloaded in 30-06, well under moa and remarkable terminal performance.

[@thebryguy96]

A 150 copper is optimal for a 308. The 168 is optimall in a 300 wsm. Great video as always.

[@ThemantleofElijah]

I plan to get some of the 130 ttsx for my encore pistol given the barrel is 15” so velocity is an issue, I’ll be able to probably push the 130s pretty good and get good disruption with them on deer

[@helterskelter156]

130’s are my go to. White tail and elk never complained that it wasn’t heavy enough. Plenty of penetration and nearly every animal DRT. Looking at your test, I might give the 150’s another try though.

[@janbastein7355]

150, 168 gr is actually already on the heavy side for a copper bullet out of a 308. Sometimes these don’t open up properly. The best is to use 130 TTSX.

[@ianharper1189]

great videos....i was using 150 grain winchester super x copper hollow points in my 3006. they were excellent but got discontinued so i switched to 150 grain barnes ttsx and they are great so far. they have a little more kick to them as well

[@trevorkolmatycki4042]

I can report the following: The 168TTSX going 2375fps at broadside impact clipped the hide and meat of the front shoulder, then veered aft, hit both lungs, and the liver then was recovered in the offside hide of a very large bull moose. Second shot was recovered from the hip. The moose only went 50yd. These bullets work on moose. But don’t count on exit wounds below 2400fps retained velocity, which is short range for a 308WIN. I was launching these at 3000fps with a 300WSM… that moose was at 320m. Moose are thicc! 🤣

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Excellent results for coppers. I think I like the 150 over the 168. Great stuff.

[@OnlyDigs]

I’ll definitely be sticking with my 130s. I’ve always liked the idea of going lighter and faster when using solid copper bullets. They shoot flatter, penetrate like a much heavier lead bullet, and hold together extremely well as seen in your testing. Unfortunately most people aren’t aware of how solid coppers act compared to lead and just want the heavier weights, so all the local shops around me only carry the 150 and 168s. I have to order the 130s online.

[@mr.mr.3301]

The performance difference between the 168 and 150 is not surprising. However, the 150 to 130 is kind of shocking. I would need to go back and look at the wound channel comparison between the 130 and the 150.

[@jonathanethelbah768]

Great videos! Learn something new on every video!

[@mr.mr.3301]

One thought that I had would be if you’re running a 16 inch short barrel 308 then maybe the 130s would be best

[@bradmiller8361]

I'm wondering the same thing. Have you found anything. I need to compare and find out which rounds perform better in my gun. Need to shoot a bit more!

[@mr.mr.3301]

@ all I know is Ryan from Vortex has a 16” tikka 308 he hand loads the 130s for.

[@marciaflyte8978]

Hell with theses fantastic fancy bullets..180grain rem core- lokts..deadliest mushroom in the woods..lol

[@Bggred]

Is the 130gr test coming up?? That’s the one I most to see

[@masonleather_outdoors]

It’s live for channel members

[@Bggred]

@ yeah, I saw it after I asked

[@johnhancock7746]

Appreciate you putting out the videos!! Not sure if you do reloading tests, but would love to see comparison of the 150 TSX vs the TTSX at 100 yrds as well as 200 yrds

[@JF-jm3nb]

My father Tikka T3X loves them in 300 WSM with great success but in 180 and 200 grainers.

[@ajnaquin7721]

Thanks for the honesty

[@Stu650Zuk]

I'd try the 130 or 150 to see which grouped best for sure. The Barnes website did state a rifle twist of 1:11 or faster for the 168gr bullets. Good info to know. Lots of 1:12 twist rate barrels out there in .308 Win. Speed is your friend in copper anyhow. I liked that wound cavity of the 130 the best, but the 150 had great expansion for a copper and its fast for a 150 gr bullet. Both carry plenty enough speed to 400yds for reliable expansion and plenty of energy at that range for deer or black bears. The 150 is impressive on energy especially holding almost 1500ft lbs at 400yds..Thats an elk bullet for sure. Info off Barnes website.

[@user-yu1zp2vu9x]

Thanks for sharing another great video. I tried to find the 130gr ttsx right after that video came out. I didn’t have any luck. I even checked the Barnes website. I didn’t see any Barnes ttsx in any weight. Apparently they are tough to find.

[@stephenparchewski1998]

Good video. I’ve used the 150’s for a couple of years and they have been working great…every deer I shot dropped wIth one shot. I would say that the 168 is getting a bit heavy for a .308 unless you are close and you have a fast twist barrel. You need to remember that a 168 gr copper bullet will be physically larger than a 180 gr lead core bullet and they need speed to properly expand. My rifle is 1:12 twist, so I stick with 180 gr or less lead core or 150 gr or less copper. Honestly, if a .308 with a 150 gr TTSX won’t do it, I’d suggest using a bigger rifle instead of a bigger bullet. You need speed otherwise these bullets won’t expand satisfactorily.

[@robertkerscher7961]

Had great luck with 168 on African game, 1800lb eland 140 yards 1 shot clean kill,went thru far shoulder found bullet in hide on opposite side.

[@WLeonardAthas]

Thank you for testing these Barnes TTSX bullets.

[@cbrooks2767]

I just now found your channel - love the testing! What would recommend for my 12.5 inch 1:10 308 for a self defense load? Maybe a lightweight Vmax to avoid pass throughs? Any others that I should consider?

[@WayStedYou]

I think I'd stick with 130s for a 308 and 150/168 for 30-06/300 win

[@C42WatChe42C]

Top notch info as always!

[@Ringbill27]

I think I’ll stay with the 130gr with my wife’s Ruger all the way up to elk, because it has the biggest wound channel after impact, speed and drives just as deep as the heavier options. Thank you for these videos.

[@linkbond08]

150gr TTS X at 3k fps in my 30-06 goes hard.

[@NCWoodlandRoamer]

That’s a killer load for sure! What powder do you use with that?

[@jameymclean6045]

Been shooting the 150 ttsx out of my 7mm rem mag, and have also been very impressed with the accuracy and overall performance on deer! Just curious what power you run on your scopes on your 100 yrd accuracy tests??

[@GetMeThere1]

By the sound of it, if I were after whitetails at reasonable ranges (say, 300 yards or less), I'm thinking that the 130 gr would be very nice. Gonna be quite low recoil, too. Nice data. Thanks!

[@rickkeller105]

Excellent information! Thanks

[@kearneydillon4803]

You need to shoot light-for-caliber bullets if you use solid coppers. A 130gr in 308 or 30-06 for example. They need top velocity to open up properly. Use a bonded lead if you wish to go traditional hunting weights such as 150/168gr in 308. Also for this reason, I tend to pass on long shots as the coppers lose velocity quickly leading to low expansion. I shot a moose with my 375 Ruger 3 falls ago. Loaded with 250gr TTSX. The 1st shot was @450 yards. Hit proper side vital shot. Moose turned perfectly head-on to me and I shot him in chest at base of neck. Jumped on quad and raced towards to downed moose. When I got to about 120 yards, he got up again. I shot him a 3rd time in fromt shoulder again while facing me. 1st bullet was a pass-thru between ribs and hit bottom of rt lung. No recovered bullet but smallish exit hole. 2nd bullet recovered about 50 inches down under spine. 3rd bullet went in front shoulder and it exited through abdomen 2 feet from groin. The 2nd bullet was the only one recovered. It expanded to .575" and was 99% weight. I chrono'd the ammo and it was 2750 f/s at the muzzle. At 450 yds it was probably 1800-2000 f/s. Poor expansion at slower speeds. It should not take three 250gr bullets to put down a 900lb moose unless they didnt expand enough to allow the heavy bullet to impart enough kinetic energy into the animal. So anyways, just keep your distances to 200 yds or less and they are great.

[@mikemellon80]

Interesting the 150g Barnes expanded more than 130g since velocity is what these monolithic bullets need to expand.

[@MartinVanEss]

You think you can test the 30-30 ballistic silver tips from winchester please?

[@clintjohnson7023]

Ive always thought the 150 gr. To be be the best for the 308

[@oncall21]

Great video! Mason did you find these accurate as you did with the 130gr Barnes TTSX? I’m about to try these 168gr TTSX projectiles in my Super Grade 30/06. Thanks for sharing mate. 👌

[@simondeeley9413]

Great video. Will you post leather to the UK? Merry Christmas

[@iBleedStarsAndBars]

I handload for all my guns and like the 168s for 308 win. In the 6.5 creedmoor the Hornady 120 CX are whitetail hammers, its like the deer are struck by lightning.

[@billhendon1017]

Cool . I’ve been thinking about getting a 308.

[@bradmiller8361]

Which one should i use out of my 16" ar10 and 16" sig cross? Would like to hear thoughts. Hopefully save me some $ finding out which ammo my rifle likes. Thanks

[@bradsnyder6357]

I shot a 180 pound Axis with the 168 gr ttsx at 170 yards. Dropped like a rock and it looked like a hand grenade had gone off in the chest cavity, the bullet completely disintegrated and had little shrapnel exits on the opposite shoulder. Very surprised at that, expected solid copper to stay together. Very impressive performance on the Axis but I need to shoot more things with it to see if this was a one off as I was considering it for an elk load. Time will tell

[@anthonykaiser974]

At what MV?

[@oofpenguin303]

@masonleather_outdoors Good stuff man, I was wondering who you had paint your stock on that ruger American? Also what thread pitch is the barrel for that suppressor? Appreciate the videos

[@riverrivers250]

Wow these copper loads have some penetration.. no diddy…. But i was looking at ur play lists.. looks like 270 havent been tested in along time. The 150 grs…

[@Hutzjohn]

Some years ago someone compared the ttsx against the 180 grain Remington Core-Lokt the 180 grain lost much lead and was only 129 grains the TTSX retained more weight, I think it was a 150 grain, and the 150 grain had better penetration than the 180 Grain Core-Lokt and is much better for "Larger than deer" sized game. HOWEVER a 180 grain 30-06 Core-Lokt is not to be underestimated it'll still blow thru both shoulders of a LARGE grizzly ask Phil Shoemaker.

[@edwarddonahey]

Trajectory testing would be the coupe de gre 😊

[@rickpope4545]

Damn good 👍 video

[@jamesedwards6269]

I couldn’t get the barns 168’s to shoot for crap out of my Ruger American .308. Seems that everything that I shoot thats 150gr performs well out of my gun.

[@apg9345]

the 168 grain is made for the 300 win mag

[@billdixon3752]

But they dont tell you anything about the powder..what is its equivalent for store bought powders. .

[@johnwilburn8319]

Out to 200 yards the .308 beats the .270 Winchester, same bullet weight plus .308 has more frontal diameter?

[@protrump1285]

I had some 124 gr. .308s made , i liked the extra muzzle velocity on smaller game, flatter trajectory.

[@michaelgodeaux1647]

Consider Nosler Accubond in 308 Caliber.

[@chemex9968]

awwwww yeah!!!

[@michaelgodeaux1647]

GGreat Review

[@chrisgabbert658]

👍😊

[@DrMadMax]

Kinda makes sense that a bullet that expanded less would penetrate more.

[@bigracer3867]

What you hunt with that? Moose🎉🎉😂

[@AndrewJohnson-gx5cl]

130 for deer, 150 for elk... in these bullets. Penitration doesn't matter if it doesn't expand.

[@nativedave]

The 130 gr is where it's at with 308....

[@AP-ow5vu]

Barnes bullets are a waste on a 308 in my opinion. The 308 is so slow that a hornady interlock or grand slam will work just fine for 1/3rd of the price.

[@shanevonharten3100]

Got some factory faulty Winchester ammo once and was refused replacement. Will never buy a Winchester product ever again

[@xiong2moua]

My rifle shoots better with the 168 grain ttsx.

[@hunterjohnson5635]

Can we quit with the gay .308 and go to the .270 👑

[@sayimsgt4953]

Can we skip all that and go to 25-06 cause it beats both.

[@jolkraeremeark6949]

.270 is totally queer!