Where to buy factory loaded Barnes 130gr TTSX .308 Win in NZ

Hi,

I want to try some factory loaded Barnes 130gr TTSX .308 Win in NZ for red deer and Tahr. Any recommendations and places to buy? I only see Barnes 130gr TTSX projectiles online in NZ (and no factory loaded cartridges) but since I do not reload myself I was keen for factory loaded. I guess I can get someone to teach me reloading :)
The places I go hunting there are often Kea so I am keen to minimize any potential impact on these checking characters while seeing some great alpine country and filling the freezer. Also, minimizing lead intact to myself and friends can only be better for everyone.
Any other non lead .308 ammo recommendations is also welcomed. Sounds like lighter and faster is the way with monolith projectiles.

Cheers

you keep swallowing the greenies coolaid and your grandkids wont be able to go hunting at all.....
how can a kea eat lead from an animal you shoot if you carry out said animal????
the lead you put into animal with either go out other side into hill or stay under skin,you can put it in your pocket.
you not likely to eat meat that bloodshot to heck so you wont ingest any lead....
if you look hard enough you will find factory ammunition...think some of the sako stuff out now has non lead monos.

Yea I’d say sako might be the only option theirs bound to be some Hornady at some stage with their new mono as above though I wouldn’t go threw the hassle what ever you find I’d say it’ll be worth a pretty penny . Plastics a bigger issue than lead now days big old fed 150gn would be hard to go past the meats of the animal that fast it won’t be contaminated projectiles to avoid would be eldm and Berger for your above reasons

Barnes ammo is going to be hard to come by. Especially since they were acquired by Remington. I don't have a source but I just can't see it being produced in enough quantity for much of it to make its way over here reliably.

Sako Powerhead ammo uses TTSX bullets. But their 308 offering is the 168gr version with a claimed velocity of 2550. And you're onto it - light and fast is the way to go with monos for best results - so that 2550 would be far too slow for my liking. Plus it's like $6 a pop.

Sako's Blade ammo is also a mono. 162gr with a better claimed velocity but a poorer BC. I've also chrono'd some of their 140gr 7mm Rem Mag ammo which was claimed at like 3084ft/s but actually only clocked 2900 with a triple digit velocity spread to boot. Also $6/pop.

The Hornady GMX 150gr stuff is even more expensive. Plus that bullet's being replaced by the CX soon.

Personally I'd pick a traditional bonded bullet, if concerned about leaving lead on the hillside. It'll hold together better, leaving less fragments in the carcass. If it passes through then it'll be getting buried deep into the hillside and if it doesn't pass through then you can likely recover it almost whole.

If you want to shoot a 130gr TTSX though then you're going to need to get yourself a press. Or flick me a PM.

Someone on here will be happy to teach reloading, if you BYO primers/powder/projectiles it is a good start.

Keeping lead out of your meat is a good idea, I load TSX for meat shooting myself. If you do go down the reloading road remember there are is some exposure to lead in that activity if your not careful.

I could be wrong but it probably won’t make much difference to the Kea, although it won’t do them any harm.

In some jurisdictions lead projectiles are being regulated out of use.

Could always shoot it with an arrow....

I saw the recent articles on high velocity lead particles from frangible bullets. I think they should try a few of the hard cast powder coated bullets and see if theres any residual lead (re taking xrays of the carcasses). It might be that PC bigger bullets are fine.

Before you go off looking for your copper...which will get harder to buy in NZ, now that the UK has decided to only sell game shot with non lead.
Have a read of this.
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...+inhumane.html

On a side note,
"Because Kea evolved in the absence of mammalian predators, they have not developed defences to them, and nowhere is this more conspicuous than when it comes to nesting. Unlike most parrots, which nest in cavities high up in trees, Kea nest in burrows, tucked under rocks or amongst tree roots, which makes the incubating female, her eggs and chicks especially vulnerable to predation by introduced stoats. When stoat populations periodically explode, they decimate Kea nests, reducing survival to near zero. Other predators, particularly possums, introduced rats and free-roaming cats, add yet more casualties."

NZ dose not have California condor.:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by T.FOYE

Could always shoot it with an arrow....

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That would be the go but they always smell me first!

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

Have a read of this.
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...+inhumane.html

On a side note,

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Yes have read the ballistics studies article.

I have good knowledge on the risks to Kea and lead is one of them.

My thought is why use lead if there is suitable safer alternatives that work well for me. I am always happy to try something new rather do old status quo.

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Originally Posted by Pommy

If you want to shoot a 130gr TTSX though then you're going to need to get yourself a press. Or flick me a PM.

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Cheers for the info and offer.
I had some people in the past keen to teach me reloading, so maybe I need to get the 30gr TTSX projectiles and give it try for myself. :)

I won't comment on the lead debate but will share my thoughts on the 130ttsx.

I have used the 130ttsx for the last 5-6 years and it has worked extremely well for the style of hunting I do which is close range NI bush hunting. Most shots well under 100m and all have dropped dead on the spot. Any standard hunting load would do the same but hey I like playing with shit and the blue tips look pretty.

Would I use this at ranges over 200m definitely not because to get these to expand you need high velocity. This is why I'm playing with new loads with heavier higher (lead core) bc projectiles as I would like to explore different areas with the potential of longer shots.

I have never hunted thar or hunted down south but from what I've seen and read your shots are likely to be 200m or even much more so the 130ttsx is not the right projectile to be using.

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Originally Posted by Bobba

I have never hunted thar or hunted down south but from what I've seen and read your shots are likely to be 200m or even much more so the 130ttsx is not the right projectile to be using.

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Yeah, good call about 200m limit.
I am not one to sit in one spot and shot at distance, so normally I am within 200m.
Fortunately or unfortunately I am someone who always looking and learning to do things better. I am in the mountains every week these days and so have the opportunity to play around with setup and try to do things better. But if the animals are not dropping quick then that would not be good. I am thinking heavier coated projectiles for longer range are probably the go.

mate.......that is the same problem...... and what the authorities pushing lead free dont comprehend. Im not good at doing subtle but will try to put this plainly.

up close with good velocity a hard mono will do the job because it is going fast enough to open up ,expand,deliver energy and do lots of damage
same goes for a heavy jacketed projectile...they were made heavy for the magnum loading where velocity is high.
your .308 winchester simply put does not fall into this catagory....

at longer range or at slower velocity EG reduced loads for youth ,the issue is the projectiles arent going fast enough to open up properly and risk penciling through,so you need to go to a faster opening projectile...something softer..... and softer =lead that will break up.
its simple physics you NEED THE THING TO OPEN UP AND CREATE A WIDER THAN CALIBRE WOUND..... if you miss major leg bones and projectile slips through vitals missing rib on way in,even good projectiles wont do a huge amount of damage,lungs will usually have about a 1" hole through them...which = slower death for animal.....if you are super lucky and manage to hit major blood vessels in thick part of lungs or between lungs n heart WITHOUT hitting heart,death will be within seconds...animal runs out of oil and siezes up as the oil pump keep pumping it out FAST.....if however you dont quite hit eggzachary where you want,a miss by smalll margin with stout projectile either mono or heavy jacketed it simply wont touch the super vunerable bits whereas a soft expanding projectile will because the breaking up bits travel away from main projectile path and also the blowing up bit causes all sorts of naasty things to go on internally...why you get lots of bruising... blood n "stuff" gets pushed around big time in a hurry....
you cant make n omlet without breaking eggs
you cant kill animals without breaking something vital to thier survival...the more you break,the faster they die.
90% of the good eating bits are located in front of 3rd rib...so front wheels arent included in this....yes good for casseroles n mince or small goods,but if you want to anchor animal in a hurry on the spot,take out the front wheels,slightly further forwards is good,you get wheels and motor at same time....
you could neck shoot in ideal world and still harvest 95% of all usable meat...and your projectile will either go into hillside beyond animal or stay within neck which you unlikely to be eating,and if you do you unlikely to loose more than 3-4" of meat due to spoilage either from bullet bits or blood.
hope that is polite and consise enough .
Ive tried monos,the very best you can get in .277 calibre and found them hohum/vanilla in the killing dept compared to cup n core
in the .223 at under 150 yards they actually improove killing as they out penertrate cup n core somewhat while keeping projectile weight down to keep velocity up. BUT again its a compromise.....and range has to be kept short to ensure the velocity is high enough to ensure good expansion.

Wonder how many Kea have met the fate of 'used it to check DOPE/Zero' :on fire:

How about Nosler E-Tips if your set on lead free?

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Originally Posted by caberslash

Wonder how many Kea have met the fate of 'used it to check DOPE/Zero' :on fire:

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I whole heartedly hope the answer is zero

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Originally Posted by Kelton

I whole heartedly hope the answer is zero

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Seems the old 'footsloggers' ate a few if the books are to be believed :wtfsmilie:

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Originally Posted by caberslash

Seems the old 'footsloggers' ate a few if the books are to be believed :wtfsmilie:

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hopefully none in the past 50 years :)

Hunting and fishing rotorua had about 10 packets of 308 barnes vor-tx 130ttsx, I was in the shop yesterday. It was expensive $120 or $130 a pack, first time I've seen it for sale.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

mate....... Im not good at doing subtle but will try to put this plainly.

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haha, cheers all good valid points and great beta. Thanks.
I guess I would just like to have a play with them.
I do not take out damaged meat since normally I am a long way from the car or perhaps going further from the car on an exploration. So I do leave a fair bit of meat in the mountains for animals to eat. Having less damaged meat does mean my pack will get even heavier :D

rereading what I typed out...it should say behind the 3rd rib is all the good meat.....third rib from bumhole end,if you cut animal across there you miss the becksteaks n eye steaks, once upon a time you could sell that back end bit to game buyer for nearly same $$$$ as a whole carcase,with a lot less effort to carry it out.