GJgo
Member
First let me start by saying that normally I prefer to hunt with TSX, but sometimes it doesn't work out in time for the season..
Last week after the snow came in my buddy was looking to fill his cow tag. He's shooting a Savage 308 w/ a 20" heavy barrel, and had it dialed in with a 168 Amax load- very accurate. When the season came around he didn't have a "hunting" rifle that was dialed in so that's what came along. One afternoon as he was glassing a cow stepped out in a clearing at 390 yards, he took a good rest & sight picture, one round & two side steps later the elk was harvested. Heart shot, made a mess of the insides. The core passed through.
The other night I was up looking to fill my doe tag. I brought along my Win 70 fwt 6.5 Swede which is loaded up with 140 Amax. Very accurate now that I know to keep the velocity down.. An hour or so before sunset two does walked out in a clearing, but they were too far out for me at around 600 yds. My buddy & I stalked in as far as we could before they made us, lasered them there at 420 yds. I sat down & took a good rest, and after I was comfortable with the situation took a shot at the bigger one. Heard the thwack, she turned & ran about 75 yds & piled up. Small hole in, inch or so hole out, bled out internally with no trail. End result is the same though so I'll take it.
I plan on continuing load development with my Swede using the TSX, but when it came time to hunt this year it wasn't there yet so I used what I had, and I'd say it worked great. Seems to me a lot of guys say "Never use an Amax on game", but I suspect those guys have never actually tried it. I'm just not seeing any functional difference between an Amax, a NBT, a Berger hunting bullet, etc...
With that said next week I'm looking to fill my bull tag, and out comes the TSX!
Last week after the snow came in my buddy was looking to fill his cow tag. He's shooting a Savage 308 w/ a 20" heavy barrel, and had it dialed in with a 168 Amax load- very accurate. When the season came around he didn't have a "hunting" rifle that was dialed in so that's what came along. One afternoon as he was glassing a cow stepped out in a clearing at 390 yards, he took a good rest & sight picture, one round & two side steps later the elk was harvested. Heart shot, made a mess of the insides. The core passed through.
The other night I was up looking to fill my doe tag. I brought along my Win 70 fwt 6.5 Swede which is loaded up with 140 Amax. Very accurate now that I know to keep the velocity down.. An hour or so before sunset two does walked out in a clearing, but they were too far out for me at around 600 yds. My buddy & I stalked in as far as we could before they made us, lasered them there at 420 yds. I sat down & took a good rest, and after I was comfortable with the situation took a shot at the bigger one. Heard the thwack, she turned & ran about 75 yds & piled up. Small hole in, inch or so hole out, bled out internally with no trail. End result is the same though so I'll take it.
I plan on continuing load development with my Swede using the TSX, but when it came time to hunt this year it wasn't there yet so I used what I had, and I'd say it worked great. Seems to me a lot of guys say "Never use an Amax on game", but I suspect those guys have never actually tried it. I'm just not seeing any functional difference between an Amax, a NBT, a Berger hunting bullet, etc...
With that said next week I'm looking to fill my bull tag, and out comes the TSX!
