# Anyone shoot Hornady GMX, Nosler Etip, or Barnes LRX?



## Kevinitis (Jul 18, 2013)

I have been shooting 0.270 barns TSX with great results, but a few years ago they changed the o-give on their TSX 130 grain bullets and it lowered the ballistic coefficient (was 0.431 and now 0.374). Not that the bc was that great anyway, but I want to be able to shoot at longer ranges (500-600 yards) and the BC matters to me. Also upsets me that I spent time, effort, and $ working up a load only to have them change it on me. So looking for new options and am looking at the Hornady GMX and the Nosler Etip or going to the Barnes LRX. The pure copper bullets (barnes) are reported to open up at lower velocities than the guilding metal bullets (GMX and etip). So my options are GMX 130 grain bullet (BC 0.460), 130 grain Nosler Etips (BC 0.459), or look at the 129 grain Barnes Long Range X (BC 0.463). I read somewhere that the e tip can generate higher pressures and some report trouble with accuracy with those, which I assume is because of the lack of grooves. I'm leaning towards GMX, because I like that the SST and the GMX are interchangeable with your load because they have the same bearing surface. Just looking for some separation here, has anyone loaded/shot any of these bullets and what was your experience with accuracy, performance on game or other thoughts? I'm also interested in any other non-lead options.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

Springville Shooter has used the E-tip quite a bit if memory serves... I'm sure he can chime in and share more!

I only have experience with the Barnes TTSX, not the LRX.


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## mtnrunner260 (Feb 15, 2010)

Use whichever one floats you boats the highest.
With reloading and some trigger time you'll get 600 out of any of them.
If you are going to be able to shoot more with the SST/GMX combo that would be my suggestion but otherwise I think any will do.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I shoot ETips in a 25-06 and a 300 RUM. Bullets perform great in both cases. BC's are good and they fly very well at longer distances. So far I have never recovered a bullet from an animal and all animals shot with ETips have been dispatched very quickly. Exit wounds often look like a broad head hole.

This is the exit wound from a 100 grain ETip fired from a 25-06 Ackley at 400 yards. The antelope fell dead in its tracks. -------SS


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## Kevinitis (Jul 18, 2013)

Thanks for responding, do you find you have to load more towards the minimum loads with etips or do you approach max loads with them without pressure signs. I have read on some forum that etips can't be loaded up to max due to internal construction differences, and the Nosler load data has some foot note about that as well. What is your experience on that end? I have always found the etip attractive especially in 30 cal and 6.5 mm bullets. They seem about sixes with 270 cal.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I generally find that ETips build pressure a little quicker than other Nosler bullets. In my 25-06 Ackley, I use one less grain of RL-22 versus ballistic Tips. Good news is that I get similar velocities with less powder. Reduce your load by 10% and work your way up to where you want to be. -----SS


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I shoot the LRX (175) in my 300WSM and they are the best shooting bullet I have ever tried. The MOA is better at 200 than 100 as if they stabilize a little better once they get going or something??


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## gregkdc (May 19, 2008)

I have been working up loads with the 150 gr GMX and the SST in .3006 for the exact reason that they are interchangeable. They are good enough for me with accuracy but keep in mind I'm not the best shooter. I was able to shoot a cow elk with the 150 gr GMX this year and the performance was really good but at close range. I don't know if you could depend on one to expand at a long distance. I shot the elk at about 50-60 yards and the bullet broke the left humerus, went threw the lungs, put a super ball sized hole in the heart and went out the other side. It pretty much wasted the left shoulder meat. I didn't recover the bullet but when I was walking up on her she looked at me, not knowing how bad I wounded her, I shot her again this time in the sternum and I recovered the bullet under the belly button a good 3.5 to 4 ft of penetration. I think with them you really need to have them moving fast and use an even smaller weight then you would normally think for adequate penetration. I would really like to see a 130 gr .308 diameter GMX.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Huge29 said:


> I shoot the LRX (175) in my 300WSM and they are the best shooting bullet I have ever tried. The MOA is better at 200 than 100 as if they stabilize a little better once they get going or something??


It's not uncommon for a boatail to do that. Especially if they're long for their diameter as is common with monolithic bullets. The tip yaws and wobbles much like the pattern of a Spirograph. Once it stabilizes or "goes to sleep", MOA stays the same for the rest of it's flight. Some bullets take 200 yards and some take 300 to settle in.

For 100 or 200 yard benchrest shoots Lisa and I generally shoot flat base bullets. They come right out of the barrel spinning on axis. For longer shots we chose boatails because of a better BC. A better BC bullet bucks the wind better and the changing wind is our worst enemy.

Just a little tidbit about bullets.


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