Neither of these companies needs any sort of introduction; Federal Premium has long been an industry standard in the precision ammunition field, and Barnes Bullets was a pioneer in all-copper monometal bullet technology. Federal—though it has a lineup of excellent proprietary bullets—has never shied away from embracing the best projectiles available, dating back to the 1980s when they began loading Sierra MatchKing and GameKing bullets.
The Barnes TSX (Triple-Shock X) is an update of Randy Brooks’ original Barnes X design—which gave me absolute fits as a handloader—that offers excellent accuracy, nearly full weight retention and wonderful terminal ballistics. While the original Barnes design had a smooth shank, which led to a large amount of copper fouling in the rifle’s bore, the TSX has three or four grooves in the shank (depending on caliber and length) to reduce fouling and improve accuracy.
In my experiences, that minor facelift made all the difference in the world in the Barnes TSX; it went from goat to hero. When Federal loads the Barnes TSX, you’ve got a recipe for success, and for 2019, the pair are back together.
Whether you enjoy the pursuit of feral hogs and deer with the smaller bore rifles or enjoy the all-around big-game calibers, there’s a Federal Barnes TSX load for you.
For more information on the new Federal Barnes TSX, visit federalpremium.com.