Triple-Shock X Ammo: TSX Bullets Explained

Triple-Shock X Ammo The Triple-Shock X is Barnes Bullets' premium hunting rifle ammunition. Commonly referred to as Barnes X bullets, this line of ammo comes in most rifle calibers, and the bullet is quite unique in that it uses a fairly thin diameter hollow section in the tip compared to similar styles. The thin section works extremely well to create a uniform expansion effect when it impacts a target.

Another thing that makes this and related Barnes ammo lines unique, is they don’t have a bullet core. You’re firing solid copper with the TSX, and it works better than you’d imagine, especially if you’ve used cored bullets or solid lead for years. This bullet type came out in 2004, and has been popular among hunters, rifle shooters and reloaders ever since.

Triple-Shock X Features

Lead-Free: Like many specialty lines from Barnes Bullets, the TSX ammo line is lead-free. This is a perk if the area you’re hunting in doesn’t allow lead bullets. This bullet is usable everywhere lead is banned, but may be considered a hollow point in most areas (but not all).
Solid Copper: The solid copper bullet offers great weight retention, and it maintains its structural integrity much better than a lead or jacketed bullet. This means you will get better weight retention and deeper penetration than with other bullets that will fragment to a much greater degree than the solid copper.
Circumferential Grooves: These grooves are what make the copper bullets from Barnes perform so well in regards to barrel fouling. They are the product of years of research to keep copper as a viable bullet material.
Thin-Diameter Hollow Point: The hollow point in the Triple-Shock X is narrow compared to similar brands, but with the copper bullet, it works just right. Each shot will expand into four razor sharp cutting edges on impact, unless a hard object like bone is encountered.

Triple-Shock X Uses

This is a great rifle ammunition developed for hunting. The sheer number of calibers offered is impressive, ranging from .224 caliber to the .577 Nitro. If it can be hunted, Barnes makes a Triple-Shock bullet for the job.

This wouldn’t be a very good home defense ammunition, however, unless you had significant distance between you and would-be attackers. These bullets were designed to travel long distances with relatively flat trajectories and to devastate their target on impact.

The Triple-Shock X is one of the more premium ammo lines by this particular manufacturer, and if you’re looking for a lead-free alternative hunting ammunition, this is a very popular choice with great reviews. The one bullet style that rivals this from Barnes is the Tipped Triple-Shock X.

Written by

Molly Carter