I chose the 200 TTSX as the BC is better (.369 vs .359) than the 225 TSX, and it can be pushed a good bit faster than the 225 TSX.
No difference in terminal performance with the 200 vs 225. In my experience with my rifles, Barnes monos of any vintage or design will exit elk from just about any angle and on deer from any angle.
The 225 TSX is a bullet looking for a home at this point in my opinion.
Look at the newer Speer data or Sierra data for the 35 Whelen. Speer gets just over 2700 fps with their 250 gr gr Hot Cor (BC .422) if you like the heavies and Sierra shows over 2900 fps with their 225 gr Game King (.370 BC).
But neither surpass the 200 TTSX's combination of BC and velocity, and the on game performance (less meat loss, consistently through and through penetration) of a mono is what I seek so there is not comparison there for me.
I have recovered two X bullets in 30 years (both from the 35 Whelen AI) but use Barnes consistently in many different cartridges and calibers.
-200 gr X from a quartering toward me shot on an elk, it was a visible bump under the hide on the opposite rear quarter.
-250 X (long discontinued, had trouble in 1-16" twist of most factory Whelen's at the time) that went in behind the ribs and was found in the neck meat when being processed.
Both had 100% weight retention and traversed 4' of elk more or less.
The TTSX in my experience based on internal damage opens more quickly than the X or TSX. Behind the blue tip is a large diameter nose cavity, much larger than the X or TSX (this holds for true for all TTSX vs X/TSX across calibers from my experience).
AI definitely has better head space. I would give it a bit more added velocity of 40-50 fps. I cut my barrel back from 26" to 25" after a couple years, and lost a consistent 25 fps across the same loads. Velocities I am sharing are all from the 25" bbl.
First pic below: recovered 200 X shown next to recovered 250 X with unfired bullets of each, and the 200 TTSX for comparison.
Second pic below: expanded frontal view of 200 X and 250 X. You cannot tell them apart.
Third and fourth pics: bullets with the ivories.
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