Barnes SpitFire TEZ for elk

[Bachk]

Going on my first muzzleloader elk hunt. Curious if anyone has real world experience with this bullet on elk? Thanks!

 

[CAhunter]

I can provide my limited insight. The Barnes TEZ and their non sabot option (I forget the name) shoot really well out of my Knight ultralight. My complaint and the common one you’re likely to hear, is the lack of expansion you may experience with them. I’ve only been on a few muzzleloader hunts. The two bucks I shot fortunately dropped right in their tracks (which is what we want) because they wouldn’t have left much of a blood trail at all. The one elk I shot in the lungs I lost after running out of blood. I was only able to get the one shot in him and had ok blood for the first quarter mile. He was then spooked by an archer and ran. The blood trail became non existent. If he hadn’t of been spooked I’d like to think I would have recovered him but who knows. It was frustrating. I love how they shoot, I just wish they expanded more.

 

[GeoHunter]

I shot the bull in my avatar with one at 86 yards broadside. He went about 50 yds before piling up. The bullet went completely through the body and got caught underneath the skin on the far side, perfectly expanded.

With a lot of copper bullets, velocity is key to expansion. I was using 150 grains of Triple 7 and kept the shot under 100 yds, which was my limit with open sights anyway.

 

[JustiSmi]

I killed the bull in my avatar in 2018 with the 290gr TMZ set in a Harvester Crushed Rib and 100gr (volume) of BH209. The shot was 132 yards, double lung complete pass through. The bull went on a death run for about 80 yards before tipping over.

I've also killed multiple deer with the 250gr TEZ over 100gr (volume) of BH209 and only ever recovered a couple of bullets. Here is one from last year's deer on a scale. The shot was 60 yards quartering away and downhill. It was found just under the offside hide in front of the shoulder. The other bullet you can see in the pic weighs 246 grains and was found at the base of a tree that was right behind a buck after blowing through both his shoulders (seeing that laying at the base of the tree he dropped in front of is still my coolest bullet find after a kill).

Everything I've ever shot with the Barnes MZ bullets has hit the ground, and exits have always shown clean expansion.

 

[Jlop_2]

I killed the bull In my avatar last year with a 290 grain tez (blackhorn 209 100gr by volume). Shot the bull at about 40 yards, almost frontal. He dropped immediately and it crushed his front shoulder and got stuck on the offside hide from what I remember. I also shot a deer the year prior at about 100 yards with a 250 grain tez and he took about 5 steps and tipped over. Both times I’ve had good results.

 

[ElDiablito]

We’ve killed several bulls and cows with the 290 Barnes. They perform great and almost always end up against the hide of the off side. I’d definitely push them with as much powder as you can handle.

The Barnes TEZ and their non sabot option (I forget the name) shoot really well out of my Knight ultralight. My complaint and the common one you’re likely to he

The Thor is the full-bore version. Also a good choice.

 

[TwoPot]

As ElDiablito said about the Barnes SpitFire T-EZ,
"I’d definitely push them with as much powder as you can handle."

Buddy and I just finished up our WA muzzleloader season with a cow opening morning (Saturday) and a spike bull this last Monday (spike bull only GMU without a special permit). We're both shooting the same setup: CVA Accura 50-cal, 26" barrels, 290 Barnes T-EZ s, with 100 grains of IMR White Hots (2 pellets). Both elk were broadside shots: my cow at 90 yards and his spike bull at 40 yards.
Both bullets opened perfectly at those distances and charges and both bullets were bulging out the hide on the far side. Mass retention looks good, but I haven't weighed them yet. No passthrough and no blood trails.
While both elk died, we were a bit surprised that even the 40 yard shot didn't have an exit wound. An exit wound really helps with depressurization and blood trailing (when necessary), so our first change will be upping to 3 White Hot pellets (150 gr equivalent) and doing some penetration tests. Maybe change bullets, but these are extremely accurate and two elk did die.

@ElDiabloto, as we had similar results (bullets just inside the far side hide), what powder and charge are you using?

 

[ElDiablito]

@ElDiabloto, as we had similar results (bullets just inside the far side hide), what powder and charge are you using?

Generally 115-120 gr Bh209.