We killed 3 or 4 deer last year with ours and about the same the year before. I've reloaded 165 FTX as well as 170 Interlocks and both do the job.
I'd be more concerned with copper not opening up due to hard hard it is and how slow the bullet is. But you're probably ok.
Punch lung holes or...
i'd say you're up against that 140" mark just from looking at it.
I shot this one last year and put a tape to it myself. My buddy says I've left inches on the table with it, but I got 134"
I'm reloading for my 300 WSM. I made a really good round for 180 gr TTSX that were 2.860" COAL.
I'm wanting to make a 165 grain version for elk with a Nosler Partition. Nosler's book says 2.815" to start with. Obviously, the bullet is shorter at 165 gr than the 180 gr version. Is there a reason...
I killed a lot of deer with my basic black stock black barreled Encore. worst thing about it was PITA to remove the breech plug. As far as a shooter, no complaints from me...
i used a 180 TTSX on a moose out of a 300 WSM this fall. dropped him on the spot at 300 but to be fair my scope had been bumped and I hit the spine. So bullet construction may not have been all that important.
Have seen a muley killed with a 300 180 TTSX and I killed a muley and a pronghorn...
Real good stuff!
Just out of curiosity, what was the actual date you killed your bulls? I killed mine 9-19 which was the first really cold morning we had. I was on the west side of the Alaska Range
Anyone have a pet starting load for a 165 grain hand load? Would like to put my partitions on an elk.
I have n160, h4350, h4831, IMR 4350
Most 165 bullets are loads for a 308 and a lot of 300wsm are 180s.
Thought it’d be fun to shoot a flat one.
I also found some 180 accubonds that I got somewhere.
Like I said, my copper TTSX hasn't steered me wrong and I know the round if I have to go back to it.
But would like to try something else for the fun of building a new load.
I have to choose from:
180 Accubond
180 Partition
165 Partition...