300WM Barnes TTSX 150g or 180g?

[Gun&BowSD]

Taken many critters with the 165 TSX and IMR4350. Biggest was the bull in my profile. 500 yard shot and he went 10 feet. 9.5 of them were gravity…
Switched to a 6.5cr for a deer rifle but the 165gr 300WM will always be my mountain rifle

 

[luvmystang67]

Been playing with these this year. Ended up shooting a 300WM with 180 grain TSX FB (so not exactly the same, but close). Took a spike elk at 350, first shot dropped him (broadside), he stood up, one more to just above the spine (through the top of the shoulder blade) and one in the neck, which ended his little 3-yard "get up and walk" thing. Never recovered any of those rounds, they all passed through, have no idea how much mushroom I did or didn't get, but not much carnage, not like I'd expect from lead. Then I shot a muley, straight on at 20 yards, through the heart. Recovered that bullet right before the hind quarters, picture perfect mushroom, no weight lost.

One thing to keep in mind, if you're going lighter for faster... for better mushroom, especially with something like a 300WM... out to maybe 400 yards either a 150 or 180 should mushroom about the same, and after that the velocities get closer together with the 180 having the higher BC. Does seem like the 150 in this case is close enough that it stays faster throughout most of the range, but just barely. I don't think its worth switching bullets for if you already have a good 180gr load, and as others have said, the extra oomph is never a bad thing. Really I think it just depends on what shoots better in your gun, the trajectory is very similar and that speed wont make much of a difference in opening when it matters (at longer ranges).