308 18" on Elk bullet selection

[nortac]

I plan on a Elk hunt next fall in Colorado and would like to use my short 18" barreled suppressed that I am very very accurate with out to 500 yards and have taken multiple deer, coyotes and hogs within that range. Velocity with the Nosler BT 168 grain is 2660. I have a super accurate load out to 500 with the Nosler 168 BT and that bullet has killed everything I have hit it with. Nothing elk size though. Just curious thoughts on bullet selection at lower velocities and if the 168 BT would be acceptable out to 400 yards? At 400 still pulling 1500lbs + energy and the lower velocity should help keep the bullet together.

 

[Wrench]

Pat Sinclair killed a HEAP of critters including several elk with a 308/155 scenar and many of these were hundreds of yards beyond 500. He's the authority on the 308 with 155's in my opinion.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I like the BT a lot for slower velocities. Just wait on a good broadside shot and send it

 

[LightFoot]

At this slower velocities, I would go with a mid-weight cup and core. The BT, ELD-X or -M, or Berger.

If I was reloading, I’d try to get a load with the 168 Berger.

Factor ammo, I’d try the 178 ELDX-X.


>>>——JAKE——>

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

178 ELDX.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Don’t even consider foot pounds in your thinking. Take your load you have now, run it through a ballistic calculator with the atmospherics you will be hunting and where it hits 1800 fps, is your maximum range. Compare that with other bullets using posted BC’s and you can estimate muzzle velocities for different weights if you don’t have direct data. Most factory numbers are for a 24” so 6” more than your 18”. 25fps per inch. Then subtract 1” to allow for the freebore boost from your can. So 25x5 in this case, or 125 fps less than box velocities. That will be close enough for the exercise to compare bullets and their maximum terminal range.