308 ammo for elk. TTSX ok under 300 yards?

[S-3 ranch]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned…. you can’t shoot copper like cup/core lead. Shoot them into the shoulders, not behind. If people did that consistently, these threads wouldn’t exist. The bullets aren’t the problem here.

Yep , I been drilling shoulders for 40 years, I hunt super heavy brush and cactus , that it takes a tracking dog if they aren’t dead on impact
here s a elk shoulder example ttsx

 

[wapitibob]

use light for caliber copper and you don't need bone
mule deer shown, results on Antelope have been identical

 

[Gsquared]

For reference, I am not a long distance shooter, so I think about the furthest shot i would ever take would be 300 yards. And this question is specifically for ELK.

I shoot a Bergara 308, and last year I ran TTSX 165 and killed a mule deer buck at 230 and it took drop like a sac of sand. I've read quite a bit about the endless debates around copper vs bonded lead, etc. Seems that the bonded bullets excel at longer ranges, but if I'm not going to be shooting over 300, will the Barnes TTSX be ok for ELK or should I consider a bonder core lead bullet? If a bonded bullet, what recommendations do you have for the old .308?

I've had great success with the Barnes TTSX. Black bear and Mountain Goat this year alone. Hit shoulders and both, virtually, landed in their tracks. 308 with TTSX for elk, no issues.

 

[eaglemountainman]

use light for caliber copper and you don't need bone
mule deer shown, results on Antelope have been identical
View attachment 465609

Yep, I agree. I'd use the 130 TTSX in a 308Win for anything the walks North America, except the dangerous bears. Either Barnes ammo or roll your own.

 

[TheHammer]

I have 2 elk with 168ttsx out of a 308, one less than 100, went 100 with one shot and one at over 450 and dropped after a step. I have taken white tails from 200-slightly over 500 with the 168 and all have dropped. Antelope at over 400 and it dropped. I’ve seen a 7 mag at 250 yds with 162 eldx require 4 shots… last week in Wyoming a good friend shot an antelope 300wm with an eldx at 383yds perfectly broadside and the bullet turned 90* and came out the size of a football on its back straps…. A 143gr eldx 6.5prc on a whitetail at 290yds required 3 well placed shots, deer acted like it wasn’t hit and kept rutting the doe. So every bullet has multiple multiple shot stories… I’ve never had issues with barnes ttsx 168 n now highly recommend the 175&200lrx in larger 30 cals with equally great success. Good luck to everyone this season!

 

[JFK]

Shot a bull last week with Barnes 129gr lrx at 480 yds from a 270. Bull dropped where it was standing. Impact speed should have been right at 2200fps. They work fine.

 

[Short Track]

TTSX 168 gr .308 on Elk. 180 yards. I will go back to lead.

 

[Dan Carey]

After seeing a lot of animals killed both by me and others, I like mid-weight Accubonds

 

[TheHammer]

View attachment 468113
TTSX 168 gr .308 on Elk. 180 yards. I will go back to lead.

Out of curiosity where were the impacts? What location did you recover the bullets? And what was the terminal situation?

 

[49ereric]

High shoulder shots on my last four animals with .243 Barnes TTSX and all of them dropped in their tracks. Include a big bear.

Spine shots will do that

 

[Short Track]

Out of curiosity where were the impacts? What location did you recover the bullets? And what was the terminal situation?

4 shots into the lungs. The butcher did the skinning, and found them in the aft side.

 

[SDHNTR]

View attachment 468113
TTSX 168 gr .308 on Elk. 180 yards. I will go back to lead.

There has to be more to this story. This makes little sense. Those exact bullets open easy for a mono. I see dozens of critters shot with those bullets every year and I’ve never seen results like that, not once.

 

[bmart2622]

First time for everything

 

[Short Track]

There has to be more to this story. This makes little sense. Those exact bullets open easy for a mono. I see dozens of critters shot with those bullets every year and I’ve never seen results like that, not once.

It's all over the internet. Copper bullet failure. What more could there possibly be ????
Perfect weather conditions, .308 broadside shot into the lungs. 180 yards. Everything came together perfectly, except having to put 4 into the lungs. Would he have died with 2 into the lungs, absolutely, but I wasn't waiting around to find out, and I wasn't waiting around to chase him at 8000' into some scrub oak.

 

[SDHNTR]

It's all over the internet. Copper bullet failure. What more could there possibly be ????
Perfect weather conditions, .308 broadside shot into the lungs. 180 yards. Everything came together perfectly, except having to put 4 into the lungs. Would he have died with 2 into the lungs, absolutely, but I wasn't waiting around to find out, and I wasn't waiting around to chase him at 8000' into some scrub oak.

Every bullet “failure” is all over the internet.

 

[Short Track]

There has to be more to this story. This makes little sense.

What's more to the story ?? We went hunting, drank a few beers after the hunt, cooked up some tenderloins. Sat around a campfire. Is that enough for you ??

 

[BjornF16]

There has to be more to this story. This makes little sense. Those exact bullets open easy for a mono. I see dozens of critters shot with those bullets every year and I’ve never seen results like that, not once.

Out of a .308 Win?

Copper solids should be light for cartridge…I wouldn’t choose 168 TTSX for .308 Win…I’d shoot it from .300 WSM if I had to use copper.

I’d choose 150 TTSX for .308 Win before 168 TTSX

 

[Short Track]

Out of a .308 Win?

Copper solids should be light for cartridge…I wouldn’t choose 168 TTSX for .308 Win…I’d shoot it from .300 WSM if I had to use copper.

I’d choose 150 TTSX for .308 Win before 168 TTSX

Then why does Barnes make them ? I went to the gun store, brought a Tikka, and brought 2 boxes of 168 TTSX off the shelf. and wa-la !!! accurate beyond accurate off the shelf combination !! never even tried another brand of ammo in this .308

 

[SDHNTR]

Out of a .308 Win?

Copper solids should be light for cartridge…I wouldn’t choose 168 TTSX for .308 Win…I’d shoot it from .300 WSM if I had to use copper.

I’d choose 150 TTSX for .308 Win before 168 TTSX

Mostly out of a 3006, but a couple from a 308. The 168 is specifically designed to open at lower speeds. Barnes will tell you that. It is actually an LRX before they started marketing bullets as such. The 168 will actually open at lower speed than the 150. I understand the theory behind light for caliber monos, but in the case of the 168 it’s not necessary.

 

[BjornF16]

Mostly out of a 3006, but a couple from a 308. The 168 is specifically designed to open at lower speeds. Barnes will tell you that. It is actually an LRX before they started marketing bullets as such. The 168 will actually open at lower speed than the 150. I understand the theory behind light for caliber monos, but in the case of the 168 it’s not necessary.

Short fuse’s pics may indicate otherwise…180 yards, hardly any expansion. Looks like typical Barnes expansion at 2300 fps

I realize the 168 is softer, I chose it for my WSM as a solid option for that reason. I’ll use lead first personally.