VLD Pilot
Well-Known Member
No doubt
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.308 elk hunting
- Thread starter Wild_Bill7
- Start date
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Wild_Bill7
Member
Update: So I went out and shot again, chrono this time was reading right around 2500. Don't know why it was throwing weird numbers, but I see myself upgrading in the future. I also bumped my powder to 45gr for a test group and it was getting around 2750, but the grouping was terrible. I think I'm going to do a ladder to 46gr and if accuracy doesn't improve I'll probably start working with the 200 eldx or 185 Berger.
Long before long distance became a thing we were killing Moose and Elk to 800 yards with 150, 165 and 180 grain cup and core bullets. The vast majority of Moose were killed at less than 250 yards but Elk, because of the country they live in were often shot at much longer ranges. I have used a NULA in 308 with a 21 inch barrel for the last 12 year. It spits 130 grain Barnes out at 3100 FPS using 4895, 150 Hornady at 2950 and 165 Hornady BTSP at 2900. Fot deer and lighter game I like the Barnes, I however have also shoot 3 Elk and 4 Moose with those bullets and they work fine. I have also had great results with the 150 Hornady. Picture of a LARGE cow (Gutted, skinned, legs and head off, she weighed 525 pounds, which is a lot more than most Bulls I have shot weighed) I shot 2 years ago at exactly 300 yards with the 150 Hornady. She never took a step, dropped where she was standing.
1) Do a real ladder test from your accurate load up to book max unless you hit pressure before that. There's another one or two above where you are. Don't just try a load and declare more velocity antithetical to accuracy.
2) More weight is not going to hurt anything. You can like drive the Berger 185 very close to 2515fps, which you have found to be a node.
2) More weight is not going to hurt anything. You can like drive the Berger 185 very close to 2515fps, which you have found to be a node.
brant89
Well-Known Member
Slightly unrelated to the OP, but have you found that different bullets (weights, manufacturers, etc) exhibit the best accuracy at the same velocity nodes when fired from the same barrel? I ask because I recently switched from 77gr TMK's to 75gr ELD's in my short barreled 22BR and found the best accuracy at nearly the exact same velocity. These bullets are obviously similar in weight but very different in bearing surface length.
Dean2 isn't it funny how many animals we all killed with good old cup and core bullets?
I kept close friends well stocked with meat using 150 gr Hornady Interlock bullets out of a 300 savage.
Sierra's and Speers too,all cup and core bullets,they still take many many animals every year and long before we ever heard of bonded bullets
I kept close friends well stocked with meat using 150 gr Hornady Interlock bullets out of a 300 savage.
Sierra's and Speers too,all cup and core bullets,they still take many many animals every year and long before we ever heard of bonded bullets
BigNate
Well-Known Member
A node is relatable to harmonics, so similar bullets at nearly identical velocity should fall closely on the same node. It doesn't always hold true, but I certainly would look closely at where the known node is, and concider bearing surface, velocity, jacket composition, and weight. Some barrels seem to have a very obvious sweet spot, some others not so much.
Even with different weights they should not fall too terribly far apart. We just don't normally shoot the same node with two different bullet weights because 2515fps is terrible with a 168.
TomHorn
Member
Barnes techs say that 168 ttsx 308 has a minimal expansion to 1600 fps. The 165 grain is 1800. The 175 LRX down to 1500fos. Been loading and shooting with them. This will be the first year hunting with them. Normally go out of State.
TomHorn
Member
TomHorn
Member
Unless your shooting a16 inch barrel like my Scout. You should be getting in the ball park of 150 to 200 fps faster. The 168 ttsx is optimal for .308 win. I shoot the 130 in my scout and break 2900. I think that is the bullet for the 16 inch barrel.
I wouldn't shoot a elk at the low of impact velocity but that's just me. Also this is a 2 year old thread.
FireFlyFishing
Well-Known Member
Speed is the name of the game with Barnes. If it were me, I would use the 150 or 130 grain TTSX in a .308. Both projectiles will work on elk.
The 130 is wicked from my 18" 308 bolt gun.
