Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Best bullet for elk hunting with a 308 win?

Hey guys, I am asking this question for a buddy of mine. I've never used a 308win for elk hunting so I'd like to hear what you guys use and why you think it's the best bullet for elk hunting with the 308 win. Loads, velocities and stories welcomed. Thanks...

Nosler Accubond, 150 grain

165 partition

If I could only choose one it'd be a 165 Hndy interlock.

Kent

I would go with a 165 AB or Partition. I have seen both work equally well in short-barreled (22" or less) .308s.

I'm thinking of going with a 150 gr TTSX as a backup for Hope and I on our hunt this fall.

+2 on the TTSX.

I have used 165 NPs and 180 SBs in 308 and killed elk with one well placed shot.

165 NP, 165 NAB, or 168 NBT.

That's how I'm rolling for a late AZ bull hunt this fall.

Tried hard to get the 150 TTSX to shoot, but the corrugated bullet does not fly well in windy conditions.

+3 on the TTSX. If the 150gr won't shoot, switch to the 130gr TTSX.

Heck, I'd use the 130gr TTSX right from the start, in a 308Win.

+4. The 130 works.

I've had good results using the Barnes 168 TSX BT. I'd prefer to use something lighter, but the 168 has been more accurate than other bullets and very effective on elk just beyond 300 yards.

Thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated..

Those would be my choices as well. A good dose of RL15 or Varget should get them up to around 2750 easy enough..

180 gr Partitions at 2650 with a stiff dose of RL-15 in Lapua cases, load these for a Bud with a 22" barreled 700 Rem, he has killed every damn thing in the U.S. with these and wont hear of another grain weight period, I've tried.

The .308 Win is an excellent big game cartridge. It will kill elk if you put a bullet from it where it needs to go.

For elk, I'm partial to Partition. But I'm sure others will work just as good.

though I've yet to test it on game, my present bet is the 165 AB. More testing to be done, yet, but thats what I'm leading with at the moment.

Pick some good bullets (I like Accubonds, Partitions, Bonded...) load'em up and let your rifle tell you what to use. Then practice, find elk, make a good shot, and eat meat.

The two I have 308'd were a 165 PT and 165 AB

Nosler pt or a bonded core bullet. Not to start a fight but in my experience the ttsx and other all copper bullets tend to go right through with out leaving a good blood trail to follow and animals go a long way after being hit if you dont make a perfect shot or hit bone.

165 grain Partition @ 2700 FPS gets it done.

Bsa, my neighbor and his kill'n machines he has for kids plus a few other people I hunt with have done very well with a 150 gr. bullet from there 308's and o6's. Most have used just boring ol' soft points like core-lokt, interlock, and power points on all matter of fauna from the mighty wapiti to the ferocious ground squirrel.

I watched one of the neighbor boys literally drop a spike elk one evening around 250 yards a couple falls back. I asked him what he was shoot'n his reply, "Dads 06 with core-lokts, the 150 grainers.... They kick less than the 180s"

I tend to use the 165 Hornady BTSP for everything in the 08 and 06.

A few months ago Daughter #1 decided she wanted to use my RH Ruger Scout in .308 Win on her first elk hunt this coming fall. I convinced her to get a LH Ruger Hawkeye in .308 instead. In addition to being proper ‘handed’ for her, she gained 6” of barrel length for additional (standard .308 Win) velocity. Two nights ago she started to express doubts as to whether or not a .308 Win was enough for elk. I assured her it is.

The question is one of bullet choice, not cartridge. The options under consideration are:
150g Nosler AccuBond @ ~2850fps
165g North Fork SS @~2750fps
168g Barnes TTSX @~2700fps

(All velocities are estimates based on past experience with other rifles and current Hodgdon load data.)

I'm leaning toward the 165g North Fork because I've taken two elk with it in a .30-06. I've also taken one elk with the AccuBond and a .30-06. Inside 400 yards there isn't much difference in trajectory (3") or fps or fps (under 100 for each) between the North Fork and the AccuBond. It will probably come down to which she shoots better.

Barnes Vortex 150's.

Some day I'll kill an Elk with the 22" 308 I use for Deer. It shoots the 150gr Accubond at 2775fps with a Max load of Varget. I would just use the AB and limit the range to 2200fps impact velocity. 290 yards + -

+4

BSA is your buddy going to be elk hunting with you up in the area you elk hunt?? If so I just work up a good load using a 180gr bullet in that country you hunt in...

this thread reads like a Nosler commercial.....and for good reason....their partitions and accubonds have earned a sound reputation.

The 165 grain weight seems just made for the .308 Winchester but is also a great bullet for the .30-06.

I am preferring the accubond as it has a slightly better ballistic coefficient.

Traditional cup and core bullets have been killing elk for many years and still will.....but for the cash I lay out on an elk hunt, I'll pay a tad more for the insurance against a jacket separation and bonded bullets (as well as partitions) are worthy of this premium.

Shoot whatever you like but my gun will be holding either accubonds or partitions (this includes A-Frames) this fall.

You think like I do.

$000.54 = one AccuBond bullet (.308" 160g, midwayusa price today = $0.54)
$514.74 = food and fuel for one elk hunt(2013)
====================================
$515.11 Total


$000.23 = Savings if using 165g Hornady SST (.308" 165g, midwayusa price today = $0.31)

0.045% = Savings if using Hornady 165g SST

So the potential savings for a one-shot hunt with these bullets are not 1%, not one tenth of 1% but less than five hundredths of 1%.

And the $514.74 wasn't even my total hunt costs for 2013 - more like a little over half.

My kids killed three cow elk over the years using 165 Interlocks. I really like Interlocks at the .308 velocities. I personally prefer the Partitions and Accubonds, though. I think the 165-grain bullet is made for the .308.

I have killed a pile of elk with .308s over the years, and never have felt a need or had a good reason to change from using 180 gr. Nosler Partitions. CP.

This year I am taking a light 308 loaded with 180 gr. Partitions as my timber/hiking rifle. When watching an elk migration trail I will be sitting with a 300 Win mag shooting the same bullet. Seems like it will work out if I can get some cooperation from the elk.

From a 2011 thread:

Who cares. Pick one that shoots good in the gun and go hunting.

YES!!!

Although a guy can't beat Partitions - I suspect more elk have been killed by those than all other Johnny-Come-Lately-Wonder-Bullets combined...

Nothing wrong with any of the bullets mentioned but I'm kind of surprised no one's mentioned a 150 or 165 ballistic tip. At .308 speeds these would seem to be very good.

155 Scenar for me....

Not a Nosler, can't possibly work.

That's the answer right there.

My .308 was not particularly accurate. It shot the 165 grain Accubond best of all. Best accuracy, by a lot, came from 43.5 grains of RL15. Based on drop at 100, 200, and 300 yards, it appeared to be just under 2600 fps.

No question in my mind about terminal performance, even at "reduced" velocity, but you have to make the hit first. Given group sizes measured at different ranges, my limit on deer was about 225, elk about 300.

Hopefully your daughter's gun is more accurate than mine was.

Tom

My hunting partner uses the Barnes 130gr TTSX I his Remington 600. He has shot Mule Deer and Moose with this combination. I do not think he has any plans in changing bullets LOL

Like most here it would be the 165gr Nosler Accubond or Partition. The decision would be made by which one shot the best out of my rile. In my 30-06 I shoot the 165gr Accubond for EVERYTHING I hunt.

I've really become a convert to the Accubond. It shoots well in my 270, 308, and 30-06. I've seen elk killed with a 165gr out of a 308 and a 180gr out of a 30-06 and couldn't tell a difference. Both shots were around 250 yards, bot elk stumbled about 15-20 yards and fell over. Both shots were carefully placed, shot from a rest, and not rushed. If your try either weight and see which one your rifle likes and then have a beer, you are done and can hunt that load for damn near anything.