Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 155 scenar and velocity

Sitting here drinking my coffee and watching elk graze the hay field, obviously my thoughts drift to hunting...

Last year I switched to the scenar for my 300wsm and my first kill with them was a decent 4x4 whitetail. The shot was off-hand in fairly thick forest and somewhere around 100 yards. I jumped him during the rut while still-hunting. He left his afternoon bed at a run and cut right following the contour of the land. He paused for just long enough for me to squeeze off a shot. He ran about 50 more yards and piled up.

I got a good vitals hit. The shot was broadside and steeply downhill, so the exit was lower than I would have liked, but the result was meat in the freezer.

Inside the deer there was massive organ damage.

I'm wondering, from my experience of one, if I'm running this bullet too fast to shoot elk at closer ranges or if other peoples' experience suggests the bullet is durable enough to shoot big game at close range and high velocity? Factor in bone...?

I've yet to chrono my load, but it shoots just under moa from the bench and a bipod with a sandbag stabilizing the stock. My zero is at 300 and it shoots about 2.5 high at 100.

Thoughts?

Be curious about responses. Using them to fireform some brass in a 308 Norma and should be right with the 300 WSM.

I ask about these in my .300 win..but I mostly ask about deer as my elk hunting days are about over..I was told they were great for deer and several guys were shooting them in .300's, but I did not mention elk... There is a chance I could use them before I hang up elk hunting, that is if I can locate some to buy..everyone seems to be out of them..but what else is new...

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...19652/all/30_cal_bullet_test_cow_femurs_

I tested a bunch of .30 cal bullets with cow femurs and muscle and wet newspaper. 155 scenar at 3400fps did better than some "real" hunting bullets. Thread is here.

Holy smokes, kman! Thanks for your hard work. That was a fantastic worst-case scenario test, with a few unexpected results IMO.

I really thought the scenar would vaporize in that kind of scenario. I know it was a sample of 1, but I am impressed. Also, after seeing on-game experience that some of the other guys have posted photos of I think I'll just keep shooting these for awhile.

That test, scenarahooters posts, and the 155's BC have me considering Makin the move

Makes a fellow think doesn't it?

Take the ol' .308, load it up to 2850 or so with the 155's... Their high BC retains a lot of velocity downrange, and obviously they inflict a lot of damage on game as well...

Have appreciated my good old .308 Win with 165's at about 2750 for a long time, but have to wonder if this would be an even better way to use the ol' rifle...

Guy

Yeah it seems to work. Problem for me is alot of my shots are 100 or less and the 130ttsx at over 3000 has been lethal at these short ranges/higher impact speeds

Given how well that 130 Barnes has worked for you, and your hunting conditions... Why change?

That's another combination I've been interested in trying, just for kicks. I almost always use a 165/168 gr bullet at around 2750, and it works out real well. But now and again it's fun to try something different!

Regards, Guy

And then the other side of the argument has a 110 grain ttsx in 30 cal that a 308 could push 3350 or so ..... Speeds that are so un 308 like