Does anyone have experience with 130g TTSX bullets on elk at .308 Win velocities?


I know they will do the job with good placement, just wondering how well they penetrate at quartering angles or if they hit leg and rib bones on the way in?

I'd go heavier. 4 years ago, I put two 150 TTSX's into a cow broadside at about 170 yards and neither exited. This from a .30-06, MV around 2,900 fps.

Two years later, I went with 168 gr TTSX's, same rifle, and shot another cow at a tad under 300 yards and both exited.

If I can switch to a 7mm and 130 TSX it made the quickest kill of the four elk I shot.

Just one, mature bull. It was yummy. ;-{>8

Thanks to all. This is for Daughter #1 and her first elk hunt this fall.

She was in light clothes with her new .308 at the range the other day and was complaining a little about the recoil of 150g Ballistic Tips (which would become AccuBonds before the hunt but BT's for initial load development).

I figure with her shooting skill she will be limited to about 300 yards max.

Anyone else have experience with the 130's?

Just a suggestion as I have no experience with that bullet, but I'd use the search tool function and look up the recommendations for 270 loads for elk. I can't imagine a 130gr Barnes out of a 270 or a 308 acting all that differently. Heck, Barnes load data for each has them shooting about the same speed. The little difference in SD/diameter isn't going to matter to much.

I shot a 150 TTSX diagonally through a moose at 547 yards from a 300 wsm. I think a 130 would be fine in a 308.

Bb

I've killed bulls with a 85 tsx via 243, surely it'll work....

This afternoon I built the 130g TTSX dummies for Daughter's Ruger Hawkeye .308 as well as my Ruger Scout. The Scout has a slightly shorter (.005") leade.

To get the case mouth in the middle of a full diameter portion of the bullet shank (instead of in a groove), I gave a .120" jump. That is a lot of jump but it makes for one load usable in both rifles.

Now to build some loads with Varget and see how they do at the range.

If they work out, I may well use my Scout and the 130g TTSX for antelope hunting.

Why are you worried about this? I read somewhere here once that someone had trouble with seating depth changes with the top of the neck in a groove but mine are loaded that way and I have had zero issues. I think they probably had neck tension or brass hardness issues more so than a problem due to a couple thousand more neck contact above a TTSX band. I also ignore cannulure’s on cup and core bullets and haven’t had a problem.

The 130 TTSX shot noticeable better when seated .05 off the lands. I have some loaded from 2 and 3 years ago (with the top of the neck in the groove) and they haven’t moved at all. In fact some of these have been in the magazine when the rifle was fired AND they are also on top of fairly heavily compressed charges or Varget and RL15.

I’d like to hear others take on this but I’m satisfied it is not an issue.

Not really worried about it, it is mostly an aesthetic preference. If the bullets shoot well that far form the lands I'll be a happy camper. It also keeps dirt from collecting in the groove below the case head.

Some of my Ruger rifles have very long throats. I've often joked that in my .257 Roberts the bullets couldn't touch the lands with a stick, but it is a very accurate rifle - - so a long jump isn't really concern either until it proves to be a problem.

It should work great. My gun is different, 7mm WSM with 120 TSX going 3300 fps over chronograph. 4 elk shot under 100 yards, all were DRT with nasty exit wounds.