In the factory .308 loads:
https://www.barnesbullets.com/files/2016/03/VOR-TX-ballistics-for-web.pdfthe 150 gr. mono shoots flatter and greater energy as the 168 grain bullet out to 500 yards.
the 30-06 data was too new to be published in this version, but I'm sure you would find the same as the .308 data, just add 200 fps/ 100 yards.
All bullets "fail". Too many variables to take into account to design anything to work 100% of the time. density of tissues, bones, angles, grass, trees, distance, velocity, twist rates, coreolis affect, whatever. The question is if you are able to recover the dead animal and find the bullet and determine that it didn't do what you expected/ is advertised to do... did it really fail?
OR
If you didn't recover the animal, how can you guarantee that the shooter/ shot placement wasn't the issue?
Those 2 questions can eb argued till the end of time... so forget about them
Just find something you/ the hunter is confident in and roll with it. IF the 150 TTSX shoot that well, they have plenty of juice out to the ranges you are talking about. I see no reason to try anything else. If 180gr. factory corelockt shoots great, then buy a case of that stuff andspend your life killing stuff with it.
I'm taking 130 gr TTSX load in .308 in the field this year for deer and hogs, 5 shot groups as fast as I could run them through my Kimber Adirondack could all be covered by a 1"x.5" square. Good enough for me from a 6#10oz, scoped, slung, fully loaded rifle with a buttstock ammo carrier holding 10 extra rounds. 6# even with 3+1 loaded.
