Due to feral culling I've had the opportunity to hundreds animals per week, and much of that was done with 30-06s over a few years. There's no way I was going let a chance like that go by without comparing bullets. It would be hard not to, even if you hadn't started with that plan.
By the time I'd used up the stockpile there was no doubt that the Barnes (In my case the 168 TSX) was the slowest killing and best penetrating of the bunch. For your use of 425 yard tops deer and elk I'd use just about anything else first.
It's no secret I'm not a mono/TTSX fan. I have seen (as have many friends) more bullet failures (ie, un-opened bullets) with mono's than any other type of bullet.
I suppose I understand the "lead fear" that is driving a lot of guys to use the mono's, but the idea that they somehow kill faster than more traditional bullets is nonsense.
I've shot dozens of animals with ttsx's and when pushed fast(3k+) at reasonable ranges, there is no other bullet that works as good at killing fast, on the spot. The problem lies with not following instructions, and shooting heavy for caliber bullets. Then they suck, and animals run for a while.
If this forum didn't suck for posting pics, I'd post some from my extensive testing.
130 grain out of a 308/30-06 is plenty for any elk you will encounter. I get that the heavies have a better BC, and less drop/drift at longer ranges, but you give up significant expansion.
