prm- Did that Barnes 160 TTSX ruin a lot of elk meat? Normally Barnes doesn't, but velocity still does. would you trust that 160TTSX at 3050-3100 to penetrate a cow elk on a hard angle at close to moderate range I wonder? I am considering using the lighter weights in a 20" bbl 338 RCM. Even in a short barrel, I still hope get faster than I did a 22" 338 Federal 160TTSX/TAC, 3007fps avg.
It does a number on meat, and everything else. At least on close shots, which I mostly end up with. I think 200 was the longest shot. The only angling shots I took were on a Kudo, and a Gemsbok. Definite pass through on the Kudu, entered ribs and went out through the far shoulder. I hit the point of the shoulder on the Gemsbok and the best I could figure was the bullet got caught in a very densely grass packed stomach. A frontal shot from low to high, just inside left leg on a bull elk resulted in a mess of one shoulder. I didn’t look closely but there was a possible exit just above his left hip bone. I don’t think you’d be disappointed in the 160. If you really want penetration you could use the 185 TTSX. The RCM would push it fast enough to work really well also. I shot a bull elk twice with those and the worked well, as well as a whitetail buck and a hog. The hog dropped straight down dead. The whitetail did a 4-5 second sprint and piled up. The bull was on a hill steeply below me. First shot was broadside left to right. He staggered, spun, caught his balance, and I put another through right to left. He stumbled maybe 15-20 yards and died quickly. Small exit wounds, but internals were a mess.
