Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 308 elk round

Daughter inlaw drew a late season cow elk tag. We have figured out that she shoots my 308 the best. I have 150 grain Nosler Partitions and 150 grain Barnes TTSX. both shoot about the same. Shots will be no further than 250 yards. Any opinions as to what bullet to use. Thank you

The 150 Partition will work just fine. The 165 Partition also, if you want.

Of the 2 you mentioned, I'd go with the one most accurate in your rifle. Either will kill the elk without a problem.

Best advice. I've had better luck with accurate loads using either a Barnes 168 TSX BT or 150 TTSX BT in a .308, but some rifles will shoot a Partition very well. I can't see any difference in performance between a Partition and a Barnes on elk.

I shot cows with 100g partitions in a 243. I think you will be good to go with partitions or TTSX. Two year old dry cow is some of the best eating you can have!!!


Keith

Either Partition - go with the one she has the most confidence in, put one in the pump room & enjoy some back straps.

Both will get the job done. Use whatever shoots best and also consider what you have the most of on hand for her to practice with. Ammo is very hard to find right now, at least around here. Make sure you have enough for her to get plenty of trigger time behind whatever load you choose.

It seems like the 30 cal 150 gr Partition is kind of the lost stepchild. Nobody ever talks much about it, but I bet it would kill about anything when started at 308 or 30-06 velocity. Anybody here use it on heavy game? I’d think it would out penetrate a lot of standard 180’s.

I've shot a lot of elk with a 165 AB in a 30-06. The 308 is pretty close to that. An AB in either 165 or 150 will doom any elk.

My Dad used 165gr Hornady InterLokts from his 308win for along time. Pretty comparable to the Partition I think. Until he retired and moved, I spent most opening mornings packing his elk out.

I kill elk with 140 Partitions out of a 7mm-08, 150s out of a .308 is fine.



P

Probably due to our BC focus these days, the 150’s don’t get the credit that they deserve but at 250 yds out of a .308 as the OP asks about, they are pretty much a match made in heaven.

With .30/150gr bullets starting a long time ago with Speer then Hornady and more recently into the Partition my experience started with Blacktails & hogs out in CA but then to several Mulies and only two Elk. With the realization that Speer 150’s hardly ever exited a hog (but killed them just fine) when shot close but the Hornadys almost always do so that’s what we used most and same with the Partition as the years went on. Shooting Elk, at least the two that I’ve taken with a 150gr (1 NP & 1 HIL) both have gone right down with no fuss. Granted both Elk shots and many hogs were with a 30-06 at slightly faster speeds than the 308 but not by much and I only had to take one shot at each animal except a hog or two. I can’t speak to shots over about 200 yards on anything with a 150gr because the shots presented at those times didn’t require it. Today I shoot other rifles more and I really don’t have much experience with TTSX in 30 caliber although I probably should.

Now if we were talking about Blacktail, Whitetail & Mulies specifically the 150gr Horns & PT are about as perfect killers as I’ve ever found given my much limited experience compared to others.

Hornady 165 BTSP, working man's bullet.

I killed a bit of game with the old 165 gr Speer Grand Slam with a .308 years ago. Most any top tier bullet in that weight will get it done. Elk haven’t gotten any harder to kill, just sometimes harder to find.
Happy Trails

Speaking of the 150 TTSX BT, I've already mentioned it works well in a .308 on elk, but I've found this to be a very accurate bullet also in a couple of pre-'64 .30-06s and a Remington 700 5R .300 Winchester Magnum. I didn't have to do much load development in any of the rifles; a very easy bullet to work with.

In my sample size of 1, a 180 grain Partition out of a 308 does a great job. I probably didn't need that heavy of a bullet, but it is what shot best out of my rifle.

In a 180 gr .308 load, I think bullet selection is of little consequence as most loads are barely breaking 2,550 fps MV if that. YMMV

Truth of the matter is that it depends on where you place the bullet. At 250 yards if shooting for shoulder both Barnes and Nosler Partition will penetrate shoulder bones very well. The mono will probably go through both and possibly exit through a cow’s shoulders. The partition will go deep and fragment leaving the flat base in the other side. The fragmentation of the Partition will typically create a more devastating wound on internals. If shooting for lungs and only soft tissue is encountered, neither is the best choice as both will typically go through at both ends. They will work, but a more frangible bullet will work a lot better in the lungs giving you suitable penetration and the grenade effect by destroying many internal vitals such as the heart, liver, lungs, etc., one example of this would be the Hornady SST with a lung shot, it does create trauma quickly. The 165 grain SST is all I use these days on deer with the 308 Win, its super accurate and fast at around 2,800 fps. The bonded core types like Nosler Accubond and Swift Scirocco are somewhat of a happy medium between the two, plenty tough enough for a cow’s shoulder with enough expansion on lung shots to obtain decent results.

I have used 165 grain Partitions in 308 Win on bull elk with shots in the shoulder and inches lower behind the shoulder. Both Partition and A-Frames give you quite a bit of versatility on game, especially at 250 yards with 308 velocities. Both will expand and penetrate down to 1,600-1,800 fps. The 150 grain load should work fine even loaded slightly down if you wish. That bullet is designed to shed weight and drive the shank deep. It will give you the most versatility when looking at frontal, shoulder or lung shots in my opinion.

To me there really is no such thing as a bad bullet in modern design it’s really understanding the bullet construction, the game animal pursued and the shot placement you wish to utilize to take advantage of the bullet design.

Good luck out there.

This^^^

Sticking to the two bullets you mentioned, I've used both and no question either will will work. I think if i were to do it again, i would choose the TTSX simply because of weight retention "insurance" and potentially an edge to penetration in a 150g hitting a big bone. If you were talking 165s then maybe the Partition...maybe?

Not long ago there was a thread about premium bullets; link attached. Worth reading parts of it as another source of opinions. I attached pictures of recovered bullets from elk.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...mium-bullets-needed-for-elk#Post15625911

Shot placement obviously matters but over the last 41 years of elk hunting, i have come to the conclusion that I really want a hole on both sides of the lungs. Elk can go a long way mortally wounded but rarely go far with collapsed lungs which is much easier to do with 2 holes.

^^^^^^^^ This

Let the air out of them and they go right down!

Happy Trails

Both work I prefer the Barnes.

I killed a cow elk at 200 yards with a .308 shooting a 165 SBT with 45.5 grains of Varget at 2810 fps using IMI Match brass and GM210M.
Heart shot at 200 yards. The Sierra 165 SBT did break the front right leg before passing through the heart. The cow elk stood there for a moment turned 180* then fell over. I had sighted in the day before at 200 yards.


Shot placement. Shot placement.

Your Sierra performed on the cow - great news. Once in a while that leg bone will stop or fragment the softer bullets, the mono Barnes breaks the shoulder every time & keeps going into the vitals. I only had one fragment on a good sized bull, once was enough - he made it about 600 yard before dying - lots of snow left a trail anyone could follow but could have gone off public or been shot by another Hunter in that distance.

Either will work, pick the one you have the most of and continue to practice. Scouting and getting in shape matter far more than the bullet.

If your a reloader and don’t mind spending $$ for a premium bullet than I would check out the “absolute hammer” from Hammer bullets. I hunt elk with the 308 and never had a problem killing elk with the round. My go to load up until last yr was a 168ttsx. However, I experimented last fall with the 162AH from Hammer and I was very,very impressed with the #’s and accuracy I was getting with this bullet. Terminal performance on eastern white tails was impressive as well, only 2 samples but exactly what I anticipated under the shot conditions.. It’s worth a look at the website, this bullet certainly has worked for me and I hope to shoot an elk with it this fall.

There is certainly nothing wrong with my 168ttsx load, I just like to tinker with other loads. The claims they make about this bullet on the website I have found to be valid.

I agree 100%

Either

Exactly. I'd probably lean more towards the one that shot better though. In my case, it would be a hard decision:




New "to me" rifle, still under load development..

I’ve said this several times before as it keeps coming up. My daughter from age 12-16 killed two bulls and two cows with a 308 and 150 grain federal soft points. They all died very quickly. One of her bulls she broke both shoulders. Separate shots from each side.

Her sample size may be stuck at 4 though. She killed her elk this year with my 300 win mag and 200 partitions. 😀

I doubt she weighs 115, full fed.

Sounds like she did just fine with the 308 loaded with federals. She will probably go back to that after firing off the 300wm. The WM always seemed to be too punishing as far as recoil is concerned. I'd rather shoot my 338wm. Do your daughter a favor and switch her back to that 308win...

Wow that is interesting advice - “quit that corvette little lady it’s too much car for you, Get a Corolla it suits a woman better”

I trained a 120 lb woman for one of those TV hunting shows - she handled my lightweight 375H&H like it was a quail gun. Women can handle recoil if they choose to quite nicely. For deer the difference is minimal but for elk I’ll take the 300 magnum over a 308 every time. Why pass on and elk because you don’t have the horsepower or bullet to do the job? Elk hunting is challenging enough without unnecessary limitations.

+1

You guys are fu cking idiots. There are plenty here that know a 308win will kill an elk with little effort. It all boils down to shot placement and bullet you use. Its funny because you paint a picture like the 308win worked wonderfully for your daughter, then you switch her to something bigger. How much does your daughter want to practice with that 300wm? Enough to be proficient with it? You agreeing with numb nuts makes you look pretty stupid/ignorant..

Doesn't Ralphie guide for elk? Not that a .308 won't work, but I don't believe I'd call a guide an idiot because he has a different opinion on of all subjects, elk cartridges.

As long as there are choices in elk rifle cartridges there will be gobs of opinions. Some dead nuts on, others wing nuts, and more than a few numb nuts.....

First let me say I have no objection as to what legal minimum you use up through whatever you wish to use. I have never had to shoot further than 225 yards to kill elk and have shot inside of 125 yards. Have used 338 Win Mag (250gr Hawk SP at 2,650 fps) 444 Marlin (280gr older CorBon SPX at 2,250 fps) and 308 Win (165gr NPT at 2,775 fps). Most of my bull elk were encountered in heavy timber and dead fall in late season Nov. Colorado hunts. The 308 Win works very well out to 300-350 yards and I would classify it as the greater precision weapon over the other two and many others based on accuracy, recoil, barrel length, rifle weight as well as getting predictable bullet performance up close and far away. The 300 Win Mag is less predictable, especially at close range with the speed it travels, but then again it’s all about the bullet. Many will sing the praises of a mono bullet for the 300, but then again passing a mono through an elk at short range doesn’t always work better than a 308 Win with even a cup and core or bonded core bullet. In a way the 308 Win is more predictable and versatile with bullet designs than the 300 Win Mag. Shooting a 308 Win with mono will do about the same thing as the Win 300 at 250 yards or so. To each his own, I suppose if I was always shooting at 400 yards and beyond the 300 Win Mag would make more sense, but that has not been my experience. Only one man’s experience and opinion.

I guess I was seeing the 308win as a Corvette...
:-)

You commenting on anything about killing is comical. Wasn’t long ago, you were talking sh it about anyone using a short action cartridge.

Until someone has a question regarding best staple guns, target backers, targets or sharpies, stay in the corner while the adults are talking.

Actually I think they both will kill cleanly. Yes I think the 300 is more capable than the 308 and yes I think my daughter shoots it fine. She hit the cow twice (she only fired twice) at 306 yards prone across my backpack. First shot was broadside second was frontal. Both were on the money.Also she wanted to kill an elk with my rifle. Because it’s “dad’s.”

I know quite a few people don’t like shooting 300s. That’s fine. It doesn’t mean some don’t mind it. I used to spend quite a bit of time at a public range shooting 300 magnums. Some of the range officers felt just like you apparently do about them. “A 300 WEATHERBY! Nobody needs a 300 weatherby.” Age, body type, experience, health, injuries probably all impact tolerance. And tolerance changes too. If someone is more comfortable with a 308 then have at it. I’ve killed them with a 308, my daughter has, no biggie. Do I feel more confident for a wider variety of shots with my 300 and 200 NPs yes.

I actually think recoil gets blamed more often than it should and just crappy shooting no matter the recoil is more often the problem.

I should probably apologize to the OP, I’m probably responsible for this rabbit hole.

Haha 😂😂😂 god damn that’s funny

The staple gun comment made me LOL.

Sharpies!! 🤣🤣

Lmao!!!

I love the comments on a .308 or what ever.. Some guys comment on here so much I wonder if they ever have time to shoot anything...

Sorry fellas, I have to take a minute and clean off my desk. I blew my diet coke through my nose, when I read the "staple gun and sharpie comment"

CJ

I found a few boxes of the Norma Oryx stuff.
Pretty sure its 180gr.

$&#@ double post

All I can say is 2 clients for moose this fall. 308 Win and 168 TTSX. DEAD. And much more confident bullet performance than the other client. His was dead too but the 338 win mag bullets never made the rib bones on the other side. 250 partitions.

Most of it these days IMHO boils down to picking a good and right bullet. Then you put it where it needs to go.

I'd hunt moose or elk any day with a 243. I'd have to be a bit picky about shots... but other than that.

BTW both clients bulls were appx 125 yards off. And almost identical hits. Though the 308 bull died quicker as the last shot. broke its neck. but both outcomes were almost identical. Other than ttsx having pass through

Both will work just fine. Pick the most accurate of the two and practice, practice, practice. It's placement that trumps everything.

actually they are correct that most women are easier to train on the big guns. No knowledge of fear that the gun will kick etc... realizes its gonna kick hit or miss. Generally do better than most guys with mags.

Ad to the fact that less body mass to absorb recoil makes it seem less to them. I've always noticed the bigger folks are the more they complain about perceived recoil generally.

My wife is around 115 these days. Gained a bit.

She has shot everything handed to her without an issue. up to 460 wtby and 50 bmg.

She even decided the 378 wtby a friend sent back, was ok though it did kick. She shot a squirrel with it. Friend and I both to this day say it was the worst kicking gun we have ever shot.

The point here is take what you want but only if you can handle it. if its 300 mag, cool. If its 243 cool. Pick a good bullet. Put it in the right spot.

And IMHO if its between partition and TTSX its TTSX every last time. The partitions perform better than standard bullets but the TTSX work much better than partitions IMHO. But I prefer 2 holes every time I shoot if possible.

+1

+1

Always interesting to hear "pick the one which shoots best."

This implies two things:

First, that the hunter actually shoots enough groups to tell the difference. In my experience this is rare, especially with 3-shot groups.

Second, elk are big animals. Unless you plan to shoot beyond much beyond 400 yards, any load that puts three into 1-1/2" at 100 yards is more than accurate enough.

My old hunting partner here in Utah has used the same Browning BLR .308 since HS (1970) ! He uses nothing but 150 corlokts, usually factory loads. Kills everything, even a wild Henry Mnts cow Bison with the thing! ha His only "vice"; he loves his big Burris 4x12x50mm scope! Go figure.