Using a specialty weapon for a specialty hunt only makes sense.
That might be the silliest thing I've read on this forum in quite a while.
Ironically there was nothing “special” about his hunt until he handicapped himself by choice.
TracksWapiti what are you looking for btw, some sort of affirmation? The 300 BO is on the lower end of $hit choices, there is the simple answer.
Not at all. Go back and re-read the OP. I was simply informing the group that I’ll be sharing post-hunt results soon in case anyone was interested. And I was interested in any experience the group has taking elk with 300BO.
At no point have I asked for anyone’s opinion on cartridge choice as the decision was already made based on my own research specifically with Barnes bullets and not the opinions/validation of others.
Ok well you just stated above you wanted to hear other people’s experiences which would include their opinion.
Despite all the lectures to the contrary, my guess is the round will work fine within its velocity window.
Me - I respect animals and don't view them as a platform to test theories or express ego. Therefore I wouldn't use a cartridge like the 300 BLK. As a "backpack hunter" myself, I like something more like the 6.5 CM, 7-08 or 308 Win. All have sufficient "power" out far or up close for a clean, humane kill, and have a reserve of power when things don't go quite as planned.
My .02
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
...Glad CPW determines what cartridge is legal rather than conventional wisdom. Using the best ammo available for this application will hopefully mitigate things "going wrong."
There are a lot of game regulations across the country that have little to do with conventional wisdom.
Here in Montana there are no caliber (or cartridge) restrictions for hunting big game animals. You could use a .22 short and be legal, but that doesn't make a .22 rimfire an elk cartridge.
I have several friends that have killed a pile of elk and even a few buffalo with their .22-250's and .220 Swift shooting 52 and 55 grain bullets, but that also doesn't make me think that those are good elk cartridges.
There are a lot of game regulations across the country that have little to do with conventional wisdom.
Or logic, or physics.
For example, I believe in Kentucky a minimum 270 bore size is required for a rifle cartridge to hunt elk. So a 7mm-08, which is perfectly fine, is legal but a 6.5-300 Weatherby isn't.
I'd still rather have a 168 gr TTSX at 2500 than a 120 at 2400. You'll just have a better reaction and more penetration, and it'll open up better shot opportunities. I took my elk last year with the 130 grain TTSX at 3000 fps from my suppressed 18" .308 M700, but it still took three shots.
I broke his onside shoulder with the first shot dropping him, I put a second shot into the crease where his neck and shoulder meet. The third shot was a finisher as when I got to him as he was still trying to lift his head. I didn't have a single exit except for the finisher, and I did the gutless method so I didn't try to recover the bullets.
While it worked for me, I firmly believe a heavier and slower bullet would have worked better and given greater penetration. I might of had both front shoulders broken if I had used a 168 gr TTSX at 2500 fps. No doubt you can kill an elk with a .300 BLK, but I wasn't all that happy with my results from a light bullet going much faster than you can produce.
I'd still rather have a 168 gr TTSX at 2500 than a 120 at 2400. You'll just have a better reaction and more penetration, and it'll open up better shot opportunities. I took my elk last year with the 130 grain TTSX at 3000 fps from my suppressed 18" .308 M700, but it still took three shots.
I broke his onside shoulder with the first shot dropping him, I put a second shot into the crease where his neck and shoulder meet. The third shot was a finisher as when I got to him as he was still trying to lift his head. I didn't have a single exit except for the finisher, and I did the gutless method so I didn't try to recover the bullets.
While it worked for me, I firmly believe a heavier and slower bullet would have worked better and given greater penetration. I might of had both front shoulders broken if I had used a 168 gr TTSX at 2500 fps. No doubt you can kill an elk with a .300 BLK, but I wasn't all that happy with my results from a light bullet going much faster than you can produce.
Thanks for sharing. How close was the shot and how soon did you walk up on the bull after shooting?
First two shots were around 265 yards, final shot was probably 30 minutes later after I went back to round up my gear. I left sitting on the rock I was glassing from, it would have been a 600+ yard shot from where I was glassing. I could probably have taken a 600 yard shot, but I was bleeding velocity and energy with the 130 gr TTSX and knew closer was the better option.
FYI if you run numbers you'll see my load at 265 yards is close to the same as your numbers at the muzzle of your .300 BLK.
Taylor I'm with you on the 168 TTSX / 308. It certainly is a penetrator, though I've only used the 165 TSX variety. I don't have a lot of experience with mono's, but enough to convince me the shrapnel effect of copper/lead bullets kill quicker, and I've taken enough elk with a variety of 165 bullets with the 308 to know they will usually penetrate through an elk. I get the benefits of leadless meat, but I'm still of the opinion copper hulls with lead cores kill quicker.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Taylor I'm with you on the 168 TTSX / 308. It certainly is a penetrator, though I've only used the 165 TSX variety.
Brad I've never used the 168 TTSX, I simply refrenced the OP's load he has worked up for his .308 Win. Last year was the first time I've hunted with a .308 Win, and I'll be honest I had a little over a month to get it ready for the hunt after I got it back from my smith. I really wanted to hunt with my suppressor so I rushed some things before my elk hunt.
While I can and do reload I used factory ammunition for the hunt. I tried a few brands PPU, Hornady, Winchester, and Barnes as time was short until my hunt and I wanted to shoot more than be at the reloading bench. The Hornady American Whitetail 150 grain probably shot the best by a small margin over the Barnes. However, I decided to go with the Barnes thinking the monometal construction would give me a penetration advantage.
I got an elk so it all worked out, but I do think I was too much in the margins.
Monos need speed to work better. I shoot 168 ttsx at 2850 out of my 06. The 308 with short barrel should be shooting 150s to get as much speed as possible. This thread is getting stupid
All of them do something better than the 30-06, but none of them do everything as well.
Monos need speed to work better. I shoot 168 ttsx at 2850 out of my 06. The 308 with short barrel should be shooting 150s to get as much speed as possible.
168 grain TTSX is supposed to expand down to 1500 fps, the 150 grain TTSX is rated down to 2000 fps according to Barnes FWIW.
Monos need speed to work better. I shoot 168 ttsx at 2850 out of my 06. The 308 with short barrel should be shooting 150s to get as much speed as possible.
168 grain TTSX is supposed to expand down to 1500 fps, the 150 grain TTSX is rated down to 2000 fps according to Barnes FWIW.
It’s Why I shoot 168s. Thought it was 1600. Still low. There are the newer LRX that have fairly low minimum velocity as well. With those ballistics where would the 150 and 168 be at their max distance to work properly? Thankfully the OP only plans on 100 yard shots
Last edited by Dre; 10/27/22.
All of them do something better than the 30-06, but none of them do everything as well.
