Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Just 1 bullet for the 308 Win and elk sized game....

Not having shot an elk with the combo.... so I can't say for sure but I've sure seen X bullets expand at speeds slower than advertised.... So I"m still sold on them.

150 or 168 tsx or if you are afraid of non expansion, ttsx. My choice of course is 168 since I've driven many thousands of them in BTHP bullets out of the 308 and would pick my shot and have zero qualms with a 300 yard shot for sure.

Partitions have let me down on Nilgai in the past. Dead nilgai, but not the performance I was looking for.

If you are a speed nut and a bang flop nut, I'd look hard at the 130 version in ttsx, if you were to shoot a 165 partition, you'll probably not retain more than 130 anyway and the barnes usually retains 100% or close to it unless they loose a petal but thats not all that common IMHO.

Not to offend anybody on this Hornady issue,but as I have shot and used both on game the 165 gr SPBT and the 165 gr. SP. IMHO the 165 gr SP Interlock holds together much better than the BT version. I've only used them on Whitetail and Mule deer at 30-06 and 300 Win Mag velocities. Magnum man

For me, the "One 308 Win Bullet" involves a 165/68 of some sort.

Whatever shoots best in your rifle is the one I'd go with.

Standouts to me are the 165 Partition, 165 Accubond, 165/68 Ballistic Tip, 165 Speer Hotcore, 165 Sierra Pro Hunter, 165 Hornaday. Roughly in that order.

Good news is the 308 is pretty easy on bullets and I really don't think there are any bad ones at 2,750 fps.

Dober,

I don't "hate you" but posting pictures with big bags full of meat, hands full of antlers, and a big smile on your face, all on a little ridge in really pretty country, do make me a tad jealous. And using your "mom's 06" might be the best part. Congratulations on your continued success. I would offer to be your new best friend and hunting buddy, but anything I have to contribute to the relationship pales by comparison.

Thanks again everyone.

Brad, glad you chimed in. Have you recovered an Accubond in game? I have recovered just one; a 9.3 250 that retained about 70% of its weight. I understand it is basically just a bonded Ballistic Tip. What is the major difference between the two that you have experienced in performance on "meat" in the .308.

I think we all want something different when selecting a bullet. Some want speed, some penetration..accuracy...high BC...weight retention....expansion.... all the above Really I just want the damn thing to be consistently lethal.

djb, this year I shot four animals with the 308/165 NAB... ranges were 179 for a cow elk, 300 for a 5pt bull, 401 for an antelope and 200 for a mule deer buck.

Only recovered one bullet, and that was a finisher on the bull elk I stuck in his brisket as he lay dying... that one entered his sternum and was lodged against his spine. Shot was from 15'... bullet held together nicely I'd say



I would have used the 168 NBT last year (my rifle really likes them) but I couldn't locate any after my supply got shot up, so I went with the 165 NAB. Doesn't shoot as well in my rifle, but is good enough for out to 550 yards, or so I've found.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Ballsitic Tip and to me the 165/68 weight in the 308 is a great compromise between weight, speed, BC and a host of other ballistic gack

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

A 165 Accubond/Ballistic tip combo would make a convenient pairing. They should shoot very similar (if not identical) for hunting vs practice loads.

There are just too many stories about the TTSX/TSX problems that make me hesitant. Velocity seems to really help the mono 'work'. The Partition on the other hand just always seems like the safe bet. It's kind of the Swiss Army knife of the bullet world....not the best at any task but functional for everything.

I like that.

If my 308 liked 165 NP's that would have been my first choice. Unfortunately, it doesn't group them well.

Brad what is the difference between the 165 NBT and the 168 NBT besides 3 grs? Are they configured different? Much difference in the BC? Magnum Man

A bonded or monolithic bullet in 150-200 grains range. My choice this autumn will be Norma Oryx 200 grains (hunting moose and bear).

Apparently it's the shape of the ogive... BC isn't that different.

My rifle far and away prefers the 168 NBT to the 165 version. Go figure.

For elk with a 308 Winchester I would go with a Swift 165gr A-Frame.

I'd say 165-gr. in a bonded bullet or the Partition, and 150-gr. in a monometal. As others have said, it'd be hard to make a bad bullet choice, given 308 velocities.

All that being said, the no-longer-available 180 NPT Federal High Energy load (advertized @ 2740 fps) has been the cat's a$$ for me on a number of elk and moose. I still have four boxes and save them for elks and mooses, using more mundane stuff on deer.

This is the only recommendation for the Swift A-frame I have found in this thread so far. Why is that? Don't many guys like them or use them? I suppose the mediocre BC might have something to do with that. I often wonder why Swift doesn't put a big hollow cavity in the front of the A-frame and fill it with a plastic tip. The tip would increase BC and the hollow cavity would tend to make it expand at lower velocity, and it seems that plastic tips help sell bullets these days.

I've found the Swift-A-Frames are harder to get to shoot well than either the Barnes TSX, or the Nosler Partition. They also have a tendency to make a wider wound channel rather than a deeper, narrower one. That, their price, and their less than great BC tends to limit my selection of them.
Like others have said. At .308 velocities alot of bullets will work well. E

150gr TTSX at 2900fps...

My recommendation, 165gr.Nos.Partition. Hunt hard, shoot straight, eat elk steak, be happy.

Jordan, can you share first hand results on game with this combo?

Unfortunately I can't. I've been limited to the 130gr TTSX and 150gr TSX, but no 150gr TTSX out of the .308 on game thus far. The 130gr TTSX and 150 TSX have been stellar, with the little 130 penetrating over 3' of deer and exiting, leaving immediate and immense damage upon entry. I would just feel a bit more comfortable stepping up to the 150gr if elk were the primary quarry, and I'd use the TTSX over the TSX if given the choice (why not?)...

That is nearly exactly what I was going to write. Some time back I settled on the 165-168 gr. for hunting everything with my .308.