Well now that my wife drew her first elk tag (cow) I'm going to need to put her .308 barrel back on her savage. My question though revolves around bullet selection the primary bullet she uses is a Barnes 130 TTSX. But for elk I'm thinking of running 150Gr. TTSXs or a Nosler partition of the same weight. considering she is recoil conscious what would you run?

Richard

How well does she shoot the 130?

20 grains won't make a lick of difference as long as she puts the bullet in the right place.


My dad killed this bull with a single 140 Accubond from his 7mm-08 at 225 yards.





Elk aren't armored.




P

I'd stick with the 130 as well.. Can't imagine anything wrong with that choice if you are hunting sane ranges.

When Daughter #1 moved back to Colorado we had the same dilemma. She is recoil sensitive so she got a .308 Win. We ended up loading 130g TTSX for her. While she hasn't shot an elk, yet, she did get her antelope last year at 368 yards. I've also built 150g BT loads for her but think she will stick with the 130g TTSX

Perfect placement on that shot. Congrats to your dad Pharmseller.

Thanks. His feet didn't touch the ground for a week.

We practiced from field positions at least once a week for months. When the opportunity came it was just going through the motions.

Until he walked up on it, of course.






P

Absolutely. Hunts with Dad are the best! Congrats Pharm!

150 ttsx
To me...130 in 30 cal is just too short looking.
I'm sure it works.
I'm shooting 168 ttsx in my 06 and 130 ttsx in 270 with great accuracy.
Pharm, congrats to your dad dad.
I can't wait till the 15th or 16th to see the draw.

I killed a couple cow elk a few years back with the 120 grain TTSX out of my 7mm-08. Seeing the performance on both those cows tells me the 130 grain TTSX out of the 308 win will be perfect for your wife.

Good luck!

Hntnut: I strongly suggest the 165 grain Nosler Partitions!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Why? What's your experience with the 308 and various bullets on elk?

I am w/ Varmint Guy😜 Partitions always work😏

130 grains is enough if it holds together, which Barnes X bullets do.
But the Partition in 150 165 or 180 are also really good and it's very hard to beat a Nosler partition. Some bullets can match it for elk, but I know of none that really beat it.

I've tried a pile of different powders, primers, brass, etc. in multiple rifles using the Partition. I've yet to find a suitable load with the accuracy I desire. Made the switch to Barnes TSX and TTSX bullets and haven't looked back.

Partitions are great bullets but I've yet to find loads my rifles like.

Edit.

If the 130s shoot well and you like then use it.

Thank you for the replies I believe I'll have her stick with the 130 TTSXs they work well in her rifle and I have about 500 in stock.

Richard

Picky, picky, picky.

Good plan last post!

A 140 gr. Corelokt worked bang/flop on an elk out of my .260 at @ 150 yds.. As it has done on several caribou and a wolf, to ranges in excess of 300 yards.

Shoot what is accurate and she likes...



You too? Some folks here pity me because I haven't found a Partition load better than what my rifles like in C&C. Very limited experience with Barnes (factory) loads, but none of them have worked out well either. Gotta try some hand-loads... Not that I need premiums.. C&C work well. Cheaper too, and have killed just as well for me.

But then, I tend not to get too anal beyond, "Damn, that's good, and good enough!", - 1,5 MOA or better. Sometimes I get REALLY lucky on initial load development, and quit right there.

Any further would likely be masturbation.

I'd see which one the gun shoots most accuratley, as any of the bullet weights and manufacturers being suggested here will get the job done with proper shot placement. I am a huge fanboy of the Nosler Partition, it just plain kills. But I've got a few rifles that don't like it all that well. My plan B when required is a Nosler Accubond. I've never had either bullet fail to do its job if I do mine.

My thought also - she won't even feel the gun go off while shooting at an elk. Practice with the lighter bullets then you sight in with the 165's - don't even need to tell her any different.

I would use the 130 before the 150, as the monos prefer higher velocity to open up well. The mono is not necessary with the .308 and a standard bullet works just fine, but you will have no issues with that combo. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

It wasn't the first bull I packed for him. Biggest so far, for sure, let's hope it's not the last.




P

Yes they need velocity but 130 is going to loose it fast.

In my experience with a 30-06, the 130 Barnes TSX and tipped both act almost identical to the 180 Rem CoreLokts that I used to use. Similar penetration (but probably more with the Barnes) and similar holes.

Barnes 130 is all I use in the 30-06 anymore.

Go with the bigger Partition or Accubond hands down. You will not get any fragmentation from a Barnes. You certainly dont want a ballistic tip, but you do want some shrapnel bouncing around in there.

I know a lot of guys hunt elk with Ballistic Tips but Nosler says they're for smaller game. For elk, they have their AB's and PT's. I'm no expert but I'll go with that the manufacturer says. They've done the testing and know how well they hold together.

That depends on which Ballistic Tip it is.

There was a penetration test posted here using beef shoulder ball joints and wet news paper. Point blank shots The surprising winner inner chicken dinner was the 130 Barnes. The 130 Barnes held its own even with the 180 grain cup and cores if I remember. Just consider velocity is the magic in the monolithic. I believe 1850 fps minimum at impact is needed for good results.

Not surprising. An expanded TTSX has less frontal area and more cutting edge than a mushroomed bullet.

Same here!





So, you haven't had a single time that you felt the Barnes were sub-par?

Have seen Barnes lose their petals as well as sheared pieces in the meat.

My wife likes the 140 TSX or the 140 partition in her 7x57 Remintgon Mt. Rifle!

My group has not recovered a Barnes MRX or TTSX from antelope, deer or elk. I've personally had two tipped Barnes monos go lengthwise through mule deer. The only fragmentation we've verified was on 7/30/2006 when I put a 180g MRX into a string of water jugs about 25 feet away at 3100fps MV. The bullet was recovered from the 7th one-gallon milk jug with one petal missing.

In any case, some would argue loosing petals is a good thing as they create their own wound channel. I would only point out that losing a petal or four is a far cry from the shrapnel created when a lead core bullet fragments into hundreds of pieces, something I've seen recorded using multiple lead core bullet types, bonded and not, on the witness paper behind a single milk jug filled with water.

The Barnes tipped monos have proven very effective, which is why we use them. In fact they are the bullet most used by my group for elk. The rifles we use most are chambered for 7mm RM (2 people), .308 Win (2 people), .30-06 (3 people) and .300WM (3 people).