168 TTSX, 165 Interbond, 178 ELD-X...30-06 dangerous game?

[entoptics]

Before I get a herd of folks screaming NON OF THE ABOVE!!!!!

Those are the choices I have. Period. End of story.

Why? (not "end of story" I guess) I'm loading up some ammo for a buddy who's new to shooting. The rifle is an older 700 ADL, and he's just dipping his toes in the water. He hopes to learn to shoot, perhaps hunt NY whitetail, and maybe even someday do some "big game hunting out west". If the latter ever happens, I'll be tailoring him an appropriate load at that time.

Thing is, he's got a little bit of a "zombie apocalypse" thing (no worse than the rest of us, I assure you), and would like to at least possess something more "lethal" than the 178 ELD-M load I'm gonna feed him for targets and whitetail.

All I have in hand is a few leftovers of the aforementioned 168 TTSX, 165 Interbond, and 178 ELD-X. I'm not gonna buy $40 worth of bullets for 10 rounds to go in his "what if a bear?!?!" kit. He won't either. The TTSX and IB didn't shoot well in my 308 LAR-8 some years back, so they're essentially free as they've been collecting dust on my shelf.

So...Which do you think would be the best for relatively close range penetration/doom/destruction on lions and tigers and bears (oh my!)? I'm not going to go into load development beyond some chrony data to find a decent speed.

I'm leaning towards the TTSX, but have absolutely ZERO experience killing anything with any of them.

 

[Scott E Ames]

A PH friend in South Africa routinely culls Cape buffalo with 220 grain surplus FMJ
30-06 ammo. You better be an unbelievably good shot to try this. He was on the SA Army shooting team before becoming a professional hunter. I think military surplus ammo would be perfectly fine for zombies if nothing else!

 

[Jerry M]

What animal is he going to find out west = Lower 48 that a .30-06 and a 165 TTSX or Interbond can't kill with good shot placement? Grizzly bears??? but even those aren't bullet proof...

Scott "PH... culls Cape buffalo with 220 grain surplus FMJ 30-06 ammo..." From what war & country did said surplus derive from?

 

[JMW67]

Before I get a herd of folks screaming NON OF THE ABOVE!!!!!

Those are the choices I have. Period. End of story.

Why? (not "end of story" I guess) I'm loading up some ammo for a buddy who's new to shooting. The rifle is an older 700 ADL, and he's just dipping his toes in the water. He hopes to learn to shoot, perhaps hunt NY whitetail, and maybe even someday do some "big game hunting out west". If the latter ever happens, I'll be tailoring him an appropriate load at that time.

Thing is, he's got a little bit of a "zombie apocalypse" thing (no worse than the rest of us, I assure you), and would like to at least possess something more "lethal" than the 178 ELD-M load I'm gonna feed him for targets and whitetail.

All I have in hand is a few leftovers of the aforementioned 168 TTSX, 165 Interbond, and 178 ELD-X. I'm not gonna buy $40 worth of bullets for 10 rounds to go in his "what if a bear?!?!" kit. He won't either. The TTSX and IB didn't shoot well in my 308 LAR-8 some years back, so they're essentially free as they've been collecting dust on my shelf.

So...Which do you think would be the best for relatively close range penetration/doom/destruction on lions and tigers and bears (oh my!)? I'm not going to go into load development beyond some chrony data to find a decent speed.

I'm leaning towards the TTSX, but have absolutely ZERO experience killing anything with any of them.

sounds like he is just hunting deer right now so which ever bullet shoots the best from his rifle is what I would choose if bigger game is on the menu then the barnes would be a good choice

 

[jlreff]

Barnes 168 t t s x. It's all I run in my 30-06. Hunt deer and elk with it, with no problems whatsoever.

 

[captrjc]

Barnes 168 gr ttsx just flat out killed everything I've pulled the trigger on outta my 300wsm.

 

[coop2564]

Barnes. The others can come apart at close range.

 

[Scott E Ames]

What animal is he going to find out west = Lower 48 that a .30-06 and a 165 TTSX or Interbond can't kill with good shot placement? Grizzly bears??? but even those aren't bullet proof...

Scott "PH... culls Cape buffalo with 220 grain surplus FMJ 30-06 ammo..." From what war & country did said surplus derive from?

NATO vintage 1960's still in stripper clips

 

[Nomosendero]

TTSX

 

[entoptics]

Got out today, and finished up the 178 ELDM load/zero.

Corked up some 168 TTSX, and found a box of 165 GMX blemished I tried too. The GMX's did OK, not far off the ELDM, but the TTSX was near enough magical, considering the precise reloading technique of "About a grain under max charge, and seated deep enough to be well south of the lands".

If I had more, I'd probably just skip the ELDM load. It's unlikely he'll be needing the B.C. for quite awhile (if ever).

Unfortunately, my LabRadar died a horrible death halfway through today's session, so no data for the solid coppers. I was already planning to send it back, as something had come loose inside. Today, the screen came loose, and tilted sideways, and it gave a weird "radar is jacked up" error. Already have an RMA in hand for repairs.

Anyway, I'll probably start another thread with the question, but anyone have a rough idea of the speed 58.5 gr of RL19 will send a 168 TTSX in a 24" 30-06? The 59.0 gr load absolutely pancaked the primers, with just a touch of bolt lift. The 58.5 was clearly on the stout end, but doable.

Unfortunately, I have to box up the rifle and send it to him before I'll have a chance to confirm velocities, or even shoot anymore, so for now I just need a good guess. He's not going to be shooting miles, but it would be nice to provide him a reasonable dope out to 400-500 yds. Obviously not on animals, just targets.

 

[memtb]

TTSX......there is no other reasonable option offered! memtb

 

[bigngreen]

The 165/168 Barnes used to be my go to bullet till I got out of the mountains and shot elk on open fields where you see everything that happens, they are not an elk bullet!!! Watch a cow take on at 300 ish yards center of the shoulder, broke her shoulder and did not have the momentum out of an 06 to make it past that, fortunately she stopped running still in range and the second round went through her heart.
Shooting them from my 300 WBY same deal, center of the shoulder nothing into the chest, also had a couple act like nothing happened then 45 min later an elk falls over, small wound channel through the lungs. We strongly encouraged guys to shoot anything else when they came for elk. Deer shoot them through the shoulder and happiness everytime.

 

[rustyshackleford]

If memory serves Jack O'Conner used 220's in the 06 for brown bears and noted he got a pass through every time. He dropped down to 180's and I think was satisfied with that. So any 180 cup and core with decent weight retention and I'm sure about any 165 bonded or monolithic would work for hunting.

 

[azarcher10x]

Before I get a herd of folks screaming NON OF THE ABOVE!!!!!

Those are the choices I have. Period. End of story.

Why? (not "end of story" I guess) I'm loading up some ammo for a buddy who's new to shooting. The rifle is an older 700 ADL, and he's just dipping his toes in the water. He hopes to learn to shoot, perhaps hunt NY whitetail, and maybe even someday do some "big game hunting out west". If the latter ever happens, I'll be tailoring him an appropriate load at that time.

Thing is, he's got a little bit of a "zombie apocalypse" thing (no worse than the rest of us, I assure you), and would like to at least possess something more "lethal" than the 178 ELD-M load I'm gonna feed him for targets and whitetail.

All I have in hand is a few leftovers of the aforementioned 168 TTSX, 165 Interbond, and 178 ELD-X. I'm not gonna buy $40 worth of bullets for 10 rounds to go in his "what if a bear?!?!" kit. He won't either. The TTSX and IB didn't shoot well in my 308 LAR-8 some years back, so they're essentially free as they've been collecting dust on my shelf.

So...Which do you think would be the best for relatively close range penetration/doom/destruction on lions and tigers and bears (oh my!)? I'm not going to go into load development beyond some chrony data to find a decent speed.

I'm leaning towards the TTSX, but have absolutely ZERO experience killing anything with any of them.

I shoot nothing but 168 TTSX out of my 300 RUM and my 30-06. I only had one issue out of the 06, and and found out why. The shot was over 400 yards and, as it turned out, the bullets I loaded were from one of the first batches Barnes made, and were designed for magnums only. Basically, the bullet didn't expand. I've had no issues since, and I get .5 moa.