300 win mag

[Monteria]

Purely anecdotal, as I've never shot an elk. But I have shot plenty of pigs and audad with 30cal bullets.

I'd have no problem with a 165 TTSX or similar mono. I'd not shoot less than a 180 cup and core though. And even at 180, I'd want a pretty tough bullet inside 600.

That said, I shot a number of audad with the green tip Sierra Game King 180s from a 300WBY and they performed much better than expected. Very tough cup and core bullet. If the 165 is constructed the same, I'm sure it would get the job done.

 

[gunner1stclass]

I have to say I'm guilty also I've shot a few critters with my 45-70 and yep DRT dirt nap. Now there was a coyote shot at about 715 yards with a 50 cal 750 gr custom hollow point..... he just kind of turned into.....well it was kind of a mess. but i digress.

 

[entoptics]

Is your Barnes 165 grain the tipped or no tip version?

The no-tip TSX in that weight will probably be marginal at 600 yards. Using fairly favorable conditions (3250 fps, 5000 ft elevation, 60° F), it drops below 2000 fps and 1500 ftlbs at right around 600 yards. Any colder or lower, and you might not see adequate terminal effects, as I've heard the Barnes bullets need some speed to see their full potential on impact.

The tipped version would provide ~150 fps and 200 ftlbs of insurance at 600 yards due to it's substantially better B.C.

For comparison, starting with the same muzzle energy of ~3850 ftlbs, the 212 ELDX launched at 2850 fps will have 2200 fps and 2200 ftlbs of energy at 600 yards, along with 8-10" less wind drift at 10 mph than either of the Barnes offerings. That's considerably more freight on target than either Barnes, and it will forgive a 2-3 mph wind mistake that the Barnes wouldn't...

I like a little more insurance for long range, so I'd personally choose the 212 ELDX if I thought a >500 yard shot was on the table.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I hate that 165 gr tsx. Accurate on paper, but the bullet likes to pencil and act like a field point arrow. Killed 3 deer with it, will not use it again. Not surprised to read that it takes a 375 AI to get a Barnes to duplicate what a short action 6 to 6.5mm will do with an eldm.

anyhow, 212 eldx from your list, the tissue destruction will be significant. 215 berger if you can find it is another great choice.

 

[quandary]

I would definitely not use that bullet. Accubond or Partition fine, but not the "Custom Competition".

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

...any Nosler Partition or Barnes X driven from a .300wm will drop any elk like a blank from a tall dawgs hinney without question...both have stood the test of time and are hunter approved..

 

[Hoss50]

Out of what you have I would shoot the barnes.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Actually I've taken several with it….the "only" time I had a large wound exit was one a late evening shot, misjudged the distance and hit right at the top of the shoulde. The offside exit, yes it exited , was about the size of an open hand! It blew a lot of shoulder blade through the hide!

Almost everything I've taken with my .375's had less tissue damage and much less bloodshot meat than did a shot from a 270 Win. or 300 mag. with shots of less than a couple hundred yards!

The AI did cause more bloodshot meat on short range shots than did my old H&H, but once the ranges exceeded a couple hundred yards….tissue damage and bloodshot meat was minimal. The ole timers used to say that "you could eat right up to the hole"…..it wasn't quite that minimal, but certainly not bad! memtb

I can honestly say that my experience using my 375 Weatherby doesn't quite mirror your experience. I shot one of our little Fallow deer in the rear ham quartering to the left hand shoulder…the entry hole was as big as my hands clenched together and the wound channel was that large all the way through the stomach, lungs and into the shoulder where it took that shoulder off when the 260g Ballistic Tip exited! It was an absolute mess. I uploaded that pic on ShootersForum and had it removed, it was that gory. The only part of the bullet we found was the olive green tip inside the chest cavity…oh, and the shot was taken at 10 paces, tops.

Cheers.

 

[Calvin45]

Actually I've taken several with it….the "only" time I had a large wound exit was one a late evening shot, misjudged the distance and hit right at the top of the shoulde. The offside exit, yes it exited , was about the size of an open hand! It blew a lot of shoulder blade through the hide!

Almost everything I've taken with my .375's had less tissue damage and much less bloodshot meat than did a shot from a 270 Win. or 300 mag. with shots of less than a couple hundred yards!

The AI did cause more bloodshot meat on short range shots than did my old H&H, but once the ranges exceeded a couple hundred yards….tissue damage and bloodshot meat was minimal. The ole timers used to say that "you could eat right up to the hole"…..it wasn't quite that minimal, but certainly not bad! memtb

That sounds right. Guarantee my hyper velocity small bore boomers have the potential to ruin waaaaaaay more meat than your .375. A .30 cal 120 grain Barnes tactx originally meant for 300 blackout does unbelievable violence at 4000 fps launch velocity…

 

[Calvin45]

I can honestly say that my experience using my 375 Weatherby doesn't quite mirror your experience. I shot one of our little Fallow deer in the rear ham quartering to the left hand shoulder…the entry hole was as big as my hands clenched together and the wound channel was that large all the way through the stomach, lungs and into the shoulder where it took that shoulder off when the 260g Ballistic Tip exited! It was an absolute mess. I uploaded that pic on ShootersForum and had it removed, it was that gory. The only part of the bullet we found was the olive green tip inside the chest cavity…oh, and the shot was taken at 10 paces, tops.

Cheers.

Good grief…two key points here: 1) "ballistic
Tip" and 2) 10 paces

 

[memtb]

I can honestly say that my experience using my 375 Weatherby doesn't quite mirror your experience. I shot one of our little Fallow deer in the rear ham quartering to the left hand shoulder…the entry hole was as big as my hands clenched together and the wound channel was that large all the way through the stomach, lungs and into the shoulder where it took that shoulder off when the 260g Ballistic Tip exited! It was an absolute mess. I uploaded that pic on ShootersForum and had it removed, it was that gory. The only part of the bullet we found was the olive green tip inside the chest cavity…oh, and the shot was taken at 10 paces, tops.

Cheers.

I hunted one season, killed one elk with a bullet that was tried and proven to be quite effective in my old H&H…..that did not meet my expectations in my AI.

The following season, 1993 to be exact, I was hunting with a Barnes X bullet. That years elk, was killed with an end to end shot…..the bullet recovered beneath the hide, after a long trip through an elk shattering the pelvis during that trip!

I've used Barnes bullets ever sense, and have no desire to use another cup and core from my AI. My style of hunting can provide shots from just a few yards to my self imposed maximum range of 600 yards. That would be asking a lot from a cup and core……just another day at the office for the Barnes!

At your 10 yard shot, I would expect a lot of blood shot from my chosen bullet as well….but I suspect that I wouldn't have the tissue damage you experienced! memtb

 

[406ANGLER]

I personally wouldn't use a target bullet for hunting, and some of the others you mentioned would be a better choice IMO.

+1 on what Chadp82 said.
Target bullets are designed to put holes in paper. Hunting bullets are designed for terminal performance on game. Lots of guys hunt with target bullets, but I don't and won't. The ELD-x has very mixed reviews, I have used them and ultimately thrown them in the garbage, they flew well but were VERY explosive on game. Monolithics like the TSX can be velocity-sensitive, up close they work great but they have been known to have expansion issues at lower velocities. The SGK would get my vote out of the bullets you mentioned. Speer recently came out with the Impact bullet (high BC, Bonded bullet), I would like to give them a try. For Elk, the Nosler Partition or Nosler Accubond are proven performers. They're accurate in every rifle I have tried them in and have given me good results on several Elk... There are many other good choices out there!

 

[Allen Kitts]

I shoot 181 Grain Hammers in mine and they shoot fantastic and hit like a lightning bolt. Great option out to 600 yards as are the Barnes Kine of TSX and TTSX.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I can honestly say that my experience using my 375 Weatherby doesn't quite mirror your experience. I shot one of our little Fallow deer in the rear ham quartering to the left hand shoulder…the entry hole was as big as my hands clenched together and the wound channel was that large all the way through the stomach, lungs and into the shoulder where it took that shoulder off when the 260g Ballistic Tip exited! It was an absolute mess. I uploaded that pic on ShootersForum and had it removed, it was that gory. The only part of the bullet we found was the olive green tip inside the chest cavity…oh, and the shot was taken at 10 paces, tops.

Cheers.

Magnum,
I shot an antelope doe at about 100 yards through the rear quarter with a 180 grain TTSX from a 30-378 Weatherby going about 3250fps with the same results. The entry wound looked like a softball had been driven through the hide and meat and the front shoulder was completely detached except for a small piece of hide. I didn't feel over gunned going into the hunt because the elk season was also open but I sure did after that shot. I felt terrible because it pretty much rendered the majority of the meat unusable.