Yeah I said why hot rod the 6.5, 6.8 or 7.62x39 when you can just download the 308 a bit. Especially if you own the 308 for hunting already. Those here who scorn using the 308 for defence must have never heard about r-e-l-o-a-d-i-n-g.
You chose your powder and velocity so you chose how your bullet performs and how much the rifle recoils. I also hear that if fast enough powders are used that even the lighter loads will function the action. Seafire, a fellow Orgonian shooter and the light load master says that 4198, Rl 7, SR 4759, 2400, Blue Dot and 5744 are the ones to look at, in that order
I love the TSX for hunting. It mushrooms reliably and penetrates deeply. For defensive use they need good velocity to perform comparably to the lighter constructed bullets because they don't frag. Here's some gel tests that show this.
http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/conte...el/gelatin_308_125gr_barnes_triple_shock.html
Here's where I come close to breaking my own rules by jacking my own thread. Get a 7.62x39 for backup defense and for cheap shooting. Everybody needs one of em anyway. After days of comparing the two best performing 7.62x39 loads to the best 308 load I was struck by how similar they were. Closely compare Brass Fetchers 123 gr V-MAX test
http://www.brassfetcher.com/D&S Manufacturing 123gr Hornady V-Max.html
this Wolf Military Classic HP test (pre-Wolf MC packaging, same 8M3 bullet, same factory)
http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/june2000.htm
with the 155 gr A-MAX 308 load.
http://www.tacticalforums.com/cgi-bin/tacticalubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=78;t=000433#000002
and
http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/conte...in_barrel/gelatin_308_155gr_hornady_amax.html
Very, very similar. Not many would walk away after being hit with either IMO.
Edit: Sorry LDM this site is having a tough time uploading a Barnes 130 TSX and TTSX gel test from my files. It shows them at different velocities and the two tested at around 2000 fps just about penciled through, very little disruption. You should see this test, I'll try to upload the pic later. I wish I could remember where I found it so it could be linked. It looks like it came from Barnes site, here's the title under the pic. barnesbtests8772qe3