GJgo
Member
I've always hunted elk with a 300 WSM, and in hindsight every one I've ever shot I could have done the same job with a 308 easily, with just a little more hold over. That said I like the insurance since I usually only have 1 or 2 brief windows at best in a 10 day season to get a shot off.
Before the TTSX came out when I used TSX (all I've ever hunted food with) I use a .040" bit to normalize the cavities. The holes are not very uniform out of the box. This makes a BIG difference to the expansion reliability.
Also, you should really step down in weight & step up in speed with Barnes. I started with 180gr & now I'm using 150gr. If I was planning a long range hunt where the bullet was slowing down I would use something like a Berger or an Amax, I wouldn't use a TSX. That said, over about 3300/3400 FPS I've seen Barnes start to shed petals- so like every other bullet there's a speed range they're happiest with.
For new hunters that "just want one rifle" I always recommend starting with a 308, with 150 or 168gr. TSX / TTSX.
Before the TTSX came out when I used TSX (all I've ever hunted food with) I use a .040" bit to normalize the cavities. The holes are not very uniform out of the box. This makes a BIG difference to the expansion reliability.
Also, you should really step down in weight & step up in speed with Barnes. I started with 180gr & now I'm using 150gr. If I was planning a long range hunt where the bullet was slowing down I would use something like a Berger or an Amax, I wouldn't use a TSX. That said, over about 3300/3400 FPS I've seen Barnes start to shed petals- so like every other bullet there's a speed range they're happiest with.
For new hunters that "just want one rifle" I always recommend starting with a 308, with 150 or 168gr. TSX / TTSX.