Will be going out later this month for a special draw cow elk hunt and decided to take my Tikka T3 and was wondering if I should load "light" (Barnes 168g TTSX) or go with something like a 180 Partition or Accubond. Opinions?

If you are already shooting the 168 TTSX I wouldn't mess with it.
The other bullets you mention are fine but so is the 168. I did some water jug penetration tests with that bullet at just over 2900 fps and got around 32" of water jug penetration at 100 yards.
Go shoot an elk where you are supposed to hit them and you will have no difficulties.
Good luck and have fun on your cow hunt.
In one week my youngest son will be old enough to hunt elk, he will be using a .280 Rem with 139 grain Hornady GMX ( a tipped copper bullet), we are expecting this to be a fine load.

quote:

Originally posted by IanD:
Will be going out later this month for a special draw cow elk hunt

Good luck on the hunt and please post a report. Those Suffield elk are an interesting story and will be for years I think.

Dean

quote:

Originally posted by IanD:
Will be going out later this month for a special draw cow elk hunt and decided to take my Tikka T3 and was wondering if I should load "light" (Barnes 168g TTSX) or go with something like a 180 Partition or Accubond. Opinions?

Last cow tag I drew used 30-06 with 150gr E-Tip and I only use that rifle for cow tag. Till I got that rifle what ever I used bull tag I would use cow tag.

If your using that rifle for bull tag I wouldn't change.

As someone else stated, if you are already using the 168 grain TTSX and the gun shoots it accurately, stick with that.

I shot a cow elk in western Colorado in December of 2013 using my .300 Weatherby and 168 grain TSX.

Spined thru the shoulders at 190 yards approximately and she dropped on the spot.

Even though I use the Weatherby, my handloads come out about the same as upper mid-level .300 Win Mag loads for the same bullet.

Good God man. Elk are not bullet proof. Worry about finding a cow elk, not if a 300 win will kill one. Shoot straight.

quote:

Originally posted by IanD:
Will be going out later this month for a special draw cow elk hunt and decided to take my Tikka T3 and was wondering if I should load "light" (Barnes 168g TTSX) or go with something like a 180 Partition or Accubond. Opinions?

Either or will be fine.

I've killed two 5x5 bull elk with 168 grain Barnes bullets from my .300 Weatherby. One was a 100 yd shot with a TSX shot broadside, just behind his shoulder, the other was a TTSX shot on his shoulder, quartering to me at 175 yds. Both were essentially bang flops. The quartering shot on the shoulder bloodshot a lot of meat.

The 168 gr TSX and TTSX bullets that I've recovered from elk and other animals had a 84% average retained bullet weight or 141 grains. For many years, my favorite elk bullet was the 180 grain Partition at 2990 fps. The 180 gr Partitions that I recovered from about a dozen elk and moose all weighed close to 100 grains for a 56% retained weight.

I do not consider the 168 grain TSX/TTSX bullets "light" for elk, when comparing them with 180 grain Partition bullets.

Good luck on your hunt.

Monometals perform like higher weight cup and core bullets. The 168 TTSX will have a higher retained weight than 190 grain bullets. The only drawback to them is they are long for weight and take up more powder space.

Thanks for the opinions guys. I will put together some initial loads and see which shoots the best. What would a good powder to try first with the 168? Was thinking H1000 and RL22 for the 180.

I shot my cow elk this year with a 120 gr TTSX out of a 7mm-08 at roughly 2950 fps. Shot was about 150 yards, she made it about 15 yards then slid on the snow another 15 yards.

I use the 180 gr TSX out of my 300 Win Mag. It has taken a couple elk and a slew of African animals. I have very little doubt that any of the bullets you listed above will work perfectly.

Good luck on the hunt and smile for the camera!

Flip a coin, won't make any difference if you stick in the right place.

The difference in the two will have little
effect on the outcome.

It's occuring to me that when I worry more about the bullet, brand, and grain,
my shooting skills suffer (not saying you are doing the same).


I watched my son shoot his cow elk this year with his 150 or 160 grain R280.
it took 2-3 steps and was dead. My friend shot his elk in similar fashion, a few days
earlier using his 300 win TSX. His elk took about 10 steps before it died.

It didn't make much of a difference in the death of the elk!

Both of your choices sound good!

I have found that with monolithics I have had better luck with the Lighter bullets as the heavy ones do tend to expand slower and penetrate more..Penetration is only good so far, then it kills dirt, trees and rocks..I like the 150 gr. TTSX for elk in any 30 caliber. but properly placed they both work. My favorite 300 bullet has always been the 200 gr. Nosler, mostly because it works on 90 pound whitetail and even moose and is good for cape buffalo in a pinch...
The 200 gr. Nosler ( and the 180 ) begin expansion earlier than most bullets mostly on contact with the hide, but they penetrate more than enough on anything I've shot with them. It lead me to settle on one bullet for all in the 06 and 300s.

A cow elk isn't any more bullet proof than a big buck deer btw..A bull elk can be a whole nuther thing.