308 bullet

Enjoyed myself so much I'm going back next year. This time I'll be bringing my guns but was told to leave the exotic calibers at home (300WSM) in case my luggage was lost. Therefore I'm bringing my 20" 308 and a 243.
The ammo shortage extends to bullets as well so these are the loads I have and would like your opinion.

Blue Wildebeest is the largest at <300 yds

180 accubond 2570 muzzle 2100 @ 300 yds
150 Barnes TTSX 2800 muzzle 2100 @ 300 yds

Looks like penetration vs smack

Thanks

We just returned from SA. My son used a 30 06 at 2775fps with Barnes TSX 168 gr. on shot kills on everything out t0 200yds. Your 308 can be loaded to,the exact ballistics as above without a problem. I would not suggest the TTSX. I used those in a 338 06, 210 gr at 2700 fps. My opinion, they open up too soon and not the penetration I desire especially on any quartering shot. Shot a zebra at 70 yds , 60 degree quartering away, entry was a 2 inch, yes 2 inch hole, blew the heart in half and lodged in off shoulder. It worked but a entry that large, tells me a lot, which I am not a fan of. Especially on soft skin animals. Wildebeast......I killed two with that bullet, will not use that bullet again on wildebeast, need a TSX or tougher one that will not open on impact. Just my experience, others may have different opinions. Broadside or straight frontal, no problem with the TTSX, quartering...another story. Nosler accubonds...better bullets out there......
Use barnes TSX, swift, woodleigh, nosler partition, again, my opinion.

Interesting about TTSX vs TSX. I had planned to use ttsx because I thought the ttsx would expand more reliably in my 30-06. What animals did your son get and did you retrieve any bullets?

The folks at Barnes told me the 150gr ttsx in 30-06 would take an adult moose. So, I think it should be good for animals up to 1000 lbs which would cover you I think. However, for a better chance at complete pass through on something of that size or bigger my theory is a heavier bullet like 180gr ttsx holds it velocity fairly well compared to 168 gr, would open more reliably than the tsx and would have more momentum than the lighter bullets once fully expanded. However, I am working on theories only so would be very interested in your son's the real world results.

Gemsbok, warthog, 4 impala, kudu, blessbok. Recovered...gemsbok, kudu, warthog. Lost petals on two of the recovered bullets. Pass thru on the rest. Check out hunting reports .....barefoot safari, by relyt530 for more info on this webpage.

Pheroze said:

Interesting about TTSX vs TSX. I had planned to use ttsx because I thought the ttsx would expand more reliably in my 30-06. What animals did your son get and did you retrieve any bullets?

The folks at Barnes told me the 150gr ttsx in 30-06 would take an adult moose. So, I think it should be good for animals up to 1000 lbs which would cover you I think. However, for a better chance at complete pass through on something of that size or bigger my theory is a heavier bullet like 180gr ttsx holds it velocity fairly well compared to 168 gr, would open more reliably than the tsx and would have more momentum than the lighter bullets once fully expanded. However, I am working on theories only so would be very interested in your son's the real world results.

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Thanks for the info. My 308 has a 20" tube so I lose 100fps unfortunately. The numbers are my chrono results muzzle calculated @ 300. I'd love to try different bullets but here in Canada we are really feeling the pinch of ammo and component shortages. those are the only available bullets I can get at the moment. If it were you which of the 2 would you pick?

Thanks

I really like both of your choices. I don't see how you can go wrong with either one.

My experience only. Never saw a moose in africa.....but I will attest that African animals are tough and hard to track in the bush. Shot placement only means the better the placement the shorter distance they go for tracking. My PH said the only drop in the tracks was a spine or brain shot that he had observed in his experience. I blew the front out of one lung on a wildebeast, he ran 600 yds. I would not consider a 150 gr on anything but impala and lighter PG. you need the sectional density for penetration, regardless of fps. Try VV 540 powder for increased velocity in you 308, if you hand load.

I think either bullet will as long as they are placed in the right spot. Therefore, I'd let my rifle tell me which bullet it likes best, then take it and piled up a bunch of critters in the skinning shed.

Having said that, I would probably look at the TTSX bullets first. I've switched almost all of my rifles over to a Barnes bullet either TSX or TTSX. I finally caught a Barnes bullet from an animal on my most recent trip. A common reedbuck shot at roughly 100 yards just in front of the hip juncture traveling along the spine and found in the neck skin. A second was from a blesbok shot at 326 yards on the point of the shoulder traveling thru the entire ram and found in the opposite rear hind quarter. All the other critters I've killed have been complete pass thrus. Remember with the lighter mono metal bullets, you can decrease their weight and equal the performance of lead based bullets with respect to penetration. Additionally, for me, any caliber smaller than 30 caliber, I like to go with the TTSX versus the TSX to ensure I get proper bullet expansion.

The 180 gr AccuBond will serve you well, too. A friend who joined me on his first trip across the pond used his 30-06 and 150 gr AccuBonds at roughly 2850 fps muzzle velocity. He killed everything from kudu, blue wildebeest, oryx and waterbuck with little to no difficulties.

Either bullet will serve you well, let the rifle tell you what to take.

Good luck!!!

We have had the TSX bullets not expand and close up when hitting bone at certain angles or at low speeds. Just a pencil hole thru the animal. Never had a problem with TTSX. Just push any Barnes(or other non-lead) bullets as fast as possible for best performance. We load 150 and 130gr TTSX in both 308Win and 30-06. I load 150gr TTSX in 300Win mag.

Stick some 150gr TTSX or 165gr Swift A-Frame bullets in the rifle and you will be fine.
In a 308win you might try the 130gr TTSX and push them faster. Remember the Barnes bullet act like a lead core bullet 30% heavier. So the 130 gr TTSX or TSX will act like a 169gr lead core bullet and the 150gr barnes will act like a 195gr lead core bullet.

I have more accubonds and they copper up the gun less, shoot the same and hit a little harder. So it looks like they have the edge so far though Marius told me he really likes the Barnes type bullets.

Thanks everyone

I accompanied graybird on a PG trip as he stated.

I carried my tried and true rusty 30-06 shooting what it shoots best.

150 grn Accubonds at 2850

10 animals with 5 being on the larger side

Kudu.......200ish yards
Blue Wildebeest........sub 100
Black Wildebeest........just over 100 yards
Gemsbock......250 through 325 yards
Waterbuck.......just over 200 yards

The Kudu and the Black took one bullet each with a short mad dash/crash

The Blue and the Waterbuck were dead on their feet after a short run each received a finisher for the end all

The Gemsbock required 4 shots......none the fault of the rifle nor the bullet/load.....trigger man hit to far forward on shot #1 then the race was on

This last example is the proof of what has been told to me and others for a very long time.......placement placement placement

lcq said:

The ammo shortage extends to bullets as well so these are the loads I have and would like your opinion.

Blue Wildebeest is the largest at <300 yds

180 accubond 2570 muzzle 2100 @ 300 yds
150 Barnes TTSX 2800 muzzle 2100 @ 300 yds

Looks like penetration vs smack

Click to expand...

Back to your original question...If these are the only choices that you have, I would load them both and as greybird said, let your rifle make the choice for you. If it shoots one better than the other, there is you choice. If they both shoot the same, take them both with you. There is no law saying you are only allowed to take one load....the caliber just has to match the rifle.

Never saw a moose in africa.....

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WHAT?? Ok, that settles it, Canada has the best tasting critters!

In a 308win you might try the 130gr TTSX and push them faster. Remember the Barnes bullet act like a lead core bullet 30% heavier. So the 130 gr TTSX or TSX will act like a 169gr lead core bullet and the 150gr barnes will act like a 195gr lead core bullet.

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My thinking is why shoot a heavier bullet if you do not need to? I had a 165gr GMX punch through both shoulders of a mid-size boar and keep on trucking. Yet I feel that personally I lack the confidence to travel all the way to Africa packing only 150gr ammo. So, perhaps it comes down to whichever gives you the most confidence to allow you to go out and just enjoy the hunt.

I'd hunt Africa with 180 grain power points, but that is me. I know if I hit my target, they will work perfect. 20$ a box.

.308 Win mag with a simple 150 gr bullet is very popular by the farmer in Namibia.
Its the cheapest ammunition ,it works for meathunting and Africa has no money.
I have also no money,but my caliber there where .300 Win Mag or 8x68S
A flight schedule in the neck,is an other situation , as I'm living there.
Foxi

enysse said:

I'd hunt Africa with 180 grain power points, but that is me. I know if I hit my target, they will work perfect. 20$ a box.

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$25 in Canada if you can find them. There is no terrible shortage of most calibers, just 308 and 223. My local Walmart and Canadian Tire had shelves packed with 3006, 300WM, 7mm and 3030. Sadly I don't own any of them.

lcq said:

$25 in Canada if you can find them. There is no terrible shortage of most calibers, just 308 and 223. My local Walmart and Canadian Tire had shelves packed with 3006, 300WM, 7mm and 3030. Sadly I don't own any of them.

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Looks like its time to buy a new gun!

MMM... decission, decissions....
In my opinion, if I have to take between two ammunittions with the same arrival velocity, I took the HEAVIER one, with a proper bullet ballanced in deformation and penetration...
It´s my choice!

Whenever I read about a 2 inch diameter entrance, my first thought is "that bullet hit something just in front of the animal".

Another possibility is the bullet hit skin which was just over bone and there was some back-splash off the bone which tore skin.

But a proper big game bullet, least of all an X bullet of any configuration, is so "explosive" so as to expand explosively on nothing but the hide of a PG animal.

I have not used the Accubond, but can vouch for the 308 150gr Barnes' ability to punch through both shoulders of the elk in my avatar.

I say all this just to keep everything real, as they say on the street. No offense intended toward anyone.

Just got back from SD and Wyoming and picked up some 165 accubonds I couldn't find in Canada. Thanks to everyone for the help