LAST EDITED ON Sep-04-13 AT 09:05AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Sep-04-13 AT 09:03?AM (MST)
Joey,
That was my whole point. I was always amazed that they were found under the offside hide and it didn't matter the distance. I had a buddy shoot an Oryx and made a high shoulder shot that went through both shoulders and the spine and that one exitted. Oryx are only 400-500 lbs though.
I don't use cor-lokts. I have had several buddy's get into hunting and ask me for advice on an initial setup and I recommend the 30-06 with that cheap remington 180 grain ammo. I don't know anything about the 150grain stuff, its obviously going about 3000 FPS and I would have concerns about it on elk, but would think it ok on Deer. Your info would indicate not so much.
I got caught up in the expensive and fancy bullet craze and I still can't make myself shoot cheap cup and core bullet, and I reload almost all of what I shoot. I have come around a little on my thinking though. For instance:
a 130 grain Nosler ballistic tip out of 270 can be a fragile bullet.
a 200 or 215 or 225 grain ballistic tip (whatever they make) out of a 338 win mag is not a fragile bullet at all and is suited to kill elk with.
I use the ballistic tip as an example because I think of it as a fragile, almost varmint type bullet. But when you get up to larger calibers they are inherently stronger just due to their mass and increased jacket size. In the above example I use 338 win mag, which basically mirrors 30-06 velocities. 338 lapua is a different ball game, but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot an elk with my 338 lapua and 300 grain match bullets, because they are only going 2650-2700 FPS and lets face it, its a 300 grain bullet!...its not gonna stop on anythings shoulder (speaking this continent of course).
I am saddened that you think less of me Joey.
It was stated that in my original example that partitions would have exitted. That may be true, but its tough to argue that its needed when the first example was "dead right there." Although, again, I shoot ones that I know will exit, because, ya, its better!, but certainly not mandatory.
I tend to always use more gun than I need, so I don't exactly practice what I preach. I use a lot of barnes and I basically never want to have to wait for that perfect broadside shot. If the condition is conducive than by all means, i will wait. But if I have 3 seconds to shoot that giant bull as he faces me at 40 yards, then by all means I want to be able to put one straight into him and know that that bullet will go all the way to his pelvis.
If I had to pack up and leave tonight for a rifle elk hunt, I would take my 300 win mag shooting 180 grain TSX's or my 358 STA shooting 225 TSX's. Both going 3000 FPS.
Would I recommend that you have to use that much for elk? No way.
Back to the original post. I suppose that a 308 could destroy a 110 grain bullet on something, but I doubt it could ever destroy a 180 grainer, and I imagine that it could damage a 165 like a 30-06 damages a 180 grainer (same speed).
I might be biased because I have no respect for the 308 as a hunting cartridge. If you are going to shoot light bullets then I would rather have my 270 (shooting 130g barnes of course). If your are going to shoot heavy slow bullets than I would rather have my 338-06 with 225g hornady SP's (probably equivalent to cor-lokts by the way)...but only going 2650 FPS. Or, of course the two previously mentioned rifles (if I wanted more speed).
I have 2 30-06's and one shoots 150 grain barnes TSX's and the other shoots the 168 TSX. Both shoot very well, but neither get out to hunt...might just be because of the nice wood stocks though., but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot an elk in the shoulder with each. If I had to shoot cor-lokts through them i would make sure they are 180's...then I wouln't give it a second thought.
Not sure I helped myself out here...but these are my crazy thoughts, and now I am just rambling.
Danny