Barnes VOR-TX 308 Win 168gr TTSX BT – Proven Elk and Deer Load

Description

The Barnes VOR-TX 308 Win 168gr TTSX BT is the heavy option in the Barnes 308 lineup and the best of the three past about 250 yards. It leaves the muzzle at roughly 2700 fps carrying about 2720 ft-lbs of energy, behind a 0.470 ballistic coefficient. That BC is considerably higher than either lighter 308 load, which is what makes this the one to pick when the shot might stretch. Each box holds 20 rounds.

• Barnes VOR-TX 308 Win 168gr TTSX BT Overview
• 168 Grain TTSX Boat Tail Performance
• Why Hunters Choose 308 Winchester Elk Ammo
• Specifications
• Range Notes For This High BC Copper Hunting Bullet

Barnes VOR-TX 308 Win 168gr TTSX BT Overview

The projectile is machined from a solid copper billet, so there is no lead core to shed and no jacket to separate. A polymer tip caps the hollow nose, protects it in the magazine and drives rearward on impact to start expansion immediately.

The nose opens into four sharp copper petals at roughly double the original diameter and stays attached to the shank, with weight retention close to 100 percent. Combined with 168 grains of sectional density, that produces the deep straight wound channels elk hunting demands.

168 Grain TTSX Boat Tail Performance

Barnes loads three weights in this cartridge. The 130 grain is fastest, the 150 grain is the traditional deer weight, and this 168 grain carries both the most mass and the highest ballistic coefficient. It starts 120 fps behind the 150 grain and catches it well inside normal hunting range.

Barnes machines relief grooves into the bearing surface of the projectile. The grooves reduce bore contact, lowering pressure and cutting copper fouling, which helps a long solid bullet group well out of an ordinary short action rifle.

Why Hunters Choose 308 Winchester Elk Ammo

The 308 Winchester gives up remarkably little to a 30-06 from a shorter, lighter, stiffer action, and it does it with slightly less recoil. Ammunition is stocked everywhere, rifles are everywhere, and barrel life is effectively unlimited for a hunter.

Where this 308 Winchester elk ammo earns its keep is on animals larger than deer. A 168 grain copper bullet retaining all of its weight will drive through a bull elk shoulder and exit, and the high ballistic coefficient means it is still doing that at 400 yards rather than running short at 250.

If you own one 308 and hunt more than deer with it, this is the weight to standardize on. One zero, one drop chart, and enough bullet for anything the cartridge is sensibly pointed at.

Specifications

Range Notes For This High BC Copper Hunting Bullet

A high BC copper hunting bullet prints to a different point of impact than the lead core ammunition your rifle was probably sighted in with. Zero with this exact load, foul a clean barrel with a round or two first, then leave the scope alone.

Twist rate deserves a quick check. Most 308 barrels run 1 in 10, which handles a 168 grain copper bullet easily. A few older rifles run 1 in 12, which is usually still fine at this weight but worth confirming with a group.

At 2700 fps the Barnes VOR-TX 308 Win 168gr TTSX stays above reliable expansion speed past 400 yards in most barrels, and its ballistic coefficient means it carries more energy there than the lighter loads. Store the ammunition cool and dry.

Lead Free Short Action Hunting Ammunition Availability

Elk and deer hunters running a short action rifle, hunters who want one 308 load for everything, and anyone in a lead free required area will get the most from this lead free short action hunting ammunition. Full factory ballistics are published by Barnes Bullets.

Compare it with the lighter Barnes VOR-TX 308 Win 150gr TTSX, shop more rifle ammunition, or browse the full ammunition selection at MAG5 Firearms.