Recommended .308 Cartridge?
 

My rifle is a T/C Encore Pro with a 1:10 twist in .308. 28" barrel.
I hunt elk, deer, antelope, etc.
I'd like your input on which premium cartridge you would recommend for this gun? Primarily for elk.
(Not a post for "which caliber for elk!")
I'm reading all this stuff about bullet weight for certain twist in certain calibers. My brain hurts. (I don't roll my own)
So which brand, bullet type, weight, etc. do you .308 guys recommend.
I will likely take the top 3 to the range and see which one(s) my gun likes. I'm already leaning towards something in the 165 to 180 gr range. But I'm open to suggestion (with ample explaination.)

Thanking you in advance . . .

You're asking a lot of that bullet, given the variety of game you propose.

Typically in the .308, 150-165 grain bullets are best for smaller big game (deer and pronghorn), while 180-200 grain bullets are best for larger big game (elk and moose).

Use too heavy a bullet on smaller big game, and it's liable not to expand reliably enough to perform well. Use too light a bullet on larger game, and it's liable to expand violently, but not penetrate as it should. While it might seem a good compromise to split the difference at about 165 grains, my own experiences (albeit in a .30-06) have shown that 165 grain bullets can display the faults of both extremes, sometimes without any of the imagined benefits.

I'd recommend you look for a 150-grain load for deer, as well as a 180-grain load for elk. This is where reloading is so beneficial. Nonetheless, there are plenty of factory-loaded options out there. You might be surprised how many deer and elk fall regularly each year to "non-premium" CoreLokts, PowerPoints, etc. Don't overlook them simply because they're not "premium".

Ive used 180gr hornady interlock handloads(308win) in a 16" barrel doing about 2400. did a number on hogs and deer and expanded quite well. you should get at least 3006 velocity in a barrel that long

If I were going after everything from antelope to elk and wanted to use a single bullet there are enough choices that would do the job pretty well.

Federal premium 150 grain Barnes TSX.
Federal premium 165 grain Barnes TSX.
Federal premium 165 grain Trophy bonded tipped.
Hornady Superformance 150 grain GMX
Hornady Superformance 165 grain GMX
Winchester 150 grain E-Tip
Winchester 150 grain XP3
Remington 150 grain copper solid.

In my .30 calibers, I use Hornady 165 gr Interbonds. I get outstanding accuracy and performance with these bullets. I reload so I don't have any problems finding factory ammo. For elk, I would probably use the 180 gr Interbond, and Hornady has .308 Interbonds in factory ammo.

I have a .308 myself, my only hunting rifle (other than my muzzleloader). I hunt whitetail but if I ever get the chance for something bigger such as elk, I would look at the Federal Premium line, either Barnes MRX or Nosler Partition, both in 180gr.

As the .308 is considered to not be the optimal cartridge for elk, I would forgo the long range shots (over 200yds).

Thanks all......... but I'm still confused on matching a round to a twist rate and/or length? Or is it that important. I've been shooting for a lonnnnnnnng time and never really gave it much thought. I'm just getting more scientific in my old age I guess.
Maybe that's why some rounds do better in a gun than others.

It really isn't going to matter with factory ammo. A 1in10 twist barrel will stabilize anything that you will shoot out of the .308.

But basically the longer the bullet is the faster the twist rate needs to be in order for the bullet to be stable... especially as the range increases and the velocity decreases. Velocity also matters. As velocity increases the less twist you need in a barrel for the bullet to be stable. This is because as the velocity increases (going from a .308 to a 300 mag) the bullet also spins faster even though it is still making one revolution per "X" inches.

What I've done in the past is call the manufacturer and ask them what bullet weight range they designed the twist for optimal performance. You will be passed around a few times but someone will eventually be able to answer the question and it beats trying to calculate it yourself and always wonder if you did it right. When I called Smith and Wesson for my 7mm Rem Mag they gave me a pretty wide range. (130 to 175 gr) I settled on hand rolling 150 gr partitions for all my needs.

x's 2 - Corelokts have done the job for me!!! 150 deer - 180 elk