I have hunted pigs consistently at night for 11 years. I used Core-lokt bullets for years until I couldn’t find them. Have about 1,100 ELDX 168 gr (308), and a couple hundred ELDX 200gr (300Win Mag) for boars. I want to try another bonded bullet and need suggestions based on experience, in addition I have bought monolithic all copper Barnes TSX bullets to try but concerned about expansion.( I will load them hot). Any experience with monolithic bullets.

Ive shot a bunch of hogs with both monolithic ( Barnes) and with a bonded bullet ( speer gold dots) both types were shot out of a .223 or a .223AI

With the little guns I do nothing but brain shots and have found the bullet really doesn't matter that much for that.

With the .308 or the .300 and any bullet I'd aim for shoulder, head, or neck shots with any bullet...they'll work.

My experience with the Barnes TSX/TTSX is the faster you drive them, the better they work. I think they would do better in your .300WM than in your .308. IME at least 3000 fps muzzle velocity is required to get the fully expanded bullets like you see in the magazine ads. They offer straight through penetration with virtually 100% weight retention, if you can actually recover a bullet lol.

The downsides are IME your rifle likes them or it doesn't. They aren't like Sierra Matchkings which IME shoot well in just about anything. Also they leave a lot of copper fouling in the barrel, which may or may not affect accuracy depending on the number of rounds fired. The early X bullets fouled so bad that Barnes came out with their own copper solvent (Barnes CR-10). The newer TSX/TTSX are better but still leave a lot of copper fouling in the barrel.

Also, you can step down in weight with the TSX/TTSX and still get the same performance. For example a typical cup and core bullet weight for the .308 is 150 grain, per the Barnes Reloading Manual you can go as light as 110 grains for deer with the TSX in the .308.

Hope this helps.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

So, two tips for mono-metal bullets, especially Barnes bullets:

1) Aim for bone. When you hit bone, they do amazing things.
2) Clean your bore with Wipe Out and Accelerant.

You'll never scrub a barrel again.

I need to try them too

Have to try this

interesting.