Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Hornady ELD X?

+1

There are trade offs and compromises with most everything. Kinda like wanting a 12oz scope that tracks like a 24oz+ scope, or a 6lb rifle for ELR work.

The top paragraph was for you, the bottom was not.

I see that now, wasn't as clear on my phone. Thanks again.

Thanks guys, great feedback on this question. I'm feeling that at the least, this bullet will make a great practice bullet and game bullet for when my partitions and ABLR aren't available, which seems to be almost always in this configuration.
Glad to know these are reliable expanders at somewhat slower velocities as this is going to be my go-to long range rifle and probably my everything rifle for the foreseeable future if it shoots like I hope it will.

Bob

Seems like the ABLR is a better choice at least in 6.5 143 form if they will shoot in your rifle. Better for me as short range performance is needed much more than LR I rarely shoot past 3-400 and never 5 so probably should go back to the Hornaday IB but they don't look as sexy.

The ABLR has the same exact behavior at high velocities as the ELD-X. In general the ELD-X tends to penetrate a bit more than the ABLR at high impact velocities.

I just got back from a Bezoar hunt in the Aladaglar Mts. in Turkey.
I could not get any closer without risking the stalk and ended up shooting my Ibex at 347yds using a 143gr ELD-X from my 6,5x57R Blaser kipplauf.
Muzzle speed was 2,780fps.
Bullet impacted in the center of the scapula without touching the spine, and exited right behind the opposite shoulder.
Exit hole was about an inch in diameter, somewhat less, and internal damage was good but not massive or indicative of extensive bullet fragmentation.

The animal was a 9 1/2 year old specimen and weighed 180-190 lbs live.
I have shot a few animals with the 140gr A-Max at the same speed and internal damage has been much larger than on this sample of one, even at longer distances and lower impact speeds.

What a animal! Please tell us more. Thanks for sharing.

What an amazing photo, chamois. Is that a K95 Blaser?
Thanks!

Congrats on the ibex! They are crazy cool looking!

Thank you, Gentlemen!

Yes, it is a K95 Blaser. I do all of my hunting with one. They are handy and accurate and I find very convenient the fact that you can break them down.

I shot two antelope with the 143 ELD-x out of a 6.5 SAUM at 3100 fps MV.
First was an antelope buck at 319 yards. Bullet entered the on side shoulder took out one lung and had a little shrapnel in the off side lung, just enough to kill it.
The buck ran about 80 yards and fell over dead.

The second was a doe antelope out of same weapon at 464 yards broadside. Bullet entered just a hair forward of the crease and created a giant entry wound. The doe went about 50 yards on three legs then stood for about 20-30 seconds before falling over dead.

So I suppose you could say they worked but I wasn't too impressed.

I was intentionally trying to hit the shoulder to test them and see what would happen if they hit the shoulder by mistake.

They were very accurate in my rifle and I wanted them to work out but after the two antelope I went back to 140 vld's in this rifle.

Next animal was a 2.5 year old muley buck at 445 yards just behind the shoulder. Deer dropped on impact and rolled down a small hill dead instantly. Typical berger performace, small entrance, destroyed internal organs and lodged under skin on the off side shoulder.

Here is the entrance on the doe antelope after removing the shoulder.



Here is the recovered Berger vld from the Muley



I gave the ELD-X an honest try but after the results from the first two impacts on live animals I could not justify using them at these speeds.

Probably killed over 40 animals with 130 and 140 vld's from 6.5 creedmoor and 6.5 SAUM with speeds from 2690 to 3100 MV and ranges from 30 yards to over 500 yards. I can't remember one animal going more than 40 yards after being hit and some of the hits were not great. Most drop dead on impact.

Good stuff - thanks for sharing.

Anyone try these on game?

6.5MM .264 147 GR ELD MATCH

It seems they would hold together better.

Thanks

Why do you think they would "hold together better"?

Chamois, that is uber badass!


Excellent pic!

Because they weigh 4 extra grains

I thought I had read they were a little harder being "match" kind of like the a-max to bthp comparison. Am I off base? Thanks for the reply

Yes sir. Hornady's HPBT's are "tougher" than A-MAX's of the same weight. ELD-M's are A-MAX's in construction and therefore tend to be very rapid upsetting/expanding bullets. ELD-X's are A-MAX's with an Interlock ring. The ring helps keep the jacket and core together in order to offer enough penetration if a close shot happens.

Having said that, I've seen certain A-Max's hold together well enough to penetrate more than necessary on close, difficult-angle shots. I'll have no hesitation trying out the ELD-M on game once I run out of AM's...