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

Absolutely. I don't want anyone to misconstrue what I said- A-MAX's kill wonderfully. ELD-M's are more of the same.

8nbait,

I guess the difference in performance observed by you in the two antelopes you shot with them and by me in my Bezoar has to do with the higher muzzle speed you load them at...

But then, given the longer distance of the second doe you killed, I realize that the initial 320fps difference has been cut down to less than half of that and I can`t see such a small difference in impact speed would justify such a different performance.

Maybe some of the more opinionated participants can shed some light.

Good observations and appreciated .....but after reading this and similar observations I don't see a whole lot of difference between what these bullets do and what I and others did from standard C&C bullets for decades....(before I left them all behind for any BG hunting that is). And that goes for bullets in various weights of 270 and 7mm. Toss in 30 calibers for good measure.

There is nothing in this sort of animal reaction to differentiate what we saw 30-40 years ago......same/same.

The biggest differences I see are somewhat more consistent penetration and expansion from bullets reinforced somehow.....which after all is how they were designed to work.

But honestly to me a C&C is a C&C.ey are all the same to me....I can't really see any difference between them except how explosive they tend to be one to another.

They certainly don't kill a lick better than what I've used for decades judging from animal behavior. Seen lots of DRT's long before this trend to thin jacket/rapid expansion bullets got going. If anything I've seen more consistent and reliable penetration and expansion from reinforced BG bullets like Partitions, Bitterroots,and (lately mostly in the hands of friends) Accubonds and Swifts.

I just bought a Ruger Hawkeye 264 win mag this year. I had a opportunity to hunt a big river bottom during deer season. I hand loaded with hornady 143 ELD-X an preformed a 396 yard kill shot that worked excellent.

I rarely shoot over 300 yards, so I am not in the long-range crowd per se. I do know that in my .260, the 143 ELD-X shoot very well. Based on all of the feedback that I have seen, though, I think that I will stay with the 129 Interlock for my deer shooting.

I think the new ELD-X is primarily a marketing gimmick to sell them. I won't use target bullets on game, either, as that is not what they are designed for. There are too many good, accurate game bullets out there, to use target bullets for game animals.

The standard Interlock is a great bullet that has killed consistently for many years. I will continue to use them in several calibers for deer and step up to a Partition for elk..

[/quote]Absolutely. I don't want anyone to misconstrue what I said- A-MAX's kill wonderfully. ELD-M's are more of the same. [/quote]

Formidilosus

This summer I worked up a great load with 140 eld-m at just over 2700fps in my creedmoor. I started with the eld-m because I couldn't find any 143 eld-x and I read that the 140 amax was a great performer on game between 2700 and 1600 fps. This year I shot two big mule deer and one mountain goat, all three were neck shots at 105 yds, 40 yds and 20 yds. With your experience, is there any reason to switch to the 143 eld-x? I target shoot often and mostly hunt deer, sheep and goats. This years shots were close but last years sheep was over 400yds.

Absolutely. I don't want anyone to misconstrue what I said- A-MAX's kill wonderfully. ELD-M's are more of the same. [/quote]

Formidilosus

This summer I worked up a great load with 140 eld-m at just over 2700fps in my creedmoor. I started with the eld-m because I couldn't find any 143 eld-x and I read that the 140 amax was a great performer on game between 2700 and 1600 fps. This year I shot two big mule deer and one mountain goat, all three were neck shots at 105 yds, 40 yds and 20 yds. With your experience, is there any reason to switch to the 143 eld-x? I target shoot often and mostly hunt deer, sheep and goats. This years shots were close but last years sheep was over 400yds. [/quote]



Nope. If you like the performance of the 140gr, then you are good. The 147gr ELD-M as well as the 143gr ELD-X give a bit more BC and in the case of the ELD-X will penetrate a bit more, but the 140gr is no slouch.

Formidilosus

This summer I worked up a great load with 140 eld-m at just over 2700fps in my creedmoor. I started with the eld-m because I couldn't find any 143 eld-x and I read that the 140 amax was a great performer on game between 2700 and 1600 fps. This year I shot two big mule deer and one mountain goat, all three were neck shots at 105 yds, 40 yds and 20 yds. With your experience, is there any reason to switch to the 143 eld-x? I target shoot often and mostly hunt deer, sheep and goats. This years shots were close but last years sheep was over 400yds. [/quote]



Nope. If you like the performance of the 140gr, then you are good. The 147gr ELD-M as well as the 143gr ELD-X give a bit more BC and in the case of the ELD-X will penetrate a bit more, but the 140gr is no slouch. [/quote]

Thanks for the reply, the neck shots were quick kills but not necessarily a good measure of what the 140 eld-m will do on game so I wasn't sure if I should keep using them for hunting. Most people recommend not using them for hunting because "they're a match bullet" and not from actual experience. I may still try the 143 eld-x but I'm not going to worry about using the eld-m's, thanks again

506 yards

Awesome pic higbean!

What are the specs on that rifle?

Paint

I screwed a factory take off .260 bbl on a 700, chopped to 22" and put it in an Edge fill McM Hunter with PTG Stealth bottom metal.

LOL

I'd hoped to kill a few more critters with the 143 ELD-X this fall, but as it turned out, the only game I took with this bullet is a cow elk. I had a strong suspicion that this bullet started at 3180 fps might be fragile on close shots. (It is). I ended up shooting her at 95 yards. The bullet broke the near side leg bone and stopped under the hide on the far side. Bullet was mushroomed to the boat tail, but still had a bit of the core left in the jacket. Sorry no picks of the trauma and I haven't weighed the remnant of bullet.
This is a bad case scenario for this bullet / speed combo, so results should be better at longer distance and/or smaller targets.

what chambering one horn?

.264 win mag

Older news but just saw this today.

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/resources/ELD-X_ELD-Match_Technical_Details.pdf

I used the 143 ELDX out of my Kimber Hunter 6.5 CM on three animals this fall.
In CO a mule deer at 312 yards, entrance above elbow, exit low in front of last rib, no bullet recovery, deer drt.
Elk at 405 yards, broke his back, no bullet recovery. This was a shot intended to anchor a bull by buddy had hit in the hip and it dropped him as expected on a spine hit. Pictures are over on the General BG forum under CO third season, MD, elk...post.
Third was whitetail in KS, 85 yards, entry high shoulder, exit base of the neck, no bullet recovery, deer was again drt. Pictures in Deer forum under First KS hunt.
Three excellent results with some variation in distance. Sorry I cannot tell you what the bullets looked like but they performed to my satisfaction in both accuracy and resulting dead critters.

I wonder when "old man river" aka Bob had to hump a mountain to go hunting....I'm sure it was uphill both ways.
Bob, no offense man but you really need to pull your head out of your crevasse called your arse....bullets have come along way since the 30's 40's and 50's....there a reason why bullets have adapted....better down range efficiency, I know that's hard for you to believe. There are thousands of us that practice at longer ranges because we want to be efficient with our weapons and make ethical kills. I know that's hard for YOU to believe, but some traditions have been passed down like that, other wise wed still be using muskets and round balls.....
Provide adequate information on to what or when the last time you pulled anything off the hill by yourself....plain and simple. I'm sure most if not all of your hunts have been guided if not high fenced.