Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 147 ELD terminal performance

Now, that statement touched a nerve...

A Loony just can't help being a Loony...

I have a great sub MOA load for my Swede, 139 gr. Scenar over MRP. Normal people would take that load and run with it.

But, here I am, loading a 147 ELD-M over 50 gr. RL-26. Will the 147 kill'em any deader than a 139 Scenar..?

Probably not. But if I don't try, I'll never know.

DF

I remember reading in an older Hornady manual where they touted the Amax as a capable light-medium game bullet. Have read enough to believe this to be true when bullets are matched to game weight, plus have used 75 Amax on game.

The last two shots that I fired yesterday, while checking my scope one last time, went into 1/4 inch at 300 yards. I quit while I was ahead!! Gonna test some 140 Partitions next with Re 26.

You sure wouldn't want to blow that group with another round...

DF

Yeah. I probably would have opened it up to four inches, the way the permanent heat wave works in my eye!

Let us know how 140 gr. NPT's perform with RL-26.

DF

DF,

This isn't the exact bullet, but close. Killed an antelope last week from my 6.5 SAUM using the 140 ELD-M. Hit a rib going in, trashed the lungs, hit a rib going out, an exit the size of a quarter. Pretty much perfect. Range was about 200 yards. MV should be about 3100-3150 fps though I haven't chrono'd it.

For deer, antelope, and the like I'd not even give it a second thought. I mean don't take "TSX" shot angles, but for normal kill shots, I suspect it'll be devastating.

As a tangential data point I've killed a few deer with the 7mm 162. Devastating.

The ELD looks identical to the A-Max, comparing cross sections. Jacket looks the same, tip looks the same.

I wonder if the alloy is different, or if the ELD is the A-Max with the new "magic" tip that doesn't melt at high speed.

IIRC, the A-Max holds together a bit better than the Berger VLD Hunting, breaks up but in bigger pieces.

As I've posted before, these bullets need to be matched to optimal velocity for optimal performance.

They should work well at around 2,750-2,850 fps.

I shoot a 140 VLD Hunting out of my 6.5-284 at 3K and they do OK, maybe a tad messy at the skinning shed but deadly.

I want to try the 147 ELD-M in that gun.

DF

They made at least THREE different 162 AMAX's that I've personally seen; different ogive, different tip, etc. But I agree that the latest ANAX and the ELD-M appear more or less identical aside from the tip. The deer I've killed wth the 162 AM left me thinking it wasn't an elk bullet... I switched my heavy 7 WSM to the 180 ELD-M for just that reason. We'll see. If field reports have that one coming apart badly then I'll continue my search for the ultimate elk-capable LR "match" bullet. But I'm with ya- these are great thin-skinned game bullets!

You liking that 6.5-.284? Cool cartridge.

Yeah, I do. It's a pre-64 with Borden's Bumps, 26" Krieger, Boyd Jon Sundra stock, Jewell trigger. Half MOA gun.

I've been involved with my Creed/Swede/7-08 projects, neglecting the 6.5-284 for the time being. Also spent some time with my 26 Nosler. May get back to the 6.5-284 pretty soon; the 147 ELD-M got me thinking...

Loony stuff...

DF

That 147 will do that! Same with the 7mm 180 with a .796 BC. Hard to ignore.

When I finished my 6.5 SAUM, there were a couple boxes of the 140 ELD's available locally, and my rifle really liked them, so I ran with that for this season. But I intend to switch over to the 147.

Well, so far in my rifle they suck. It is the worst-grouping bullet that I have shot from this barrel. I tried all loads with Re26, from hot down to mild and it is a two moa so far. I tried some Re23 today and it also sucked. Maybe they just are not compatible with this barrel. I have a few left yet, so I will try some other stuff, but not at all impressed so far, compared to the Interlocks and ELD-M.

Some guns like Partitions, some don't.

I'm always pleased when a gun does well with the NPT.

DF