Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Hornady ELDX results report

sbhooper, when you start smashing primers and cratering them and get hard bolt lift you just keep adding powder till you reach the speed you want??? I sure don't. That's all this particular gun would take.

It sounds like the eld-x is built a lot like the nosler accubond long range, too soft. A couple of years ago when the accubond LR came out I was anxious to try them so I worked up a load in my 6.5x47L using the 129 ABLR at around 2800 fps. I took a small doe at 270 yds with it and the bullet came apart. It dumped her in her tracks but all I found were fragments of bullet inside from a shoulder hit, it acted a lot like the early ballistic tips. That put an end to any thoughts of me using the 7mm version on elk, I want a bullet that'll hold up at close range as well as long.

This year my hunting partner and I took two 6x6 elk using 7mm rem mags. I loaded the ammo for both rifles, in mine I used the 145 Barnes LRX chronographed at 3225 fps, and in his I loaded 160 nosler accubonds at 3010 fps. My bull was taken at 380 yds and his 300 yds, both bullets gave near perfect performance, mine smashing through a shoulder.

I like high B.C. bullets but not at the expense of terminal performance. I had high hopes for the eld-x but it sounds like Hornady screwed the pooch with it like Nosler did the ABLR. They both made bullets for long ranges but that doesn't do much good if it comes apart up close. Back to the drawing board.

I have not pressed the pressure limits at all. I am using Re25 powder and 160 Partitions in a 26-inch Remington SPS. I would have to look back, but I don't think that I am even up to max. If your rifle is like that, then it is what it is, but don't insinuate that I have dangerous loads. I have been loading for over 40 years and have not blown anything up yet.

Reloder 33 also gets the job done easily with a 160 Partition and broke 3000 with 175 Interlock, according to my chrono.

Good luck with your slow rifle.

I stated on 10/29 that the rifle was showing signs of excessive pressure. You stated "300fps is easy with 160's in a 7 mag. If you only load to 2800 you are leaving a lot of velocity on the table". Never did I insinuate you had dangerous loads, your rifle can handle it, the one if was loading can not. I am simply stating results for others to look at, nothing more. Every rifle loads different. I to have been loading for over 40 years, but I sure am no expert and every year learn something new. I am just passing on what a bullet did at the velocity it was shot and the yardage it was shot at. Others may have different experiences, no shot can be duplicated exactly the same on game. Sorry if you took my post wrong

TTSX, why bother with anything else?

Reloader 26 and 162 ELDX gives me 3090 fps and .7 MOA accuracy with 2 7mm Rem Mags.. No pressure signs. My brother is using this combo this weekend on a cow tag. I'll be using the 150 ELDX at 2790 fps from my 7mm-08 on a bull tag.





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Pharmsell, what brand of brass are you using?

Zero surprise given the shot/animal/bullet.

You can use match-type bullets all day long on elk. But don’t try and zip one through a shoulder at close range.

Pretty common sense, IMO.

Certain bullets have certain advantages over others. Reduced wind drift and excellent accuracy is an advantage of the ELD line. Punching through shoulders is not.

The ELDX is sold as a hunting bullet, the ELDM is a match bullet. I agree with you on using match bullets on game, but a bullet advertised as a big game bullet should hold together better.

From Hornady's website:
The ELD-X® (Extremely Low Drag - eXpanding) bullet is a technologically advanced, match accurate, ALL-RANGE hunting bullet featuring highest-in-class ballistic coefficients and consistent, controlled expansion at ALL practical hunting distances.

Reloaded HSM factory ammo cases. Half Winchester, half Norma. For all the posturing to keep headstamps separate, HSM used what they had on hand. None of the boxes had mixed headstamps, but I thought it was odd that they'd switch from box to box.

That said, my brother has noticed zero difference in accuracy out to 600 yards between the two brands of brass.

I use Remington in my 7mm-08.




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If you are using IMR 4350 , I believe you are seeing pressure signs. Magnum, H1000, Imr 7828, Imr 7977 , and Reloder 26 all should get over 3000 with a 162. Some by more then just a little bit. depending on the individual gun......

I have tried every powder except reloader 26 that you mentioned in that particular rifle. It is the most fussy rifle I have ever tried to load for. I was about ready to give up on it till I tried the 162 ELDX bullets. I now have some more powder to try and hopefully get it to shoot either a Nosler or Barnes for next season. He is going on a couple whitetail hunts and one mule deer hunt with it yet this year. He shot 2 deer with it last season, ok results. Blew a big chunk out of one but it was a follow up shot and was straight away, hit the spine, softball chunk.

I use IMR 4350 and 150 grain TTSX in my 7mm as an elk load. Last time over a cronograph it was just under 3K but whenever the crosshairs touch an animal they die and the groups are tiny so who cares about a few sf. It shoots even better without NBT 150’s but they are not good elk bulldogs.

I don't think the make a 150 grn ttsx and the BC on the ELDX has it beat by a mile

The Nosler Accubomb LR is the worst bullet dropped on the American hunter scene in the past 25 year. Absolute garbage, hard to load, extremely fragile and hyped up fictitious BCs. My buddies and I all tried them. I have tried them for a few guys on the campfire. You have to practically design a rifle to shoot them and reloaded dies to match. As far as terminal performance, They are really only good at about 1200-1500 fps. Any faster than that and you have a pipe bomb.

For some reason I was thinking .270 when I made this statement.

I have my rifle (one of!) zeroed and set up for the 143 ELD-X. I still haven't decided if I'm going to use the ELD-X as a do all. I typically start my morning deer hunts in the woods and hit the fields in the afternoons. Woods shots could be 30 yards or less. The fields present much farther opportunities and typical shots are 2-300 yards.

I may slip a mag of something else in the Tikka for the morning hunts. I'll verify, but I can't imagine zero being too far off to switch back and forth.

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This ^^^ after all of noslers hype - nothing but a disappointment . I like their regular Accubonds -i shoot them in .257 & .284 but they are over priced , all , nosler products are over priced -imo .

I killed a big six point this year using a single 162 ELDX out of my brother's 7 Rem Mag. I expected a long shot (500 yards or so) so I borrowed my brother's rifle. The shot turned out to be only 200 yards. Mv is 3030. One shot behind the shoulder, he stumbled 20 yards and fell over. Bullet did not exit. We used the gutless method so I didn't find the bullet. I busted a few ribs to get the heart, lungs were mush.

My brother killed a big cow this morning, double lung at 375. Hit the right scapula and a rib going in, broke a rib on the off side which stopped the jacket under the hide. Massive trauma to the lungs, left a hole you could throw a cat though. She stumbled down hill (steeeep country) about 100 feet and fell over. Blood everywhere.

Surprisingly little blood shot given the lung damage and short recovery. To me, distance traveled after the shot tells me all I need to know about bullet performance.




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Shot cow elk with 143 eldx at 20 yards. Frontal shot bullet entered base of neck destroyed lungs liver went thru stomach exited flank last rib area same side 4 inch exit. All she did was whirl around and fall maybe 5 yards. Bullet performed beautifully for me.