Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting ELD-X reports...

I know several of you used them this year. I killed three deer with the 143 from a 6.5 Creedmoor. Here's the low down..

1. Buck at 75ish yards. Broadside. Took out the top of the heart and jello'd the lower lungs. The deer ran 50ish yards and rolled. Pencil through the hide, golf ball size through the entrance on the inside of the rib cage, punched meat on the opposite side, didn't exit the hide. I felt for the jacket/core/bullet and couldn't find anything. Chest cavity wasn't as messy as several other bullets I've used.

2. Doe (today) at lasered 176 yards. Busted lungs, no heavy bone. She ran 75-100 yards through the alfalfa and collapsed. Golf ball size entrance and golf ball size exit. Chest cavity was soup.

3. Doe (today) at lasered 128 yards. Busted lungs, no heavy bone. She too ran 75-100 yards and collapsed. Same details as #2 above.

I took a zillion pics with messy hands after dressing the does. Not easy with one hand holding the rib cage open -- on the ground -- in the dark. Oh well.....

Notice the round hole below, almost a perfect circle. That was an entrance hole. Exit holes were jagged.



I didn't really look for blood trails with the does. I had two on the ground and lots of work to do. The buck didn't leave a good trail -- hardly any to be exact. I saw him fall though, so no big deal.

I was worried about the bullets being soft before I stuck one into something. I'm pretty happy with the results at Creedmoor velocities. Three isn't enough for me to fully decide on the bullet. I should have busted bone on one of the does.

Share your stories with the bullets. Especially if you busted shoulders.

Was yours the Factory Hornady Load or a hand load?

I've been hunting with the Hornady Factory loads with that bullet as my RAR Predator REALLY likes them. Haven't shot anything with them, yet though.

Factory load. Bought a case and shooting them up pretty fast!

Thanks! I figured that bullet & factory load would work great for our small bodied TX Whitetails.

Tagging as I plan to run this same bullet for deer.

Thanks for the info. Good stuff.

Quick notes on one using the 143 ELDx from this morning.

Heavy wooded mountain side. First shot at approx 80 yards, almost straight ahead walking to me on the same level of the mountain. Aimed for neck/shoulder junction. Lost sight picture on shot, jack case out, slam another home, find him trotting straight away. Waiting for him to wobble.....he stops, looks around in every direction, then starts running straight away....uh oh....second shot from straight behind appox 110 yards. He goes down, rolls down mountain (for a while) out of sight.

Gather stuff, make way to him and he's laying down, facing me, head up, looking straight at me. From about 30 yards I shoot the neck/shoulder seam again. No response.....I wait a minute and his head drops.

Autopsy shows the first shot hit exactly where I aimed. Almost perfectly paired with the final shot on the other side. Lungs were soup. Second shot hit backbone as he was running away. It busted a lot of bone. None exited, I didn't dig for what was left of them...skeeters started in on me.

From what I saw on the inside both lungs were trashed, one from each front shot I'm guessing. Backbone was busted up but I didn't try to trace the path after that. I would have expected him to die A LOT quicker from the damage I saw. After I saw the matching holes on each front shoulder I was pissed thinking the bullet didn't expand....originally though I missed the first shot. After I opened him up I was impressed with the damage.

Not sure how to chalk it up. Bullet(s) seemed to do what they were supposed to, he just didn't die quick enough for me.

I've killed bunches of deer with bunches of different bullets. All three of mine died, but I'm still kinda scratching my head too.

Don't laugh, but the two does yesterday resembled kills with Barnes bullets after busting lungs (not bone). They run and run and run -- almost far enough to make you second guess the shot placement.

I know that everyone likes the high bc, but the 129g hornady flat base is a great killing bullet, so is the 140g Sierra BTSP.

While Hunting in a jungle here in the South, if they run 100 yards, it is like half way around the world. I shoot for the shoulder, never lungs.

Darrik, you’re gonna have to try the VLD or hybrid on those double lung broadside shots.... grin

How long did it take for the deer to expire from the point they were it till they collapsed?

I really seconded guessed shot placement on the first shot. Didn't act like he was hit, stopped, looked around, took off again, and didn't run down the mountain....they ALWAYS run downhill.

I shot a buck on opening morning with the 6.5CM, using a handload with the 120 grain Nosler BT. The buck was hit right behind the shoulder, and the bullet was sticking under the hide on the opposite side. Deer ran maybe 20-30 yards before falling. I would think that I would need to shoot a bunch more with that combo before reaching any kind of a conclusion. For close to 25 years, my deer hunting rifle was a 270, mostly using the 130 Sierra Gameking bullet. I probably averaged 2 deer a year shot with it. I never had to track one, and most fell in their tracks. Now, a lot of those deer were shot at under 100 yards, and at that distance, I usually shot them in the neck. None ever got back up after being shot, nor did any ever run. I'm not saying the 270 is a superior deer cartridge than the Creedmoor, or anything else. I'm just giving you my experiences. Bullet placement kills deer more than the choice of the bullet, and maybe I was just better at putting the bullet where it needed to go, or maybe deer were easier to kill back then. Whatever the case, I'm going to continue using the 6.5CM, and suspect that it will work just fine.

Some deer just don't realize that they are already dead.

Thanks for the report, SAS and others. I plan on using my Tikka 6.5 CM on our annual elk hunt after XMAS. Last year the Tikka .308 Win. (165 Acc.) allowed me to bring another cow home. The two contenders are the 140gr. Acc. and the 143gr. ELD-X.

Lung shots = running deer

Yep....and I'm in triple digits on lung shots with deer. My comparison to the TSX/TTSX was to the length of the run. Only 3 deer with the ELD-X, so I can't make a great comparison. I will say they all ran further and reacted differently than when shot with a Ballistic Tip, Sierra Gameking or Pro Hunter and even standard soft points.

The ELD-X may be harder than I anticipated, not as soft as I expected. The results so far are more like an Accubond, Partition and the "X" family.

Buddy killed a mountain lion about a 5 days ago using 6.5 CM and the 143 ELD X. It sounded like he grazed the neck/ear since it was deflected at about 70 yards on a mule deer kill, cat was "stunned"? He re positioned himself to get a better shot and put it behind the shoulder the Cat died. I'm currently running this bullet but haven't put it on any live animals yet, but it is accurate, 5 shots a dime can cover at 100 yards. So I'm hoping that it will prove to be a good hunting bullet?

SAS,

The average sized muley buck I killed at 250ish with a 145 ELD-x from my .270 looked just like it had been killed with a partition/accubond.

Dave

It's no big deal when you see them fall or can see them on the ground
However it CAN be a big deal otherwise.

I've been reading on the ELDs & VLDs etc. WHERE I hunt I need different performance and I've
seen way too much meat destruction from some. I'm still considering but for now I'm not sold.

Good luck on future hunts.

Jerry

True. What still eats at me is he was "alive" about 15 minutes (estimate) after the first shot (and second). Maybe the first shot missed a lot of lung....I don't know, it's all guesswork now.

Testing to continue.

Calvin asked a question above and I'd didn't see it unti this morning.

I don't really know how much time elapsed. The buck did the death dash. Shot -- then full speed run until he crashed. The does weren't in a full speed death dash and 75-100 yards may be a little conservative.

I'm not unhappy with the bullet performance. It's just not what I expected. I expected a softer bullet with lots of fragmentation based on reports I've read on the 'net. That's not what I experienced. Reports on this bullet from the Creedmoor vary significantly.

As I said before, my results are only limited to three deer. From what I've seen so far, the bullet is harder/tougher than expected. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

I'd highly encourage trying a mid weight to heavy weight Berger VLD....

Issues over....

If you have a lung cavity that is destroyed, then the bullet did its job. Many deer do not die like they "should". White tails, in particular, are extremely tough and do crazy things, that can never be blamed on the bullet. I shot a doe a few days back, with a 129 Interlock from my Creed. The shot trashed both shoulders and the doe made it about 60-70 yards to the trees, before she died. Many animals that are lung-shot, run a long way and I have had many that just drop. You never know what is going to happen.

It seems to me like the ELDX bullets are a bit too frangible for some applications, but look to me like they perform much like Bergers on deer. They shoot very well in the rifles that I have experimented with, but I have not used them on game. I think that they are like most bullets, in that they will eventually perform in such a manner, as to make the shooter say that they failed to do what was expected. The bottom line is that no bullets are do-all, end-all in all applications. The ELDX and others are made to perform supposedly close and far. I think they are better suited to long-range killing and it is hard to be perfect in both scenarios.

I know a guy that shot a large cow elk through the lungs with a 143 ELDX , from a 6.5x55 AI. The elk was less than a hundred yards away and the 143 did a complete pass through with a fairly large exit. The elk made it a few yards and collapsed. It may well have been a different scenario, had the shoulder been hit.

As the bullets get more and more game stacked up, threads like these will tend to show people what they are getting into, at least.

...... and at all velocities.

Four reports.
Last year, CO mule deer, 312 yards, 6.5 CM 143eldx factory. Entrance just behind shoulder, exit in front of last rib, Dropped right there, lungs were jelly.
Last year KS whitetail buck, 85 yards, same rifle and load. Entrance behind shoulder, exit in front of opposite shoulder. Again, DRT and lungs jellied. No bone or CNS impact.
This year, Yukon moose, 140 yards, .300 WSM 200 grain ELDX factory. Entrance 4" above elbow, no exit, took out top of the heart and jellied the front of the lungs. Took two steps and dropped.



This year WY mule deer, first shot 230 yards with the Creedmoor, broke elbow and golf ball entrance in rib cage, no exit. Deer ran 55 yards and stopped, next shot at 285 yards behind shoulder, exit golf ball size. Dropped there, first shot would have killed him. Lungs all liquid.


Taking the Creedmoor to KS next week.

Heck of a moose and great info!

I've been lung shooting a few (not with that bullet) and they all run. The least was 50 yards, and no more than 100.

Never had one go more that a few steps or one jump when shooting shoulders. I'm going back to shoulder shooting.

Thanks for reporting on the ELD-X fellas.

? ? ? BOTH shoulders ? ? ? humm





Sounds more like my observations.

Jerry

Shot a 8-pointer couple weeks back.

Hunting over a food plot with most of the deer hovering in the 150 to 200 yard range with a chance at shooting up to 350 yards.

Hunting with a Browning X-bolt in 6mm Creedmoor loaded with Hornady 103 gr. XLD-X at 2,930 fps. I was hopping for a longer range shot because I wasn't sure how the XLD would react on a close range higher velocity shot.

Had an 8-pointer walk up behind me and come into the plot at around 30 yards, decided to double lung him and keep it off of bigger bones due to the range. He bolts for about 40 yards back into the thicket he came from and crashes. I wait 20 minutes and head down to where he was shot. No blood trail. Double lunged with no blood trail ?

Once I get him skinned I fine a 3 1/2" entry wound in the rib cage and peppered holes in the off side rib cage, with no exit.

Bullet probably works much better at longer range/slower speeds.


The following week I drill a 9-pointer at 40 yards with a .308 running 125 gr. Accubonds at 2,975 fps. Angled shot in the front shoulder out the last rib on the far side DRT.
Much better bullet for my application.

Son shot a buck three weeks ago w/6.5CM and factory 143 eldx. Deer was walking slowly across steep hill at 385 yds. Bullet entered and exited in front of hams, took out spine and blood-shot about a pound of steaks (did not nick intestine. Put down for good with shot through on-side leg bone, found under hide in front of last rib on other side. Can't condemn or endorse we're eating. Mac

Something I should have mentioned in my earlier post. Two frontal shots, ~80 yards and ~30 yards. No bones hit, lungs shredded. However, when gutting, the stomach was intact...for which I was glad, but it should have been ugly. I don't believe penetration was much deeper than through the lungs. I didn't think to note if the diaphragm was damaged....I should have looked for that.

maybe it's just me, but I get good reliable performance out of the Remington Core-Lokt stuff. If a deer ran off 100 yards, I would have problems finding it in the nasty thick, swampy pine forests I hunt here in North Florida.

My daughter just shot a buck at about 175 yards. Behind shoulder and bullet took off bottom of heart and 1 lung. Deer made it 60 yards. This was a 140 eld match bullet out of a 6.5 Remington mag. No exit no blood. Kinda sounds like the same performance as some with the eld x. Ed k

Anybody got a report on the ELD-X in a 6mm or .243?

I decided to try the ELDX this year because it is themost accurate factory ammo so far in my 7mm-08. Only a sample of one to date. Approx 225 yd shot downhill at slightly quartering toward. Entrance just above mid shoulder, exit through ribs. Pencil through hide entrance, quarter round hole through shoulder, silver dollar size exit. Deer dead right there. I'm getting to favor the shoulder shot when it presents. As Isaid this is a sample of one. Time will tell.

Mule deer buck In Wyoming, 150 yards quartering away. Buck dropped at the shot and didn't take another step-- bullet was recovered under the offside hide. Need to boil the meat off it before I weight it to get an accurate reading but it retained a good bit of its mass.

I used the ELD-X out of a factory loaded 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge to take a smallish 6pt whitetail this season. Shot was taken at just shy of 200 yards. Entrance on the right side about 2 inches behind the shoulder crease, bullet stopped under the hide after passing through the off side shoulder. Deer stumbled forward but did not get a first down (Make 10 yards) before dropping dead. The recovered bullet is in three pieces. Deer is in freezer.

I had considered using the ELD-X but I've been using the 130gr Berger Hunting VLD's in both my Creeds the last two years and so far have been very impressed so I decided if it wasn't broke don't fix it. Speed is 2800ft/s out of one rifle and 2700ft/s out of the other.

All have been pencil through the hide then a nickel/quarter size hole through the near side ribs, organs were mush with a fifty cent to golf ball sized exit.

These are from last year don't have pics from this year loaded but they are pretty much identical.

Exit on a 120lb doe at 360yds. She went maybe 30yds with a blood trail Ray Charles could follow.



9pt my son killed at 75yds 50 cent size exit and great blood trail went maybe 40 yds.


Exit on a 75lb doe quartering away at 180yds.

I shot the 140gr A-Max before last year and had a couple does hit perfect behind the shoulder and they ran a long way before giving up the ghost.
One doe was shot at 120yds and she ran over 350yds before dying, I was lucky it was all fields and not a thicket. She didn't bleed for 300yds before crossing onto the property next to mine. I actually was questioning whether I hit her but I knew how well the gun shot and knew I didn't pull the shot.

Entrance


The exit was the size of a nickel. Her lungs had a hole in them the about the size of a dime. No more A-Maxes behind the shoulder.

Here is a 140 A-Max through both shoulders of a 110lb doe and 80lb button buck my son killed and neither took a step.

Good shootin' Coach, and good job with the young'n too.

Thanks gunner! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and everyone is well.

Yessir, same to youinz as well, a lot of good eating there.

I've hit six deer in two states so far this year, beat up 8pt, 7pt, 5pt and three doe, five with a 40-65 Sharps and one with a 45-110 Bull Gun.

I've still plenty of powder left to burn.

Way to go, Gunner! Keep the white smoke rolling.

Last report from me. Kansas buck last week, 143 grain ELDX factory load out of a Kimber 6.5 Creedmoor. Deer was facing me, shot entered just inside the left shoulder at the base of the the neck, exit was through the sternum. Shoulder was separated, one lung was intact, the other shredded, sternum busted into three chunks. Deer ran 45 yards and pilled up.

Shot four factory loaded 150 gr ELD-Xs from my 7mm-08 this year at animals. They are very accurate and leave the barrel of my Tikka at 2731 fps. The first was a 150 yd shot at a 175# Ky 11 pt, quartering slightly away. Bullet entered just behind the onside leg and jellied the lungs. Found a couple of slivers of jacket material lodged in the offside scapula but did not find the rest of the bullet, which did not exit. Bloodshot was extensive. Buck didn't take a step. Second animal was a large Ky doe at 50 yds broadside. Bullet entered chest a third of the way up her body, severing the top of the heart, jellying both lungs and exiting with a golf ball size hole through the off side ribs. She ran 40 yds. Third was a large female coyote at 44 yds, quartering slightly to. Bullet entered just behind the onside leg and opened a baseball size exit wound in the abdomen that left intestines hanging out, drt. The last was a 175# NC 10 pt at 100 yds from a steep downhill broadside shot. Bullet entered above the midline of the body tight behind the onside leg, exited low on the offside ribs, where it then broke the offside leg and lodged under the skin on the far side of that leg. Buck fell and rolled down hill coming to rest against a tree. Recovered bullet was badly mangled and weighed 81 grains.

I personally like my bullets a little tougher than the ELD-X, but it's hard to argue that they don't do what they are designed to do.

Another report from yesterday evening. Shot one at last light. Was quartering to me and moving. Hit a little far back, caught bottom of one lung, through diaphram, through stomach and exited off side flank. Entrance went between ribs, was hard to find where it entered, very small. Exit wasn't that big and bled nothing. I'm not sure how well it expanded but going through guts it should have. He ran with head down and I shot again. I led him a little to much and hit neck (bone), he dropped at shot. Went back to check the scene of the crime this morning and there wasn't a single drop of blood. Not even where he fell. This was in a grazed pasture and it would have been easy to see blood.

I've used the ELDx for 2 deer this year. 1 took 3 shots (earlier post in this thread) and one took 2. It's killed them so it's worked. That said, I sighted in another rifle today. If the buck hadn't dropped on the second shot there would have been nothing to follow (again, placement on first shot wasn't the best for a blood trail). Most of the time I'm in woods. This would have been an ugly follow up. I need blood. ..but deer have died, just not like I wanted.

Nice buck, thanks for the report.

123gn eldx in my Grendel smacked a doe behind the shoulder quartering away at 120yds . far shoulder was a mess. it did exit. she never took a step

I took several deer this year with the 6.5cr and Hornady 140gr ELDM factory loads:

• sharply quartering away at around 200yds. Hit just behind the ribs angling to aoffside shoulder. - drt no bleeding on site and no exit.

• quartering to the gun at around 100yds. Hit just behind the onside shoulder and exited the offside rear rib cage. - ran 40yds and was still in the process of expiring when I arrived at the scene. No blood at all. Not a significant amount of internal damage.

• quartering away at 100yds. Hit behind onside shoulder and exited front of chest. Ran 40yds and zero blood trail. This bullet connected with the heart, but again the damage is not what I would consider significant.

• quartering to the gun at around 100 yds running. Hit was at the liver and angled back hitting and destroying the offside femur, but not exiting. Ran 40yds and laid down. Finisher through the noggin upon arriving at the scene. No blood trail. The damage was more significant on this shot than with the others.

I have shot one deer in the shoulders that did anything. It was a big doe. She pushed herself about 40 yards with no front axles.

Late to the game, sorry. Three mule deer bucks, three shots, 150 ELDX handloads from three 7mm-08s, 2800 fps. All bullets exited, lung shots, farthest recovery 30 feet.





P

i have tried almost every new bullet to hit the market and i still like the old hornady interlock .

Shot a buck in the shoulder, 35 yards, quartering towards me, from the ground with deer at same level. Deer ran 75-80 yards and expired. Expected to find outrageous blood trail, as bullet should have exited near diaphragm on offside. No exit, no blood trail whatsoever. Only one lung shredded. I expected a 178 grain bullet at 35 yards from an '06 to do more damage than that, even after breaking the shoulder. Though it's a sample of one, think I'm going to accubonds. If this deer hadn't been in an open hardwood area, I'm not sure I would have recovered him. I found ZERO blood when backtracking, even though it was perfectly clear where he had gone, since he was the only set of running tracks, and there was a skimming of snow. Love the way the eldX shoots, but think I'll just use it on paper moving forward.

I don’t think I’ll use them for deer in the future. All of the deer died, but the bullet just didn’t perform to my liking. I’ve had some time to reflect on the kills now. I’m not saying they won’t work, but in my sample of three I wasn’t impressed.

I’ve noticed reports on performance are all over spectrum (on here, other sites and face to face with guys in the shop). I’m wondering if there may be some variances in jacket thickness between lots?

Dont use a eld match because they do have a thinner jacket.

I try this and try that, but could have stopped at the interlock in everything I've shot it in, looking at both accuracy and on game performance. I've still got 900+ 165 btsp's still in boxes.....I think it was 2000 orginally, but I've can't stop trying other stuff so those last 900 have just been sitting.

I may give it a shot in the 6.5. Haven't looked at them in 6.5, which one are you shooting?

I've shot more interloks in my 270 then any other caliber. 140 gn btsp.

They're pretty tough to beat.

Season 2 shooting Hornady factory 150 ELD-Xs from my Tikka 7mm-08 saw 7 one shot kills:

3 coyotes all standing in the same spot at 203 yds (spaced out over a couple of hours); all DRT with pass throughs as you would expect

147" 13 pt, 175 lb Ky buck at 150 yds, quartering away; pass through, ran 50 yds

140 lb doe at 150 yds broadside; pass through, ran 50 yds

160 lb NC 8 pt head on at 170 yds; shot heart in two, no exit,ran 80 yds- did not recover bullet

140 lb NC 8 pt quartering hard away at 190 yds; DRT, devastating entrance wound, no exit; haven't skinned that one yet - hoping to recover the bullet

Intersting I've never had that issue with barnes, and I won't shoot a bullet that leaves golf ball size exit holes either.

With that said, each deer is totally individual in shot reactions.

And lately the shortest runs we've had is with 10mm and 180 xtps, caliber in, a bit bigger on the way out, generally not much of a blood trail, but they also generally don't go more than 30-50 steps either.

Building the wife a 6.5x57 and from what I've read the ELD X won't be on the list... 127 Barnes or the 140 berger will likely be the choices. While we've had some bigger exits with bergers, we generally try to go heavy for caliber and drive them slower, 185 in 308 is an example and they generally don't destroy all that much. Not nearly as clean as barnes, but we've shot the 185s on targets for so many years we are used to them and can place them precisely.

Ya know what, screw my above post a bit.

This is the info we need and I thank you for it.

Bullet. MV. Distance, what impacted, how much damage.

We all have our own thoughts and how we like to do things, we can go from there with that.

But I'm still going to say after I have no clue how many hundreds of deer shot and seen shot, that you never have ANY guaranteed reaction other than a properly placed CNS shot.

Jeff

I am going to hold off on the ELD-X's this year and stick with the various Nosler's and Hornaday's. I liked the 6mm 105 gr. A-Maxs so had high hopes for the 103 ELD-X but will wait till I can do more load development. A proven bullet just adds an extra measure of confidence which usually helps insure the outcome.

Sounds like it hit some brush.

Two animals this season so far with factory 143 in 6.5CM.

1. Buck antelope at lasered 168 yards. Fell straight down on top of his feet and never even twitched. Heart shot with exit. As if he was suddenly switched Off.
2. Small blacktail buck at 80 yards. Destroyed onside shoulder joint, small exit on offside scapula. Deer fell straight over and wiggled his feet for 2 seconds.

I'm very impressed with the ELD-X so far.

My experience is limited so far. One buck, a 180 lb 8 pt at 25 paces. Right in the crease. One bound and a tight button hook. He folded up dead in front of me. 6.5 Creedmoor 143 ELDX at 2850ish. Second experience was with my 280 AI and 162 ELDX. Max load running between 2950 and 3K. I bumped a young buck and he scooted out to about 75 yards broadside. Took the shot and I hit a 2 inch alder branch about five feet from the deer’s chest. The bullet blew up completely into schrapnel. Knocked a bunch of hair off a couple flecks of blood but that’s it. I tracked him anyway with my dog for over a mile and nothing. Didn’t even slow him down. I DON’T BLAME THE BULLET. It was a poor shot and if you hunt long enough it will happen. That’s why my Golden Retriever is a tracking dog. However, this isn’t the first time I’ve clipped a branch in my hunting career and I’ve anchored deer using partitions and core lokts in very similar situations. Not condoning “brush busting” and didn’t intend to hit a branch. However I’m thinking of going to a Trophy Bonded Tip 160 to guarantee a hunk of metal making it through if it ever happens again.

My son's buck last year took a Hornady factory load 6.5cm 143eld-x that angled a bit far back due to the deer taking a forward step at shot. Deer was 385 laser measured yards (using a Leupold 1000 w/angle correction) up a steep hill and very slightly quartering toward us because of the step I mentioned. Bullet went through ribs, some stomach and ended up breaking off-side hip bone and most of it exited. Deer went down and tried to drag itself but was getting nowhere. Finished with another shot to vitals through front shoulder as this was only shot available. Shots were from a Ruger Predator w/Bushnell 3500 w/600 now reticle using Strelok+ ballistic software on phone. We had lots of time and the deer were undisturbed. The step the deer took blew the chest shot son planned. Both shots were rested over back of truck we were glassing from. We shoot to 400yds at our range regularly. Ymmv!

[align:center][/align]We killed three this year with the precision hunter load in 6.5 CM. The 143 gr ELDX did not pass through on any of the deer. That said they were all heart shot, My son took a spike at 135 yards on youth the deer dropped. Lots of internal dmage and metal frag. We moved up into the big Vermont mountain s for the rest of the season, I took a 6 with a heart shot at about 50, yards, again did move at all but didn't pass through either. The last deer taken was my sons 8 which is as good of a buck as you can shoot in VT. He shot him at a steep downward angle at 100 yards. He clipped the bottom of the heart and broken the off side shoulder. He is 11 and has taken over my christensen ridgeline in 6.5 CM. We have had good luck with the ELDX but it really counts when you make a bad shot. Pic of my sons buck.

SAS, I was wondering what bullet you may try next? While I don't have the 6.5 Creed yet, I am interested in following this. Last year I tried a highly recommended bullet on the Fire in my 6x47L on a sample of two bucks and was highly disappointed. I don't like the results I am hearing from this eld-x from this thread. I had though about trying them in my 6's, but will stay with what I know works. Thanks.

Fantastic VT Buck, and great photo!

Data point of one, but the 139 Scenar flies well and made two holes in the mule deer buck I shot. Offside lung was heavily damaged.

x2!! Congrats to the young man!

avfromvt,
Congrats to you for getting your son involved and his obvious success!