Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .223 75 grain ELD-M for deer?

Just wondering if anyone has experience with this bullet on deer from a .223.




P

Yep, works great at those speeds out to distances most shouldn’t be shooting anyway. Rib shots are the goal but if a shoulder gets in the way it’s not the end of the world other than being a bit messy..


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I've only killed 2 with that combo, but no complaints.

Good to know.

I've been messing with the 108 gr version from my 6mm Creedmoor.

Dang! That little Hornady is one mighty accurate bullet! If it works well on deer too...

Guy

If I started using my 223 on deer what would I do with my 7-08?

Having seen a book deer that was not small, fall to a 69 SMK with a lung shot and not overly blown out, IE bullet worked just fine, there really isn't a lot of use for bigger rounds.

Heck we shoot most of ours these days with a 10mm Glock and a 300/221 with 194s at about 1000 fps... just doesn't take much unless you are after the once in a lifetime and need worst angle, max distance type of thing.... yes I'd hunt with such as a 338 mag in Deep South for BIG deer... or Mexico etc...

And having killed a deer past 550 with 223 and 75 amax, and with a truck of witnesses... the 223 can do a lot

Texans can only "if". Congratulations?!?

The 75 ELD is more than stalwart.

Hint..................

Oh man you're not supposed to use match bullets for hunting...

Maybe if your night hunting.........but for daylight hunting in the thorn trees I like more gun.

I have an aversion to that too...that said in the .223 there are lots of proper hunting bullets now, lighter weight, better velocities than the 75 and long time proven killers....


JMHO

75 eld-m is stupid accurate and kills deer dead. It's my go to hunting bullet for my 223ai, and I always laugh at the old school mentality that folks have where I am. It's always fun to watch minds be blown with the performance of the 75 eld-m compared to what preconceived notions are. Shot placement first, bullet second, headstamp a distant third.

I hunt in Texas, and it's more than plenty for any game native to Texas. People wringing their hands about it either have no first hand experience with the bullet, or are just stuck on the idea that bigger always equals better...meanwhile, I'm piling primers practicing with less cost, less recoil, and more performance than most people even understand.

Where I hunt, Hill Country deer are not big, and most shots are easily inside of 200 yards. The first year I hunted with a 223ai, my uncle and cousins about threw a fit with the idea that 223 isn't enough gun as compared to their 270's, 7 mags, and 30-06's. Never mind that that they're shooting a factory rifle with a sloppy chambering, a tasco scope, and remington core-lokt. Never mind that actual data matters. Some people simply don't know what they don't know, but I have the luxury of not guessing.

Fear not...75 eld-m is money. Hard Stop.

Otherwise, the 65 gameking wrecks shop, as does a 62 tsx...or a swift...or a nosler partiiton....but none shoot as sweet, in my experience, as the 75 eld-m.

Short range on hogs, the Speer 55,62, and 75g Gold dot bonded will get'r done, 223 AI & 22/250 AI is a shore nuff magnum. [bleep] ain't hard to kill...probably heard that before.

I keep seeing this, and my 223 really likes them.

My 12tw barrel shoots them ok - just inside an inch , only one example but the 65gr.Gameking flew right through an 75-80lb. pig broadside at about 120 yards . Knocked a 1 1/2'' hole that drained pretty good for the several feet she ran . Great little bullet .

Hunter A can see and shoot deer 500 yards away where he hunts. He can also watch deer run 500 yards and fall over if need be.

Hunter B can't see farther than 40 yards where he hunts. Anything that runs at all vanishes and needs to be tracked.

Hunter A and Hunter B need to be careful giving each other advice, arguing or telling the other he's wrong.

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/gmx#!/

a couple guys I know rather well use AR15 rifles, here in florida
with 4 round magazines with the bullet linked above
the preferred load has been 26 grains of h414
they are perfectly happy and I load for them, ranges seldom exceed 100 yards
and deer rarely exceed 130 lbs
personally I tend to prefer my marlin 44 mag, a 310 grain cast bullet over 21 grains of h110

52-55 grain soft points work great. Deer aren't nilgai.

are ya saying Stumpy is spotlighting?

how could that be? its illegal and we all know how law abiding etc Stumpy is and all....

ok, dumb question time.

for the 75 eld-m, what twist do you need to stabilize it?
I have a rem 788 I was thinking about using.

In an AR, can you load them to mag length or are they single feed only?

I'd be interested if the ogive didn't start before the case mouth when loaded to AR mag length.

1 in 8 or faster. Ogive is below the case mouth at ar mag lengths.

gIn 1979 I bought a 788 in .223 Rem. It had a 1:12 twist. I shot 55 grain Spitzers in it but when deer hunting I used the Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzer. It stabilized it fine with the 1:12 Twist. I use these in my Model 700 ADL Sythetic .22-250 with 1:14 Twist. It stabilizes them fine. But remember, that's a Semi Spitzer. Big difference compared to a Spitzer.

Out to a couple hundred yards it's a hammer.

Hard to beat a 60 grain Partition.

338 WM for Big Deer in the Deep South?

This right here...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

but I seem to use stuff that has proven effective for decades over something "new and improved"....

Most of my shooting while hunting involves 200 yds or less...

proper effective bullet and shot placement....

one of the guys from Montana should be along momentarily for their descenting opinion....

Given a 225 ttsx or 210 ttsx, the 338 win mag is usually very accurate, and there isn't a deer out there than can survive the south end hit on a northbound deer if its the once in a lifetime deer and the only shot you have as he scent trails a doe with his head down at 300 yards.... I have used 300 mags and have come away, even with 180s, less than impressed on some long and angular shots.

I have never been disappointed with the 338 Win mag.

Again I'm talking once in a lifetime, like Mexico big bucks or south TX kind of thing when you never know what will walk out and how far off... and I"m comfortable with a 338 to way on out there, at least 800 yards.

always interesting that tracking seems to be an issue. Maybe its a lost art. We really enjoyed it, but now have a dog and really enjoy watching the dog work. He LOVEs it and lives for it.

A dog that will follow a blood trail is a rare dog, they are to be cherished! I remember reading a small book of the old gunwriter Byron Dalrymple on using the .243 on Hill country deer. At that time, the two most popular factory load weights were 80gr and 100 grain. He felt the 80gr was the fastest killer "but used for a high lung shot", tight behind the shoulder. It made sense to me. I feel all the smaller calibers are deadly, they just need to be used "surgically". But I find I 'always tried" to place a bullet "surgically", even on varmints! Also, trying to find a .224-.244 bullet that was an "all around" deer/big game bullet was a challenge for me. I still feel the right weight /style of mono is a good game bullet. The vmax style worked best for me on varmints/coyotes. I think it's (a) way too much fun to handload/shoot small caliber rifle and (b) to just settle on one bullet/style/weight, in any cartridge," leaves a lot on the table" ( I always wanted to use that term!) for overall satisfaction.

I've had the privilege of seeing a couple of those at work. Amazing.

You're right, they're rare. But when you have one, you have a real treasure.

DF

To top it off, Tiger was a stray, pup, broken leg on a RR track that my SIL husband would not allow to stay with them. We were to hold him till the shelter opened in a few days. Thank God he was at the house a few days, just flat fell in love with him.

His first ever try was sniff sniff, took off on a dead run right to the deer. He has missed a few. And in hindsight it was me not quite reading him right. And he has taken a long path to a few, RE using the wind instead of a straight line... but what do we expect.

He has found them over a mile away. Over 10-12 hours after they were shot even.

And a couple others he has not found there was not enough sign at the spot and I"m convinced those deer never died, were hit to high, due to all the hype of the high shoulder shot stuff for DRT needs for whatever reason, it often nets to high hits that are spectacular, until the deer comes to and runs off none the worse for wear, we usually find those beds about 100-150 yards away and usually can't find any blood in the bed or if so its just a tiny smear.

Tiger is still young, 5 I think, and in 2021 if plans go right, he will be with us in Alaska and hopefully doing fine and wonder what he is going to do if I can get him on caribou, moose and bear trails

Its almost so much fun watching him work, that I often have more fun with that than shooting a deer.

Worst part is he could have found my 11 point last fall, if the burrs were not so bad. We have not found good boots for him. He works until he just can't stand the burrs so we put him up, and followed that deer for hours, and managed to walk right by where he died just after we had jumped him one last time... only to find him there the next weekend... that SUCKED. What a waste of meat. Sometimes they just go though.

No experience with a 223 in this configuration, but I took a cull buck at 30 yards this past season with a 130 grain 260 ELD-M.

Entered back of front shoulder, exited about 3” behind the offside shoulder. Left a fist size hole, buck ran about 40 yards and piled up.

These are tiresome!!!!!

WTF? Great ramblings.....

...says the guy who volunteered to read them...




P

If it's a factory stock 788 barrel it's 1 in 12 twist. You're asking a lot of that barrel with a 75 grain anything. I used to use Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzers in my 788. They stabilize fine in a 1:12. Killed deer well out to 200 yards, no problem. Other wise, if you still want to use 75 grain bullets rebarrel it to a 1-8 twist barrel. That's what I have in my new AR, 1:8 and I don't even plan on using anything heavier than 70 grains in it due to mag length limitations. In fact the Sierra 65 grain Game Kings is what I'll probably use for deer.

300 win mag is plenty for any whitetail deer.

I would go lighter and faster, there is no need for a solid copper 75 grain bullet on a WT deer.

If you’re referring to the ELDM, it ain’t solid copper.



P

thanks for answering the question guys.

Nice to still see you here Rost.

I dont know how some of you with 1:12 or 1:14 have got these heavy 69 or 75 gr to shoot well.
When I was younger I had H&R single shot heavy barrel.
I don't know what twist it was, but it would key hole 62 grain

?


No one is using a slow twist to shoot 75gr high BC bullets. 1:7 or 1:8 twist.

OK, maybe I went little over board, but here are two examples of 1:12

-My 12tw barrel shoots them ok - just inside an inch , only one example but the 65gr.Gameking flew right through an 75-80lb. pig

-I used to use Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzers in my 788. They stabilize fine in a 1:12.

Save it for Bear. Cheers NC

I bought a bunch of 70 grain Accubond seconds from SPS, I’ll see what they will do.



P

Post results of those please.

I missed a rock chuck at 911 yards by a RCH with the 75 ELDM out of my Tikka. Doped the wind perfectly but just a bit short.

I've been using the 80gr ELD-M out of my .223 as the 75gr doesn't shoot quite as well. 2810fps out of an 18 inch barrel (case full of ADI AR2208 aka Varget).

I've shot in the last 9 months: 2 red deer hinds, 1 red stag, 2 fallow bucks, 1 fallow doe, 2 large bull tahr, 2 wild pigs, 19 feral goats. Every animal has died satisfactorily. One of the tahr ran about 10 or 20 metres. More or less everything else has dropped on the spot.

Ranges of 150-270 metres on various deer, about 60 metres on the 2 tahr, 0 to 400 metres on the feral goats.

I haven't taken the .260 out of the safe since I got the .223. It just works and I like the light recoil and low powder charge (25 gr) which is great when powder is so hard to get at the moment.

I've shot dozens of animals with the 147gr ELD-M in 6.5mm out of .260 (and dozens more with the old 140gr Amax out of various 6.5s) and it kills with an effectiveness that is difficult to overstate. It is incredibly good.

Great report!
Where are you placing most of your shots on these animals?

yes pharm please post up of on game results buddy.
Big Ed

Can't argue with Path Films NZ results. I have had good luck with the 75 gr. Amax in the 223 and even larger cartridges like the 6mmx22. The ELD-M is very similar to the A-Max.

In the 6mms this has not worked out as well, the 105 A-Max was not bad but both the ELD-M and ELD-X seem on the soft side to me. I have only taken two deer so far, one with a 243 and the other with a 6mm AI so not enough to really form an opinion on yet. Maybe with R26 and esp. in the AI I am pushing these too fast for close in shots with the 6mms. Maybe the 223 holds them in the ideal velocity window more?

In the 223 I would not hesitate to use the ELD's but if I got a deal on Accubonds or just about any other hunting bullet I would go with that first. This includes all the premiums from 55 grains up.

High shoulder or just behind the shoulder in the lung. Turns the lungs to soup.

108 eld-ms hammer stuff full stop. That’s from shy of 2900 launch

75’s don’t suck but I prefer 77gr tmk inside of 200. They for sure hold together more

That’s across 30 critters give or take

Pathfilms,

Would that fallow go 200 if the other side was palmated?

No idea! Maybe? It isn't as palmated on the right side though. It's a cool head

bingo

^^^^

That.

I’ve killed my share of deer with a 223, but since I now travel less and hunt primarily the southeast, every other center fire rifle chambering I have is a helluva lot better for the needs here. If I go back to some of my old haunts to hunt, I’d think on the 223 again. Around here, fatter seems to outperform flatter. If it’s all I had, I’d not sweat it....just probably be a little more methodical on when and where for the shot.

I think that is the sweet spot for the 108s and at 3,200 - to near 3,400 is outside of the comfort zone for that bullet. I think this is true of the 22 cal. 75s they work great at sub 3,000 fps velocities. Have not tried the 77s.

i haven't shot the 77gr tmk from anything other then an 18" rifle lengthand BHA factory fodder. 2750 and a .41bc is how it trues out for me

started off the season with a 77gr into an antelope at 500 something yards.. then switched over the the 75gr eld eld'm won't hold up through a spine at 100, exit through a neck at 25, or exit at anything less then 200 yards. i got an exit at 275.. huge wound channel, big exit. 100 broadside was like a bomb

but they do make good holes down to about 1800fps. that the key. tipped a good whitetail at 600ish yards and it was hooves up in 4 steps.

and while the 77gr tmk does upset at the same velocity threshold it meets that barrier 100 yards closer. atmospheres dependent obviously.

I have a 700 classic in .223 that I don't know what the twist rate even is, but it shoots both 64gr Win PP and 64gr. Nosler BSB equally well. I have not tried longer bullets in it though.

I also have a tang safety m77 in .22-250 that shoots the BSB just fine, and I think it's 1:14.

The length of bearing surface is what seems to be the issue.

Midway had them on sale as seconds yesterday, the 75 gr. ELDM. Still some to be had but you have to get 500, still for 80 bucks not bad.

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?filters=4294966501