Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game ELD-X performance?

I have not connected with them yet. How do they compare with some of the others like SSTs and BTs? What is the low end velocity threshold, I believe the add copy says 1,300. Any recovered bullets? I have them loaded for three different rifles so should have first hand experience with them soon.

My limited experience points to them being somewhat SST-ish on game, and probably not as stout as a comparable NBT. This is not an altogether bad thing if you are shooting medium-to-heavy for caliber bullets at moderate speeds. Cup/cores are often quick killers in such instances, but it pays to know the nature of the product you are using, as well as the probable limitations.

We use the 150 eldx out of 7mm-08s at 2790 fps. Deer and elk die right now but it’s placement anyway.

We use 162 eldx out of 7mm Rem Mags at 2986 fps. Deer but mainly elk die quickly but again, shoot something through the lungs and it’s gonna die. On recovered bullets (2 only, on elk) weight retention was about 50%, expansion close to 2x caliber.

Very accurate, very slippery, sometimes our shots involve BC so the eldx is our choice.





P

The 150 eldx is bad medicine on deer. I did some doe culling last year on our lease, I'm impressed. Like Pharmseller said deer die right there.

I caught 2 143s from a 6.5 creed.
The first was a complete jacket separation, with fragments. It hit rib, lungs, bottom of spine, offside ribs, and stopped in the offside hide of a dall sheep. ~250 yard shot.

The second was shot into a moose head/neck junction at 200 yards and caught against the hide on the offside. I lost the bullet, and forgot to take a picture, but it was a perfect mushroom, and I'd guess 75% weight retention.

Had excellent penetration on a raking shot through a caribou as well, but did not catch the bullet. Probably 28-30" of chest on a diagonal.

I've not shot an SST into meat, and my BT experience was in 300Win, so not really apples to apples...

Interestingly enough, I am about to do some bullet testing on whitetails next week. I am heading to GA with a 7mm Mauser using 120 grain NBTs, a 7-08AI using 162 grain ELD-X and a 280 Encore using 150 grain NBTs.

I realize it isn't quite apples to apples comparison, but I am very interested to see how they all perform. I am allowed one doe per day, so I hope to shoot a doe with each to see the differences, if any.

I thought I read somewhere that the ELDX is just an interlock with the new polymer tip? It should do just as well as the good ol interlock? No?

According to Hornady:

"The thick shank of the jacket and high Interlock ring keep the core and jacket together providing 50-60% weight retention. Upon low velocity, 400+ yard impacts, the Heat Shield tip drives backward into the bullet to initiate expansion. Exhibiting conventional expansion with a large mushroom and 85-90% retained weight the bullet provides deep penetration and large wound cavities.

Features

Heat Shield Tip forms the perfect meplat
No tip deformation from aerodynamic heating
Match accurate hunting bullet
Devastating terminal performance at all ranges"

Like any CC bullet, I always go heavy for caliber to help aid in better bullet performance on game animals. My last bull was shot with a plain jane Hornady interlock. It did a bang up job, no complaints here... My buddy has used the ELDX on elk with great results. He uses the 200gr Hornady precision hunter in his 300WSM. Again, "heavy for caliber"...

I'd much rather use a VLD than one. Not impressed....

Are you pin drilling the tips to make sure you get expansions?



I started pin drilling all mine after I had one not open problem solved.

143eldx.



590 yards.



145 eldx. 400ish.

The campfire cut.
Smells like trout and bourbon.


But you eat it anyway.


143eldx
Also 143 eldx. 650yards



They stone [bleep] dead.

My apologies if the pics are reruns at I know same old shït gets boring.

No problem Fred, I hadn't seen them. Pretty ghastly stuff. What was the launch platform?

Yup. That's what I do. Every single time...

Small sample, but I watched a rag bull take four (4) 7mm ELDXs straight to the chest this year, and he stumbled around for a full minute or so before falling over.

145 was a 270win
143 was a 6.5 4s
162 was 7-08 AI.

Dead on its feet after one?

Copy that. I as well. But I go with the bullet that shoots the absolute best so I have been shooting eldx and EldM, vlds and LRAB lots lately.

I've watched a coues deer take about as much...

Piss pour wound channels on all sorts of other stuff I've seen with them..

All sorts of bullets do weird stuff....

I was being sarcastic....I don't do a thing...

I really do as I’ve had them plug and not open.

While I’ve never had it happen a friend seen some fail to expands on his mountain goat.

If I’m hunting with them I run a PCB bit into the tip to ease my mind. Been doing that for a few years.

ELDX have been pretty decent, still prefer Berger’s or scenars.

Yes. About as perfect of a hit as a guy could hope for.

Are you also being sarcastic? 😎🤣🤣🤣.

He's got to be. What idiot would keep pumping an animal full of lead, if they knew it was "dead on its feet"?? Just sayin..

My hand is raised

T is good as they get so I expected there’s a reason.

I know here we hunt public ground and elk isn’t yours until it’s dicks in the dirt so maybe he was claiming it with the last three.

I have even shot them for trying to get up. Just saying.

It’s really surprising that bullet manufacturers cannot figure out how to make some high BC bullets that are built with a better bonding process. With the increase in long range hunting it seems every hunting forum has these discussions about Hornady and Berger bullets with many mixed reviews on these frangible bullets performance on game.

LR shooting, results in low impact speeds which require softer projectiles to open. With the lack of hydrostatic shock a bullet that opens rapidly is a great benefit.
The problem is most hunters end up using these bullets inside the window where velocity is still adequate to open even the best premium bullets. Then they bitch that the bullet failed. My opinion is that the regular nosler Accubond is the best bullet for all ranges. I Concede that it’s not necessarily the best at any one given range but it covers the gamut of all ranges the best. It’s just good enough for about any hunting speed or distance.

But when chasing BC the harsh reality is that the bullets that give the best BC have been designed intentionally to be very soft.
If they weren’t there would be a guy that had a bullet failure at 1100 yards and the bullet would be blackballed ASAP.

8


I shot one of my bigger bulls a second time as he was on his back, all four hooves in the air. I thought he was going to get up and I wanted to avoid that.



P

Agree .
Amazing at the number of threads i've read over the years at LRH , here and other places .
7mm magnum shooter shoots a deer WAY OUT THERE at 250 yards then complains about the LR bullet grenading the deer . It's not as bad as it was 12-15 years ago .

I've learned to shoot it they're wigglin, maybe it's the terrain we have, but I don't like trailing shiit

If it is still moving it is still catching bullets

I've also found the standard NAB to be tough to beat for all-around use as a hunting bullet. The 130gr 6.5mm and 160gr 7mm versions have been very dependable on game.

Oh, they absolutely know how to do it. The reason they don't is that not enough people will pay for them to justify the cost of manufacture.

I probably won’t be using them after using them this year.

Me neither

Notta.

Elk didn't go anywhere but in a circle, so the shooter started putting more rounds in him. One shot (the third, I believe by the animal's reaction) was a bit back in the liver or possible front part of the guts) but the other three shots were solid in the lungs.

Just one of those times, I guess.

I trust that you're the sarcastic one.

Agreed. Get all set up to kill animals at 5-700 yds. End up killing most game at 60 yards.


I did put a 147 EldM through a wolf at 400 yds this fall. Very little damage to my surprise. Pencil sizes in and out. Didn’t poke around in internals but the wolf sure went down in a hurry with minimal flopping.

It is amazing how mixed the reports are on the ELDX. I have not shot them, except on a range test and they shot very well. A friend shot a big Nebraska cow elk at about 80 yards, with one a couple years ago, using a 6.5x55 ai (about 3000 fps). It had a complete pass through and left a decent hole on the exit. They are suppose to be Interlocks, but i think that the addition of the plastic tip, makes them come apart easier. I like standard Interlocks in about any caliber for deer and i think they are more reliable than what I have seen and read about the ELDX. I am, however, a fan of the 6.5, 147ELDM on deer. I have flopped quite a few of them out to 400 yards, doing depredation work in the summer and also some antelope and deer in the fall/winter.

Trust me, there was no sarcasm, Just sayin.

I found the 143 from my 6.6 creedmoor to be very meat destructive, very quick kills though.

I shot 7mm 140 gr AB's whilst awaiting Nosler to bring the same bullet in 150 gr to market. In the interim I learned the 140's were solid, reliable performers. I like them in my 7 Wby's, 280's & 280 AI.

I found the 143 eld x 6.5 creed. very soft and destructive in 2 deer and 2 elk. All shots were around 200 yds. and all bullets were still in the animal. In one gun I switched to 140 gr Sierra game kings and had less destruction and better penetration. I probably won't buy any more eldx bullets.

This is a 178 Eld X started at 3000 fps from a 300 Win Mag. Hit a mule deer buck nearly straight on. The bullet went about 14" and weighted 48 grains. I did not find any of the lead core.

I was skeptical of this round based on a few observed failures by others. I have a new 300 wsm that loves it though. Tried many premium factory loads and the precision hunter was sub MOA out to 600 yards. Others touched it, but the Hornady was best.

I killed an elk at 630 yards with it. The shot was frontal and through the neck and a devastating terminal hit, regardless of bullet, but the eldx certainly delivered. Retained 0.40 oz, so 87% of its 200 gr weight.

TimberRunner: Just about perfect performance but at 400 the ELD-X was in it's designed element. I get a lot of close shots so I hope I don't regret stocking up on the ELD-Xs.

Agree with others that the Accubond is about as good as it gets for all around use. The AB seems to combine the best of the BT and Partition. I am also liking the LRAB but have only shot three deer with them so far. The LRAB are working well for quick kills but with 50%+ weight retention I don't have to be picky about the shots I take. Although they fragment more than the standard AB it is not uncontrolled.

300 win mag, 200 grn, 25 yds, deer, behind shoulder, golf ball exit. 300 wsm, 200 grn 150 yds, deer behind shoulder, golf ball exit. No bullet recovery. Eld-x worked fine for us.

143gr eld-X, 6.5CM. 168 yards, buck antelope.


I've only killed 4 animals so far with this, 2 Blacktail bucks and 2 antelope bucks. All 4 have fallen straight down, zero travel. I haven't noticed a lot of unnecessary meat damage.

Amazing. A bullet designed for longer-range hunting apparently works well at longer ranges, but occasionally doesn't when pushed fast at closer ranges.

One not-so-odd thing I've noticed over the past several years is how many hunters apparently still believe any "long range bullet" requires high muzzle velocity, even if they plan to use it at closer ranges. Then they bitch when the bullet doesn't perform like they think it should.

Rifle loonies are loony indeed. Gotta bitch about something. obsessions easily turn into OCD issues.
I missed out on the go to the gas station or mom and pop hardware store on the way out to hunt and buy whatever bullets they had on the shelf and then go shoot stuff. I started re-loading at 10 years old and became a bullet snob at an early age. I wanted a bullet that not only would work from any angle or any range but one that would also cut and wrap the meat. Still looking for that bullet.

The problem is they don’t advertise it as a long range only bullet. They advertise it as an all range bullet. Per Hornady....

DEVASTATING CONVENTIONAL RANGE PERFORMANCE

With high velocity 0-400 yard impact, the bullet continually expands throughout its penetration path. The thick shank of the jacket and high InterLock® ring keep the core and jacket together providing 50-60% weight retention.

Most pictures I see the jacket and core are not kept together. They shoot good for me but It’s not hard to second guess hunting with them with an almost 50/50 consensus of good to poor reports. I’ve seen guys reporting as little as 30% weigh retention on empty jackets.

Do you really believe that the people you’re reading reviews from actually know what they’re looking at with a bullet and wound path? 90% of “reviews” still think energy, weight rentention, exit wound size, and how a bullet looks after it has killed, has ANY effect on how well the bullet actually killed.

ELD-X’s that have core jacket separation, almost always do so at the very end of the wound channel. As the bullet slows, the wider and lighter jacket gets stopped before the heavier and smaller core. If they actually understand what they were looking at, most of the time they’d find the core just past the jacket.... Neither of which has ANY correlation to how well the bullet killed.

Good points there. I've had some cup cores leave a small exit hole with the core, while the larger expanded jacket itself hangs in the hide. I've seen others separate in my hand when I dug them out from under the hide. The main thing there is that things hung together well enough for most of the ride and there was enough penetration to go along with the wrecking of tissue.

I will say that there are instances where I really want an exit hole, and in those instances I am generally not going to go with a standard cup/core, because that is not what cup/cores excel at.

I love these threads as they are very entertaining and informative. The bullet manufacturers and their marketing people sure know how to push our buttons. Higher BC's, New Jacket designs, fancy tips, etc. I can say I'm no choir boy either since I get caught up in the what's new hype too. Having said that, when it comes time to go and punch a tag my rifle is loaded with Nosler Partitions. No need to reinvent the wheel as seasoned hunters know Partitions just kill chit.

AlaskaCub,

I have posted this before, but last fall I killed a big-bodied New Mexico mule deer buck at 101 yards (yeah, had to laser it to make sure--after the deer was dead) using the 6.5 Creedmoor and 143-grain ELD-X. The buck was standing broadside but in a patch of Gambel oak, and thelmost open path to the vitals was to aim right in the middle of the shoulder. At the shot the buck dropped and never moved.

Found the bullet under the hide on the far side, the core loose but lying less than an inch from the jacket. It had not only broken the near shoulder, but the bottom of the spine and the far shoulder. Had no means to weigh the buck, but the boned meat went exactly 100 pounds, and generally boned meat is about 1/3 of live weight. (The jacket and core weighed 60% of 143, and I could not care less that they separated at the end of the bullet's path.)

The day before my hunting partner had killed an even bigger-bodied mule deer buck with the same cartridge and bullet, but at 311 yards--lasered before the shot. The buck stood quartering away and the bullet landed in the middle of the ribs on the left side. The buck jumped a little, a definite heart-lung hit, then staggered maybe 30 yards before keeling over. The bullet was found under the hide of the right shoulder, core intact, retaining 74% of its original weight.

The year before an Arizona friend killed a 6x6 bull elk at at little over 200 yards with his 6.5/.284, using the 143 ELD-X. The bull was above him on a slope, and the bullet entered the ribs, broke the bottom of the spine, and went through the far shoulder blade. "Unfortunately" it exited, so we have no idea how misshapen it was, but the bull rolled down the hill dead.

So, three one-shot kills on 300 to 700 pound animals, from 101 to 311 yards. I would call those closer-range shots--but the fact is that the ELD-X was indeed designed for longer-range shooting, which is why Hornady brags up the BC and accuracy, before pointing out that it will work closer as well.

From what I have seen over the past couple of years, the ELD-X (and SST) expand and penetrate about like Interlock Spire Points of the same general weight, when started at about the same velocity. Whether any of the three look like the "ideal mushroom" when recovered is pretty much beside the point, as Formidilosus pointed out. What matters is sufficient penetration and damage to the vitals to put animals on the ground.

Cant argue with that performance!

I killed a very large GA boar yesterday evening. The shot was 254 yards with my 7-08AI using a 162 grain ELD-X at 2730 fps muzzle velocity. The pig weighed in at 273 lbs. I hit a bit lower than I wanted to.



Here is a pic of the entrance wound. As you can see, these bullets open pretty quickly. I had a similar entrance on a doe that I shot at about 75 yards. On the doe, the exit looked exactly the same as the entrance.



Here is the exit. You can see that the core did fragment a bit, but the core and jacket were not in the pig. He only went about 40 yards and there was good blood after about 5 yards. He went into the thickest stuff you can find in middle GA, but we were able to follow blood right to him.



I also killed a 40 pound "cream puff" pig and the bullet performed exactly how I expected it to. Three shots, three kills and none of the animals went over 40 yards.

Damn that pig looks like half moo cow! wow!

This buck was hit broadside at 130 yards and the bullet did exit with a small exit hole. My son said the bullet looked like it penciled through. I would not be surprised if the bullet expanded and went through like a partition does with a small diameter by the time it exits. Sometimes the majority of the damage is about the size of a softball in the near lung.

300 win mag 178 Eldx started at 3000 fps.

Anyways, it did work.

Beautiful buck. How far did he go post-impact?



P

The deer only went down. My son said that the opposite shoulder was hit and he did have to give it coup de gras with a knife.

Came here to learn about ELDs and also found out I’m a total and complete idiot.

The 143 eldx out of my buddies creedmor, failed to exit a smallish Alabama doe, at about 60 yards. Broadside shot hit a rib and blew apart. DRT, but shocked it didn’t exit a doe, broadside at 60 yards. Really starting to rethink this bullet in my 6.5-06.

Hunting buddy here caught a 143 on a slightly quartering away doe last week. He’s been shooting a .308 with 165gr loads and is not used to catching bullets.

Likewise Ralphie, didn't know I was doing it so wrong. And to think I even advise others to keep shooting if the animal is still on it feet!

Schitt happens. He may shoot 20 more critters at same or steeper angle and never catch another. May catch a 165 on his very next broadside animal.

Always amazing when dead animals include an expanded bullet.

Am also still always amazed when hunters assume there was no internal damage, just because the entrance and exit holes are similar in size.

Does everybody do "gutless" these days, or do some still field-dress animals? If field-dressing, they should be able to tell pretty easily whether the bullet expanded inside the chest.

😂😂😂

Here is what I have killed so far with the ELD-X:

Precision Hunter 7mm WSM 162 ELD-X
- 160” Mule Deer buck @ 80 yards, double lung, exit.
- Buck Pronghorn @ 100 yards, frontal, exit
- 4x3 Whitetail buck @ 225 yards, broadside, exit
- whitetail doe & 150 yards, broadside, exit
- whitetail doe @ 100 yards, shoulders, exit
- whitetail doe @ 200 yards, shoulder, exit
- 4x4 Coues deer, 215 yards, lungs, exit

Precision Hunter 280 Rem 150 ELD-X
- 3 whitetail does @ 250 yards, high double shoulder, exit.

Have also seen 4-5 animals killed with 308 Win 178 ELD-X.

Won’t argue they are the best bullet for all scenarios but I have seen solid performance so far on 15+ animals.

I haven't killed anything with an ELD-X....but I've certainly been happy with the 108m in 6CM. I've punched shoulders at close range (purposely) without issue and have "trapped" a few on shots I'd expect to trap them on (from very dead deer). I don't really shy away from caught bullets as long as they reach that offside.

143 did just fine at 100 yds. Kinda funny though that we chase BC to kill most of out animals under 200yds. I wouldn’t even attempt a 400+ shot on the animals I am looking for.

I’ve killed 4 bucks with the ELD-X in the last two years. One with a 6.5PRC and the rest with a short 308. 3 of them failed to exit. Both on high shoulder and behind the shoulder. These were all less than 75 yard shots. The other with the 308 was around the 200 mark. It exited in several pieces. None of them went very far, but on a marginal shot, I would appreciate an exit to help with a blood trail.

308 pics- 18” fieldcraft. 30 yd shot

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/14393636#Post14393636

Very true. I find myself going back to Barnes and ABs more and more and not worrying about BC. 90% of my hunting is in the mountains, different terrain and I might would have a different opinion I guess.

True on most of my killing being at shorter ranges. Wooded mountainsides keep most of my ranges short but the ag fields at the bottom of the mountain can give 800+ yard opportunities. As long as the same bullet will perform well at the shorter ranges, I'd prefer to be able to use it at longer ranges and while shooting during the off season. Mainly because of lack of time, I've lost any desire to have more than one load for any rifle....I don't want to experiment, I just want to mass produce, get drops, shoot a lot, and kill stuff. A "decent" BC is a plus but not as important as bullet performance to me.

+1


lefty

Well said. I’m in the same boat with the one load per rifle.

I wonder if he checked well for the cup inside the chest cavity. Core may have caused the small exit.

Spot on. I have had this approach for a long time. Once I find a good load, I rarely switch bullets, unless I just want to test some that I got a good deal on. I don't like the expense of copper bullets, but would use them on heavy game. I like reasonably-priced, good shooting, standard bullets for the most part.

Punched through both shoulders of a cow gemsbok this weekend with a 6.5 creed 143 at 341 yards. One rib on the way out. Still going as far as I know.


Entrance inside the cage


Exit inside the cage.

Should have took pics on the outside.

Those are great pics NM, thanks. Looks like it couldn't have performed any better. Let me know if you're giving away any gemsbok meat.........

It looks to me like it did well. Those critters are no joke. I shot three of them, when I lived in NM. Best eating ever.

We’ve got two in the freezer now so I bet I can spare! Hahaha

Has anyone heard from Shrapnel? I haven’t seen a post from him since August. Happy Trails

Anyone ever do a bullet trap test with wet catalogs or phone books? Or you can use milk jugs/pop bottles.