Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Caught a 143 ELD-X last night

Thanks .

Interesting the Interlock ring is where expansion stopped. I'll be trying the 103 6mm this season if I get the same jacket separation then will probably go back to the 95 gr. BT. One place we are likely to see some big hogs and I like a tougher bullet for body shots on them. The ELD-X will probably be fine on them too.

Nice Buck.

Looks like excellent performance to me. All that lead that was shed tore stuff up all along the wound channel causing rapid death.

Just what you want!

I have a hard time picturing an empty jacket with that much frontal area doing a lot of penetration by itself, so I'd wager core stuck with it for most of the wound channel. It did kill pretty quickly. I heard the death run, which was through a fairly open section of woods, and guessed he made it 40-50yards. When we made a pass with flashlights at that distance, there he was.

The core can keep going and usually has a good wad cutter or mushroom shape to it. I have heard of instances where the bullet shed it's jacket fairly quickly but the core went on and exited. I have found large pieces of jacket near the entry but never the entire jacket. I have also had bullets caught on the offside hide and when I removed them the core fell out of the jacket. I call these controlled failure bullets, they all came from very dead deer.

My buddy shot a buck this year with the same bullet athough about 200yds. Broadside shot just behind the shoulder, no exit and an identical empty jacket under the opposite hide.

Makes me worry about a less than ideal shot. Hit them in the liver and they might run a long ways.. one little 6.5 hole and no exit isn't making much of a blood trail..

What grain ttsx did you use? I love the ttsx in our .223's. I can't imagine I wouldn't like it in the 6.5

I’ve killed a handful a white-tails with the 143 eld-x. Out of 5, all but one didn’t take a step. One, shot by a buddy was well placed shot, but she ran about 40 yards and zero blood. I’ve killed coyotes and fox with massive damage and one bobcat that went in and out with little expansion and minimal blood. The take away is, they all died very quickly and their insides of non exit kills were completely destroyed...

Great buck and nice shooting.
I’ll stay away from those, but did load up some 130 game changers in 6.5 CM as a deer round and target round. Hmm.
I hope the game changers stay together better than that. If not I am working up LRX load as elk round that could always be used in deer.

Nice buck. Your photo convinces me to use stouter bullets like the Nosler AB or one of the copper monos. There are much more dependable bullets available. Why take the chance.

Congrats! What part of LA are you hunting?

Congrats. Looks like great bullet performance. Good penetration on a quartering shot and apparently enough penetration to put it down quickly. I’ve got a case of factory loaded 143s laying around. May need to try them on deer.

How do you like the HMR?

I think the HMR is very well done for what it is, a fairly heavy tactical-style bolt gun with adjustable stock. The action is slick and well-designed, they shoot well, and the stock has very good ergos. I'd rather have an HMR than a comparable 700 if they're priced similarly. With that being said, I sold mine off to replace it with another adjustable 6.5CM that's a couple pounds lighter and wears a shorter, threaded barrel for a can (Sig Cross).

JPro very nice buck. I've only caught one 143eldx and got almost what you saw. Mine is running 2625 at the muzzle and I hit this Oryx at the top of the blood drip. Left shoulder destroyed lungs shredded from bone and bullet fragments and a 54 grain jacket was in the offside armpit just under the hide. On three wheels he went about 35 yards.

Might be a good recipe for scrambled coyote.

Tom

Good shooting, can't call that bullet failure exactly.

As much as I want to be a fan of the ELD-X, I can’t allow myself to have total confidence in the bullet. I’ve only shot about 12 deer with the bullet, but results have been inconsistent. I’ve also witnessed several other deer shot with the bullet that mirrored my results.

I’ve seen pencil throughs, impact explosions, long death runs with no blood and bang flops. All of these shots have been within 200 yards to be fair. I’m not sure if it’s jacket or core inconsistencies, but no doubt results varied from bullet to bullet. I’m not talking about poor or marginal shot placement either. I’m talking broadside, double lung/heart shots.

I’ve killed my KY buck this year (not with the ELD-X), so I’m now going on doe patrol for the rest of the season. I’m thinking of whacking 5-6 with the 6 Creedmoor and the 103. If I do, I’ll share my results.

Congrats on a nice buck

I've shot a dozen or so with that bullet from a 6 Creedmoor.
So far, it's worked exceedingly well on shoulders and in boilers although none of them have been at spitting distance.

Will be interested in your findings.