Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game ELDX bullets and close shots

What has been the collective experience with the ELDX bullet at close range - say 30-40 yards being launched around 2900-3000?

I called Hornady to get a bit of info on the 175 ELDX loads and discussing what I had in mind, he recomended against the ELDX for shots at that range and velocity (7PRC for reference). He opined it would not give an exit - which I'd expect - but did not give a glowing review of encounters with shoulder bones at that distance/velocity.

I'd also add the 175 gr Accubond LR to the inquiry on close shots at 2900-3000.

My only "experience" was in Newfoundland a couple of years ago. Two different guys in camp, both using ELDX's in 30 cal, 1 in a .308 and the other .30-06. I think they were 178's???
The guy with the .308 shot a caribou at about 60 yards, quartering away. The bullet made it to the 1st lung. It ran a long ways before dropping. The bullet was in pieces. Horrible penetration. I saw the bullet pieces.
The guy with the .30-06 shot a nice bull moose at about the same distance, broadside. According to the guide, the first shot was well placed in the lungs. He had enough time to empty his gun and get into his pack for more ammo, before it dropped. None of the other bullets were placed very well after the bull started moving. Later examination showed the first bullet barely made it into the first lung and was in many pieces. I saw the pieces. I'll never use that bullet.

Ready to get flamed.

I'd say to use them like you are shooting an SST or old-school 1980's-1990's NBT. My limited experience with them at sub-2700fps impact velocity has shown them to not be serious penetrator. They are not advertised as being such, so no real issue for me if I know that when I pick my shot.

A 2900-3000fps impact can put a lot of stress on nearly any cup/core bullet.

I can testify only of the 143 from a CM @ 30 yrds……😂😂😂! memtb

Not the ELD-X, but I’ve seen the 180 ELD-M impact a bull moose on a frontal shot at ~30 m. The bullet was launched at 2930 fps at the muzzle. Impact was above the brisket, and the bullet penetrated about 4’ of moose before exiting at the rear of the rib cage. Moderate wound channel and the bull had 4 hooves in the air about as fast as I could blink after the shot. Don’t see that all that often with moose. I was quite impressed with both the bull’s reaction and the bullet performance.

This was from last year.

That's pretty serious penetration really on a moose. I like the ELD's myself but I'd never have expected it to stay on point like that for 4 ft of moose.

I have used the 147's a decent amount around the 2700 start speed and they've acted great on deer. I used the 212 on a bull started at 2700 from an 06 at 390 yards and it crushed both front legs and was found on the hide.

I think a close shot with the ELD X when started above 2700 might be really messy myself. That is only my opinion and Jordan proves they work there. I'd love to blast one into jugs up close just to see what comes out, knowing it isn't an animal, but it is a good stress test on the bullet.

I don't have crap for animal data of ABLR's up close, other than a bunch I [bleep] into jugs at 25 yards. They'd lose about 50-60% and the expanded base was recovered which, is so similar to the 175's we just recovered out of 2 elk shot at 595 and 605 yards.

So I ain't answered anything, but those are my experiences with both. I do have a feeling the 175 has enough mass to get deep enough, whereas the example of the 178's on moose and caribou are kind of the light end of the thinly jacketed bullets to perform real well.

212 from the elk at 390 from an 06



212 at 25 yards in jugs




210 ABLR from a 300 Wby

I forgot to mention, I sold my Ridgeline 300 RUM to one of my great buddies at work. He has 4 bulls to it's credit since I sold it, all using the Hornady 220 ELD's. He hasn't found a bullet, but he doesn't dig around like some of us animals. He does mention no elk has MOVED after the bullet touched down. I was worried about it when we first started setting his gun up. Apparently it was an unfounded worry cause he is pounding elk with them, from 150 to 400 yards.

I agree, Scott. I never would have expected such performance from the ELD-Ms before I started using them, being standard tipped C&C bullets, but I have been impressed by the terminal performance of the high-SD models. Again, my experience is mainly with the ELD-M, not the ELD-X. Quite frankly, I was pretty surprised/impressed with the performance of the 180 impacting at ~2900 on that frontal shot on the bull moose. Wasn’t expecting that kind of penetration, for sure. But after seeing a bunch of critters fall to the 147 and 180 ELD-M, from about 30-500 m, I’ve come to expect deep penetration, moderate wound channels, and 1.25-1.5” exits.

Surprisingly, I haven’t caught one yet, but that is likely due to the type of shot I typically take with the ELD-M, versus something like a LRX, which I’m much more willing to send through bone and tough angles. My recovery rate of the 127 LRX has been higher than the 147 ELD in the last few years. In fact, I caught another 127 LRX this year on a slightly quartering away shot on a big MD buck. The bullet entered near the 3rd-from-rear rib and crashed into the offside humerus, where it chipped some bone and stopped. It fairness, it was the largest bodied deer I’ve ever seen on the ground.

That's great intel. You could almost talk me into trying one in the Mashburn..

I recall the first season I was using the 143 gr. ELD-X on elk. This was during Covid when dang near anything bonded was unobtainium.

I had an elk quartering-to right around 60 yards in the dark woods. Because of the ELD-X I chose to just stare at 'em until it walked off.

Next day however, I got a nice 150 yard shot tight behind the leg crease. No drama ensued.

Only at creed speeds. You would think there would be enough ass in a 175 to do the job even if the front half blew up

My buddy just sent me the other 175 ABLR we pulled out of the elk.

Only ELDX I recovered. Others have been stopped by hogs but I did not go digging for them.



Only ABLR I recovered. Others were also stopped by hogs and I didn't go digging for them.

To me that looks excellent. Starting vel? Distance?

Yeah those eldx core/jackets come apart. But they sure kill well.

Wife shot a relatively heavy bodied forky mule deer this year at 115 yards, broadside but slightly uphill shot. 150 gr ELD-X factory 7mm-08. It was like the buck was hit with a lightning bolt, straight dead before he hit the ground. I had her reload quickly thinking she may have spine stunned it and anticipating him getting back up, he never even twitched. This sounds like a glowing review and its hard to argue with an instantly dead deer but it did catch the bullet and I was NOT impressed with what was left.

My scale is refusing to work so I don't have a weight on it but essentially 80% of the jacket stayed intact and it shed essentially everything else. Bullet was pretty badly mangled, no "petals" or "mushroom", the base was intact but so shallow it surprised me. I had thought/hoped this load might do well on elk for her rifle and it might at a more extended range but I would not shoot an elk with one myself after analyzing this one. Unfortunate because it is quite accurate in her Ruger American with a B&C stock (great upgrade) and I had bought 5 boxes at a good price. It's probably ok for deer and antelope but I cannot in good faith recommend this bullet for reliable penetration within 150 yards, and that's at factory 7mm-08 velocities. She did not hit the shoulder bone but did get a rib and nicked the spine due to the angle, messed up a chunk of backstrap which caught the bullet.

Ill be sticking to Partitions or Mono's for elk and load the same as this brass becomes used.

I think it’s all in what we wanna see and our experience but that kinda performance on deer is what I want actually. Understand totally what you mean about elk though, but one of them in the ribs would’ve likely netted the same results

Hornadys don’t usually look pretty recovered but they do kill pretty well it seems.

Great account of the shot though.

My last elk, earlier this year, was a cow at 405 yards the 178 gr ELD-X from the 30-06 did well, but...

For elk at modest range, I'd feel more comfortable with Partition, bonded or mono bullets. I don't hunt elk often and like stacking the odds in my favor with a tougher bullet for elk.

Guy