Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters I will not use a 175 ELD X on game again

Shallow surface wounds both on and behind the shoulder. 2-3 times they spider web cracked the on side scapula without going through it, like a rock chip in a windshield. Never found a trace of those bullets. No fragments, no nothing.

I had just enough instances where they worked as they should have to keep me using them for a few more times. That, and to have a decent sample size before turning to something else. After loosing (I believe) 2 cows that I am 100% positive I hit properly, and the others being shot 3-4 times before going down, I moved on to the 135 classics and have been significantly happier.

I am half convinced it was my particular rifle, but that is a different discussion, and one that has been brought up 3-4 times on this board.

I moved away from partition style and mono bullets years back. Too many instances of pencil holes with with long track jobs on good chest hits. Switched back to cup and core and some bonded bullets, and have been pleased with the results.

Used a 7mm RM with 162 ELD-X this year for deer and elk. Took a buck MD at 390 and a cow elk at 575. Both mid chest hits. Terminal results were excellent. Overall, have taken a lot of game with Hornady bullets of various designs as well as similar bullets from Sierra, Remington Core-loct, Winchester PP, etc, through the years, and while not always picture perfect mushrooms, they have proven to be effective killers.

If constrained to use monos, I'd run them in higher velocity cartridges and keep impact velocity at 2200 or above. I know monos can be effective and tend to group tight, but I will continue running lead as long as I'm able, and the majority of them will likely be from Hornady, largely due to availability.

My observation is welcome to the bullet dilemma. Using a magnum inside 300 yards is quite a bit different than using a non magnum SA, i.e., 308 Win., 7-08 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, etc. Step up to non magnums that act like magnums out of the gate like 25-06 Rem, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 30-06, then you have your magnums. All of which portray different outcomes when it comes to bullet performance.

Bullets will act differently due to the impact velocities each of these cartridges display as well as their design makeup and the size (mass) of the animal being shot.

Expansion, non expansion, over expansion, over penetration, reduced penetration are all possibilities based on the aforementioned characteristics. In many cases a 308 Win shows better penetration and controlled expansion on game at 300 yards than a 300 Winchester Magnum, the comparison is different however at 500 yards. Selecting a bullet should be predicated on size of game at a predicted distance. The latter being somewhat of a crap shoot as one never knows the distance for sure.

The mass of an animal is an important consideration as to the bullet selected. Mass, bone and muscle are resisters to penetration and will initiate rapid expansion at close range with high velocity on eld-x, Bergers, SST, BT, etc. Using a Barnes at close range at high speed on game usually leads to petal loss and pass throughs. With bullets being used at 400-600 yards the magnums would perform more in line with these bullet design intentions.

The old standbys outside the mono design such as SP Interlocks, Partitions and A-Frames are some of the the best on larger game out to 400 yards. They tend to work fine down to 125 yards and out at 400 yards. This dilemma is a hunter’s own doing in my opinion by being less interested in bullet construction and mass of game animal versus having wonder thoughts about killing game animals at 600-700 yards whereby BC is their only governing factor for bullet choice. Only one man’s observation.

Good post.

Having recently purchased a 7 RM, this discussion is very timely. I've seen many such posts and pics of fragmented ELDX bullets. Enough that I bought several hundred 175 gr AB LR. I've seen/heard some disappointing results with the ABLR but have alot more faith in a bonded core bullet than a straight cup and core. I'll only get 1 wonky result with the ABLR before my gun becomes a 175 gr Partition or 160 AB rifle.

I shot the 129 ABLR for a while in a 6.5 and I'd say I was more impressed with that bullet than I was with the 143 ELDX. It offered more consistent penetration with decent weight retention and expanded diameter.

Interesting. I would have switched as well. The two worst types of bullet performance are the splash and the unpredictable. Precisely the reason I gave up on Hornady HPs, could never tell what they would do when they landed. If they’re consistent you can adjust and make them work. When it’s a crap shoot every time is when I give up.

Because the M version works well on game, as where the X version has mixed reviews.

The problem with 75gr Amax/eld-m is that ur probably gonna push them too hard for what they do out of that 223ai. I shot a mule deer buck at 100 yards or so with the 75 eld with 26gr of lever and it was not pretty. Very shallow vmax like wound. Just inside the ribs. Big flesh wound.

I’m sure that buck would have died eventually somewhere. Shot it in the neck when it was running off. And it died.

About 10 minutes before I shot a doe in the neck at 25 yards and she flipped instantly but wounding was explosive and very shallow. If memory serves nothing made it past the spinal column.

the previous bunch of kills and ones after with the 77gr tmk it was a super long string of bang flops or death dashes.


Whereas the eld-x is literally an sst in slippery shape, better tip.

If ur reloading the 7mm.. the 162gr amax/eld has such a long history from 7mm-08 to 7mag of being absolute hammers on tahr, stags on down to goats I couldn’t in good faith recommend anything else.

Jordan, I understand that but my point being this, I used what Hornady directed me to use for hunting. If I used the M, I could only imagine their response if I called to complain it didn’t work on an Elk.

Well, I got news for them, their designated hunting bullet did not work at 250 yards in their much touted 7 PRC.

I've been whacking pigs with my new'ish 6.5 PRC and the 143gr Bondstrike factory ammo from Norma. It's a kickasss bullet, much like the accubond. The ammo is supremely accurate as well. The only other bullets that interest me in the 6.5mm are the 130 accubond and 139gr Scenar, which is superb (no surprise).

I'm admittedly hard-headed though, and think Steve Hornady the Covtard and his Hornady bullets suck.

Understood. And I get your disappointment. But is the point here to make a solid argument when you speak with Hornady, or to simply use something that works?

I can recommend both the 180 ELD-M and the 145 LRX. For me, they are used for different scenarios, but both work.

Hate to add gas to the fire....

I called Hornady about 3 weeks ago when I was planning my own 7 mag and inquired about the 175 ELDX at 7 PRC/RM velocities. He advised against the ELDX and steered me to the 160 GMX if I thought elk might show up closer than 100 yards. That makes sense to me but it seems like that number should be more like 300 yards given initial starting velocity of the bigger 7s and numerous reports of 175 ELDX issues.

I must be the only guy on the planet that shoots elk at distances that don't require dialing. Not that I'm against longer ranges, I just seem to set myself in situations where having my scope set at a 200 yard zero has worked. In fact I've yet to shoot an elk past 225-30 long steps (can't remember exactly, just remember it was over 250 steps....).

I've also passed up more than a few elk that were on the far side of 400. I plan to address those 400-450 yard elk with this new pea shooter and the 175 ABLR. I still don't plan on any 500 yard shots regardless of the projectile.

"I just seem to set myself in situations where having my scope set at a 200 yard zero has worked. In fact I've yet to shoot an elk past 225-30 long steps (can't remember exactly, just remember it was over 250 steps..."

Bill, I think you should load some 165 PT's for your .308 and sleep on it. I think you'll feel better in the morning.

Hornady does not make an M for the 270, guess I am SOL.

.Guess I will have to continue slumming mono's, bonded, and IL's at Fudd distances. Sarcasm on.

I am a Fudd and kind of feel that if a hunter can not get under 300 yards, said hunter should probably not fill the tag. That is my opinion, but I have killed dozens of animals under 20 Yards with my traditional archery equipment. Bear, moose, elk, and deer.

I have had plenty of good times banging away at steel out to 1000 yards. Enough experience to know to limit my shots on game, especially in windy conditions.
Which is quite often where I live in western SD.

Didn't the same rifle have problems with Hornadys?

Correct. Move on to what works.

I concur.

Yep, 100%

Correct. 147 ELD-Ms, to be exact. 2 different lots were blowing up at the bbl at ~2850 FPS with an 8 twist.
You're the one that initially made the observation that the rifle could have been the root cause.

The rifle does just fine with 140 AMAX and 135 Berger Classics though. No issues whatsoever on elk, caribou, grizzly and a bunch of other critters.