Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Real world 230 gr ELDx 338 experience?

I've been using .225 Accubonds in my 338 for a few years. Really good accuracy in my rifle, and no problems with terminal performance. They are unobtanium now, I need a new bullet. Been considering going to the TTSX, but am curious about the Horny 230 gr ELDX. Any real world experience on moose or bears? I know plenty of guys have great things to say about the Barnes bullets, so that is always an option. I had a bad pressure experience with them in a .243 and always have that in the back of my mind when thinking about loading them.

I have been loading 215 TTSX for several 338s for friends, for years. One bullet shot through the pelvis on an ordinary bull stayed in the pelvis. Another hit the spine in the neck of another ordinary bull and crushed about a foot of bone without leaving. Every one besides those two made exit holes.

I have never seen an accubomb exit. I have seen quite a few shot...

That 230 grain ELD X is 5 grains weight difference over the .338 225 grain SST same construction. The "interlock" ring is a joke.

If you want a good, affordable 338 bullet for general purpose Alaska stuff raven Rocks has oryx .338 230 grain oryx in stock $39 per 50. They retain more weight than those .338 accubond bullets:

https://ravenrocksprecision.com/norma-338-cal-230gr-oryx-bullets-50-ct/

Here's a 225 .338 sst that went a few inches into a cow moose my disabled hunting buddy shot (I had to track it/recover it/butcher it). Turned into a fragmented pancake, shallow wound, lots of wasted bloodshot meat:

Thanks for the replies. 79S generously hooked me up with some 225 Accubonds, so I'll keep the status quo for now. I've killed a few moose with those from about 100yds to 430 yds with no issues. They perform close to a partition, which is to say recovered bullets have lost 20-30% of their weight. Often recovered against the hide on the off side.

The one drawback with the tsx that I've heard about is the occasional problem of them pencil holing through. I guess I'd rather have a bullet dump all its energy in the target rather than just passing through.

Mainer, I haven't tried those oryx bullets, might have to do that one of these days.

Now to find some more 4350...

"Energy" does not kill stuff, bleeding does...

Any game that's big enough and tough enough to warrant hauling a .338 Win Mag or a .340 Weatherby around (and its associated recoil) are big enough and tough enough to warrant using only the Barnes 225 TSX or TTSX. Unless they are in the buffalo category, it which case you would use a 250 grain TSX or a 300 grain Woodleigh, were it legal to use that caliber.

3 Bears out on KGB Road had both the IMR & H4350 on the shefl last night, right next to Varget and H4831sc

Dang, Ive got to get down to the K-pen I guess.

KGB road is not on the KP.

This. Energy type bullets always end up creating a problem for me at some point. Barnes I"m still waiting on a problem...I'm sure it will eventually happen, but still happily waiting.

I will admit, I am a big fan of the 225 accubond out of the 338 Win Mag. I am sure anything would work though.

You just need to make a really crappy shot

That will do it every time…..with any bullet! 😉 memtb

Not your Alaska game, but from Pronghorn up through moose down in the Lower 48. My wife has exclusively used the Barnes TTSX 225’s. Closest shot was a frontal on a cow elk at around 30 yards with an end to end exit and an elk at 400 broadside, though it was a high shoulder shot so not much animal to slow it down.

It’s been her only bullet since the mid ‘90’s…..with no failures and no complaints!

My only experience with an ELD X was from a 6.5 Creed at 30 yards on a “milk jug” penetration test. Abysmal performance…. only a few very small shards of bullet jacket found in 3 rd jug. While perhaps not a professional test…..it told me everything I needed to know about the ELD X at close range. Well…..at least in a 6.5 143 grain. I suspect that the .338’s are similarly constructed….I’ll save myself the disappointment by “NOT” trying them on game!!!

I tested a 270 Win. the same day/same method with a 140 TSX…… bullet was drifting off center, penetrating 6 and “nicking” the 7 th. Found the TSX lying on the ground nearby……picture-perfect, typical Barnes mushroom! memtb

I have done very well sticking 143 eldx into vitals.

For whatever you think you need a .338/230 gr. bullet for?

Suggest a heavier constructed bullet.

The lightest I'd recommend is the Speer 250 gr. Grand Slam.

... currently on sale at the mother ship for $20.24/50 box.




GR

Us valley trash are more refined the Kenai peninsula trash. We don’t use paper plates and plastic forks to eat our food.

Knik Goose Bay Road out in Wasyphilis..

out where all the craziest weirdos live, be careful driving in and out

This is true. I avoid the KP as much as possible.

Man that’s big lake and meadows lake. We are fine outstanding citizens out here on kgb. Anything after vine just clump them in with big lake.