180 ELDM?

[bearcat2]

Anybody use these in a 7STW for hunting? I know they are a match bullet but lots of the 6.5 guys swear the ELDM is a better hunting bullet than the ELD-X. I've always shot the 180 Berger VLDs and they shoot great. But I was just looking at the 180 ELDMs and they have a higher BC, are cheaper, and most importantly are available locally. While I have a full box and a partial of the Bergers with the difficulty of finding them (haven't seen any in a while) I was thinking of trying the ELDMs and seeing how they shoot, but didn't know how they would perform on game.

I'm shooting the Bergers right around 3100 which is faster than most of the 6.5 guys are shooting the ELDMs, plus sometimes different calibers of the same bullet perform vastly differently.

 

[txaggie1]

I have had issues with the ELD-X line staying together when high velocities encounter close ranges in my weatherby calibers which cause me to shy away from them and find a stouter bullet. I have mine with 160 accubonds and i had some custom loaded 175 aframes to shoot some plains game here in the texas hill country. Shoots both very well - thought about 175 barnes would be a neat combo.

Wished swift would make some of heavier scirocco's i really like that.

ELD's are very accurate i would just be cautious if my setup would cause me a close encounter. I shot a buck dead to rights and watched him eventually get up after several minutes while i was on the way to him and had to finish him with a pistol. Straight on heart shot with a 257 weatherby. Shame they are deadly accurate!

 

[Bob lee]

I have blow ups using 180 eldm at stw velocities

 

[eshorebwhntr]

There was a guy on here that did a really nice objective write up on why he would never use the 6.5 eld-m variants on game again. Various ranges, various animals. I don't have personal experience with them but the other gentlemen's experiences were convincing and well documented enough to steer me away. Especially when there are plenty of other viable options. I'll have to see if I can find the link.