180gr ELDM for hunting?

[cb4128]

I've had very good luck with Berger hybrids in 6mm, 6.5 and 30 cals. They seem to hold together better on less than ideal angles on animals.

For me they also have seemed to be more consistent in weight, length to ogive and the meplats I've never had to mess with either.

The only Elite Hunter that I've personally had great hunting results with is the 156gr 6.5mm.

It flat out hammers and even exits on big deer.

And I'm talking ranges from 80 yards to 803 yards on animals.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

I've had very good luck with Berger hybrids in 6mm, 6.5 and 30 cals. They seem to hold together better on less than ideal angles on animals.

For me they also have seemed to be more consistent in weight, length to ogive and the meplats I've never had to mess with either.

The only Elite Hunter that I've personally had great hunting results with is the 156gr 6.5mm.

It flat out hammers and even exits on big deer.

And I'm talking ranges from 80 yards to 803 yards on animals.

I just bought a bunch of 175 EH. With your advice I'll be staying off the shoulder. Especially at close range.! Running them 2980-3040 in a PRC

 

[cb4128]

Yah I think that's a good idea but they should shoot awesome.

Here's 5 at 740 yards out of my 7 SAUM with 175gr elite hunters

 

[Ucsdryder]

2850 to 2950 out of a 7saum? That's screaming fast, I'd bet over pressured.

As far as the 180s and big game. They'll kill them dead. A few elk, antelope and deer…almost all pass throughs, golf ball to baseball exit holes is pretty normal.

 

[Ucsdryder]

They wont work any better than the elite hunters. Very poor performance on several elk for me, ok on deer lung shots. I quit using them for hunting.

Ok for deer lung shots? Come on…it's a 180gr bullet doing 2800fps and you're saying they're "ok" for deer in the lungs? A 223 FMJ will do "ok" on deer with lung shots. A 180 eldm will destroys the lungs and punch a baseball going through the other side.

What's the poor performance on several elk? Care to elaborate?

Curious what bullet you've moved to?

 

[cb4128]

Running N560 out of a 22" barrel. 175 elites are going 2,937 fps and several grains below pressure.

It's on a tikka action, loaded to 3.050" COAL - not a short action so definitely a different beast

 

[Ucsdryder]

Running N560 out of a 22" barrel. 175 elites are going 2,937 fps and several grains below pressure.

It's on a tikka action, loaded to 3.050" COAL - not a short action so definitely a different beast

Running a similar setup with h1000 in a tikka long action. Personal experience and what I've read from others, I've never seen someone pushing 3000fps with a 7saum, especially in a shorter barrel. That's faster than most guy are doing with their 7PRC.

A 180 doing 2950 will be deadly on anything in North America as far as you want to shoot them.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Running N560 out of a 22" barrel. 175 elites are going 2,937 fps and several grains below pressure.

It's on a tikka action, loaded to 3.050" COAL - not a short action so definitely a different beast

You have a fast barrel FoSho.

 

[cb4128]

I've had several Brux barrels that run on the fast side after they speed up. Maybe it's luck of the draw

 

[7.62 Gunner]

I currently have a 7 SAUM with a 22" barrel that is my main hunting rifle out west, and I've been shooting the 175gr Berger Elite Hunters out of them for about a year and they are extremely accurate.

However, I haven't been thrilled with their performance on game - mostly big bodied whitetails and big hogs, with the occasional coyote.

I've been spoiled by the performance of the 156gr berger and the 215gr berger in other rifles. Usually animals crumple at the shot if I hit them in the shoulder area with those rifles. For whatever reason, these 175gr elite hunters just haven't performed the same for me.

***Does anyone have experience with the 180gr Hornady ELDM offering in the 2,850-2,950 fps realm? Listening to a podcast about the 7PRC got me thinking about it - that bullet has a crazy high BC. I've shot the 162gr ELDM in another 7 SAUM in the past but wasn't thrilled with the lack of blood or exit when I shot several whitetails.

They are cheap, which is very appealing as well.

Thanks for any input!

I've killed the majority of my elk and deer with eldms, I've found the 147, 180, and 225s to be absolutely thee most devastating bullets on big game, followed by the 180 vldh.
The last muley I shot with a 180 eldm was at 450 yards center shoulder, the exit hole was the size of a cantaloupe

 

[cb4128]

How fast were you running the 180 eldm's?

 

[loonie]

Ok for deer lung shots? Come on…it's a 180gr bullet doing 2800fps and you're saying they're "ok" for deer in the lungs? A 223 FMJ will do "ok" on deer with lung shots. A 180 eldm will destroys the lungs and punch a baseball going through the other side.

What's the poor performance on several elk? Care to elaborate?

Curious what bullet you've moved to?

First elk I let a friend use my Saum. Broadside cow, about 500 yards, looked like a good shot, Ran off with rest of herd and never found here. Later I had bull 450 yards on hillside. I was laying down shooting off bipod , easy shots, put 2 rounds in back of shouder, he turned around , put one base of neck, he walked behind a tree were I couldnt get another shot, laid down after a while and took 30 minures to die. I could see my impacts and blood when I was shooting him. I use single shot action. Bullets were exploding not getting enough penetration. Now I use 175 LRAB in several 280 AI's and Saum's I load for, probably 20 elk latter it's my favorite hunting bullet. From close to 800 yards, so far, they have never failed to kill. On deer and antelope they were fine, exits, but not huge on lung shots.

 

[eoperator]

2 180's behind the shoulder and 1 in the neck but yet took 30mins to expire?

I call b.s. on that

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I'm running the 180 eld-m at over 3000 fps in my 7mm rem mag and it's absolutely heck on deer. I have a thread discussing this bullet on whitetail if you want to see it.