6.5x.284 140 gr Berger VLD versus 6.5PRC ELD-X 143 gr

[Montana73]

My current rifle is a Cooper 52 6.5x.284 and I just got back from hunting where I bagged an antelope and mule deer with the 140gr Berger VLD. As expected, they both did their job but was a little disappointed that after being hit in the boiler room, they still got 50 yards downrange before collapsing. Upon gutting, the bullet made it in one side, blew up, but didn't penetrate the other side - it was just under the skin. Would make it hard to track without a thru an thru.

Am having a 6.5PRC built and was planning on shooting the 6.5PRC Hornady ELD-X 143 gr for mule deer and antelope.

Anyone out there with experience with these rounds to let me know how the ELD-X in the 6.5PRC did for you?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I load for my buddy's 6.5PRC. The rifle shot best with a 140gr Accubond & RE26. He shot 4 deer this year with that load. All four dropped to the shot and all the bullets exited.

 

[twister]

how far did you shoot them? i got exits on an antelope, 186 yards and mule deer 230 yards with the 140 elite hunters, did not exit a bull at just under 300 yards. antelope drt and the deer made it 10 yards, elk took 3 steps after a sever hunch up.

 

[Plinker147]

The Berger's did exactly what they were designed to do.

EdLX will how together a better than a Berger but not much. EDLX hold together very similar to ballistic tips where the lead core separates from the jacket a lot.

If you want something that is going to pass thru look at original ABs, and coppers, or any other high retention bullet.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

The Berger VLD-H will penetrate 5 to 6 inches of meat or bone, then go to pieces. While an exit wound may be nice for a blood trail, but all bullet energy expended after the bullet exits is wasted. To my way of thinking, I want 100% of my bullets energy to be used up inside the animal, with the bullet coming to rest under the skin on the far side. I've had many Berger VLDs fired from my 6.5-284 do exactly that.
That being said, for the new 6.5 PRC that I am currently working up loads for, the Berger 140 gr. VLD-H produces 3141 fps and shoots the best of the 140s tested. For a heavier bullet, the Hornady ELD-M shoots half inch groups at 3032 fps.
I've killed many big game including deer, antelope and elk with the Berger 140 gr. VLD-H from a 260 Rem. and a 6.5-284 and have full confidence in them. Velocities on the 6.5-284 and 6.5 PRC are within 100 fps of each other. I expect either bullet to work just fine in the 6.5 PRC this season. I'll let you know.
As an afterthought, the Hornady 143 ELD-X did not shoot accurately in my 6.5 PRC

 

[Montana73]

Nimrodmar10 - you are not suggesting to use the ELD-M for hunting are you? I thought the "x-M" was for match/target work, not hunting. I'm also not going to reload unfortunately and will focus on factory ammunition. That is why I was focused on the Hornady 143 ELD-X based on some articles that lay it out as a pretty solid factory option. Thanks.

 

[elkaholic]

Nimrodmar10 - you are not suggesting to use the ELD-M for hunting are you? I thought the "x-M" was for match/target work, not hunting. I'm also not going to reload unfortunately and will focus on factory ammunition. That is why I was focused on the Hornady 143 ELD-X based on some articles that lay it out as a pretty solid factory option. Thanks.

Many people use the eldm for hunting and some prefer it over the x

 

[PredatorSlayer]

My current rifle is a Cooper 52 6.5x.284 and I just got back from hunting where I bagged an antelope and mule deer with the 140gr Berger VLD. As expected, they both did their job but was a little disappointed that after being hit in the boiler room, they still got 50 yards downrange before collapsing. Upon gutting, the bullet made it in one side, blew up, but didn't penetrate the other side - it was just under the skin. Would make it hard to track without a thru an thru.

Am having a 6.5PRC built and was planning on shooting the 6.5PRC Hornady ELD-X 143 gr for mule deer and antelope.

Anyone out there with experience with these rounds to let me know how the ELD-X in the 6.5PRC did for you?

I shot the 143 eldx in my 6.5 prc for Antelope, Mule Deer and Elk this year. I also shot an elk with a 145gr eldx in my 270 wsm last year. The performance of the eldx has been awesome. I am a huge berger fan and love that the bullets blow up inside and don't leave an exit. Animals have never gone far. I didn't have an exit on the elk, or mule deer, but it blew through the Antelope. All shots were between 400-500 yards.

 

[Montana73]

I shot the 143 eldx in my 6.5 prc for Antelope, Mule Deer and Elk this year. I also shot an elk with a 145gr eldx in my 270 wsm last year. The performance of the eldx has been awesome. I am a huge berger fan and love that the bullets blow up inside and don't leave an exit. Animals have never gone far. I didn't have an exit on the elk, or mule deer, but it blew through the Antelope. All shots were between 400-500 yards.

 

[Montana73]

I shot the 143 eldx in my 6.5 prc for Antelope, Mule Deer and Elk this year. I also shot an elk with a 145gr eldx in my 270 wsm last year. The performance of the eldx has been awesome. I am a huge berger fan and love that the bullets blow up inside and don't leave an exit. Animals have never gone far. I didn't have an exit on the elk, or mule deer, but it blew through the Antelope. All shots were between 400-500 yards.

Predator - thanks for this info....exactly what I was looking for on the 143gr ELD-X in the 6.5PRC.

 

[rockwallraider]

i help manage a place in south texas and I shot roughly 16 white tail last season with a 140 eldm. Not one of those deer moved from where they were hit.

 

[TRG65]

My son shot 2 doe with a reduced 6.5x47 123m load a few years ago, one vanished so fast I didn't think he hit it. I loaded up some 143x now that he is shooting full power loads. However, his 147M load is shoots more consistently, so that is what he wants to use this year. I'm 100% ok with that choice, as I've had two friends who do deer reduction for crop mitigation tell me they tried and didn't like the 143x, they said it did strange things and they didn't trust it (even though they didn't lose any deer). Both were huge fans of the amax, and have gone to back to using the Ms and are much happier. I have 230x's loaded in my 338WM and am going to try them this fall for deer, but if they work like the 200SSTs did they are a winner. I couldn't get the 143s and RL26 to work any better than ok in my 6.5 Addiction, so I'm just using the 147m as an all around bullet for that rifle.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

Nimrodmar10 - you are not suggesting to use the ELD-M for hunting are you? I thought the "x-M" was for match/target work, not hunting. I'm also not going to reload unfortunately and will focus on factory ammunition. That is why I was focused on the Hornady 143 ELD-X based on some articles that lay it out as a pretty solid factory option. Thanks.

Most people use the Xs and Ms interchangeably. Both will work for either purpose. For years Berger only made Match bullets and they advised not to hunt with them. But hunters kept sending them messages about how well they were working on game. Most Match bullets have slightly better BCs than the Hunting bullets. I'm not sure about Hornady, but the only difference between the Match and Hunting Berger bullets, is that Berger had to make the jacket on the Match bullet .001" thicker to prevent the core from melting during matches where shots were fired rapidly.
So, if I didn't reload, I'd shoot the Hornady 147 gr. ELD-M bullet in my 6.5 PRC for the improved ed ballistics and accuracy

 

[elkaholic]

Everybody points to the fact that the eldm is labeled a TARGET bullet. Well here is a fact. The eldm has a thicker jacket nose than the eldx. It actually opens a little slower allowing some penetration before expansion begins. The eldx likely opens a little easier at low velocity than the M. The M may come apart a little easier as it expands towards the base because the jacket is thinner at the base and doesn't have the little crimp in the jacket. So they act a little differently, but which is best? All I know is I have shot through a lot of flesh and bone with the M and tore things up in between. Ive had several clients have great success on elk with them and they have a higher b c and more mass so I use the M.