Resurrecting am old post I know. My son just shot a cow elk in the crease with a 225 grain ELD-match. Blew out 3 ribs on entrance. Destroyed the heart and mushed the lungs. Far shoulder was somewhat bloodshot on the inside surface but no obvious exit from the chest cavity. Gutless method so no attempt to recover fragments but by all appearances weight retention was likely minimal at that range. Good clean kill but probably a bit soft for close range. MV was 2825. Impact velocity roughly 2650. Performed as expected. I would probably choose a somewhat more solid bullet next time. ELD-x or scirocco. I would be somewhat worried about a shoulder/humorous impact at close range.
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ELD-M for hunting
- Thread starter WeiserBucks
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I shot a mule deer buck at 225 yards from my 308 with a 20 inch barrel. 168 ELD-M at 2660 fps. Buck was quite close to private land so I shot high shoulder and down he went where he stood. Never took a step. Strange thing is he was broadside facing up hill so the bullet should have continued on a linear path to the opposite rib cage, but it didn't. It went through the shoulder blade and broke 3 ribs with a baseball sized entry into the diaphragm. Caught some vertebrae disabling his 4-wheel drive and fragments hammered the top of the lungs. Dead right there. Upon skinning the buck strangely the bullet took a 90 degree hard turn to the right and was lodged in its opposite hip. No jacket. Just the lead. I can't complain with the results. Minimal bloodshot and buck was dead on the spot instantly, but that whole changed of direction can't help but leave me a little skeptical on animals larger than a mule deer buck. 250-260 lbs on the hoof I'm guessing. What would happen if it hit the humerus bone or the t section of the shoulder blade of an elk, big black bear or larger mule deer? Would it make it to the vitals or veer left or right and only wound an animal? As much as I like the high BC for cutting through the wind, I think I'm just gonna stick to the 151 Hammer Hunters for now on for elk and bear and save the Eld-m's for smaller deer and pigs.
Joefrazell
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This is from a 147 eldm out of a creedmoor on a mule deer buck. 110 yard shot. The big hole was the entrance. Muzzle velocity was 2760 fps. He died very quick. My wife took one at 926 yards believe it or not with this same load. I didn't get pics of the inside but it held together real well and blew an acorn size hole out the other side. Btw it actually knocked the buck over from impact.
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I don't have real world experience with them, but I really wanted them to be a good go to for a load I am going to work on for a friend. I have the bullets on the shelf, but after reading alot on them, the seem to have questionable construction for high impact velocities.
It's a difficult decision because like Berger bullets they are very accurate. I quit using Bergers because of inconsistencies with the meplat. I want a bullet I can reload and shoot and it will function accordingly. Not having to check every tip, clean or drill out etc...so I went to the Eld-m. For a 308 with a 20 inch barrel, it's excellent!! For cartridges going north of 3000 fps close range can be a rodeo sometimes. So now I'm onto the ABLR. This bullet is a tricky one to get tuned but back to bonded I go looking for that consistent performance. I wish Nosler would put a plastic tip on the Partition and be done with it all.
From what I have read, the ABLR is a mess at high impact speeds. Nosler reps would recommend the regular accubond for shots 400 yards and in. They aren't many cup and core(non bonded) that will do well on on high speed impacts.
I am going to run hammers for 500 and in and the eldm for longer shots. by all accounts the eldm and the eldx perform better at the longer ranges.
codyadams
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Had the same thing happen on an elk at 713 yards using the 147 eld-m out of a .260 AI at 3040 fps, slight quartering to hit, facing to the right. Went in about half an inch behind the on side elbow, should have exited about 6" behind the off side shoulder. Upon entering, it took a hard turn to the left, only hit the rear of the on side lung, went into the guts, missed the liver, and was under the hide on the off side hind quarter. The cow ran for about a mile, with zero blood trail, only reason I found her was the fresh snow. When I got to her, there was no exit wound to leave blood, and the entrance only had a dribble of white foam coming out. I have the hit on video so the angle can be seen, and photos on the entrance, so solid proof of the bullet doing this. And because of that, I will never use them on game again. It worked out on your critter, which is really good, but when a bullet goes random places other than where you put it after impact, I consider it a failure. I shot 12 other critters with them that season, with two other failures to expand, those were at 940 yards on pronghorn, so not an easy test media, as there isn't much on a goat to open a bullet, and low 2000 fps impact range doesn't help, but still a pencil hole. That was also documented too.
However, that was the eld-m, not the eld-x.
Joefrazell
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Guys, deflection of any bullet is a possibility. It can happen. I've found a bullet in the hip of a mule deer before that i hit broadside and that was with a 120 gr Hornady interbond out of a 25-06. It can happen. Maybe a point can be made that it's less likely with a bonded bullet but I've had it happen. I think weight of bullet along with speed play a large factor. But the bullet is basically a ricochet inside the animal. Personally I wouldn't shoot an elk with more then 2500 fps with this 147 eldm for lack of penetration. I'd prefer 1800-2200 fps from what I've seen.
jpndave
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This was interesting to watch. It confirms a bit of what has been said.
codyadams
Well-Known Member
Yes it can happen with any bullet, but I had 3 failures in 13 animals with that particular bullet. Using Berger 140's and 156's out of the same gun, I have north of 60 kills on pronghorn, deer and elk from 200 yards to 940 yards without a single failure, and only 3 animals that didn't have an exit, I'll note all of which were with the 156's. Considering those facts observed in my use, I won't use that specific bullet, however that is the 147 eld-m, not the eld-x which this thread references.
I still use the 175 eld-x in my wife's 7 Sherman Max, with good results. 4 pronghorn, 2 mule deer so far, ranging from 200 yards to 740 yards. Muzzle velocity of 2900 fps. 1 failure to exit, but that was on a heavily quartering pronghorn at 340 yards, entered the front of the shoulder, destroyed both lungs, and ended up in the stomach somewhere, did not exit the body cavity.
I've read about ABLR nightmares as well but I never trust the internet. So I tried them myself to eliminate the fan boys and haters. So far so good and will be using them on elk in a few weeks. I have been switching nearly all my rifles over to a combination monometal for 0 to 300 yds and then using the LR bullets for distance. This is the best of both worlds. I'll note I'm an original Partition and Accubond user and so far on 80 something bucks, 22 elk and over a 100 hogs I've never seen a bullet turn 90 degrees like the Eld-m did. So maybe it does happen but I haven't seen it until now. 35 years of hunting. I've just been lucky I guess.
codyadams
Well-Known Member
I would agree. I would say probably north of 150 big game critters I have shot or seen shot, not as many as you, we don't have the "disposable" (joke...) hogs to hunt, so only pronghorn, deer and elk, but I have also never seen a bullet turn other than the 1 eld-m. It may have been a fluke, but the two other shots on a pronghorn that did not expand were enough for me to simply switch back to something that I personally have not had a failure with.
I am not a fan of or hater of any type or brand either, I just use what works. Hornady's, Sierra's, Speer's, Bergers, Noslers, Hammers, Badlands, probably several others, I just use what works for me for the specific application I'm loading for.
