ELD-X, concerning terminal results. Disappointed.

[Sevy]

Ok so I am still kinda new to this site, so sorry about the quote. I have figured it out now though.

 

[shaughn]

No problem For a moment I thought I had suffered an out of body hunt...

 

[Buck Buster]

Thanks for the input hunters. Makes me fell even more confident in my 178 & 168 grain Amax bullets. They tear up the insides of deer real good , but too good at close range too much blood shot meat, about 300 yards and further they are better. I think they still are more accurate than the ELDX at least in my 30 cal. magnums and they are easy on the wallet, wally world has the 168 gr. on sale 250 count for $49.00. Good hunting and be safe.

 

[Timnterra]

I don't understand why a bullet needs to stay together after impacting an animal? What is the reasoning behind this age old weight retention argument? If the bullet comes apart it destroys tissue, that's what causes blood loss and death. How is there any benefit to a bullet retaining all its weight and exiting the animal only to waste its energy in the dirt? I shot two cow elk, four deer and an antelope last year with eld-x bullets 162gr 7mm, 212gr 30cal and 225gr 30 cal. All the animals died quickly none ran anywhere. No exit holes on any animal, no tracking no blood trails to try and find. I found the 212 bullet in the cow elk under the hide on the opposite side. It was an empty jacket, don't know what happened to the core other than it tore up the internals of the elk. I am not disappointed, the elk dropped and I packed it out.

 

[the444shooter]

My disappointment comes from the fact that it only got to the first lung. It was at almost 300yds, and the 7mm Mag isn't exactly a super hot rod. That impact velocity should've been well within its performance window. Especially when they tout the design as an "all yardage" capable projectile. I wasn't expecting an exit, but I was expecting a little deeper penetration than just the near-side lung. I'll continue to use them this season, but I just know to be pickier with my shots until I can find a load with an Accubond that works well.

 

[Sevy]

Ya. Your lucky you got that lung. A little further back and you may not have ever gotten it. I have little experience with a 7mm but my dad and some buddies have shot them for years and it should have know problem getting penetration and dropping a cow at 300 ish yards. I watched one drop a bear at 436 yards. 300 should be no problem.

 

[shaughn]

A non bonded bullet hit bone, clipping the scapula, and hitting ribs, that is a lot to ask from any bullet, especially one that is designed to operate within a large performance envelop with a definite leaning towards longer ranges.

I would speculate that you could shoot a lot of elk in the future and not have performance like this, bullet placement being a consideration of course.

 

[djfriesen]

My limited experience with this bullet is a little different.

I shot a smallish whitetail last fall and had a double shoulder punch. The shot was broadside at 300 even. Failed to hold for the light breeze, so I ended up hitting forward of where I wanted to. Despite this, he dropped and didn't move. Granted it's a much smaller animal, but my bullet seems to have held up fairly well.

I didn't draw my elk tag this year, so I'll probably just end up testing on another whitetail.

I've also considered exploring the eldm for use on game. Seems it's viable, but the eld line are so new that there doesn't seem to be a lot of experience with them yet.

 

[Buck Buster]

I bought a new Remington 783 300 win. mag. this spring and just changed the 3 to 9 no name scope that came on it with a Bushnell Banner 6 -18 X 50 scope. The 3 - 9 that was on it seemed like a good quality scope but its not enough power for shooting at the longer yardages. So after getting it sighted at 100 yards today I thought I would retry the 178 gr. ELDX and the 168gr. AMAX. I cleaned and cooled rifle before shooting two three shot groups with each load. The ELDX loads were first , the fist group was 1&7/8" the second group was 1&3/4" all at 100 yards. The 168 AMAX was next with groups of 7/8" each, surprisingly the 3X9 scope shot about the same groups as the Bushnell. I know this gun isn't the best long range shooter off the shelf gun. I just wanted something light to carry back a mountain top to a point that I can shoot from about 375 yards out to about 700 yards tops. I will use the 178gr. ELDX for woods hunting and the 168gr. for the longer yardages. Good hunting and be safe

 

[bigngreen]

Shooting laying down elk usually puts a bullet on a longer path than a standing broadside and being up near the shoulder usually adds to the troubles. I've seen this from 7mags with Accubonds, Barnes doesn't really matter what bullet the twist rates are off on factory guns so guys end up with a 150-160 gr bullet when they need a 180 class bullet for the job on elk. From what little detail that is provided I'd fully expect and be ready to deliver a second shot on an elk, very few chambering and bullets you shouldn't be ready for a hard time when you shoot them up on the shoulder. If your 4-5 inches back from the shoulder anything I didn't see make the far side would not go hunting again!!!

 

[J E Custom]

I don't understand why a bullet needs to stay together after impacting an animal? What is the reasoning behind this age old weight retention argument? If the bullet comes apart it destroys tissue, that's what causes blood loss and death. How is there any benefit to a bullet retaining all its weight and exiting the animal only to waste its energy in the dirt? I shot two cow elk, four deer and an antelope last year with eld-x bullets 162gr 7mm, 212gr 30cal and 225gr 30 cal. All the animals died quickly none ran anywhere. No exit holes on any animal, no tracking no blood trails to try and find. I found the 212 bullet in the cow elk under the hide on the opposite side. It was an empty jacket, don't know what happened to the core other than it tore up the internals of the elk. I am not disappointed, the elk dropped and I packed it out.

The reason for weight retention is to improve penetration allowing more vital organs to get damaged. the more organs that get damaged the quicker the animal will expire.

I prefer the bonded bullets that control expansion because they are more predictable shot to shot. jacket material has very little energy because of it's weight and even though it destroys lots of tissue, if this tissue is in a non critical area the damage may not cause enough trauma to bring down the game.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[Canhunter35]

I center punched a cow elk at 80 yds with a 212 eldx last year...I know but she was hiding in the trees...anyways I was extremely happy with performance, bullet passed through diaphragm but it was -20 in a foot of snow so i didn't look for it but the amount of internal damage suggests it shed a lot of material. I've got a moose tag this year, but I'm confidant it'll get the job done

 

[surfr716]

i started reloading the 162 gr eld x for my 7mm stw this season for mulies and black bear. They shoot really accurate through my model 70 classic so I'm curious to see how they preform at the velocities the stw produces on game.
i generally use a bonded bullet because I've grown up with them but I'm getting sub half moa out my rifle with the eld and its hard to find a substitute for the confidence that sort of accuracy produces.

 

[Sevy]

I don't know exactly how big the group with the 212's out of my 300 win mag but I think could fit 3 or 4 shots within a quarter. Maybe a CH smaller but I think that may be me. They are accurate for me. Some guns do seem to have trouble with them shooting good from what I have read on this site. Surfr716 what kind of velocity do you get with that combo in a stw. I have no experience with one. But am intrigued by what little I have read about them.