ELD-X NOT recommended under 400 yards.

[257Tony]

That's a pretty vague statement to make. Example, a 28 Nosler with a 175 eld has the same or more velocity at 400 than a 6.5 Creed/143 or 30-06/178 does at the muzzle.

I think people are making way too big of a deal out of this.

 

[TwoMore]

That's a pretty vague statement to make. Example, a 28 Nosler with a 175 eld has the same veor morelocity at 400 than a 6.5 Creed/143 or 30-06/178 does at the muzzle.

I think people are making way too big of a deal out of this.

exactly, I wouldnt shoot a 140 berger out of a 7 RUM at a deer at 100 yards but I would with a 7-08

 

[AFraser]

I've chest-shot quite a few Roe (think small Coues deer) and Reds (large Mule Deer) with the 143 ELD-X from my Creedmoor, at impact velocities between 2550 fps and 2300 fps.
They all behaved pretty consistently i.e. full penetration, with exit wound between 1/2" and 1".

 

[AFraser]

Playing with those velocities (2300-2550 fps), they are roughly what a 6.5 SAUM/PRC would achieve at Elk altitudes, between 400 & 700 yards - so I guess it's not surprising they work well.
Strikes me that the ELD-X range probably achieves at 'normal' range/velocities what they were designed to do at long range with 'magnum' cartridges - good news for Creedmoor, 7mm-08 & .308 users!

 

[gator378]

The eld x is fine for killing stuff under 400yards.

Have y'all ever thought that y'all are over thinking this bullet/killing thing?

Sneak up and shoot them between the whites of their eyes. I guess I will continue to use a 220 grain round nose for the 300 Weatherby and 300 yards.

 

[86alaskan]

another different take on this, I've run the eld-x at reasonable velocities too. I've killed a couple medium game with them using rib/lung/heart shots. they all die. bullet appears to have worked well. I'm sure there are other people here that have broken down a large brown bear. There is not reasonable comparison to the bone and muscle structure of a deer/elk to a large brown bear. the bones are exceptionally heavy and strong. the muscles are tightly bound and very dense on their own.

at 200yds from my 260rem, the 143 eld-x fragmented on a caribou rib bone. That speaks to the overall construction of the line. a bullet with that style construction will most likely splash on a bear shoulder. The bone may break, but I wouldn't put any money on that bullet doing terminal damage.

Don't be a jerk and use lightly constructed bullets for dangerous game. you won't follow that bear into the alders when it's wounded and ****ed, your guide will. ask them what they use, it's not going to be en ELD.

 

[RH300UM]

Hammers are in my guide rifle for what it's worth.

 

[chilli42]

My experience with ELDX is that it is highly frangible when used on deer sized game under 150 yards (.308 and 7mm Rem Mag) . It certainly does take them down but the bullet is completely shattered. I am happy with its performance but would not consider it for dangerous game.

 

[Bruce Hall]

Seems like a bunch of people like to spend more $$ on a special hand turned projectile
than I used to spend for a box of ammo? I guess if I were wealthy and had $$ to burn
I could spend 4 or 5 $ per round to punch paper or Elk steak but why when there are so many great inexpensive ways to get it done? Just saying.

 

[Braunschweiger]

My experiences aren't related to killing dangerous game but my 6.5 SAUM absolutely destroyed a midwestern whitetail last year with a 143 ELD-X from about 75 yards in the woods. It was like a murder scene, complete pass through and the exit hole was larger than my fist. This may or may not be relevant but I thought I'd share.

 

[brotherbear67]

Seems like a bunch of people like to spend more $$ on a special hand turned projectile
than I used to spend for a box of ammo? I guess if I were wealthy and had $$ to burn
I could spend 4 or 5 $ per round to punch paper or Elk steak but why when there are so many great inexpensive ways to get it done? Just saying.

Seems like everyone has their likes and dislikes when it comes to bullets, and it doesn't stem from being wealthy. For every story someone tells touting Bullet A as being a stone cold, never fail killer, there are five guys that disagree and claim Bullet B, or C is better. I've seen most every bullet stuffed into factory ammo work well, but also, not so well. Shot placement and bullet selection appropriate for the game you are hunting is crucial.

 

[86alaskan]

"Shot placement and bullet selection appropriate for the game you are hunting is crucial." THIS IS GOSPEL!!!!!

Also, once again, consider the hunt cost. When you're dumping 10's of thousands into a once in a lifetime hunt, why buy corelokts from Walmart? My 300WM runs 152gr hammer bullets. They cost just a couple pennies over $1 each. I have the trust in knowing they'll perform properly, all the time. They are also more accurate and more consistent than most off the shelf boxed ammo bullets. My last box of 25-06 rem ammo was burned for brass and barrel break in. Just for grins, I chrono'd the whole box. We were looking at an ES of over 175fps with and SD approaching 100fps. That's why we handload lathe turned custom bullets.

 

[bigngreen]

Last season I did not see a 143 ELDX exit or even make it to the second lung or of side on three hits on mule deer in the 250-300 yard range, performance reports have been all over the board, no way I'll run them in my faster stuff!!

 

[DRock]

I think the velocity at impact is really the key to this bullet . I killed a large bodied bull elk a couple years ago at 300 yards with the 143 ELD-X from a suppressed 6.5CM. This was the first time hunting elk with a smaller caliber rifle and I opted for a double-lung shot. The bullet completely penetrated and exited with a 50 cent piece sized hole (I did not expect full penetration- see attached image). Even though there was complete penetration, there was minimal damage to the tissue of the lungs. Usually, with high-velocity fragmenting rounds there is a lot of hydrostatic damage and the lungs would have tremendous damage. There was just a large hole through both lungs with a small amount of blood shot tissue around the holes. My conclusion was that 300yards was the limit at which I would shoot a large animal like elk with this round. A more powerful cartridge with greater muzzle velocity and the same bullet would probably extend that range to 400 or more yards but for me. I decided this bullet in this cartridge is a deer/antelope bullet and will stick to something like a Scirocco for larger tougher game from a more powerful weapon.

I would also worry about a close shot with the ELDX and bullet integrity with a more powerful chambering (i.e. 26 nosler etc.) Having a perfect all round bullet that will work at any velocity and have high b.c. has seemed to be that mythical unicorn. I am particularly interested in the new Federal Edge TLR bullet that seems to cover most of the criteria that a long-range hunting bullet needs.