ELDX and exits.

[Bravo 4]

Do your research and pick a bullet designed for the cartridge, distance and game you want to shoot.

I agree! This is part of the problem and the solution to that problem, matching a bullet to the purpose. The game your shooting (genetic makeup), the actual shot placement on that game, the impact velocity, etc-etc all make a difference on a bullet's terminal performance. The same type of bullet in different calibers and weight for caliber make a difference. Many will say the barrel twist rate comes in to play, or even how the rifling engraves into the bullet jacket, and on & on. Lots to consider, you have to do your homework and make your best educated decision. I say don't just grab a bullet and go. Read too many folks saying "it worked on elk, so it's gotta work on deer" or vise versa. Or if it'll expand at 800 yards it should do a great job at 50. How about this, just shoot Hammer bullets and be done with it! Threw you a little plug in there Steve!
Disclaimer: not associated with Hammer Bullets.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I agree! This is part of the problem and the solution to that problem, matching a bullet to the purpose. The game your shooting (genetic makeup), the actual shot placement on that game, the impact velocity, etc-etc all make a difference on a bullet's terminal performance. The same type of bullet in different calibers and weight for caliber make a difference. Many will say the barrel twist rate comes in to play, or even how the rifling engraves into the bullet jacket, and on & on. Lots to consider, you have to do your homework and make your best educated decision. I say don't just grab a bullet and go. Read too many folks saying "it worked on elk, so it's gotta work on deer" or vise versa. Or if it'll expand at 800 yards it should do a great job at 50. How about this, just shoot Hammer bullets and be done with it! Threw you a little plug in there Steve!
Disclaimer: not associated with Hammer Bullets.

Geez - hammer bullets arent long range bullets. Most guys that shoot them or barnes or any other mono keep the range under 500 or 600 yards. Its cool that he is part of this site, but you guys need to stop making these out to be something they aren't.

 

[Johnslam]

I honestly think this subject has been beaten to death 3 times over. Do your research and pick a bullet designed for the cartridge, distance and game you want to shoot. There is no perfect or "do everything" bullet.

My personal experience with the 143 ELD-X at ranges from 180-630 yards has been perfect with egg sized exit wounds on deer. None have gone more than 30 yards with heavy blood trails.

Part of this discussion is research. There is nothing wrong with asking a group of experienced individuals, whether or not they have had blank happen with blank.

your own experience is a perfect example of that.

 

[SteveBurton]

I agree with research on a new subject or something without a lot of data out there. The subject of bullet performance, especially the ELD-X and VLD, have been beaten to death.

I threw my experience out there to show that it was different. There are too many variables between what I'm shooting, the environmental conditions, range, terrain, animal, state that the animal is in, etc, etc for any beneficial debate to happen on a forum such as this.

If you aren't having good luck with a particular load, create another and chalk it up to experience. I don't see the need for the 63,927th post about how the ELD-X blew up on a 50 yard shot.

Part of this discussion is research. There is nothing wrong with asking a group of experienced individuals, whether or not they have had blank happen with blank.

your own experience is a perfect example of that.

 

[jlreff]

Use Barnes bullets myself from zero to six hundred my self imposed max. Have never had a problem and little to no meat loss. I like to eat what I shoot. In spring will try the hammers but my Barnes shoot so well it's hard to change. But trying to keep an open mind and try some other mono bullets.

 

[Holycity73]

Always one guy that has to drop the "I'm tired of this subject" comment. I did my research, came up with a good choice only to be proven wrong by real world application. I don't take shots over 320 yards where I hunt. Even with over 30 deer taken with them and zero losses, the ELDX is not ideal.

I asked about exits. I never said I never had an exit, just quite a few didn't. I was asking about the experiences of others.
We are an online hunting community based on sharing personal experiences and knowledge, regardless of how the question is posed.
I'm going back to Accubonds after this season. Sorry if I bothered anyone who commented with my obviously amateur question.
Next time I'll simply ask @WildRose.

Thanks for all the input, photos and explanations. My theory as to why it happened was bolstered by y'all and confirmed today after a call to Hornady.

PS, I was first introduced to the ELDX at SHOT right before I began using them. It was pitched to me as a do all hunting bullet with great expansion at any range. So there's that.

 

[htarver]

I shot a 190# whitetail at 90 yards with 143 gr ELDX out of a 6.5 x 284. Shot went through both shoulders.
My brother shot a 170# whitetail at 85 yards with the same gun and same bullet. Penetrated near side shoulder and lodged under skin on off side.
Every shot is different

 

[Varmiter71]

A few years ago my buddy and myself shot 32 does late season with 6.5 creedmoors.
He shot a few more than I did.
He used 140 nosler ab.
I used 143 eldx.
There was very little difference in the amount that exited between the two.
Both preformed very well. The only ones that ran were the ones that were shot a little far back.
I was very impressed with the 6.5 creedmoor as it was the first year that I had used one.
Ranges were from 50 yards to a little over 600.
Hornady has always had the theory that a bullet should deliver all of the energy inside the animal and be under the hide on the off side.
So the hornady bullets do not surprise me to not having exits.
But a bonded bullet did.
But as stated by others the more that you expand or the ability to expand at lower velocity will sacrifice penetration at higher velocity

 

[Bravo 4]

Geez - hammer bullets arent long range bullets. Most guys that shoot them or barnes or any other mono keep the range under 500 or 600 yards. Its cool that he is part of this site, but you guys need to stop making these out to be something they aren't.

For starters that was posted jokingly, hence the smiley. I do not normally recommend Hammer bullets to those shooting really long ranges, my personal limit with my .338 RUM and the Hammer I'm loading is 800 yards.
Secondly you cannot categorize all of a certain bullet maker's products into a certain category. Some of their bullets are designed to have higher BC, I have loaded and shot them. And then there is this:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/1410y-cow-elk-hammered.224120/
Don't tell them that's not a long range bullet.
I'm not doing anything anyone else isn't doing with any other bullet they recommend, kinda like saying load an ELD-X for everything (like this post is about).
Added: that last comment wasn't meant to be a poke at the OP. I get it, sometimes things don't work the way you want.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Wondering if anyone else out there has had an issue with Hornady ELDX bullets not exiting At a range where they should make a massive exit. yesterday were hunting with my niece, I shot a mature buck at 32 yards in a textbook placement scenario. The deer fell we're he stood, never standing again. Although I should be elated with the results, I was very disturbed by the fact that at over 2700 ft./s, there was no exit wound at less than 90 feet. My question is has anyone else had the same or similar results with an ELDX bullet? I have had this happened several times, only seeing an exit wound occasionally at distances between 150 and 300 yards on lung shots.

I used a 143eldx out of my 6.5prc going about 2850fps and had similar results as you. The buck I shot was about 75 yards away. I shot him twice because the first shot caused him to jump, run 40 yards and stand still for another chance for me to follow-up. He was definitely did with that first shot but I didn't want to take the chance. The first shot was a quartering away shot. Entered behind nearside should and did not exit the far side shoulder. The bullet disintegrated and left a mess inside the deer. The other shot did exit and left a 3inch exit wound so im guessing it too expanded/disintegrated violently. Fact is the bullet did it's job but they are definitely too explosive for my tastes. I will be switching to a bonded bullet or a solid copper bullet for closer range work. ELDx is made for long distance shots.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

For starters that was posted jokingly, hence the smiley. I do not normally recommend Hammer bullets to those shooting really long ranges, my personal limit with my .338 RUM and the Hammer I'm loading is 800 yards.
Secondly you cannot categorize all of a certain bullet maker's products into a certain category. Some of their bullets are designed to have higher BC, I have loaded and shot them. And then there is this:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/1410y-cow-elk-hammered.224120/
Don't tell them that's not a long range bullet.
I'm not doing anything anyone else isn't doing with any other bullet they recommend, kinda like saying load an ELD-X for everything (like this post is about).
Added: that last comment wasn't meant to be a poke at the OP. I get it, sometimes things don't work the way you want.

Yeah, and there are videos on youtube of guys killing elk at 1100 yards with a creedmoor. Doesnt mean thats what it was meant to be used for.

 

[Bravo 4]

Yep and with ELD's. I get your point, but my point is that you're not 100% correct.

 

[vancewalker007]

View attachment 161893 This trade off between impact velocity and over expansion is not unique to the ELDX bullets. I hit a small bodied South Carolina whitetail at about 75 yds with a 195 Berger out of a 28 Nosler. I know lots of guys use this particular combo for elk sized game with great results, so I expected to get a good exit wound on whitetails even at close range.
I was mistaken. The entrance can be seen well behind the shoulder, so i didn't hit heavy bone on impact. The slug didn't even make it to the far side shoulder. On the bright side, the deer didn't go very far, but the blood trail was virtually nil....glad I didn't have to track him. The other obvious downside is the amount of bloodshot meat...

You found out what I've been preaching for years. I've been hunting long range for Coues deer for 28 years. Most of our rifle shots are 400-800 yards. We just hunted them again and three shots we had were 447, 568, and 742 yards all 156 gr 6.5 bullets all exited. In this niche hunting situation Berger's and ELDxs work great. I've seen a nice exit on a Coues from a 175gr 7mm ELDx from a 934 yard shot. If I am hunting where most shots are under 500 yards and likely much shorter I choose bonded, partition type or monolithic bullets. I think marketing has screwed with people's minds making them think the long range cup and core bullets are magic.

 

[cacsrx1]

143g Eldx 6.5 Creedmor
1 antelope 2 whitetail 200-270yds egg size exits
143g Eldx 6.5-300 Weatherby
1 antelope 560yds shot behind the shoulder, base ball sized exit
1 antelope shot straight on 240 yds no exit
1 whitetail doe shot in the neck 110yds nearly decapitated.
All DRT.