ELDX Performance on elk
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whirlwindjml
Well-Known Member
We've wacked multiple deer and 7 or elk with 143 eldx. Impacts from 50 - 515 yards.
At 50 to 200 the tip will fragment but the core drives through. Most all of ours have passed through. Even my 515 cow was a pass through and my brother wacked his next to her and his bullet was in hide on opposite side.
20 years ago I would have never used a 6.5 on an elk. The eldx changed my opinion.
Bottom line. I wouldn't hesitate to use it close range. As long as you avoid the meat and shoot the crease your fine. I've had one hit shoulder and it drove through fine. Meat loss wasn't really much.
At 50 to 200 the tip will fragment but the core drives through. Most all of ours have passed through. Even my 515 cow was a pass through and my brother wacked his next to her and his bullet was in hide on opposite side.
20 years ago I would have never used a 6.5 on an elk. The eldx changed my opinion.
Bottom line. I wouldn't hesitate to use it close range. As long as you avoid the meat and shoot the crease your fine. I've had one hit shoulder and it drove through fine. Meat loss wasn't really much.
Yes. Love it!
I've seen and had eld-x bullets pencil enough that I won't use them on anything that matters. I've got a few hundred left (162's in a 16" 7-08 AR10) and they've been pig/varmint bullets only.
Last yote I shot was at 117y…bullet thumped hard (shooting suppressed so you hear it loud) and yote took off….never did find him and based upon past experiences, that bullet penciled.
I think close and higher velocities they are more unpredictable, past 200y they've been predictably great with wound channels that look like guys posting above.
Last yote I shot was at 117y…bullet thumped hard (shooting suppressed so you hear it loud) and yote took off….never did find him and based upon past experiences, that bullet penciled.
I think close and higher velocities they are more unpredictable, past 200y they've been predictably great with wound channels that look like guys posting above.
I primarily shoot 162 grain eldx in 7mag . In close range they still do a very good job at stopping the animal. It doesn't matter what yardage your at shot placement is critical for DRT !
ATTkid
Active Member
That is one serious wound channel for a difficult angle! Well done!
Accubonds are a good bullet. ELD-X are just really easy to tune and honest BC on the box. I found accubonds you need to chop the BC 10% and the ABLR need to chop them about 5%. Lethality wise accubonds are hard to beat
huntforfood
Well-Known Member
I am running factory PH ammo 200 gr Eldx in 300 wm with mv of 2930 fps with factory 26 in weatherby barrel. One recommendation was to carry accubond or tsxs for close range work. I think for me, this is a good idea. I found some 180 accubonds thaat shoot decent and wil carry few with me as first roubd. This is a long range setup and to cycle out the accubond to switch to longe range work and a good trade off if I catch something in close or walking in to a area unseen. sounds like u dont have to do this but another route.
Hespco
Well-Known Member
My one experience with the 6.5 143 gr ELD-X was disastrous. A mature mule deer buck at about 80yds. Bullet caught the very back edge of the right shoulder blade from an extreme angle. The bullet exploded like a bomb. Completely bloodshot, lost that whole shoulder. Also lost all the flank meat under it & some of the meat in the lower neck. I hunt primarily for the meat. Never will use this bullet again for game. It's one thing to put this bullet thru the ribs, but quite another to put it thru a more resistant meaty area especially from an angle. The long slender nose makes this cup & core bullet very fragile. Understand this. As an elk hunter of many years there are a considerable amount of much more appropriate bullets available. In Particular one of the copper mono's. Barnes, Hammer, Badlands Precision, etc. These are bullets that penetrate well from extreme close range without the bombshell explosion of a C&C bullet.The mono's don't blood shot the meat any where near like a C&C bullet . As others have said you can eat right up to the hole.
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
Bobcape
Well-Known Member
Interesting. My experience about pass through shots has been the opposite. I don't think I've had an ELD-X stop in an animal yet.
I shoot the 6.5 143gr from my .260AI started at 2,960fps. That's my go-to load for whitetail, mule deer and antelope. 40-50 animals. Impacts have been from 30 to 700+ yards.
I have limited experience with the 150gr 7mm ELD-X in my 7mm-08 for elk. Two elk - 113 yards and 224 yards. Fairly low impact velocities around 2,550 & 2,430 respectively. Both dropped and died within a few yards of the shot. I like the ELD-X bullets. They work great for my needs.
Bob
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
Panhandle Pete
Well-Known Member
My grandson and I both shoot 260 AI - Schneider barrels 1-8 twist, he shoots 129 grain Nosler Accubond LR- antelope kills to 505 yards, I shoot Nosler Accubond 142 grain LR. We both have killed a lot of pigs with these loads, he has shot several antelope and two WT deer with the 129, deadly on all game at any range we have shot inside the yardage of the 505 yard shot. I shoot the Hornady 103 ELDX in my 6 XC and my 243 AI and have had great results on feral hogs big and small.
