Ekorrpilot
Member
That is worrisome indeed about the ELD-X.
Solid Bullet Recommendation 6.5 PRC
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huntnidaho
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Not trying to steer anyone from using the ELDx, but it was baffling. I load the 143 in my youngest boy's Creedmoor because they shoot well from his rifle and I have a pile of them. It performed fine on a whitetail buck he shot last year. Once the ELDx's are gone, I'll probably re-work his load with the 124 Hammers just to standardize components to the extent I can. I don't always get the tightest groups with them, but they never shoot poorly in anything I've tried them in.
The Hammers are performing great in one of my 6.5 PRC's, in my 280AI, my 300 WM and one of my 300 PRC's. In the 6.5 Realm I only have experience with the 124 grain Hammer Hunter. I was shooting it at 3390 and it was like Thor's hammer on Antelope and Deer. I have not shot it at anything larger. I am extremely picky about my shots so only broadside so I can put it right into the boiler room. Six animals taken with the HH's and they have all died right there. I also had great luck with the Barnes TTSX bullets, I have just found that the Hammers seem to be a lot easier to load and get good groups in way less time at the bench. Either will work very well. There are several others that have been talked about on these forums but I have no personal experience with them so I cannot attest to their performance.
On a side note I am loading 140 grain accubonds in my other 6.5 PRC and am having great luck in getting it to shoot 1/2 MOA and have taken four animals with it at ranges from 312 to 487 yards with all one shot kills. The largest being a mature red stag in New Zealand. I had lots of time to get set up and made a great shot. The stag only went ten yards down the hill before falling over dead.
My recommendation would be to stay away from the 143 ELD-X. I have personally witnessed severe issues on both deer sized animals and elk sized animals with this bullet. The results were dead animals but only after several shots at each. I have used the ELD-X in my 7LRM with great results but the 143's in the PRC seem to be having mixed results. JMO but it is based on first hand knowledge not hearsay.
Good luck.
On a side note I am loading 140 grain accubonds in my other 6.5 PRC and am having great luck in getting it to shoot 1/2 MOA and have taken four animals with it at ranges from 312 to 487 yards with all one shot kills. The largest being a mature red stag in New Zealand. I had lots of time to get set up and made a great shot. The stag only went ten yards down the hill before falling over dead.
My recommendation would be to stay away from the 143 ELD-X. I have personally witnessed severe issues on both deer sized animals and elk sized animals with this bullet. The results were dead animals but only after several shots at each. I have used the ELD-X in my 7LRM with great results but the 143's in the PRC seem to be having mixed results. JMO but it is based on first hand knowledge not hearsay.
Good luck.
Seabeeken
Well-Known Member
Son has had eldx blow up on whitetail out of a needmoor. Actually happened twice. I turned him on to Hammer and never another problem. I hunted with Barnes for 25 yrs and never an issue until they became hard to find so I changed to Hammer and wont be going back to Barnes. During my bullet testing era, I hit a whitetail with a Hornady GMX and it did not expand. Penciled thru with same size entrance and exit holes. A second round put the deer down and that one did expand. Never used them again.
snox801
Well-Known Member
I would have to say either the hammer 124 or -125hht. Would be your best bet. I hunt alit of large game with my creedmore and started with the 147-143 eld/x stuff. Had some hit and miss performance with those but shot great.
I've tried cutting edge, and hammers also. Hammers seemed to give me the best performance on game.
Guy I loaded for last year took an elk with us at 683 if memory serves me with the 123 hammer big bull 6.5 creedmore.
I took my cow and my buddy's bull elk at 608 this year same bullet out of creedmore.
Also take a lot of large game like red stag. It works great and will only do better out of the prc.
Once you have a load run the numbers and see how far out you hit 1800fps. That's the mining fps for most manufacturers for the bullet to operate the way they are intended. I've stuck to that and it works great.
I've tried cutting edge, and hammers also. Hammers seemed to give me the best performance on game.
Guy I loaded for last year took an elk with us at 683 if memory serves me with the 123 hammer big bull 6.5 creedmore.
I took my cow and my buddy's bull elk at 608 this year same bullet out of creedmore.
Also take a lot of large game like red stag. It works great and will only do better out of the prc.
Once you have a load run the numbers and see how far out you hit 1800fps. That's the mining fps for most manufacturers for the bullet to operate the way they are intended. I've stuck to that and it works great.
So you know, Hornady cup and core lead tips never blow up on the shoulders of deer and hogs.....just a thought. The penetration of a 129g Hornady Sp in a 6.5x47 Lapua is unbelievable to say the least, same for the 264 WM that I shot out with the 129's at 3150 fps.
Which cup and core specifically?
Last edited:
Idaho Lefty
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My 23 y/o grandson has shot thru 2 Deer at, 225 and 278 yds and found one 143 gr. ELD-X bullet, just under, the Hide at, 498 yds w/ 6.5 PRC.
They "worked Well" for him at, 3,100 fps !
They "worked Well" for him at, 3,100 fps !
The_Whitetail_kid
Well-Known Member
156 Berger. They aren't very sensitive to seating depth being the hybrid line of bullets. You should be able to find a load with the factory coal of 2.950.
Phil, the 6.5 caliber Hornady 129 Sp is an awesome bullet in terms of weight retention and expansion, 6.5x 47-264 Win mag. The 140g Hornady Sp is I think too tough for deer.
I have also had fantastic luck with 243 win using 100g Hornady btsp and flat base. 270 Win, 130g Hornady flat base acts like a partition, so does the 30 cal 165g sp flat base. In 7mm Rem mag, the 154g Hornady Sp loaded to 3200 with R#25 and Win mag primers surely puts a smile on your face in terms of accuracy and super low SD, with mind blowing terminal ballistics up to and including elk. The Hornady BT give more expansion, but none of them have ever failed me, even in the 30/06 with 150g btsp at 2950 fps. In the 30/06, the Hornady 180g BTSP saws up 300 lb hogs like a chain saw has been used on them.
I realize that everyone is looking at BC these days, but for those that shoot mainly 400 yards and under, Hornady's Interlock line produces awesome field performance.
Many of the VLD lines produce a "shot gun" effect on bullet destruction within 2" of penetration. For my longer shots, I use the heavy for caliber, Nosler LRAB, and Swift Sirocco II bullets.
My brother is a freak on the Berger VLD hunting bullets with a LOT of actual hands-on experience with them in 6.5,7mm, and 30 caliber. I like a 3" hole on the off side with quartering shots breaking a front shoulder with an exit in front or behind a hip of the animal, and 129g Hornady Sp in a 6.5x47 Lapua with MV of 2750 does just that!
Everyone has their favorites with memories to go with!
It is nice to be able to talk of the good and bad experiences with guys on this board without a lot of name-calling and Personal attacks!.
I made my own benchrest bullets for a while, many years ago, and we were always subject to the alloy mix at the foundry on the lead core wire and bullet jackets alloy and uniformity. I know that bullet makers today are subject to the same quality issues on Lead core content and metal used in the bullet jackets.
I have also had fantastic luck with 243 win using 100g Hornady btsp and flat base. 270 Win, 130g Hornady flat base acts like a partition, so does the 30 cal 165g sp flat base. In 7mm Rem mag, the 154g Hornady Sp loaded to 3200 with R#25 and Win mag primers surely puts a smile on your face in terms of accuracy and super low SD, with mind blowing terminal ballistics up to and including elk. The Hornady BT give more expansion, but none of them have ever failed me, even in the 30/06 with 150g btsp at 2950 fps. In the 30/06, the Hornady 180g BTSP saws up 300 lb hogs like a chain saw has been used on them.
I realize that everyone is looking at BC these days, but for those that shoot mainly 400 yards and under, Hornady's Interlock line produces awesome field performance.
Many of the VLD lines produce a "shot gun" effect on bullet destruction within 2" of penetration. For my longer shots, I use the heavy for caliber, Nosler LRAB, and Swift Sirocco II bullets.
My brother is a freak on the Berger VLD hunting bullets with a LOT of actual hands-on experience with them in 6.5,7mm, and 30 caliber. I like a 3" hole on the off side with quartering shots breaking a front shoulder with an exit in front or behind a hip of the animal, and 129g Hornady Sp in a 6.5x47 Lapua with MV of 2750 does just that!
Everyone has their favorites with memories to go with!
It is nice to be able to talk of the good and bad experiences with guys on this board without a lot of name-calling and Personal attacks!.
I made my own benchrest bullets for a while, many years ago, and we were always subject to the alloy mix at the foundry on the lead core wire and bullet jackets alloy and uniformity. I know that bullet makers today are subject to the same quality issues on Lead core content and metal used in the bullet jackets.
