Specific Hornady ELD-X Performance
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chilli42
Well-Known Member
I first started using ELDX this past hunting season with my .308 (168 gr). Shot a three point Blacktail buck at about 50 yards. Placed the bullet just behind the shoulder blade. The bullet completely shattered inside the deer with just a small bit of the base intact which stopped just inside the skin on the opposite side. The deer slowly walked for about 10 feet and dropped like a stone. I am not sure what to make of this. On one hand, the bullet did its job. On the other, it suggests to me that it may not be the best bullet for dangerous game penetration and that it may be a highly frangible bullet that might work better (weight retention) at longer distance where the ft/sec are lower.
I had what I consider a catastrophic failure with a 143ELD-X bullet from a 6.5 Creedmoor, on a shot into a whitetail.
You can read about it and see the wound here:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/th...m-inside-400-yards.213543/page-9#post-1556590
My post is #114 on page 9 of above
I will no longer use anything except a bonded or solid (like TTSX) bullet for big game hunting; I owe the animal a fast fair chase kill. The ELD-X is an accurate bullet, I will give it that. I am wondering, based on other posts if they have a design flaw or had some bad batches of bullets in 2018?
I used 200gr 300wsm factory loaded XLD-X on two cow elk last year , 220yds and 240yds , both bullets completely disintegrated . One cow was shot behind the front shoulder, one cow was shot at the base of the neck . Didn't recover either bullet , just kept coming across small bits and pieces of jacket while field dressing them . The cow that was shot at the base of the neck had more bloodshot meat than I have ever seen , it was just an unreal amount . There was only very shallow penetration on the neck shot cow and although she was incapacitated , she required a finishing shot .
Used 3006 ELD-X 178gr factory loaded on 4 antelope this year 2 at 300yds 1 at 394yds and one at 504yds, all bullets shed their jacket which I recovered the in the animal when field dressing .
The ELD-X ammo is very accurate , I will give it that , but performance on game was not so good . I will stick to Accubonds , been using them for years and never had a problem, toughest bullet I have used so far .
Used 3006 ELD-X 178gr factory loaded on 4 antelope this year 2 at 300yds 1 at 394yds and one at 504yds, all bullets shed their jacket which I recovered the in the animal when field dressing .
The ELD-X ammo is very accurate , I will give it that , but performance on game was not so good . I will stick to Accubonds , been using them for years and never had a problem, toughest bullet I have used so far .
I've claimed 3 elk now with .284 bullets. (one a .284 Winchester and the other a 7 mag) and am not sure if I'm in love with it. Here's my experience. First elk was broad side at 120 yards. I high shoulder him with a 162 great eld-x out of a 284 Winchester. The bullet disintegrated and didn't make it more than a couple inches. Lucky for me he died in his tracks. My next elk was a little over 300 yards. Again broad side. 162 great eld-x but this time out of my 7 mag. The first round drove deep and stuned him. 2nd round did the same. Finally before he ran off I calmed down and put one through both shoulders. (This bull was tough as nails). Then a week later my father in law used the same 7mag at 505 yards with 162 gr eld-x and the bullet only nosed over a little and got caught in the hide on the other side. Now luckily I haven't lost an animal to the eld-x. But after my personal experience, I'm nervous that past 500 yards the bullet is going to pencil due to lack of velocity and to think of a outter shell. That's my personal experience, I don't think there's any one bullet does it all. To we'll of a bonded bullet isn't going to open up at long distance. And a match or target bullet is going to disintegrate at close range. That's my 2 cents.
D
Deleted member 25294
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You nailed it man, this is why I firmly believe in loading the mag with bonded bullets and carrying my ELD-M's in the shell holder for long shots.
I've never been too pressed for time on a long range shot where I couldn't change bullets from the mag.
Are you using the plain Accubond or ABLR?
I've heard a lot of reports about the ABLR being exolosive
BTL
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- Oct 21, 2009
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View attachment 120962 I am shooting the 175 ELDX in my 8 twist 7mm RM. at a modest 2685fps. My first kill was a cow elk at 180yds. The bullet entered behind the right leg taking out the aortic arch took out two ribs and was recovered under the hide of the left shoulder. The elk took the hit and made a slow 5 step circle and dropped. What remained of the bullet was about a 30gn lead pellet and a small copper cup.My second kill was a doe antelope at 225yds. Bullet entered again behind the left shoulder and again entered the heart. There was no exit and all I found was brass and lead flakes in the blood pool in the chest cavity. The heart looked like a large firecracker blew up in it, it was loose in the chest cavity and blown open. The doe took the hit and just dropped straight down, did not take a single step. For a bullet not designed to be frangible in my experience, they blow up.
First photo is the doe antelope heart. Other's photos are of the cow elk showing the off leg with the bullet remains, the rib damage and what was left of the bullet.
BTL
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bigngreen
Well-Known Member
I had feed back on the 175 from a 7 mag and the 212 from a 300, looked like 6-8 elk dead and two bullets recovered between 600-800 yards and they looked text book, mushroomed back half way nice and tight to the shank so they penetrate.
Under 200 yards pushed by 6.5 creed @ 2800 FPS if I remember right. We quickly changed back to accubond after that.
I have taken several elk and deer with the 168 7mm berger and the 162 eld both have had ups and downs on performance but never failed to kill. Last year i got the chance to take several elk at extended range with both loads and never had a failure. The berger at 3010 fps and close range thru the chest makes a mess but kills fast, the eld passed thru 2 bulls at around 100 yds. I would say pick your shots and use what you like. Both will kill excellently.
WalksLikeADeer
Well-Known Member
I shoot the same bullet so I'm curious where the second shot went and at what yardage? You hit him in the shoulder blade, he just stood there and you shot him in the shoulder blade again? Thanks.
7mm Rem Mag, 168VLD-Hunting, 3030fps
It was 405 yards, and he had us pinned down. He froze, slightly quartering to me. I must have hugged too far into the crease...he hunched up on the first shot. I bolted the next one in, and when I shot the guy with me said it looked good.
Found a little blood that night, but backed out until morning. The next day we followed the blood trail, but it ran out quickly. Three weeks later I was texted a PhoneSkope video of the bull...he was up feeding and wouldn't put his left foot on the ground. His left shoulder looked very swollen and completely blown up.
I never got the bull, so all I can do is speculate based on the info I have (which is a little dangerous). It appeared from the video I was sent I hit the shoulder too far forward and the bullets didn't get enough penetration and stopped in the shoulder.
