Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Anybody shot the new ELD-X at a critter yet?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Anybody shot the new ELD-X at a critter yet?

    I'm currently having a rifle built in 6.5mm-300WSM and need to choose a bullet for it. I'm leaning towards the 143gr ELD-X or Berger 140gr VLD. The Begers are a known value, but I've never shoot then other than some Classic Hunters in a .243, they were hard to load for, because all the groups from the starting load to max load were outstanding. I've heard the VLD's aren't quite as easy because they are sensitive to overall length, whereas the Classic Hunters aren't because the are a hybrid design. The ELD-X are similar to a hunting version of the AMAX which I have a ton of experience with, and they load great and are really easy to work with.

    What experiences have you guys had with the ELD-X?

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

    #2
    Not yet, but I plan to this season in my 6.5 Creedmoor. They are new enough that I don't think many have had the chance to use them on game, but the ballistic testing is impressive.

    FWIW I know many have had success with the Bergers, but I would trust Hornady to make a hunting bullet that performs well over them, due to their background.

    Comment


      #3
      I've got some of them to use in the .264 Win Mag I'm having built by APR.

      Comment


        #4
        About 4:30 this evening a friend called me from Wyoming. He has just finished a elk hunt using a 6.5 Creed. with the 143 ELDX, factory loads. He said the first shot was right behind the shoulder. The bullet hit one rib and exploded. The elk turned around in a circle and he shot again hitting about 1" from the first hole. Neither bullet held together. He said pieces of them were all through the chest and nothing came close to an exit. The elk was about 165 yards. I thought the ELDX was suppose to stay together.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by gatorgrizz27 View Post
          Not yet, but I plan to this season in my 6.5 Creedmoor. They are new enough that I don't think many have had the chance to use them on game, but the ballistic testing is impressive.

          FWIW I know many have had success with the Bergers, but I would trust Hornady to make a hunting bullet that performs well over them, due to their background.
          No arguments there. I've seen lots of advertising and product videos, like the one they did with the guys from Gunwerks/Best of the West. I'm just not sure about them, you know, since Hornady had the best marketing team in the industry. I like to hear real world amounts when available.

          I also trust Hornady's bullet manufacturing a lot. I don't doubt Berger either, but they design bullets to break up and dump energy, which makes sense to me, but I also like blood trails when they don't fall on the spot. I prefer heart/lung shots over the shoulder shot due to meat damage, so occasionally they don't drop on the spot.

          Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

          Comment


            #6
            Not yet Luke. I have some loaded up for my 6.5-284, 260 and 6.5 Grendel. I hope to find out this season.

            I'm not liking the report above though.


            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

            Comment


              #7
              Yep, I just talked to him again. He said he will not use them on another elk. Next week he will be on the Mescalero with his girlfriend but she won't be shooting those loads for sure. He was shooting the Hornady Precision Hunter I think. They shot real good on paper.

              Comment


                #8
                Still working up loads on 220&212gr for my 300 rum. Will pop a few hogs before heading out for elk. I've shot the VLD's now and can say that past 500yds the ELD x will out shoot them. If they stay together even a touch better than the VLD I'll shoot them. Even fragmenting the VLD has dropped and elk, deer, pronghorn, and many hogs. Still have my hopes up for the ELD to stay together.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I'm just passing on what I have been told. They may work fine for you, but they didn't do what he or I expected.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    That's not encouraging at all! Of course, I'm not planning to sling them at elk, not yet anyway. Wondering if maybe the 6.5mm version isn't quite up to the heavy hide and bone?

                    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Just picked these up over the weekend.




                      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

                      Comment


                        #12
                        That's a bummer to hear about his experience with the elk. According to Hornady's site, around 2600 fps they are supposed to perform like a Partition. The front portion fragments and creates shrapnel, while the rear half stays together and penetrates deeply.

                        As they slow down to as low as 1800 fps, they are supposed to stay almost completely together and mushroom instead.

                        I could see the bullet "splashing" off a rib if it were driven to insane speeds like the 3,500 fps from a 6.5-300 WBY, but he should have been shooting within their designed specs.p



                        Perhaps I've underestimated the Bergers, but my impression was that they were primarily a target/competition company who developed a lot of the high BC bullets. As long range hunting became popular, people were using the match bullets on game, so they just added a hollow point to help them open/explode. Obviously if they work they work, they just didn't appear to me to be designed for the job like Hornady/Nosler/Barnes bullets.
                        Last edited by gatorgrizz27; 09-15-2016, 07:11 PM.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by gatorgrizz27 View Post
                          That's a bummer to hear about his experience with the elk. According to Hornady's site, around 2600 fps they are supposed to perform like a Partition. The front portion fragments and creates shrapnel, while the rear half stays together and penetrates deeply.

                          As they slow down to as low as 1800 fps, they are supposed to stay almost completely together and mushroom instead.

                          I could see the bullet "splashing" off a rib if it were driven to insane speeds like the 3,500 fps from a 6.5-300 WBY, but he should have been shooting within their designed specs.p



                          Perhaps I've underestimated the Bergers, but my impression was that they were primarily a target/competition company who developed a lot of the high BC bullets. As long range hunting became popular, people were using the match bullets on game, so they just added a hollow point to help them open/explode. Obviously if they work they work, they just didn't appear to me to be designed for the job like Hornady/Nosler/Barnes bullets.
                          You're right about Berger up to a point. They were making target bullets all along, and long range hunters started using the target bullets to hunt and it worked. Those bullets are still the original VLD bullets, and are now called "hunting VLD". The current "target VLD" is actually the modification of the original and has a thicker jacket to handle the riggers of high velocity, rapid fire strings like you find in a match. They didn't change anything from the original to make the hunting bullets.

                          Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I shot a couple pigs with my 308 shooting 178's. No complaints in performance on target. I will say I still prefer my sat's though.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Plenty of kills with them staying together on Longrange hunting. I'm not worried honestly. But here's a VLD at 75yds literally blew into hundreds of pieces, 210gr at 3205fps.Click image for larger version

Name:	image.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	80.8 KB
ID:	24461779

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X