143 eldx 6.5 not pleased

[ShawnG]

I use them and honestly have never had to track an animal. Pigs, deer and axis all dropped.

[duckhunter175]

Calling it a “hotter load” is a bit of a misnomer but the explanation of heat created in the throat due to a smaller bore and the same amount of powder as a 308 hit the nail on the head. This is a good article about it. . .

http://dmr-llc.com/?p=246

I’m gonna try to find an article I saw from Hornady about bullet speed and performance in relation to these newer projectiles but basically it outlined a speed window to get the best performance out of the different projectiles. Extremely close shots were not part of that window for some of the projectiles.



Sierracharlie out…

I’d be willing to bet the performance window for the 143 ELDX is well within 6.5cm velocities at the OP shot ranges.

[sierracharlie338]

143 eldx 6.5 not pleased

I’d be willing to bet the performance window for the 143 ELDX is well within 6.5cm velocities at the OP shot ranges.

60 yards may have been on the edge iirc. But I’m not certain and don’t want to say that is fact. I’m still looking for that dam thing!

Again these were “recommended ranges” not “if you are out of this window of range it won’t work”. You seem to have a fairly good understanding of firearms ballistics so you know as well as I do that bullets sometimes just do strange things.


Sierracharlie out…

[deep n the heat]

I’d be willing to bet the performance window for the 143 ELDX is well within 6.5cm velocities at the OP shot ranges.

We have shot deer from 60-150 yds. They have all performed about the same except the first shot at 60 which was the big wound and no penetration. The only thing I can possibly think is it hit something in front and tumbled. The rest of the deer that have been shot directly in the shoulder do slot of internal damage but yield very small exit holes and very little blood. I’ve killed slot of deer with soft points to ballistic tips in other calibers that do just as much internal damage but leave big holes and slot of blood. That is why I’m going to switch bullets.

Thanks for all of the replies

[sierracharlie338]

We have shot deer from 60-150 yds. They have all performed about the same except the first shot at 60 which was the big wound and no penetration. The only thing I can possibly think is it hit something in front and tumbled. The rest of the deer that have been shot directly in the shoulder do slot of internal damage but yield very small exit holes and very little blood. I’ve killed slot of deer with soft points to ballistic tips in other calibers that do just as much internal damage but leave big holes and slot of blood. That is why I’m going to switch bullets.

Thanks for all of the replies

With that range window, you should be fine. Hard to say without any necropsy info to examine.


Sierracharlie out…

[BuckySWT]

I shoot the 129 sst and have been happy.
Shot several bucks with the 147 eldx and had good results. Shot one quartered away hard. Hit behind shoulder and exited at the base of the neck. 230 yards. Watched the blood pumping out as he staggered about 20 yards and piled up. Hits hard but I’ve been happy with the SST’s lately.

[Capt.Bryan]

Inside 200 yards and 6.5 creed velocity it's hard to beat a 130 -140 grain soft point. Remington and federal bother make 140 grain soft points, Federal also has the 140 grain fusion ammo. Winchester has 125 grain soft point.

The top deer looks like it was hit on the leading edge of the shoulder, not quite forward enough for neck and not quite high enough for back bone. It is also forward of the heart and lungs so unless you hit an artery there wouldn't be much blood. The area where the wind pipe meets the lungs was probably like mush but being high up it would take a while to fill up with blood. The second deer if that is the exit where was the entrance? If it was straight through both shoulders it should have hit the ground and only pushed it's way 25 yards or so. That is where I shoot all my deer and they very seldom take a step, if they do they just bulldoze about 10-15 yards.

[deep n the heat]

Inside 200 yards and 6.5 creed velocity it's hard to beat a 130 -140 grain soft point. Remington and federal bother make 140 grain soft points, Federal also has the 140 grain fusion ammo. Winchester has 125 grain soft point.

The top deer looks like it was hit on the leading edge of the shoulder, not quite forward enough for neck and not quite high enough for back bone. It is also forward of the heart and lungs so unless you hit an artery there wouldn't be much blood. The area where the wind pipe meets the lungs was probably like mush but being high up it would take a while to fill up with blood. The second deer if that is the exit where was the entrance? If it was straight through both shoulders it should have hit the ground and only pushed it's way 25 yards or so. That is where I shoot all my deer and they very seldom take a step, if they do they just bulldoze about 10-15 yards.

The hole you see in the first deer was shot 24hrs before. It was barely limping when it came back to where she shot it the second time.

Second deer was shot in the same place on the opposite shoulder.

Here is the deer my other daughter shot last weekend. Same shot.

[chrisk]

I killed one with core lokts last year with my old Creedmoor. I now have a Ruger m77 with a 28” barrel. It shoots the Remingtons ok. I hand loaded some 140 grain Accubonds and might try them out this year.

[BULL21]

I killed 3 doe yesterday afternoon with the 6.5 with 143 grain eld-x. The first 2 at 265 and 295 yards dropped in their tracks. The last was shot at 731yds and only went 40 yards. My buddy shot one at 400 yds that went 50 yards with a blown shoulder. His 15 year old son shot one at 675 yds that went approximately 50 yds. Incredible damage from this round with large exit wounds

[hoyt21]

I killed 3 doe yesterday afternoon with the 6.5 with 143 grain eld-x. The first 2 at 265 and 295 yards dropped in their tracks. The last was shot at 731yds and only went 40 yards. My buddy shot one at 400 yds that went 50 yards with a blown shoulder. His 15 year old son shot one at 675 yds that went approximately 50 yds. Incredible damage from this round with large exit wounds

Yes but what you’re seeing here is that the bullet needs to slow down in order to perform. It need to be shot at distance.

[Raypo]

I killed 3 doe yesterday afternoon with the 6.5 with 143 grain eld-x. The first 2 at 265 and 295 yards dropped in their tracks. The last was shot at 731yds and only went 40 yards. My buddy shot one at 400 yds that went 50 yards with a blown shoulder. His 15 year old son shot one at 675 yds that went approximately 50 yds. Incredible damage from this round with large exit wounds

My experience as well. I recently shot a pronghorn with the 6.5 PRC Eldx at 400 yards. The shot was on the mark. The vitals were blown out like a crater, like a v shaped crater. I seriously could of field dressed him through the hole.

[BULL21]

Yes but what you’re seeing here is that the bullet needs to slow down in order to perform. It need to be shot at distance.

I agree that it performs better at 250+ yards, but I disagree that it’s not effective at closer distances. A well placed shot will be just as effective as other rounds.

[meltingfeather]

7mm 162 gr. ELDX through a 500 lb. antelope from 20 yards.

[bphillips]

I agree that it performs better at 250+ yards, but I disagree that it’s not effective at closer distances. A well placed shot will be just as effective as other rounds.

Yep. I have used the 143 out of my Saum at around 3100fps and had great results from 100-515yds