108 ELDM vs 130 TMK? Which is the best bullet?

[SUD1988]

So regardless of caliber and recoil, which bullet is the best as an all around big game bullet?

I know there are advantages to the 6mm for recoil and spotting impacts, but there are plenty of people who make the 6.5 work.

I want one hunting rifle for everything, and I want the best all around bullet I can get.

 

[ztc92]

I’ll bite - I didn’t vote because I’ve only used the 130 TMK. If I did vote it would be for the 108 ELDM, though I have never used it.

For me the reason is that the 130TMK did too too much damage on a mule deer. I’ve used 77TMK on elk and deer with good results from a 223. The 130 TMK was absolute carnage and more meat damage than I’m willing to accept. This is from an 18” 6.5Creedmore at about 2600 FPS impact so not all that fast.

Based on what I’ve seen, the 108 would be less damage than the 130TMK and only slightly more than the 77TMK, which would be about ideal if you have a 6mm minimum.

This year I’m going to try using the 6.5 with 107TMK for everything to hopefully get less meat damage. Next year I will likely be shooting 108ELDM out of a 243…

 

[Castle Rock]

I’ll bite - I didn’t vote because I’ve only used the 130 TMK. If I did vote it would be for the 108 ELDM, though I have never used it.

For me the reason is that the 130TMK did too too much damage on a mule deer. I’ve used 77TMK on elk and deer with good results from a 223. The 130 TMK was absolute carnage and more meat damage than I’m willing to accept. This is from an 18” 6.5Creedmore at about 2600 FPS impact so not all that fast.

Based on what I’ve seen, the 108 would be less damage than the 130TMK and only slightly more than the 77TMK, which would be about ideal if you have a 6mm minimum.

This year I’m going to try using the 6.5 with 107TMK for everything to hopefully get less meat damage. Next year I will likely be shooting 108ELDM out of a

That is a very interesting post. You wanna kill stuff, but not that dead.
I have been using the 130 TMK in my 6.5 PRC lately and it is the bomb

 

[Jordan Smith]

That is a very interesting post. You wanna kill stuff, but not that dead.

Generally speaking, I’m in the same boat. When I shoot gophers, I want them to explode. When I shoot game animals, I want to eat as much as possible while still dropping them relatively quickly. I favour moderate damage. For close shots, I prefer a mono bullet if shooting at steep quartering angles through much meat, and I love an ELDM for longer shots where I can be more selective about shot placement.

 

[ztc92]

That is a very interesting post. You wanna kill stuff, but not that dead.
I have been using the 130 TMK in my 6.5 PRC lately and it is the bomb

I would argue your post is equally interesting. Nowhere did I say I want things “less dead”, just that I preferred less meat damage. In my experience, things are either dead or they are not, there is no scale or spectrum for it.

As for your experience with the 130 TMK, I’m glad you’re happy with it. I agree, it reminds me of a bomb when it destroys tissue in animals. If that’s your goal, it’s a great choice, but I’d prefer a bit less damage to preserve as much meat as possible since filling the freezer is the main reason I go hunting.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

The difference in wounds with these two bullets is worth noting.

108 ELDMs kill well with generally good killing wounds, however, instances of more narrow than ideal wounds for rapid killing have been observed. When compared to 103 ELDXs and 95 SSTs in the same mediums we don’t see this as often.

130 TMKs are destructive, large wounds, with generally a fair amount of meat loss depending on shot location.

Currently, in what I’ve seen, if you want the ultimate combo of relatively high BC, reliable killing wounds, ability to spot shots, mitigate recoil and maintain good shot fundamentals, and highest overall first round hit rates in hunting terrain, it’s the 80 ELDX from a fast .224 caliber cartridge.

I’m still learning every day so, that could change for me at some point. Ask me that question 12 years ago and I would have said 129 SST from a 260AI or 6.5x284

 

[nm.otter]

We need a .224 90gr ELD-X and a .243 112 ELD-X. Most likely derived from 93gr and 116gr ELD-Ms respectively.