143 Grain ELD-X: Yay or Nay

[khuber84]

Using em in the GF's rifle, 2770fps from factory tikka barrel, theyre under moa at 500y with her shooting. This year she dropped an antelope at 350y and a pair of mule deer from 300-450y. Bullets perform great at creed speed. She pulled the trigger 3 times, and had 3 clean kills.

 

[Formidilosus]

Not so good on elk shoulders from what I've seen, total fragmentation in the first 2-3" of the scapula

Since you didn’t answer my question, and you brought it up again, here is a “shoulder” (actually the scapula/humerus junction- the thickest bones) on an elk and a 143gr ELD-X. 20’ish inches of penetration-









You gotta be careful of that dreaded “shoulder” with bone as thick as a sheet of cardboard.

 

[BadDogPSD]

143 eld-x at 440 yards, mule deer. He was quartering towards me. I hit a little high. The bullet ran the length of its body, found the biggest fragment just under the hide in front of its hip. Pretty much turned the organs to mush.

 

[Steve O]

I did not like what I saw from multiple caliber ELD-X bullets at high velocity. I do not like finding just the jacket. If you shoot a mild cartridge like the 6.5 CM/308 Win or only shoot long range they are probably a good bullet for you. Too fragile for my uses.

 

[Southern Heritage]

I’ve shot about 25 deer and 15 hogs with 6.5 ranging from 20 yds to 607 yards. They all run 20-25 yards bleeding out both ends Leaving a blood trail my 6 year old follows. Last year I switched to a .308 in 178 grain. Ive shot 9 deer with it. They all have done the exact thing except one. I had a buck quarting to me at 260 yds. Shot placement was great but bullet didn’t exit leaving a bad blood trail.

 

[PanhandlePilgrim]

My PRC Running 143s at 3066fps absolutely wrecked 3 mule deer this year. Furthest shot was 302 yards and the bullet went through and broke BOTH shoulders. They'll kill anything in North America.

 

[Zappaman]

There seems to be a recurring theme to this question (over several forums and here the last few years). I've read a lot of posts and it seems that many like this bullet for smaller game. I've read no less than five posts where this bullet didn't drive through a shoulder (on several shots) on elk and a few deer.

I WILL hunt with more frangible bullets when I'm planning a head/neck shot (I'll take within 200 yards usually if it's not windy out), or if taking a boiler shot behind shoulders (deer mostly). I usually hunt for meat so the "shot" isn't into the shoulders. I always have TWO bullets hunting... one "frangible" for neck/boiler close-in shots (in the chamber) and another for longer range shots (in my pocket staying warm).

So when hunting for horns, I'll take a bonded (or mono) and take the shoulders almost every time (but necks are easy to 200 off good stix or a rest so I've dropped plenty of elk and deer with a bonded in the neck).

But given a long-shot (or any shot on elk)... Partition (or Gold Dot) out to 500 yards is good insurance I'll "buy" every time. The "Gold Dots" are under-rated (and hard to find so not many using them), but I consider them 95% as good as a partition. Excellent expansion/low lead shed (at any distance) and they DRIVE though usually leaving little meat damage. If it came down to one bullet for deer- Gold Dot would be it and has for the last 15 deer or so (*AND same amount of pigs out of my 6.8 SPC with the 115g). For elk-- Partition.

 

[hodgeman]

I've had good success with them on caribou and have loaded a pile of them that others have used with good results. They work better at lower impact speeds than higher, and are somewhat ideal for rounds like the 6.5CM.

 

[Wetwork]

I didn't like the results at 550yards out of my Creedmore on cow elk. 2950 fps with RL26. The elk got hit right in the heart nice full broadside, jacket seperated from the core, no exits, jacket took a turn and jacked up some shoulder meat. I watched the hit, looked like she didn't even know she was shot. She stood there for few minutes, then walked about ten yards and fell over. Yep she was done., heart all blew to pieces. Who's bitch'en?

I've taken lots of game over the years, generally a elk and mule deer each year. I'm saying 550 was probably as far as I should have shot with that round. Felt like if she was just ten yards further out the out come wouldn't have been as easy. Can't explain it just felt soft. I've shot elk at 140 yards with Barnes and hitting bone pert near blew them off their feet with my .270 or it looked like it.

I traded that Creedmore for a 6.5 PRC. Thinking 156 Bergers gonna give me a harder hit inside of 800 yards.

There's no perfect bullet. My plan is load Barnes or Hammers for the first shot (inside of 300) past that I jack out my short range shell for the longer range 156. I'm sighting in and doping for the 156's. Then I'll run some smaller Barnes/Hammers to see how close inside of 300 yards they are to my dope for the Bergers. Inside of 300 I think it'll amost be just point and shoot with those coppers.

Time will tell.-WW

 

[ianpadron]

Almost guaranteed to be the most accurate factory load out of any 6.5 rifle.

BUT, both critters I've shot with them have lost entire quarters due to bloodshot meat and shrapnel. Like little hand grenades even at 300 out of a slow cartridge.

Strange thing is that I run 168 grain ELDMS in my .308 and those punch holes through black bears at 300....as a match bullet.

I won't run the 143s anymore personally, despite their accuracy.

 

[WoodBow]

I have had great luck with them out of my 6.5 prc. I have taken an oryx, a nilgai, a coyote, and a pile of hogs with them. I have not needed to track any of them except one hog that I gut shot that ran maybe 50 yards.

Downside, I have had zero exits except for the coyote. That is likely to create a problem for me eventually.

 

[sram9102]

I have never had an issue with the 143s going all the way through whitetails from 50 to 450ish. 2700 mv.

 

[07yzryder]

6.5 cm 2850fps took my first mule deer 2 years ago DRT at 345 yards

 

[Zappaman]

This bullet seems similar to the Hornady SST is that it fragments out- but gets deep in enough to "pulpify" the inside (and if hot enough- blows the off-side a baseball sized hole). The "deflecting" elk stories probably apply when the harder shoulder bone is hit right under the skin- with both these bullets "detonating" the first inch in (before getting inside)... probably at higher velocities (a guess anyway).

But for those who don't mind the way this bullet works, and the resulting meat loss... it is doing a good job for many here. Knowing the bullet and how to use it (placement) is the key to success.

 

[roosiebull]

i have killed a couple blacktail with them in my creed... no surprises or magic, they did what they were supposed to.

my buddy shoots only them out of his prc and has killed 5-6 roosies with that bullet and the same with blacktail, about half of those 600-900yds, the other half sub 350yds... no surprises or magic, they all worked, nothing really to note with him.

one of those blacktail i was with him, it was 200+change, bedded on a rotten log looking towards us, he said he was going to shoot it in the nose, and he had a strange looking face when we got to him. they shoot really well for him, and work on everything he has shot, so no reason to change.

they shot well for our 2 6.5's too, but a couple other bullets shoot a little better for me.... from what i have seen with the 143 eldx, i wouldn't hesitate using them for anything up to a big roosevelt bull at least..... not really all that crazy, arrows are hell on them too

 

[dv8pnt]

Dropped around 30 PA whitetails with them. Great results. None went over 30 yards.

 

[General RE LEE]

Another positive experience with the 143 ELD-X tonight.

2700 FPS at muzzle 6.5 Creedmoor

Whitetail at 100 yards

Complete pass through with a smallish entrance but full expansion and pass through. Blew out heart with great blood trail and a dead deer less than 40 yards.

Amazing accuracy sub MOA 41.5 grains H4350 Tikka T3x Lite

 

[General RE LEE]

2/2 past 2 days with ELD-X out of 6.5 Creedmoor going 2700 FPS at muzzle. Shot this buck at 45 yards and he dropped dead like a sack of potatoes.

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Just dropped a big mature muley at 400 yards. Hit him twice, he went about 50 yards.

 

[TX_Diver]

I didn't like the results at 550yards out of my Creedmore on cow elk. 2950 fps with RL26. The elk got hit right in the heart nice full broadside, jacket seperated from the core, no exits, jacket took a turn and jacked up some shoulder meat. I watched the hit, looked like she didn't even know she was shot. She stood there for few minutes, then walked about ten yards and fell over. Yep she was done., heart all blew to pieces. Who's bitch'en?

I've taken lots of game over the years, generally a elk and mule deer each year. I'm saying 550 was probably as far as I should have shot with that round. Felt like if she was just ten yards further out the out come wouldn't have been as easy. Can't explain it just felt soft. I've shot elk at 140 yards with Barnes and hitting bone pert near blew them off their feet with my .270 or it looked like it.

I traded that Creedmore for a 6.5 PRC. Thinking 156 Bergers gonna give me a harder hit inside of 800 yards.

There's no perfect bullet. My plan is load Barnes or Hammers for the first shot (inside of 300) past that I jack out my short range shell for the longer range 156. I'm sighting in and doping for the 156's. Then I'll run some smaller Barnes/Hammers to see how close inside of 300 yards they are to my dope for the Bergers. Inside of 300 I think it'll amost be just point and shoot with those coppers.

Time will tell.-WW

What did you end up doing for this season? That sounds pretty complicated but if it works for you then great!