Anyone using Hornady ELD Match for LR hunting?

[deerkiller]

I have yet to ever , not even once, get one fragment to my table with Bergers or any fragmenting bullet. Even when the shot was off the mark and hit shoulder meat. I believe that is mostly myth with some piss poor meat processing added in. I can not even begin to tell you how many big game animals we (my wife and family and friends) have eaten and never one fragment ever.

that's good to know, with all these lead ingestion "studies" going on it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chafe - in Oregon I'm beginning to sense the political side of non-lead bullets, it's coming whether we want it or not I'm afraid

 

[Broz]

that's good to know, with all these lead ingestion "studies" going on it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chafe - in Oregon I'm beginning to sense the political side of non-lead bullets, it's coming whether we want it or not I'm afraid

Well, just for the record. 100% of the red meat we used in the last several years has been wild game. Last year our freezers were stocked with two elk, a moose, two antelope and I donated my deer after I had it processed as we didn't need it. I know for a fact Ryan and Tanya Avery, and many others here are just as much wild meat eaters as we are hunters. So we all care about the meat and that is a common thing we all share.

 

[deerkiller]

Well, just for the record. 100% of the red meat we used in the last several years has been wild game. Last year our freezers were stocked with two elk, a moose, two antelope and I donated my deer after I had it processed as we didn't need it. I know for a fact Ryan and Tanya Avery, and many others here are just as much wild meat eaters as we are hunters. So we all care about the meat and that is a common thing we all share.

Our household as well - to include some salmon and tuna "now and then" Elk is our mainstay, haven't purchased red meat from a store in YEARS …..

 

[Kotaman]

This thread is getting some great mileage! I continued my "testing" last week. Killed a nice Fannin Ram at 150 yards with the 6.5 PRC with a factory 143 ELD X. I got a bit of a "splash" hitting the ram quartering away right behind the last rib. Opened up a baseball sized hole, but it was like he was struck by lightening. Bang, Flop, (feet straight up in the air, roll a 1/2 mile.

Also killed a caribou. The caribou was a better test of this bullet. He was 485 yards totally broadside. First shot hit him back, passed through the stomach and was mushroomed perfectly in the off hide. Second shot hit right behind the front shoulder with a small entrance and quarter sized exit. Third shot hit him in the neck, passed though and sent him rolling down hill. He was dead on his feet after the second shot. I've killed a bunch of stuff with the ELD X and a few with the ELD M. The two bullets perform a bit differently, but both have been killers for me. I will continue to use the 180 gr. ELD M in my 7 LRM and the 143 ELD X in 6.5 PRC. I've been trying out the 162 gr. ELD X in my 28 Nosler and the 168 gr. ELD M in my .308. However, I will be on Kodiak next spring hunting the big bears with TTSX via the outfitters recommendation.

 

[deerkiller]

I will add that I have only been using “target style” Bullets less than 3 years and in that time I have seen roughly 70-75 animals killed with eldx, eldm, and Berger vld. I will say they kill just as well and more often than not BETTER than the accubond, scirocco, and ttsx, and partitions I have used for a couple decades and hundreds of animals prior to that.

In fact I have switched to ELDMs as of late over eldx with good results thus far. But really most bullets will “work” given the distance I shoot the critters I most of the time. That said if off angle back up shots on brown bears are likely to occur I do still use a “premium” bonded bullet or similar and limit the distance. But that is really the one instance in Alaska for my uses will “premium” bullets.

I don’t have near the experience as Broz or Form with these style of bullets as I already indicated with about 2.5 years of actual experience using them but I see no reason to shy away from them. So I will continue to follow their wisdom in this area as what they are relating seems to ring true in my field experience with these style of bullets as well.

In fact 130 ELDM out of my 16” barrel 6.5 Creedmoor killed a couple caribou 3 days ago without issue either.

O...K... I'm convinced BUT if it's all the same you all of you I'll pick Bergers (and I'm gonna give Hammers a try as soon as I get some, they're on the way) I'm NOT a "Hornady fan" at all and no one will change that given my track record with their CS and attitude - I JUST ordered some 168 classic hunters for the 280 AI and will be trying the 250's in my 338/06 AI (frangibles actually make good sense here)

 

[deerkiller]

This thread is getting some great mileage! I continued my "testing" last week. Killed a nice Fannin Ram at 150 yards with the 6.5 PRC with a factory 143 ELD X. I got a bit of a "splash" hitting the ram quartering away right behind the last rib. Opened up a baseball sized hole, but it was like he was struck by lightening. Bang, Flop, (feet straight up in the air, roll a 1/2 mile.

Also killed a caribou. The caribou was a better test of this bullet. He was 485 yards totally broadside. First shot hit him back, passed through the stomach and was mushroomed perfectly in the off hide. Second shot hit right behind the front shoulder with a small entrance and quarter sized exit. Third shot hit him in the neck, passed though and sent him rolling down hill. He was dead on his feet after the second shot. I've killed a bunch of stuff with the ELD X and a few with the ELD M. The two bullets perform a bit differently, but both have been killers for me. I will continue to use the 180 gr. ELD M in my 7 LRM and the 143 ELD X in 6.5 PRC. I've been trying out the 162 gr. ELD X in my 28 Nosler and the 168 gr. ELD M in my .308. However, I will be on Kodiak next spring hunting the big bears with TTSX via the outfitters recommendation.

Ya might consider trying Hammers or Cutting Edge too ?

 

[Kotaman]

Ya might consider trying Hammers or Cutting Edge too ?

I'll give them a look, but things are working pretty good right now. And if it's not broke...

 

[deerkiller]

I'll give them a look, but things are working pretty good right now. And if it's not broke...

I get it, the "if it ain't broke why fix it" practice is hard to ignore - and it's ALL an "imperfect science" anyhow …..

 

[mmw194287]

I'm hoping to have some field observations on the 168 ELD-Ms before too long. I'll be shooting them out of my 20" CTR at 2720 or so....

 

[WRO]

They work just fine, 400 and 530 with 147s..

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[mt100gr.]

O...K... I'm convinced BUT if it's all the same you all of you I'll pick Bergers (and I'm gonna give Hammers a try as soon as I get some, they're on the way) I'm NOT a "Hornady fan" at all and no one will change that given my track record with their CS and attitude - I JUST ordered some 168 classic hunters for the 280 AI and will be trying the 250's in my 338/06 AI (frangibles actually make good sense here)

FWIW, the 168 classic hunters in .284 caliber (7mag for me) have yielded more bang-flop kills than the HVLDs. The latter kill just fine but the classic hunters have had much more dramatic (or less, depending on POV). Very deadly. Good luck!

 

[deerkiller]

Im not here to convince you of anything. Just sharing what I’ve seen from my limited experience of 70-75 critters in the last 2.5 years. I fully realize it’s not a huge sample size but it’s enough for me to keep using them on anything other than when I’m dedicated brown bear back up where less than ideal shot angles are not only likley but expected if needed.

larger sample than what mine is …..

 

[AZ16]

Great info everyone- thank you!

 

[DEW0341]

I will add that I have only been using “target style” Bullets less than 3 years and in that time I have seen roughly 70-75 animals killed with eldx, eldm, and Berger vld. I will say they kill just as well and more often than not BETTER than the accubond, scirocco, and ttsx, and partitions I have used for a couple decades and hundreds of animals prior to that.

In fact I have switched to ELDMs as of late over eldx with good results thus far. But really most bullets will “work” given the distance I shoot the critters I most of the time. That said if off angle back up shots on brown bears are likely to occur I do still use a “premium” bonded bullet or similar and limit the distance. But that is really the one instance in Alaska for my uses will “premium” bullets.

I don’t have near the experience as Broz or Form with these style of bullets as I already indicated with about 2.5 years of actual experience using them but I see no reason to shy away from them. So I will continue to follow their wisdom in this area as what they are relating seems to ring true in my field experience with these style of bullets as well.

In fact 130 ELDM out of my 16” barrel 6.5 Creedmoor killed a couple caribou 3 days ago without issue either.

What distance on the 3 caribou? I’m thinking of trying 130 eldm out of my new 18” 6.5cm barrel.


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[Liv2HntBigBullz]

I'll add in as I jumped on the 6.5prc bandwagon this year.

I chose the 147 ELDMs as I booked a cancellation hunt and didn't get my Berger 156s in time to develop a load. The ram I took was at 210 broadside,perfect through and through. He tipped over before I could find him again for a follow up. I took a big Brooks range bou at 540, one shot bang/flop. Jelly lung and a really solid through and through. Would have liked to recover the bullet to see, but quick recovery of the critter was better.

FWIW the guy in the camp 50 miles away, took a ram bou and Arctic grizz with the 147 eldms. Think he hit the bear twice for good measure the other two were bang/flops. The bear video is impressive for a 6.5prc and a match bullet. I'll see if I can find a link.

Performance was good enough that I begin to question the headache of load developing.

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[Conrad]

I’ve shot a couple of large axis bucks and one whitetail buck, all neck shots with the 308 178 ELDX and 6.5 130 ELDM.

I know this is about ELDM’s so bear with me...

308 178 ELDX: Straight on neck shot, 125 yards. Bullet did not exit as it hit the spine and traveled down and around and was under hide kind of on the side of the neck, it was a bit interesting compared to my typical neck shots, but lots of expansion and carnage. Obvious deer was DRT.

308 178 ELDX: WT Buck ~100 yards, neck shot, typical neck shot performance.

6.5 Creed 130 ELDM (2820 FPS, 20” barrel): Feeding axis buck, 160-180 yds, can’t remember exactly...shot through the side of the neck. Bang flop. Go to recover the deer. Dead as a door nail, excited to see exit wound on the off-side....except what I found was a 6.5mm hole in, and a 6.5mm hole out. Essentially no expansion within the neck. This deer was facing sideways, so while I center punched the neck, I believe that is why I basically missed vertebrae. Axis bucks have some thick meaty necks so I would have thought that was enough medium to initiate expansion. Anyway, it is only one shot, but I was very surprised by this performance.

I’ve grown up harvesting deer for the table via neck shots, so I’m very accustomed to walking up to deer with blown out necks on the exit. 130 Berger’s have provided this in recent years, I think 1 143 ELDX, and even 75gr .223 HPBTs, and so did all the old soft points, and hollow points I shot as a kid in 22-250 and 6mm Rem.

I’m not trying to knock the ELDM’s as I shoot a bunch of them in a variety of calibers for targets. I know 1 bullet out of any design could be a fluke, but I am curious to hear of any other reports on the 130 ELDM, specifically. It would appear the 147 ELDM is a lot more explosive based on reports.

Thanks.

 

[desertcj]

My buddy and I recently downed 4 antelope with the 180gr Eld-M out of my 7mag. Ranges between 150yds out to 530yds. Expansion was great, fist size exits to double fist exits! One marginal hit but the massive fragmentation did the job. I also noticed ruptured livers on a couple of them due to the hydrostatic shock. The shots were through the lungs/shoulder.

 

[Formidilosus]

Feeding axis buck, 160-180 yds, can’t remember exactly...shot through the side of the neck. Bang flop. Go to recover the deer. Dead as a door nail, excited to see exit wound on the off-side....except what I found was a 6.5mm hole in, and a 6.5mm hole out. Essentially no expansion within the neck.

“ It would appear the 147 ELDM is a lot more explosive based on reports”.

It’s extremely highly unlikely that it didn’t fragment. As in as close to 0% as you can get.
What is very likely is that it fragmented violently, and all you had was the base that exited. That’s why you got a small hole in, and small hole out and why it “bang flopped. If it did not upset at all, then it would not have “bang flopped” it.
At that range, and probable impact velocity, that bullet will fragment most of the front half within 6” of tissue, maybe less than that.


This is the performance of an equivalent bullet with nearly identical construction, and characteristics in tissue are extremely similar -


Near complete fragmentation in 8 inches, with the base, giving just a bit more.


For comparison, here is a 147gr ELD-M-


This is the reason you get bigger exits with the 147gr. It too fragments violently in the front half, but it has enough bullet that it does have the base with lead, and petals expanded to penetrate.

 

[Conrad]

I’d tend to agree, but I did remove the hide down close to the head and then removed the head. There just wasn’t much trauma to the neck, zero busted arteries, very little to 0 evidence of expansion, shrapnel, or hydrostatic shock. Found it pretty strange.

I do agree with these larger fragmenting bullets, being the best, as it simple comes down to more mass means more fragments to potentially disrupt tissue.

 

[honuswagner]

Might as well add my two bits to this thread...

I've killed 3 elk with my 6.5 Creedmoor using the 140gr ELD-M, 150-400 yds. Two of them went through the lungs and lodged on the other side of the ribs, one went out the other side. Bullets showed consistent expansion. If I can find them I'll post a photo.

Also killed two elk with my 300 WM sending a 208gr ELD-M, one was 430 yds and one was 740 yds.

Great terminal performance in my experience. Working up loads for the 300 WM using the 225gr ELD-M for next season!