ELD-X & ELD-M

[Formidilosus]

Should a 178 gr ELD-X from a .308 have expanded/fragmented on a 500 yd shot on soft tissue only? Hornady says it would have been going about 1846 fps and energy of 1346. Exit wound on axis deer gut shot looked just like the entry wound, a .308 hole.

Yes it should, however that’s getting on the low end and you will start seeing some issues eventually.

Did you open the animal up and look at the wound channel?

 

[aftriathlete]

Yes it should, however that’s getting on the low end and you will start seeing some issues eventually.

Did you open the animal up and look at the wound channel?

I did not. Field dressed it by headlamp and took it to the local processor, didn’t think in the moment to really examine the interior damage more closely. Lots of blood in the abdominal cavity, to be expected.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Isn’t the ELD M a target/match bullet? Wouldn’t you want to avoid that for hunting?

 

[slowelk]

Isn’t the ELD M a target/match bullet? Wouldn’t you want to avoid that for hunting?

Are you new here? I didn't think so, but...

I jest

 

[texag10]

Isn’t the ELD M a target/match bullet? Wouldn’t you want to avoid that for hunting?

Regardless of what it says on the box, it turns mule deer organs to mush from 40yd frontal shots to ~470ish broadside shots in my experience.

 

[Formidilosus]

I did not. Field dressed it by headlamp and took it to the local processor, didn’t think in the moment to really examine the interior damage more closely. Lots of blood in the abdominal cavity, to be expected.

You got expansion/fragmentation. Looking at an exit wound tells you absolutely nothing about what the bullet actually did.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

I’ve killed deer with both. I cant remember if I recovered the 143x at 230 yards or not but the eld-m have been pass throughs from 3-600 yards. Both bullets did the job well!


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[EmperorMA]

I’ve killed deer with both. I cant remember if I recovered the 143x at 230 yards or not but the eld-m have been pass throughs from 3-600 yards. Both bullets did the job well!


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Using the 140 or 147 ELD-Ms? Out of what?

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Using the 140 or 147 ELD-Ms? Out of what?

Sorry 147s out of a PRC. 143s out of same cartridge


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[GunsAreFun]

That is the exit wound on a young whitetail Buck with a quartering to shot at like 40 yards with ELDM out of a 6.5 Grendel 12” pistol. That’s my only data point so far. I did kill a doe last year with an 18” Grendel and ELDM but I was in a rush and didn’t think to check the wound. Both deer died instantly.

 

[SouthpawTikka]

I've shot 6 or 7 whitetails from 200 out to 821 yards with the 140 eldm, 6.5 creedmoor. All recovered, all but two drt, 821 yd went the furthest - 30 yards or so.

 

[justin davis]

I've shot 2 critters with ELDXs and the collateral damage has been unacceptable, even at 300 yards. Lost a front quarter off a bear and a deer. They are grenades if you even nick bone.

Only one data point with the ELDM but put one through the high shoulder on a good sized bear last August at 300 yards and got a complete pass through and dead on arrival situation. Won't be going back to ELDX's ever.

Interesting. I think of the ELDMs as more grenades than the ELDX

 

[BRTreedogs]

Interesting. I think of the ELDMs as more grenades than the ELDX

Imo you need more info.
Yes fragmenting.
I shot a buck this year with a berger.
The entry and exist holes in the hide appeared nil. If I had judged it solely based on that I didn't think the bullet expanded.
But once I opened him up Holly moley.
It was like a grapefruit passed thru.

Same with my wife's cow. 147 eldm the hide had virtually no damage.
Internal damage was impressive.

 

[slowelk]

Imo you need more info.
Yes fragmenting.
I shot a buck this year with a berger.
The entry and exist holes in the hide appeared nil. If I had judged it solely based on that I didn't think the bullet expanded.
But once I opened him up Holly moley.
It was like a grapefruit passed thru.

Same with my wife's cow. 147 eldm the hide had virtually no damage.
Internal damage was impressive.
View attachment 496121View attachment 496122View attachment 496123

I assume these photos are of the berger-shot deer. What berger bullet, what distance, what impact velocity?

 

[BRTreedogs]

I assume these photos are of the berger-shot deer. What berger bullet, what distance, what impact velocity?

Yes 210 Vld 150 Yards 2828 fps impact.

I don't have and pics of the cow.
6.5 cm 147 eldm 390 yards 2239 impact.
Double lung, at least half the lungs were red slop.
Almost folded her on impact. She did a little dance maybe 70 yards total.

 

[sram9102]

I have shot several WT over the past decade or so with eldm and eldx in both a 308 and a 6.5 creed. The only bullet that didn't exit was a frontal that I found in a rear quarter with nearly the entire bullet intact. Comparing it to all the other examples I have this one was a fluke. Typically they leave exits big enough to see into the chest cavity.

 

[rockymtnsam]

Resurrecting this thread as I'm thinking about a 6.5 PRC. I just watched some ballistics gel videos where both the 143 ELD-X, and 147 ELD-M's fragmented pretty significantly. Anyone have issues with these bullets within 3-400 yards? Most of my elk/deer hunting is within 400.

 

[aftriathlete]

I just shot an axis deer in the shoulder at 100 yards two weeks ago with 140 ELDM out of a Tikka 6.5 CM, MV was about 2650 so expect impact velocity around 2500 fps. Slightly downhill shot on bedded deer, so no doubt the shoulder blade was retracted high. I was surprised that I had no exit. Deer took 5+ minutes to expire, but it could not stand up and run from its bed where I shot it, so yes it did its job and killed the animal. But axis deer are not huge animals, I would guess this guy might have been 140 lbs on the hoof, and even at 2500 fps I didn't get an exit wound. So it grenaded completely after impacting scapula. Did a gutless quarter, so didn't inspect vitals or look for fragments other than we took a close look at the offside shoulder for fragments when we were cleaning the meat up that night, not seeing any.

 

[Formidilosus]

I just shot an axis deer in the shoulder at 100 yards two weeks ago with 140 ELDM out of a Tikka 6.5 CM, MV was about 2650 so expect impact velocity around 2500 fps. Slightly downhill shot on bedded deer, so no doubt the shoulder blade was retracted high. I was surprised that I had no exit. Deer took 5+ minutes to expire, but it could not stand up and run from its bed where I shot it, so yes it did its job and killed the animal. But axis deer are not huge animals, I would guess this guy might have been 140 lbs on the hoof, and even at 2500 fps I didn't get an exit wound. So it grenaded completely after impacting scapula. Did a gutless quarter, so didn't inspect vitals or look for fragments other than we took a close look at the offside shoulder for fragments when we were cleaning the meat up that night, not seeing any.

That’s not unusual. I wouldn’t expect an exit at higher velocities. Don’t take that to mean that they won’t penetrate to the offside regardless of animal, however.

As for the Alice for 5 minutes thing, that happens with bedded animals quite often. After the shot the hide moves and cover the entrance wound and little air gets in.

 

[OFFSHORE]

I and my rifles, love the Hornady ELD-M line of bullets. I use the 168gr. and 178gr. in .308 Winny and the 208gr. in a 300WSM and my experiences reflect closely as other have mentioned - innards are a bucket of jelly and travel is minimal if at all. I am also a great fan of the 140gr. A-Max out of my 6.5x55 Swede. . .deer kill'n SOB!!! I have about 8 boxes of those left and then I'm going to rebarrel to an Ack. Imp. version of the Swede with a 1:7 twist and give the 147gr. ELD-M a whirl.