ELD-X is it unreliable for close range hunting (less than 200 yards) and should it only be used for long range?

[wartak]

Starting this thread to get others to quit hijacking the 6.8 western thread.
There seems to be an argument that the ELD-X is a great option for close range hunting. I however think it's a terrible option sub 200 yards.

 

[fwafwow]

Starting this thread to get others to quit hijacking the 6.8 western thread.
There seems to be an argument that the ELD-X is a great option for close range hunting. I however think it's a terrible option sub 200 yards.

Why?

 

[ARK_Ginger]

If you hate meat loss then yes, it isn’t a good bullet especially in larger calibers.

Will it reach the vitals in any game in North America at closer range? Yes. They don’t ’blow up’ in shoulders and not reach the vitals. Not a single person that has claimed that they have has been able to produce pictures proving said claim.

To top it off Hornady even has ballistic gel testing for all to see on bullets such as their 147 ELD (which might be more fragile than the ELD-x but very similar) in auto glass. Which is much tougher than any elk/moose shoulder out there and it still manages to penetrate 12.5”. Anyone out there claiming that these bullets don’t work shouldn’t be surprised when they’re met with a healthy dose of skepticism when the data is so readily available.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

What is your personal experience, with actual photo/video evidence, that lead to your conclusion?

 

[Tahoe1305]

100% depends on muzzle exit velocity (or better said impact) at those ranges.

My experience is an impact higher than 2900fps will result in explosions (even on soft tissue likely) and you may end up with a kill still, but it will be a mess. Edit: was also the one of two bullets that didn’t pass thru (other got stuck in hide of elk at 680yds).

Killed many deer, goat, sheep with it below 2900fps (from 50yds to 680 yds) without issue. Guessing maybe a dozen various game now.

Shot one deer with a magnum with an impact above 3100fps and it killed it. But the rib shot exploded and left fragments in the guts a few feet back. Never had a bullet do that.

I use heavier/slower eldx now in that magnum. Keep velocity down and in my experience they do great.

 

[Hoodie]

100% depends on muzzle exit velocity (or better said impact) at those ranges.

This.

I shot a cow elk at 205 yards a few years back with the 6.5 143 grain eld-X. Bullet left the muzzle at a blazing 2600 fps and it flattened her. No issues with penetration, massive wound channel, liquified vitals.

If it was starting out at say 3200 fps, I'd have gone with something a little tougher.

 

[PC356]

Ear holed a 200 plus lb boar at 220 yds a few months ago with a 6 ARC 103 gr ELD X
Shot was thru and thru. Obviously didn’t explode…
Not sure if this thread only pertains to .270/.277 but it was indeed a lighter ELD X clippin along pretty good on a skull at semi close range.

 

[Cameron.25]

Interesting. I only had one kill with the eld-x, mostly shoot eld-m. It was an off hand shot on a buck with my 6.5 PRC, factory ammo, probably only 40 yards. It worked perfectly for me, no weird stuff happened. Buck went 10 yards and dropped

 

[wartak]

My experience it definitely kills the animal but leaves massive tissue damage ruining lots of meat

 

[Huntr]

I killed an elk last year with the 143 eldx at about 125 yards. 2 shots, 2 exits and the elk traveled about 15 feet. 6.5 Creedmoor and a muzzle velocity of just over 2600fps out of an 18 inch barrel.

 

[wartak]

I think it actually pertains more to velocity than any specific range.. seems like over 2600 fps is where the fragmentation happens..
Shot a doe last season with 300wm at about 50 yards frontal shot through neck, it exited and I found fragments of coper and lead all throughout the backstraps and hind quarters.. bank side of the neck was pretty ugly too

 

[ARK_Ginger]

The fact that they cause lots of tissue damage is the great thing about them for long range/ lower velocity shots. It’s also great because you can move to a smaller caliber and still get lots of damage.

 

[wartak]

The fact that they cause lots of tissue damage is the great thing about them for long range/ lower velocity shots. It’s also great because you can move to a smaller caliber and still get lots of damage.

Even if it wastes lots of meat?

 

[PC356]

I think it actually pertains more to velocity than any specific range.. seems like over 2600 fps is where the fragmentation happens..
Shot a doe last season with 300wm at about 50 yards frontal shot through neck, it exited and I found fragments of coper and lead all throughout the backstraps and hind quarters.. bank side of the neck was pretty ugly too

300 WM very close range and heavy spine bones is gonna equal exactly that

 

[wartak]

300 WM very close range and heavy spine bones is gonna equal exactly that

Perhaps a tougher bullet would have helped together better? Barnes ttsx or lrx? Terminal ascent?

 

[Smenning]

We’ve shot a lot of whitetail at close range 30-100yds with ELD X’s .270, .308 and 300WSM. If you hit a major muscle group it makes a mess. Wait for a broad side shot and aim for double lungs. If there’s not time to wait for better shot placement, know that shooting it in the front half from point blank to longer than most should shoot will kill effectively. Great bullet.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

Even if it wastes lots of meat?

At long range there will be more wasted meat than a mono or a bonded bullet will cause, but the amount of tissue damage is directly correlated to incapacitation time. This is especially true when the velocities are getting to the lower threshold. So I’ll take the ELD bullets and track less animals.

Most of my rifle hunting is sub 200 yards, but with a 223 shooting elds or TMKs I haven’t witnessed significantly more wasted meat than say a 30-06 with SST or nosler ballistic tips at the same ranges.

 

[wartak]

We’ve shot a lot of whitetail at close range 30-100yds with ELD X’s .270, .308 and 300WSM. If you hit a major muscle group it makes a mess. Wait for a broad side shot and aim for double lungs. If there’s not time to wait for better shot placement, know that shooting it in the front half from point blank to longer than most should shoot will kill effectively. Great bullet.

I shot a Caribou in the neck for the same reason. It was at about 75 yards and I knew that was coming so I took a broadside neck shot and flopped it in it's tracks. I wholeheartedly agree that the eldx kills them dead, I just feel like there are cleaner options for closer in work.
Just curious why you all shoot the ELD bullets instead of something like an acubond or norma bondstrike? I feel like the bondstrike is a better bullet though I can't speak from experience.

 

[wartak]

I'm sort of on the fence olwith how the ELD-X will work on a quartering away moose or Caribou. I feel like the guts will upset the bullet and shed all it's weight before getting to the heart and lungs.

 

[eoperator]

Shot a doe last season with 300wm at about 50 yards frontal shot through neck, it exited and I found fragments of coper and lead all throughout the backstraps and hind quarters.. bank side of the neck was pretty ugly too

And this surprised you?

I made a bow to stern shot with a barnes tsx 300mag at 25yrds while filling crop damage tags ruined nearly all the meat on the deer.