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

[wartak]

A 147gr eld-m after going diagonally through a whitetail at around 200 yards.

An elk shoulder blade after the same.

I think your concerns of meat loss are overstated.

That looks pretty good, maybe it's caliber related then

 

[Duh]

Here’s a 212 eldx from a 300 win mag at 120-140 yards. Muzzle velocity was 3011fps. Minimal meat loss but absolute carnage on an old bull.

I shot an antelope under 75 yards from the same set up. Hit him in the neck looking at me and that bullet didn’t blow anything up. Wasn’t devastating meat loss.

I’ve had the eldx fragment on a number of animals and I expect that. But that’s exactly why I shoot that bullet. I won’t hesitate to shoot animals close with the bullet.

 

[ChrisAU]

I stopped using 143 ELD-X in 6.5 after this. Probably a 75 pound whitetail doe, 420 yards, impact behind front shoulder but impacted a rib. Was she dead? Very. Did I get any meat from that front left side….

 

[wartak]

I stopped using 143 ELD-X in 6.5 after this. Probably a 75 pound whitetail doe, 420 yards, impact behind front shoulder but impacted a rib. Was she dead? Very. Did I get any meat from that front left side….

View attachment 736054

This has been my experience as well. I hunt for meat as well for the challenge and enjoyment of it. I have yet to see an accubond, partition, federal fusion or any of the like. My experience is the eldx seems to perform like a varmit bullet. Don't get me wrong "I know the eldx is not a varmit bullet but it reminds me of one by the way it performs.

 

[PC356]

This has been my experience as well. I hunt for meat as well for the challenge and enjoyment of it. I have yet to see an accubond, partition, federal fusion or any of the like. My experience is the eldx seems to perform like a varmit bullet. Don't get me wrong "I know the eldx is not a varmit bullet but it reminds me of one by the way it performs.

Your experience with ELD Xs doesn’t mirror what the vast majority of hunters here that use them does at all. That’s the bottom line. You don’t like em, switch to a mono or similar. You’ve got choices.
I’m stickin with the ELD X in multiple calibers because they kill like hell. Certainly don’t find they waste meat if the shot placement is reasonable either. If you’re smackin big bones, with big calibers, at close ranges you’re gonna frag meat regardless of bullet construction.

 

[wartak]

Hornady is aware of the cup and core separation issues. If this wasn't an occasional problem they wouldn't have published this.
Seth Swerczek Hornadys podcast host has even talked of this a time or 2 in which he said that Hornady sells better bullets for some of these situations and that no bullet can do everything there is always tradeoffs that you need to be willing to make to gain something. Unfortunately the ELD-X trade off is weak structural integrity at high velocities and cup and core separation.
That aside if I knew with certain terms that any shot opportunity I would have would be 200 yards or greater I think it would be a great choice for me.
The ELDX has been extremely acurate in my rifles just lacking on the closer in shots.

 

[Osprey87]

Muzzle velocity matters, in my 6.5cm the 143 eld-x is 2570fps. I've shot 2 mule deer sub 55 yards, one of those was 20 yards away, also taken a 450lbs+ black bear at 155 yards. Just stay off the shoulder shots if your worried about excessive meat damage

 

[wartak]

Your experience with ELD Xs doesn’t mirror what the vast majority of hunters here that use them does at all. That’s the bottom line. You don’t like em, switch to a mono or similar. You’ve got choices.
I’m stickin with the ELD X in multiple calibers because they kill like hell. Certainly don’t find they waste meat if the shot placement is reasonable either. If you’re smackin big bones, with big calibers, at close ranges you’re gonna frag meat regardless of bullet construction.

I couldn't have said it better myself, I am no longer using eldx bullets in my 300 I switched to terminal ascent bullets.
I still shoot eldx in my 6.5 prc for now but I might make the switch to terminal ascent with them as well if they shoot well for me.

 

[wartak]

Muzzle velocity matters, in my 6.5cm the 143 eld-x is 2570fps. I've shot 2 mule deer sub 55 yards, one of those was 20 yards away, also taken a 450lbs+ black bear at 155 yards. Just stay off the shoulder shots if your worried about excessive meat damage

I concur 100%

 

[wartak]

Muzzle velocity matters, in my 6.5cm the 143 eld-x is 2570fps. I've shot 2 mule deer sub 55 yards, one of those was 20 yards away, also taken a 450lbs+ black bear at 155 yards. Just stay off the shoulder shots if your worried about excessive meat damage

I think 6.5 creed is ideal for this bullet since it already has lower muzzle velocities. I would think the creedmoor with this bullet would be an excellent match for deer sized game.

 

[CharlesF]

338 WM, 230 ELDX dropped a moose for me at 30 yds no problem. Right behind the front shoulder, no real meat loss to speak of. He was coming to in a rake/ grunt combo from around a pond & dropped right away, expiring shortly after. Shot placement makes all the difference.


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[wartak]

338 WM, 230 ELDX dropped a moose for me at 30 yds no problem. Right behind the front shoulder, no real meat loss to speak of. He was coming to in a rake/ grunt combo from around a pond & dropped right away, expiring shortly after. Shot placement makes all the difference.


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Did you hit any bone?

 

[Antares]

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

Nothing ruins as much meat as loosing the whole animal.

 

[wartak]

Nothing ruins as much meat as loosing the whole animal.

I have personally never lost an animal after a well placed shot from any bullet...
Other than a Prarie dog that I shot at 75 yards with a 22-250.. he disappeared.. to this day I don't know where he went.. just poof and he was gone!

 

[5MilesBack]

Hornady is aware of the cup and core separation issues.

My daughter shot a small doe through the rib cage right behind the shoulder at 375 yards with the 143gr ELD-x 6.5cm. The doe went about 50 yards. We found both the cup and core against the offside hide about 6" apart. That was our first and last 6.5 ELD-x experience, and completely foreign to me having grown up shooting Partitions and A-frames and used to having 2 holes in larger deer and elk. They may kill just fine, but I wouldn't think that two holes would be a problem on a small doe shot through the rib cage.

 

[Superx3]

I think the easiest way to put it is this. The eldx or else or TGK or hornady SST OR INTERLOCK are all cup and core type bullets in general you need to shoot heavy for caliber high sectional density bullets which slows them down which solves some of the velocity issues. They also shed weight with expansion so the more weight you start off with the better. If a hunter wants high velocity out of a super max velocity magnum and is worried about devastation at 30 yards and 3400fps. The answer is simple shoot a mono. You will not likely throw away much meat. There is not an absolutely perfect bullet that won’t blow up at 3400fps and still expand adequately at 1600fps just the way physics works. I shoot which ever bullet I my gun likes best for the job at hand and don’t sweat the small stuff.

 

[LongWayAround]

I stopped using 143 ELD-X in 6.5 after this. Probably a 75 pound whitetail doe, 420 yards, impact behind front shoulder but impacted a rib. Was she dead? Very. Did I get any meat from that front left side….

View attachment 736054

That deer is smaller than my Labrador. I don't think that's really a fair meat loss assessment.

How much meat is really on the shoulder of a deer that size? A couple pounds maybe? There's probably something like 25 pounds on the whole animal, most of that being in the rears and backstraps.

What projectile did you switch to for animals that size?

 

[KenLee]

"Nothing ruins as much meat as loosing the whole animal."
[/QUOTE]
Amen! I don't care if the entire far shoulder stays on the ground when I drag my prize away.

 

[KenLee]

That deer is smaller than my Labrador. I don't think that's really a fair meat loss assessment.

How much meat is really on the shoulder of a deer that size? A couple pounds maybe? There's probably something like 25 pounds on the whole animal, most of that being in the rears and backstraps.

What projectile did you switch to for animals that size?

My second ex wife used to fuss if I didn't shoot at least two 80ish pounds does each season. Said they were the easiest to work up and best to eat by far.

 

[Toondaddy]

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.

Did the same thing with a 7mm Rem Mag Core Lokt a over 100yds. Doesn't matter the bullet so much as shot placement.