Eld-x not performing as expected

mxgsfmdpx

WKR
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Oct 22, 2019
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I’ve been shooting mule deer since 1980. My usual shot is through the chest behind the shoulder. Sometimes the angle will put the exit through the off side shoulder. I’ve only seen a couple that dropped right there…. Most hump up at the shot and then run until they pass out. A variety of bullets used.

Even in open country they can be hard to find after they fall. I’ve learned to pay very very close attention to locating exactly where they were shot, which direction they run, and how to do a grid search. I’ll say to myself “OK, he was standing in front of that bush with the weird horizontal branch with the yellow leaves on it, next to that clump of sage shaped like a (whatever).” Then I’ll watch that spot like a hawk while I walk over there, so I don’t get confused and walk to the wrong spot. If I don’t see it right away, I’ll place a tape marker at the spot and start walking in a widening zig zag from that spot in the direction that he ran. I’ve been lucky and never lost an animal.
This is the way!!!
 
OP
Mecanic thony
Joined
Nov 11, 2024
Messages
18
Mecanic thony, I get where you are coming from I want them to fall down when I shoot them also. Unfortunately I doesn't always work that way. The 300 PRC is certainly capable of that however, when everything lines up just right. 200 feet is a pretty short recovery and I wouldn't be concerned with it.

A couple things to consider (which have been mentioned similarly above). Watch some videos of the ELDX being shot into ballistic gel. it is pretty common for the the jacket and and core to sperate. which could mean only a portion of the bullet exited. Also it has been my experience that most of the animals that dropped on the spot didn't have the bullet exit at all, meaning all of the energy was delivered to the animal. when a bullet exits there is energy that didn't transfer in the animal. this energy is creates a shock wave that can stop the heart and/or disrupt the central nervous system cause the brain to lose control of the parts of the body ( not a Dr or Biologist so my explanation is that of a layman).

Ft/lbs of energy absolutely matters, regardless of what others say. However it only matters if the energy is all left inside the animal.
Yeah its only my 2nd with the prc others were with a 6.5 creedmoor just didnt affect the cns on that one
 

deltadukman

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
Messages
298
I shot a whitetail doe at 100 yards with a 185gr Berger out of a .300wm. Blood trail Ray Charles could see. It looked like you were pouring it out of a bucket. Internals looked like a grenade went off. She still ran 100 yards. It happens.
 
OP
Mecanic thony
Joined
Nov 11, 2024
Messages
18
I’ve been shooting mule deer since 1980. My usual shot is through the chest behind the shoulder. Sometimes the angle will put the exit through the off side shoulder. I’ve only seen a couple that dropped right there…. Most hump up at the shot and then run until they pass out. A variety of bullets used.

Even in open country they can be hard to find after they fall. I’ve learned to pay very very close attention to locating exactly where they were shot, which direction they run, and how to do a grid search. I’ll say to myself “OK, he was standing in front of that bush with the weird horizontal branch with the yellow leaves on it, next to that clump of sage shaped like a (whatever).” Then I’ll watch that spot like a hawk while I walk over there, so I don’t get confused and walk to the wrong spot. If I don’t see it right away, I’ll place a tape marker at the spot and start walking in a widening zig zag from that spot in the direction that he ran. I’ve been lucky and never lost an animal.
Yeah ive found without a doubt the point of shot and ad big blood on the spot but it quickly stop bleeding wich made the search hard after that and the thick brush being 5’ tall made me lose sight of him real quick. Im sure gonna learn of this one
Must need more gun.


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375 enabler 😂
 

3325

WKR
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Messages
442
Now that we’ve had some informed answers, surely a little trolling for entertainment purposes should be okay…….

If you had put a Nosler Partition through his chest, he would have submitted to the Hammer of Thor and bang flopped, DRT. :)
 
OP
Mecanic thony
Joined
Nov 11, 2024
Messages
18
Now that we’ve had some informed answers, surely a little trolling for entertainment purposes should be okay…….

If you had put a Nosler Partition through his chest, he would have submitted to the Hammer of Thor and bang flopped, DRT. :)
They dont make 300prc sure might have some reloading option but im not there yet shot 400round this year for practice/ fun to 1000y but didn’t start reloading yet
 

199p

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Messages
155
Location
New Zealand
Nice one man the x hits hard as dose the 300

looks like you got most of your answers through the page, try and angle the bullet so it takes out the off side shoulder, Dogs love the 'wasted meat' so its not much of a waste and you will find they don't go far on 3 wheels and if they do they leave a lot of sign to follow.
 

Mturney

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 23, 2019
Messages
172
Location
Texas Panhandle
He was close enough not to range. My daughter hit him a touch high. He humped up and walked 20ft before he fell over. This is the exit side. 7-08 150gr.
kt-3.jpg
 

BLJ

WKR
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Messages
2,430
Location
WV
I’ve been shooting mule deer since 1980. My usual shot is through the chest behind the shoulder. Sometimes the angle will put the exit through the off side shoulder. I’ve only seen a couple that dropped right there…. Most hump up at the shot and then run until they pass out. A variety of bullets used.

Even in open country they can be hard to find after they fall. I’ve learned to pay very very close attention to locating exactly where they were shot, which direction they run, and how to do a grid search. I’ll say to myself “OK, he was standing in front of that bush with the weird horizontal branch with the yellow leaves on it, next to that clump of sage shaped like a (whatever).” Then I’ll watch that spot like a hawk while I walk over there, so I don’t get confused and walk to the wrong spot. If I don’t see it right away, I’ll place a tape marker at the spot and start walking in a widening zig zag from that spot in the direction that he ran. I’ve been lucky and never lost an animal.
I’d like to add to this by saying once you get to where you last saw the animal, slow everything way down.
Analyze everything around you to see if there are any signs of animal or the direction it took.
I look standing to begin with and if I don’t immediately notice anything I’ll look from my knees. Anything to give away where the animal went. Sometimes when they’re going through thick stuff you’ll notice sign (blood, broken grass or twigs, disrupted leaves on the ground) that you didn’t notice from standing.
After that I may only move 5’ and stop and look again.
It can be a tedious and time consuming process, but taking an hour to go 75 yards and successfully recovering an animal is better than losing one or finding it days later.
 

grfox92

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2017
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NW WY
The entrance and exit mean nothing, you don't want the bullet expanding on entry, you want it expanding inside the animal and doing it's thing inside. What did it look like inside the animal?

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Joined
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1,183
This is the way!!!
When I was still pretty new at it I spent about 20 frantic minutes haphazardly looking for a deer that had only run about 30 yards and dropped in the sage. Then I left my pack there, went back to where I took the shot, and realized my search area was not where he was standing when he was hit. I was about 40-50 yards off.

After that I paid a lot more attention. See post #60.
 

Truck24hr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 11, 2021
Messages
161
I've had more DRT with Bergers VLD Hunt than ELD X, but from my experience the ELD X expands better at closer ranges.
 

eoperator

WKR
Joined
Apr 4, 2018
Messages
1,199
I once I had a 215 hybrid not exit on a whitetail buck at under 100 yards.
Cup and core bullets within their terminal operating velocity typically penetrate less as velocity increases. Higher the velocity the faster the fragmentation, faster the fragmentation the less bullet left to penetrate.
 

mxgsfmdpx

WKR
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Messages
5,967
Location
Outside
My wife made a nice shot tonight with my Tikka 22 Creedmoor. Kneeling shot with long Spartan bipod. 208 yards. All she had was the does neck sticking up out of some very long grass on a rolling knob.

She let the 80 ELDX fly and the doe looked like she was struck by lightning. DRT.

IMG_9440.jpeg

IMG_9441.jpeg
 

Dixie

FNG
Joined
Jan 13, 2023
Messages
33
Elk,175 ELDX 7 Prc 2850 FPS at 30 yards. First shot was quarter two point of shoulder and exited in front of offside hip... tried to get up so second shot was through front shoulder and on the hide on other side.
Inside was destroyed and likely done on the first shot. Likely keep using them.

IMG_20241028_111249_HDR.jpg
 

wyosam

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
1,287
I’d like to add to this by saying once you get to where you last saw the animal, slow everything way down.
Analyze everything around you to see if there are any signs of animal or the direction it took.
I look standing to begin with and if I don’t immediately notice anything I’ll look from my knees. Anything to give away where the animal went. Sometimes when they’re going through thick stuff you’ll notice sign (blood, broken grass or twigs, disrupted leaves on the ground) that you didn’t notice from standing.
After that I may only move 5’ and stop and look again.
It can be a tedious and time consuming process, but taking an hour to go 75 yards and successfully recovering an animal is better than losing one or finding it days later.

Exactly- and it’s important to do this from the start- tramping around all over trying to find the animal first is a great way to erase lots of useful information. Regardless of my confidence in the shot, whatever impact or animal reaction to the shot I saw, I’m approaching the spot they were at the shot slowly and quietly after an appropriate wait especially if it’s thick. They may be bedded nearby, and blowing them out just turns it into a rodeo. It’s a simple thing to do to steer the odds in your favor if things didn’t go the way you thought they did.


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When I was still pretty new at it I spent about 20 frantic minutes haphazardly looking for a deer that had only run about 30 yards and dropped in the sage. Then I left my pack there, went back to where I took the shot, and realized my search area was not where he was standing when he was hit. I was about 40-50 yards off.

After that I paid a lot more attention. See post #60.
Did you find your pack?
 
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