Hornady 145 ELD-X in 270 win reviews?

[mcseal2]

I have a new Browning Hells Canyon Speed rifle in 270 on the way. I'm going to put a 3-12x scope on it that I will dial elevation with. I'm going to try some different factory ammo choices to see if one shoots accurately and consistently enough, and will handload if that doesn't work. I have used a 270 in the past for deer and one elk. 140gr Accubonds always served me well, but with the cost of that bullet alone over $1 I wanted to experiment with some other options. This rifle will primarily be used for mountain muleys, but will be the back-up to my 300 win mag for elk also.

My question is has anyone seen failure or lack of adequate penetration from the 145 ELD-X bullet? I have a partial box of these to try as well as a box of Terminal Ascent 136gr Federal ammo as a starting point. I'm just not sure how much to trust the ELD-X on anything bigger than a deer, or even a deer at a quartering angle.

Thanks for your help.

 

[S-3 ranch]

Not in a .270 145 , 6.5cm 143 eldx is designed to separate core from jacket
even @ 6.5 need more speed,I wouldn’t say fail it’s explosive and deadly on deer size game , designed for minimal penetration and distance , my 270 140 TGK and Norma Oryx are a little tougher across the board.

 

[SouthPaw]

.270win 145eldx, bull elk at sub 80 yards. 2800ish fps impact, core and jacket separated. Core exited, jacket was recovered in offside hide with immense destruction to vitals. Bull was down within 40 yards.

I don't consider what the bullet looks like when judging how well it kills, and the 145eldx is a great killing bullet for 10tw 270s.

 

[mcseal2]

I shot 2 deer with the 143gr ELD-X from a 264 win mag starting them at over 3200fps. The first was a shoulder shot at under 150 yards, I forget the exact distance. It blew up on the bone but dropped the deer in it's tracks. The second I shot with it was a doe at around 350 yards. It performed much better on her and exited.

Later we shot a couple with that bullet in a 6.5 Creedmoor starting them at 2550fps. The first was a big buck another hunter had wounded. I hit it a little far back as it went into some brush, but that bullet exited through an offside rib at 350 yards. The second a buddy used my gun for a small buck at about 200 yards broadside. It hit a rib and didn't exit.

I was curious if the 270 bullets were made a little tougher since the 270 win is the slower common round in the caliber, and the 270WSM, 270 Weatherby, and 6.8 Westerner the hotter versions. Those last 3 could put a lot of stress on a bullet, like my 264 did on the 6.5 version.

 

[mcseal2]

SouthPaw I understand and I don't disagree, I just try to match the bullet to the game as best I can. This 270 may be asked to handle multiple jobs so I'm nitpicking.

Usually my 300 win mag with 180gr Nosler E tips at 2900fps handles Alaska hunts and elk. My 264 win mag with 140gr Bergers at 2900fps handles antelope, whitetail, and low land muleys. This new 270 will hopefully be my mountain muley gun, and back up the other two on hunts I pick them for.

 

[Unckebob]

I have a 270 and am looking at ammo options. I am focused on the ELDx and the 145G Barnes LR .

 

[S-3 ranch]

I have a 270 and am looking at ammo options. I am focused on the ELDx and the 145G Barnes LR .

That 155 @ 2850 looks good, I like 4350 & 4831 powder
my buddy loads his wife’s 270 WSM @ 2800 for lighter recoil and she hammers
deer & aoudad every year with it

 

[Marshfly]

I could not get the 145gr ELD-X to group acceptably in my Remington 270. Was close to 2moa for 10 round groups.

In fact, for this reason alone, the limitation due to the twist rate of the VAST majority of 270s, I will be rebarrelling this rifle in 6.5PRC.

 

[mcseal2]

I understand that logic. I looked at that myself. I have a pretty good supply of 130gr 270 ammo and components, cheaper Remington and Federal stuff. That will get burned up by my kids when they are ready to step up in caliber. Thats also why I wanted a 270 with a brake.

I see the advantages of the PRC at distance. Its basically doing what my slow twist 264 win mag has for years. I’d have one if I didn’t already have the 264.

Last reason for 270 is that its primary use will be as my back-up rifle on hunts. I like having a back-up in a common chambering just in case things go wrong and I have to buy ammo. Way more likely to find 270 than 264 win mag. 6.5 prc is becoming common, but its so popular its often sold out in my area.

 

[Bomberodevil]

I’m loading a 145 ELDX for my Rem Model 721, chambered in .270 Win. It’s been easy to develop loads for, I have it below .450 moa for a 3-shot group. I haven’t harvested yet with this exact combination, but I’ve used the 6.5 143 ELDX with good terminal performance. I think if you keep the ELDX below 3000 fps while hitting a large bone, you’re fine.

 

[Lou270]

Nosler bullets have gotten expensive. Shootersproshop has 150 partition
Seconds for aprox 30/box. Not needed for Mule Deer but proven many times over on Elk in the 270. Not high bc but decent and a proven design. Will expand reliably and penetrate well with no marketing hype or caveats

Lou

 

[mcseal2]

I've used the 150 partitions in the 270, they are a good bullet. I shot one bull elk and a pile of whitetail with them. In high school and college we did a lot of deer drives and I shot them from my old Remington 760. I would prefer to have a little higher BC for this gun, but I'll sure keep them in mind. Thanks.

 

[Motown]

Kind of curious about the performance as well. Picked up a box to try out of my Tikka Roughtech and got around 1/2 moa accuracy at 100 and 200 yards. Most of my shots are within 300 yards while hunting in PA at least.

 

[jbosk15808]

following allowing, just has some issues over the weekend with Barnes TSX inside of 100 yards and now looking for alternatives.

 

[WoodBow]

Not apples to apples but i shoot the 143 eldx in 6.5 prc. I have taken oryx, nilgai, and hogs. I have not gotten a single exit but I watch them drop. I'm a big fan of frontal shots. It is typically a dead in its tracks kind of situation.

 

[Highvoltage1]

The 145 is a good option for the 270. Any of the copper bullets would serve you well also. Barnes have traditionally shot sub moa for me. The 140 Sierra ammo would be worth a look as well. Best wishes and keep us posted on your new rifle.

 

[mcseal2]

Well the new Browning likes the 145 ELD-X. I shot 3 groups. The first 2 cleaning between shots averaged 1", the last when I let everything cool and let it sit between shots went 1/2".

Chronographed 5 after shooting groups and they were moving 2880fps on average from the 22" barrel.

The rifle liked cheap 130gr Federal Power Points I used to get the scope close almost as much, but did not like the Federal Terminal Ascent. I'm going to take the Hornady precision Hunter ammo to CO and hopefully put down a big muley with it.

 

[Leaf Litter]

DISCLAIMER: I shoot 6.8 Western and not 270 Win, but the same barrel/twist.

145 ELDX shoots absolutely lights out for me. Well under 1 MOA @ 3050 FPS where I found a good combination of velocity and moderate pressure.

Zero experience with that bullet on game, but others have used it with success by avoiding heavy musculature and bone on quartering shots.

 

[Marshfly]

Well the new Browning likes the 145 ELD-X. I shot 3 groups. The first 2 cleaning between shots averaged 1", the last when I let everything cool and let it sit between shots went 1/2".

Chronographed 5 after shooting groups and they were moving 2880fps on average from the 22" barrel.

The rifle liked cheap 130gr Federal Power Points I used to get the scope close almost as much, but did not like the Federal Terminal Ascent. I'm going to take the Hornady precision Hunter ammo to CO and hopefully put down a big muley with it.

How big of groups?

I tried this bullet in my 270 and the first two shots were touching. By the end of a 10 round group it was almost 3". My rifle just couldn't stabilize them.
130 TTSX groups to .6" over 10 shots in this gun.

 

[HNTR918]

I just got back from Africa, and used a 24'' barrel 270 Win with 145gr ELDX Precision Hunter ammo for plains game.
In two weeks of hunting I was able to gather alot of data. It would take about 7 years worth of hunting out west for the same sample size.
I will never be buying ELDX ammo again, if the bullet hits bone it does not penetrate and fragments to pieces.
The worst performance was a 130 yard shot on a Waterbuck, broadside, right on shoulder, ABSOLUTELTY no penetration into the chest cavity.
I will be shooting solid coppers from here on out for anything beyond varmints.