Hornady 340gr .50cal ELD-X Bore Driver

[cowboy300]

I shot a bull last year with these at 285yds and got plenty of expansion. Muzzle velocity was 1900fps.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

I shot a bull last year with these at 285yds and got plenty of expansion. Muzzle velocity was 1900fps.

Good to hear. How’d you like the performance?

 

[cowboy300]

In my experience it’s a pretty soft bullet and I hit the bull in the absolute worst spot you can. I dead centered the shoulder knuckle and if failed to penetrate to the vitals. There was a hole I could put my fist in under the hide and the knuckle was destroyed but the bullet didn’t get into the chest cavity. I had to finish him off with another shot. If it would have been in the shoulder blade or back a little more it would have been a lot better results. I had great results and fast kills on deer and antelope last year with the same set up.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

In my experience it’s a pretty soft bullet and I hit the bull in the absolute worst spot you can. I dead centered the shoulder knuckle and if failed to penetrate to the vitals. There was a hole I could put my fist in under the hide and the knuckle was destroyed but the bullet didn’t get into the chest cavity. I had to finish him off with another shot. If it would have been in the shoulder blade or back a little more it would have been a lot better results. I had great results and fast kills on deer and antelope last year with the same set up.

Bummer. Thanks for the info. I’ll be using them for cow elk and deer this fall so I’ll try to stay above that knuckle on the elk as much as I can manage with iron sights.

 

[ElDiablito]

In my experience it’s a pretty soft bullet and I hit the bull in the absolute worst spot you can. I dead centered the shoulder knuckle and if failed to penetrate to the vitals. There was a hole I could put my fist in under the hide and the knuckle was destroyed but the bullet didn’t get into the chest cavity. I had to finish him off with another shot. If it would have been in the shoulder blade or back a little more it would have been a lot better results. I had great results and fast kills on deer and antelope last year with the same set up.

That’s a long shot and a tough spot to penetrate. Glad you got him. Looks to me like a good reason not to try them on elk. I’ve been saying this since they came out - not a great elk bullet.

 

[AZ_Mike]

Seems like this thread is dead but I have muzzy tag this year and have been doing some testing. I have a load combo of 75gr of BH209 by weight, Hornady 340gr Bore Driver and the CCI Magnum Shotshell Primer No. 209. 1,920FPS with an SD of 6.1 across a 10 shot group. Hit at 500yds with an Accura LRX. I won't hun at that distance but it is good know the ballistic and gun are to that distance. Please take this as an FYI max load and use at your own risk. Primers show a slight firing pin cap impression on them.

 

[ElDiablito]

Please take this as an FYI max load and use at your own risk. Primers show a slight firing pin cap impression on them.

That’s about 95 grV. You’re a long way from a max load of 120grV.

 

[AZ_Mike]

With the CCI Magnum shotshell primer 120gr by volume is way too hot of a load. I went to 82gr by weight and was at 2,208 FPS and melted the primer to the firing pin housing....

 

[ElDiablito]

With the CCI Magnum shotshell primer 120gr by volume is way too hot of a load. I went to 82gr by weight and was at 2,208 FPS and melted the primer to the firing pin housing....

Sounds like you’ve got something else going on…

You should only be at about 1900 fps with that bullet and 120 grV.

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2023-MDATA.pdf

Are you cleaning the plug - drilling the carbon out of the flash channel?

Is your scale messed up?