Hornady Precision Hunter Reviews

[General RE LEE]

Anyone have reviews on the Hornady Precision Hunter line? I’ve loaded the ammo for 308 and 3006 into the Hornady app and both have a high BC so they hang on to speed and energy much longer. I’m considering making the switch. I hope it is designed to expand properly on game at lower speeds.


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[TxxAgg]

I think they're ok in my 6.5 cm, but I didn't care for them out of my 308. That jacket and core separate pretty easily. Overall, I've decided to use other choices for hunting. They were always very accurate, though.

 

[Trigger06]

In my experience, it is a decently accurate and effective factory load for two of my rifles (around 1 moa). Every animal I've shot at with an ELD-X has dropped within 5 yards - 2 deer, a cow elk, and a javelina. Not a huge sample size, but I'm happy with it.

 

[mt100gr.]

Be sure to get some good chronograph data and buy what you can from the same lot.

In my experience, it has been plenty accurate factory ammo , but typically slow. I'll take the precision over speed but you still need to know the velocity you're working with.

 

[TNKnoxville]

They were the tightest grouping ammo out of my Browning X Bolt Speed and Remington 700 mountain rifle, both in 30 06 (sub 1" MOA at 100 yards). Was going to use them on an elk hunt last year, but the 50/50 reviews on short range performance stopped me. I have never read a more mixed bag of reviews as I have with the ELDX. Can't remember my chrono results but they weren't bad. Might have been a bit low but very consistent if I remember correctly.

 

[TxxAgg]

I agree with you on the mixed bag of reviews, haha

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

I run them in 3 of my rifles. A Savage LWH in 308 Win, Savage Axis II in 6.5 Creedmoor and for the time being my Tikka T3X in 6.5 Creedmoor. All will consistently shoot 1/2 MOA when I'm having a good day.

Killed a mix of jackrabbits, coyotes, bobcat, Axis deer, Coues deer, and a water buffalo. All have died quickly. The various deer have been 100-500 yards (plus or minus a few on the top and bottom). The two shots on the water buffalo were about 50 yards. First shot was broadside right behind the shoulder and the second shot was in the sternum. No issues punching through bone and hitting the vitals at close range.

I shot one axis buck, slightly quartered away, at just under 200 yards. Bullet went in behind the lungs and came to rest just under the hide on the opposite shoulder. He dropped on the spot. That was the only bullet or bullet fragment that I have found when using ELD-X.

 

[CO2130]

I’ve always personally stayed away from anything hornady, I just feel nothing they make anymore is very good quality or very consistent. That said I have seen 2 or 3 animals drop in their tracks from eld-x and have seen 3, maybe 4, act virtually unhit and make it more than 200 yards with little to no blood and when skinned had very little penetration and a tiny wound cavity. I wouldn’t risk that, even if they shoot well in your rifle. I think there are plenty of great factory ammo options out there like Berger, HSM, federal, nosler, etc. and then some of the sort of “semi custom” loads like choice ammo, Dallas custom reloads, copper creek, unknown munitions, and probably a few others.


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[OutdoorsMD]

I have had great success with them out of my 6.5 cm 143eldx. They are among the most accurate ammo I have shot. Have taken Elk and deer and have not had an animal make it out of sight. Shot placement trumps all so I have the most confidence in the what shoots best out of my rifle.

 

[roosiebull]

it has shot well in the handful of rifles I have shot it from. I don't care for it for most of my hunting, for the same reason I don't care for SST's (which always shot well out of my rifles)

most of the killing I do with a rifle is inside 300 yds, and those SST/ELD-X bullets make a mess. I like a tougher bullet myself.

they have shot well for me, and have killed well too. I once shot a big bear at 12yds with an SST from my 270, shot behind the shoulder, and none of the bullet made it to the opposite side of the rib cage, it blew up on the entrance, and did discolor the off side lung, but not much of the bullet actually made it that far, but the shock did.

he died fast, and went running by me at about 5ft after I shot, haha.... that is an extreme example, and not many bullets do well over 3000fps, but even at 150yds on a buck, there is always a lot of cleanup to do.... a partition or TTSX is more my style for that reason.

the precision hunter has been very accurate for factory ammo for me, but no more so than the superformance SST inside 600yds

 

[General RE LEE]

Spent some time at range with a box of Precision Hunter 308. Federal Fusion is just as accurate out of my gun.


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[AirborneEScouter]

Plenty accurate (3/4 moa or better) with every rifle I've shot it with (6.5cm / 280 AI / 7mm Rem Mag) - killed a buck at 225 yards with the 6.5cm 143 grain - he mule kicked and went 5-10 yards and died immediately (broke shoulder, blew up the heart and bullet stopped outside of opposite shoulder without exiting). Shot a nice muley at 615 yards this past season in 7 remington mag 162 grain - lung shot while he was bedded and all he did was roll over and die - lungs were mush, couldn't find the bullet, not sure if it exited or not. Can't speak to close range performance but I have a hard time imagining it would be a successful product line if it didn't perform well in close range, considering the majority of targeted game are probably shot close range (inside of 100-200 yards).

I rely on reviews, but rarely leave them so I know to take reviews with a grain of salt myself - I'm generalizing but I'd guess most people are more apt to leave reviews of negative experience than the opposite. That said, I have had good success with it, like it, use it, and will continue to use it until the next bigger and better thing shows up.

 

[Tberg]

Good for deer sized game. I will not use them again for elk.