New Hornady ELD-X

Man, its funny watching guys lap this stuff up. 99% marketing, 1% "new" technology. You guys get excited when KUIU commercials show people rappelling from helicopters too?
 
belly-deep said:
Man, its funny watching guys lap this stuff up. 99% marketing, 1% "new" technology. You guys get excited when KUIU commercials show people rappelling from helicopters too?
Click to expand...

Don't own Kuiu or Sitka. But like to shoot long range at animals and have a good idea of what I want in a perfect bullet to do that.

1%, don't know about that. Their BC's are way up from any of their existing hunting bullets. What's that worth? +1.
They combined the best characteristics from their best 2 bullets to create a great hunting bullet. +2
If things work out like I think they will, and I am relying mostly on guys that have shot these already prior to release, they are going to be exactly what I want in a hunting bullet for all ranges and all north american game. +3

Me likee!
 
Scot E said:
Don't own Kuiu or Sitka. But like to shoot long range at animals and have a good idea of what I want in a perfect bullet to do that.

1%, don't know about that. Their BC's are way up from any of their existing hunting bullets. What's that worth? +1.
They combined the best characteristics from their best 2 bullets to create a great hunting bullet. +2
If things work out like I think they will, and I am relying mostly on guys that have shot these already prior to release, they are going to be exactly what I want in a hunting bullet for all ranges and all north american game. +3

Me likee!
Click to expand...

Whatever makes you happy. Melting tips don't concern me, and bullet makers have been trying to come up with a bullet that will expand across the velocity spectrum for quite some time. I doubt Hornady solved it here. Also, Nosler made similar claims with their LRAB for both BC and expansion and I don't hear many raving about them.

At this point in ballistic technology, advancements are incremental. Anyone who claims to make a "huge breakthrough" is selling snake oil, IMO.
 
Oh geez, my old Hoyt is the same as snake oil? I better find a new band wagon to get on then.
 
Clarktar said:
Oh geez, my old Hoyt is the same as snake oil? I better find a new band wagon to get on then.
Click to expand...

Ha, talking more about the racket new bows are. Minimal gain for more money and your new bow is worth just about nothing 2 years later.
 
I read somewhere it will take a 8.75 twist to stabilize the 7mm 175 gr. What are the odds of my 7 mag , 26" Hart, 9 twist stabilizing this bullet?
 
I'd agree that they were overhyped but also don't see where some of the negativity comes from. The BC specs may not be absolute max in the industry but they are certainly high and they should have a better range of expansion than OTM bullets at a price point lower than berger. Might not change the game but certainly is an effort in the right direction.

My biggest negative questions are how consistent can hornady manufacture them and will they fly as nicely as a standard cup and core at distance with the interlock tech.
 
I've watched eight animals get shot this year, from distances as close as 110 yards out to 1056 yards. All were killed with match bullets; AMAX, SMK, and Berger Hybrids. No bullets were recovered, all had exit wounds, and all died within sight of the original shooting position.

Bullet performance at long range is largely dictated by caliber choice and shot placement. Picking the wrong tool for the job and using it poorly won't be fixed by a "do-it-all" bullet. It rubs me wrong that they claim BTHP or match bullets shouldn't be used for hunting, even though we've been killing animals by the boxcar load with those bullets for years.

There are reasons we do things the way we do, and this bullet doesn't go very far to changing my mind about those reasons.
 
This was number eight, taken by Shawn on Tuesday, at 1056 yards. 338 Terminator with a Berger 300 grain OTM. I would say the bullet worked perfectly!
c075895841f06eafd34eb8d0fd1d2340.jpg

37dff5278c22e2498b5d1ab2777bd3b5.jpg
 
Sam Millard said:
I've watched eight animals get shot this year, from distances as close as 110 yards out to 1056 yards. All were killed with match bullets; AMAX, SMK, and Berger Hybrids. No bullets were recovered, all had exit wounds, and all died within sight of the original shooting position.

Bullet performance at long range is largely dictated by caliber choice and shot placement. Picking the wrong tool for the job and using it poorly won't be fixed by a "do-it-all" bullet. It rubs me wrong that they claim BTHP or match bullets shouldn't be used for hunting, even though we've been killing animals by the boxcar load with those bullets for years.

There are reasons we do things the way we do, and this bullet doesn't go very far to changing my mind about those reasons.
Click to expand...

Interesting take. If you already like the Amax what isn't to like about the increased BC, better jacket, and better tip? Maybe you need them to expand at lower velocities than 1600 fps for your long range shooting? I know I can count on amax's to expand closer to 1200 fps. In my mind the ELD's are going to be Amax's on steroids!

Also, many of the bonded bullets have proven to be too hard to get to expand especially at longer distances. And their accuracy is not on par either. Using the interlock concept seems to have the potential to be the perfect medium ground for retaining weight while still letting the tip do its job at initiating and continuing expansion while still being accurate. So the ELD-X seems appealing as well.


I completely understand why they don't recommend match bullets for hunting. Having a bunch of "shoot your gun once a year" weekend warriors going and shooting Amax's at anything that moves would be a recipe for disaster. They are fantastic hunting bullets inside their limitations but get outside of that you have have a mess. More dedicated shooters understand this and know what their bullets will and won't do and follow protocols accordingly. As an example, there are Amax bullets that I will and will not shoot at an elk with regardless of distance. And even with the right Amax bullet distance does come into play. I would be pretty nervous with a shot inside 150 yards on a big bull elk especially from a magnum cartridge. Also, I don't know of any manufacturer that recommends target or match bullets for hunting. I know Berger and Sierra don't at least not in print.

Using examples of when bullets have performed well seems counterproductive to continued bullet design improvement. Any bullet that performs terminally and doesn't expand too fast or not at all will perform well. The question is whether a bullet can be built that minimizes those 2 problems. And every bullet you mentioned has had or continues to have one or both of those issues. This is especially true if you look specifically at the lower weight 30 cal bullets and smaller than 30 cal bullets. Sure, you start throwing 300 grains out of a 338 or even 215 grains out of a 30 and your margin of error drops dramatically. But a lot of guys don't shoot those and that is where many of the issues come from. You should read the 2015 Berger smash fest going on at LRH right now. IMO this is where this bullet has potential and where the interest is coming from. Like you, I love the Amax and have had excellent luck with accuracy and performance. But it has it's limitations or issues that one needs to account for and if you don't you will get yourself in big trouble.


For me, this bullet specifically addresses many of the "lack" in performance issues I have with the bullets I shoot (Amax, classic hunter, hybrids, VLD's, ballistic tips) and potentially gives me the opportunity to shoot one bullet for everything, knowing I can count on reliable performance across the range of shooting encounters I may find myself in.

To each their own but I agree with a previous poster. I am surprised by the amount of negativity here before they are even released. It almost seems like there is an issue with the manufacturer and not the bullet.

As an aside, I just read another thread today where a top rifle building company posted their findings with this bullet. They were a part of the trial/testing process. They were raving about them. Their preferred bullet for their new cartridge has been the Berger VLD and Hybrid but that sounds like that is changing. 100% 1 shot kills on all the testing they did on big game. BC's were exact, accuracy was excellent. Terminal performance was just as advertised.

It will be interesting to see how this all turns out.
 
Scot E said:
Interesting take. If you already like the Amax what isn't to like about the increased BC, better jacket, and better tip? Maybe you need them to expand at lower velocities than 1600 fps for your long range shooting? I know I can count on amax's to expand closer to 1200 fps. In my mind the ELD's are going to be Amax's on steroids!

Also, many of the bonded bullets have proven to be too hard to get to expand especially at longer distances. And their accuracy is not on par either. Using the interlock concept seems to have the potential to be the perfect medium ground for retaining weight while still letting the tip do its job at initiating and continuing expansion while still being accurate. So the ELD-X seems appealing as well.


I completely understand why they don't recommend match bullets for hunting. Having a bunch of "shoot your gun once a year" weekend warriors going and shooting Amax's at anything that moves would be a recipe for disaster. They are fantastic hunting bullets inside their limitations but get outside of that you have have a mess. More dedicated shooters understand this and know what their bullets will and won't do and follow protocols accordingly. As an example, there are Amax bullets that I will and will not shoot at an elk with regardless of distance. And even with the right Amax bullet distance does come into play. I would be pretty nervous with a shot inside 150 yards on a big bull elk especially from a magnum cartridge. Also, I don't know of any manufacturer that recommends target or match bullets for hunting. I know Berger and Sierra don't at least not in print.

Using examples of when bullets have performed well seems counterproductive to continued bullet design improvement. Any bullet that performs terminally and doesn't expand too fast or not at all will perform well. The question is whether a bullet can be built that minimizes those 2 problems. And every bullet you mentioned has had or continues to have one or both of those issues. This is especially true if you look specifically at the lower weight 30 cal bullets and smaller than 30 cal bullets. Sure, you start throwing 300 grains out of a 338 or even 215 grains out of a 30 and your margin of error drops dramatically. But a lot of guys don't shoot those and that is where many of the issues come from. You should read the 2015 Berger smash fest going on at LRH right now. IMO this is where this bullet has potential and where the interest is coming from. Like you, I love the Amax and have had excellent luck with accuracy and performance. But it has it's limitations or issues that one needs to account for and if you don't you will get yourself in big trouble.


For me, this bullet specifically addresses many of the "lack" in performance issues I have with the bullets I shoot (Amax, classic hunter, hybrids, VLD's, ballistic tips) and potentially gives me the opportunity to shoot one bullet for everything, knowing I can count on reliable performance across the range of shooting encounters I may find myself in.

To each their own but I agree with a previous poster. I am surprised by the amount of negativity here before they are even released. It almost seems like there is an issue with the manufacturer and not the bullet.

As an aside, I just read another thread today where a top rifle building company posted their findings with this bullet. They were a part of the trial/testing process. They were raving about them. Their preferred bullet for their new cartridge has been the Berger VLD and Hybrid but that sounds like that is changing. 100% 1 shot kills on all the testing they did on big game. BC's were exact, accuracy was excellent. Terminal performance was just as advertised.

It will be interesting to see how this all turns out.
Click to expand...

There's no negativity from me, just a lack of interest in another super bullet, and a healthy dose of skepticism. You just seem to be pushing them too hard. Go kill 20-30 animals with them and let us know how they did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

204_ruger
WTS/WTT Hornady 7mm eld x 175gr for Berger bullets
Replies
1
Views
97
204_ruger
204_ruger
G
WTS 28 Nosler Ammo - Hornady 162g ELD-X (7 boxes)
Replies
0
Views
47
GaryTheGunGuy
G
SPDSpappy
Moose/Elk/Black Bear/Wolf Hunt 6.5CM Bullet Selection
2 3
Replies
58
Views
4K
SPDSpappy
SPDSpappy
passinggas33
Hornady A-Tip
Replies
7
Views
964
InkedElkSlayer
I
mwoolsey5
Why is the ELD-X not offered in more grain weights like the ELD-M?
Replies
15
Views
727
Huntman777
H

Latest posts

Featured Video

Latest Articles

Back
Top