New Hornady ELD-X

[Scot E]

Not pushing, just interested and hopeful.

I guess I just come from a perspective where I am happy to see bullet design improvement and those up to pushing the boundaries a bit. Otherwise we would all be shooting round balls...

 

[mtswampfox]

Interesting thread. The development process intrigues me. Maybe missed it ,but why not use some high speed photography to watch the bullet in flight?

 

[belly-deep]

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.

Boy, from what I read on the 'net, all LR shots are one-and-done. They must be some real goons if they have to shoot multiple times. And that "top rifle building company" couldn't have been paid to test/endorse the bullets. Just not possible.

Seriously though, like Sam, I'm skeptical of their claims. I harbor no ill will towards Hornady and shoot Interlock and A-Max bullets quite often.

There's a few people around that still give unbiased advice. I'm sure some of them will test these bullets and if they start raving, then I'll listen up. Until then, there just too many "experts" with a youtube channel out begging for sponsorships for me to believe everything I hear.

 

[parshal]

I shot two elk this year with 130 grain Precision Ballistics bullets which are, essentially, handmade Berger Hybrids with a .050 meplat. They shoot like a dream (see 200 yard target below). I shot a bull this year at 400 yards and a calf at 359. The calf was a heart shot with a pinhole in the heart and entrance. It hit a rib on the way out so the exit was very large. It took me a long time to find the entrance after skinning. The bull had a pass through pinhole and massive damage to bone on the second shot. In other words, those bullets work great when they hit something hard. I can't argue with that.

I've got a bunch of the ELD-X's on order for use in my 6.5 WSM. If I can find a bullet that shoots nearly as well as the PB's but has reliable performance on game, I'm in. Only shooting them will tell me.

Here's a long video. If you listen to the whole thing you can tell they're testing the ELD-X's. They don't say caliber but performance is interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB9wPDcdXmY


130 grain 6.5 Precision Ballistics 200 yards

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

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!

Sam,
Is that thing a crossbreed? Looks like a muley face with a whitey butt

 

[Sam Millard]

Sam,
Is that thing a crossbreed? Looks like a muley face with a whitey butt

Oregon Blacktail, kind of reminded me of a small mule deer.

 

[KMD]

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!

Is that the buck he gut-punched with the first shot in this video he posted on the 'Hide?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5jxS1G_dUg

What are your thoughts on bullet performance from the first round gut hit?
Did the bullet expand on the soft tissue?
Looks like innards are hanging out the offside when shot #2 impacts, was there a large exit hole from the gut shot?

 

[Sam Millard]

Is that the buck he gut-punched with the first shot in this video he posted on the 'Hide?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5jxS1G_dUg

What are your thoughts on bullet performance from the first round gut hit?
Did the bullet expand on the soft tissue?
Looks like innards are hanging out the offside when shot #2 impacts, was there a large exit hole from the gut shot?

That shot creased the lower edge of his belly; just left a trench, kind of like when your knife goes a little deep when skinning the belly area. Impossible to tell what the bullet did. I would guess nothing, as it didn't really impact squarely against anything.

 

[parshal]

Looks like the 200 grain .30 cals are shipping from Midway now. None of the others are in stock yet.

 

[wind gypsy]

Looks like the 200 grain .30 cals are shipping from Midway now. None of the others are in stock yet.

I ordered a box of the 200s to try along with some of the ELD-match (read AMAX with new tip) to give a shot.

 

[CaNINE]

I just received a box of .308 200 grain ELD-X from MidWayUSA. I will be doing load development using 4831SC in my 300WSM. I'll post my results when available.

 

[bhylton]

I just received a box of .308 200 grain ELD-X from MidWayUSA. I will be doing load development using 4831SC in my 300WSM. I'll post my results when available.

I have the 178s on order for my 300wsm. will be using one of the 4350 powders. looking forward to your results

 

[wind gypsy]

I just received a box of .308 200 grain ELD-X from MidWayUSA. I will be doing load development using 4831SC in my 300WSM. I'll post my results when available.

I have the 178s on order for my 300wsm. will be using one of the 4350 powders. looking forward to your results

My mind was in the same place as you guys. My 300 wsm xbolt shoots 180 accubonds over H4350 really nicely but figured the 178s were worth a shot for their BC and price point advantage. The 200s caught my attention even more though.

Had about an hr of sunlight today at the range to try out the 200s and the 6.5 143s and 140s in my saum. The 200s did well and printed a nice bughole over 66.6 grains h4831sc. I think they were moving around 2800 fps out of the 23" tube. Nothing in the saum shot as well but a couple showed potential.

 

[PathFinder]

I'll be working with the 6.5mm 143gr ELD-X soon in my Christensen 6.5 CM. I bought some factory Hornady 140 gr ELD Match to try out when I bought the gun. As a factory load, it's averaging just under MOA in my gun. I shot a 1/2 MOA 3 shot group at 720 yards, I'm going to shoot a ten shot group with the rounds I have left before I start handload development to see what it's actually capable of. So far the BC has been spot on for vertical correction, I'll post updates when I get the ELD-X and start loading. If they live up to the hype they'll be another killer option to add to the other great bullets on the market now.

 

[CaNINE]

Finally range tested the 200 grain ELD-X in my 300WSM. Best result from ladder test data noted below. Will perform confirmation testing and seating depth study next.

Savage 12 VLP
26" 1:10 twist
Nosler Brass
Federal 215
H4831SC, 66 grains
200 grain ELD-X, 0.020 jump
Avg velocity 2811, ES 5
1/2 MOA at 200 yards

 

[wind gypsy]

Shot a few more 200 ELDx's today to confirm. Seems like they are a good option for 300 WSM. The 66.9 gr load showed 2798, 2798, 2798 on the chrono (25' from muzzle). That's a first for me. I shot at steel to 550 yards with some extra 66.6 grain loads I had and it held half MOA still.

Nosler Brass
210M Primer
H4831SC
2.915 COAL (jumping about 0.020" in my xbolt)

View attachment 32915

 

[Deserat]

I know this thread is a year old, but anyone have any more data on 300 wsm and the 200s or 178s? Any info on these with RL 17? Would RL 26 be too slow??

 

[parshal]

I don't shoot a 300 but I can't see how R26 would be too slow for 200's. It's an extremely versatile powder. I'm using it in a 22 Creedmoor and 6.5 WSM.

 

[Ryanjay11]

I know this thread is a year old, but anyone have any more data on 300 wsm and the 200s or 178s? Any info on these with RL 17? Would RL 26 be too slow??

I can't speak to the RL line of powders, but I've been shooting the 200's with a 300 WSM seated at 3.16"(way over SAAMI). My load is 68.5 grains of H4831SC and I'm getting 2830 fps out of a 24" barrel and .25 MOA.

With this load, I've shot a black bear, blacktail deer, coyote, and two whitetails. The blacktail might have taken a couple of steps, but everything else just fell over. This bullet is super accurate, but a bit more explosive than I had hoped for. I wish it held together better.

 

[parshal]

In my experience, if 4831sc works so will R26. That's in three different calibers.