Real world ELDM Experience Please

[FLHunter87]

I developed a load with my 6.5 PRC, extremely accurate. I was able to use them for the week on hogs and deer. I will update the post later with the bullets that were recovered. None made pass through on any of the deer or hogs taken. I can say they all dropped or only went 10-15 yards after impact. So yes deadly and it does what needed. If anyone uses these please let me know if you have similar experiences like below.

Here's my one issue with my experience. All deer and hogs were shot high shoulder or just behind in lungs. What all bullets did and is very strange they all had to hit something because they ricochet all around or travel down to the ham side of the animal or once inside they literally blew everything up, literally everything guts and all. I found this very strange and disliked this part as cleaning and quartering was not fun due to that. I can see one deer was slightly quartered but all the rest were broad side. I used ABLR and never had seen that as they all just passed through.

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

They are one of the best hunting bullets out there in my opinion. Those and bergers are my go to.

 

[svivian]

Thread '6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....'

Dec 17, 2021

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit not nearly as many as I should have, from a couple deer. I'll try to briefly describe the ones I don't have pics of.

If you have experiences, good or bad, post them up. Of course, pics are great, and add a lot of valuable information. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't, but if it does it...

• woods89
• Replies: 1,854
• Forum: Firearms

• 

 

[rookieforever33]

I developed a load with my 6.5 PRC, extremely accurate. I was able to use them for the week on hogs and deer. I will update the post later with the bullets that were recovered. None made pass through on any of the deer or hogs taken. I can say they all dropped or only went 10-15 yards after impact. So yes deadly and it does what needed. If anyone uses these please let me know if you have similar experiences like below.

Here's my one issue with my experience. All deer and hogs were shot high shoulder or just behind in lungs. What all bullets did and is very strange they all had to hit something because they ricochet all around or travel down to the ham side of the animal or once inside they literally blew everything up, literally everything guts and all. I found this very strange and disliked this part as cleaning and quartering was not fun due to that. I can see one deer was slightly quartered but all the rest were broad side. I used ABLR and never had seen that as they all just passed through

That is why the people that like them like them

 

[FLHunter87]

That is why the people that like them like them

Because they literally blow up everything even the guts if its a good shot? Im not saying they didnt get the job done. I dont know why they all had the guts blown up if they were lung and high shoulder. What would it hit to travel down that way toward the hams?

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Because they literally blow up everything even the guts if its a good shot? Im not saying they didnt get the job done. I dont know why they all had the guts blown up if they were lung and high shoulder. What would it hit to travel down that way toward the hams?

Even the ELD-X is like that. I shot my first deer this year with one (175 ELD-X), it entered about the third rib, and exited about the center of the rib cage on the far side. Everything from the guts to the throat was damaged. And this was about a 2500 ft per second impact velocity, no Magnums involved.

On the one hand, it kills stuff really well, and on the other it does more damage than necessary or maybe desirable.

In a perfect world, I prefer accubonds or partitions, but none of those have the BC to reach way out there, nor the performance characteristics to do what I want them to do at low velocities.

 

[fmyth]

Because they literally blow up everything even the guts if its a good shot? Im not saying they didnt get the job done. I dont know why they all had the guts blown up if they were lung and high shoulder. What would it hit to travel down that way toward the hams?

What was the distance of the shot?

 

[rookieforever33]

People that do want a quick death and are willing to lose meat sometimes rather than lose a whole animal. At longer ranges they do not cause such extensive damage, but still a lot more than a bonded bullet would. Why it would send fragments to the hams is dependent on what it hit at what velocity.

 

[Machingeaneer]

I haven't noticed anything like what you're describing, I've made 5 shots on 3 deer (all inside 100yds), all 5 exiting the animals with straightline penetration and satisfactory destruction. I don't know how much of a difference it makes but I'm shooting mine from a 24" barrel 6.5 creed.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

The bullet did exactly what it was supposed to. Up to you if you are happy with the results or not. Out of curiosity, which eld, and what impact velocity?

 

[Rock’N Tacos]

Because they literally blow up everything even the guts if its a good shot? Im not saying they didnt get the job done. I dont know why they all had the guts blown up if they were lung and high shoulder. What would it hit to travel down that way toward the hams?

Most cup and core bullets will perform like that. If you want a bullet that stays together you need to look at bonded or monos.

 

[FLHunter87]

What was the distance of the shot?

From 60-250 yards

 

[FLHunter87]

Even the ELD-X is like that. I shot my first deer this year with one (175 ELD-X), it entered about the third rib, and exited about the center of the rib cage on the far side. Everything from the guts to the throat was damaged. And this was about a 2500 ft per second impact velocity, no Magnums involved.

On the one hand, it kills stuff really well, and on the other it does more damage than necessary or maybe desirable.

In a perfect world, I prefer accubonds or partitions, but none of those have the BC to reach way out there, nor the performance characteristics to do what I want them to do at low velocities.

My Nephew tagged out on all his deer and he uses the 142ABLR. They all dropped instantly and same shots as me. All the did waa pass through and do what they normally do. We switched his load from eldx because they weren't getting it done terminally. He loved the ABLR. His shots were 100-370. I am going to look into getting the 150 ABLR since I have a 1:7 twist. Probably retire the eldm for hunting but just use the rest for range and steel.

 

[sebastian.cassell]

I have used the 223 73 eldm and 300 prc 225 eldm to kill a dozen or more different types of critters ranging from woodchucks to zebras. It is my favorite round. Seems to be a very controlled expansion as in my experience I’ve never had a varmint style grenade/splash and also never had a pencil style fmj wound.

 

[menhaden_man]

My kids have killed one hog and maybe 5 deer with the 120 ELDM from a really slow Grendel (2450 fps). They get it done, here’s a doe from the other day son shot at about 120 yds.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Because they literally blow up everything even the guts if its a good shot? Im not saying they didnt get the job done. I dont know why they all had the guts blown up if they were lung and high shoulder. What would it hit to travel down that way toward the hams?

That PRC is pretty fast. I shoot them out of a slow CM short barrel and don't see terribly excessive damage on two cow Elk I've shot with them. You may consider trying the X if you want less damage. I shot a whitetail with an X and just got a half dollar hole straight through.

 

[bergie]

I do think it takes a bunch of data point to make any real decisions. As such I haven't fully developed an opinion, but here is the results I have got from ELD-M from my 21" 6.5 PRC. Factory ammo shooting about 2765 fps.

1. Whitetail doe 80 yards. Full pass through mid lung not much meat loss. Ran 80 yards limited blood.
2. Wolf 550 yards. Full pass through mid lung, if I cared about meat loss there would have been minimal. Ran 15 yards, plenty of blood.
3. Whitetail buck 300 yards. Full pass through mid lung not much meat loss. Ran 40 yards, plenty of blood.
4. Mule deer buck bedded 430 yards. Entered just above elbow, exploding the bone, went through scapula on offside and lodged just under hide. Weighed 67 grains (147 to start). Took a step out of bed and slid down a steep hill 50 yards or so. Decent amount of blood. Surprisingly not too much meat loss even though it hit hard bone on entrance and lighter bone on offside.

The first three I would have been disappointed if there was meat loss, but honestly expected more on the 4th. I prefer monos when I am expecting shorter range shots where accuracy is not as paramount. I butcher all my own critters so bloodshot is a four letter word in my house. So far I have been extremely happy with the ELD-M, it flat out hits where I aim and more than adequately does the job without the sort of grenading you have experienced. As I said at the beginning, more data points are needed, though I don't see myself switching in that rifle.

 

[FLHunter87]

78 grains was the longest shot 2530 velocity. This one held the shank, great mushroom, etc, everything you want. This was a high shoulder shot and we found it on the same side of deer on the back ham in the skin.

49.8 was 100 yards 2710 velocity. Lung shot, but found on opposite back leg in skin.

Not saying I dont like the bullet and definitely not a fast load. As far as meat loss there wasn't much in that regard. My issues was the explosion of literally everything. Stomach, intestines, almost everything, even with the good shot placements. Gutting was a mess and most tenderloin were no good or at least didnt want them with all that nasty matter internally.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Too much gun, time to upgrade to a Tikka 223.

 

[Schmitty]

What weight ELDm? I only have experience with the 147 on animals but exits are the norm on deer and elk from 100-600 yards. If you don't plan on needing to shoot beyond 400 yards when hunting I'd stick with a tougher bullet and you'll have less of a mess. Out here in AZ you never know what shot opportunities you will be given and I need a bullet that will reliably expand at longer distances and the 147 fits the bill...