Real world ELDM Experience Please

[FLHunter87]

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...

These are the 147s

 

[beerbucksducks]

Small sample, as it’s a loaner gun, but I’ve seen two mule deer bucks killed with factory 147s out of a 6.5 PRC.
First was 365 yards broadside. Perfect double lung straight line penetration with quarter size exit. Stumbled 10 yards and tipped over. Lungs were pretty well hammered.
Second was a similar size buck (220ish lbs) at 220 yards broadside. Shot hit forward of the diaphragm in the back of the lungs. Straight line penetration, exit same quarter size. Trotted 30 yards and tipped over. Lungs hammered.


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[43.6N]

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.

Hard to say for certain what the bullet actually hit or how it traveled based on the description you’re giving. And not trying to discount your experience, but consider the following:

A lot of people will describe lungs or heart as “jelly” but then when you actually look at the heart or lungs you can see a 2” hole through the muscle or alveolar tissue with radiating sunburst lacerations.

Point being it didn’t completely “liquify” the organ, but instead created so much hydrolic pressure as it passed through the organ to burst capillaries and connective tissue. The Jelly people are describing is usually just coagulated blood from all the burst capillaries.

Same concept with a lot of meat that gets described as “blood shot.”
When it actually is coagulated capillary blood being trapped in the fascia surrounding the muscle, rather then true muscle body trauma.

A high shoulder/high thoracic shot has the very real chance of perforating the diaphragm at the connecting ligaments along the vertebra. Even small perforations of the stomach, liver, or intestines will leak bile. And when bile mixes with the coagulating blood, I’ve seen it look exactly like what you would expect with a true gut shot. But in that scenario, the damage in the abdominal cavity was actually pretty minor compared to the thoracic cavity.

 

[43.6N]

Also a follow up question. Are these elevated shot from a stand? Or in-line from the ground?

 

[FLHunter87]

Also a follow up question. Are these elevated shot from a stand? Or in-line from the

All elevated but 2. But all did the same thing internally and shot placements were all online top shoulder and behind, besides the high shoulder. 9 animals taken this week including the hogs for me alone. Small sample, but they all did the same exact thing. Again not complaining for meat loss cause it wasn't really much. It was the explosion of literally everything internal.

 

[FLHunter87]

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...

Yeah. I think im going to try the 150 ABLR. I had the 142s for a long time but cant get them to shoot for some reason. Had a good load for them but doesn't shoot them great anymore. Its either the 150ABLR or the 156EOL.

 

[Forkasauras]

On deer they cause lots of meat damage, but they also kill very quickly. I typically only see damage along the bullet path, which has so far (7 deer) been straight lines.
Factory 6 arc 108 eldm.

 

[Stache Attack]

If you don’t like that animals are dropping in 10-15 yards may I recommend Barnes ttsx or nosler accubond. With those two options you get two holes so you can blood trail the next 16 hours.

 

[FLHunter87]

On deer they cause lots of meat damage, but they also kill very quickly. I typically only see damage along the bullet path, which has so far (7 deer) been straight lines.
Factory 6 arc 108 eldm.
View attachment 971357

I didn't experience this

 

[FLHunter87]

If you don’t like that animals are dropping in 10-15 yards may I recommend Barnes ttsx or nosler accubond. With those two options you get two holes so you can blood trail the next 16 hours.

I use accubonds for other calibers and not have that happen or that problem. Nephew got his limit and all dropped with the 142ABLR.

 

[huntnful]

Imagine putting a small hand grenade inside the chest cavity. That's the normal performance basically lol.

 

[Muley_]

To much damage for me

 

[Stache Attack]

I use accubonds for other calibers and not have that happen or that problem. Nephew got his limit and all dropped with the 142ABLR.

I am only basing my statement off of my experience with my rifles, distances, and game. If you like the nosler ablr then buy them

 

[Stache Attack]

I use accubonds for other calibers and not have that happen or that problem. Nephew got his limit and all dropped with the 142ABLR.

Range, caliber, shot placement? I’ve dropped a lot of deer with sub sonic 22lr as well. Do I recommend shooting elk with it at 350-500? No.

 

[FLHunter87]

To much damage for me

Meat damage wasn't bad at all. Just the aspect of everything inside was blown up. Didn't care for that at all. Bullet was great. Just don't know why the insides were included with how all shot placements were where you wood want them.

 

[Macintosh]

They are designed specifically to do this. This is what people want apparently, but it comes with a cost. People that dismiss it are either 1) shooting at extremely long range and maybe need it, 2) have time and opportunity due to how and where they hunt that they can pick their shots to avoid damaging meat, 3) likely using smaller calibers and cartridges to minimize the wound size, 4) been brainwashed into thinking they need this.
IF you hit meat (ie if you cant always pick your shots to stay off either shoulder) it will damage a LOT of meat. If all you shoot is giant elk or you get to shoot 37 deer a year, maybe you’re ok with that. Im not. If you DONT want this, then choose a smaller cartridge, or a harder bullet, or both. Post #27 is precisely why I use monos, and its also why people are using .224’s for deer and elk. Re:monos—If you keep impact velocity high enough they unquestionably work and work well. Unless you truly need terminal performance past 450-500 yards the supposed “catastrophic inferiority” of monos is imo much ado about nothing. Yes its a smaller hole. Critters still die within a few seconds with a good hit, and a few inches of wound channel larger is only rarely going to make up for a poor hit.

 

[Chris in TN]

From what I have seen the ELD bullets kill amazingly fast but make a mess doing it - those two things are related of course.
Below maybe 2400’ or so they penetrate more, with less dramatic wounds.

My advice, worth what it costs, if you shoot any ELD type bullet shoot the heaviest one made. This minimizes your MV and mitigates splashiness on close shots while retaining speed on long shots. Avoid shoulders if possible and know that if you hit a shoulder, it’s dog food.

If you’re going to shoot a high MV cartridge at animals at closer ranges, like 0-300, ask yourself why. It simply isn’t needed. You could always shoot bonded or copper bullets up close and save the ELD for distance though I hate swapping loads.

Also - bullets do weird things. I hit an elk in the heart, broadsided, with an Accubond a couple years ago at fairly low speed (2400’?) and got bloodshot under the near side hide all the way back to the kidney area. Otherwise moderate expansion and good penetration. No idea why that weird lateral bloodshot streak happened.

ETA: Look at it this way: If you choose the ELD bullets for long range opportunities, and then need to shoot something up close (which is common for most of us, I'd think), either a) wait for a shot through the ribs, or b) if it's big and you need to take whatever shot he offers, don't worry about losing part of a shoulder.

Also, to be honest, after shooting several deer with ELDX and now a couple with ELDM, I struggle to believe that the minor differences in bullet construction between the X and the M translate into any quantifiable, consistent difference in how they perform. If you think the M is too splashy the X isn't going to be much better, if any.

Like, if you were shooting the .284" 162ELDM and thought it was too splashy, switching to the 162ELDX wouldn't be significantly better, but switching to the 180ELDM and dropping some MV, might help a ton. YMMV.

 

[justin davis]

I’d say too much gun for your whitetail. Maybe go smaller cal or switch bullets. With that said I like
ELDM bullets and use them exclusively for hunting as well as bergers.