Hornady ELDX

mightyhunter

Very Active Member
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A couple of weeks ago, I shot a 3 year old muley buck here in Wyoming. I was shooting my Sako 85 in .300 Winchester Magnum with a 178 grain Hornady ELDX bullet being pushed by 72 grains of H4831SC. While quartering the buck, I discovered a 33 grain portion of the bullet in the opposite shoulder. The shoulder did have some blood shot. The recovered portion of the bullet appeared to just be the copper jacket from the bullet. The shot was at least 200 yards. This bullet has proven to be very accurate for me. I have taken a few other bucks with the same load and also a bighorn ram without recovering any portion of the bullet. Those shots were all in the 200 yard to 350 yard range. The buck was down almost immediately. Has anyone else had this type of experience with the ELDX bullet? mh

eldx.JPG
 
I've had the same thing, the copper and lead separated. Deer was still dead. In my case the lead was still with the copper just separated.
 
6.5x284 handloads
Hornady 6.5 143 EXD-X
2735 FPS @ muzzle
185 yards, deer quartering away.
Entered and broke second to last rib and lodged in muscle of off shoulder.
Before weight 143 gr.........after weight 56 gr.

I liked the BC and accuracy of this load but was hoping it would hold together a little better.
It only hit one bone, (rib), and this is what is left.
I am concerned that it might not enter the rib cage if the shot would have been quartering to me and hit the front shoulder.

ELD X.jpg
 
Jacket and core separating is common with EDLX that I have seen. With longer shots 400-700 they hold together better and tend to have the pretty mushroom. It’s nothing to be concerned about IMO.
 
Shot a real nice buck couple days ago (dressed weight 198lbs) with a 6.5 143gr ELD-X at about 250yds. Slightly quartering towards me. Entered onside shoulder, found bullet in skin just behind last rib. Weighed, 56% wt retention.


And I put three rounds into Kate McCannon
 
I know....me too....loved the winchester silver tips....we have improved long range accuracy.....nothing else
 
I just returned from a late season elk hunt in NW Wyoming. The bullet pictured is a 140 grain Nosler Accubond fired at approximately 2875 FPS from a 7mm-08 Ackley Improved. The bull was standing broadside at a steep downhill angle at about 150 yards and the recovered bullet was lodged against the skin on the far side of the ribs. The bull walked about 10 yards and stood behind a second bull for about 1 minute before he fell over. Recovered Accubond weighs 104 grains. I was very happy with the performance. I don’t have any experience with copper bullets as I have been shooting Nosler Partitions, Ballistic Tips and Accubonds since I built this rifle in 1991.

4EE74E8E-0E50-423F-8DE1-94416FC67326.jpeg
 
2 muley bucks, 40yds and 220 yds
2 bull elk, 302yds 447yds
.300win. 200gr. eldx. All complete pass throughs. Crazy devastation. Nothing going more than a few feet.
1 pronghorn at 508yds same bullet came apart like yours described. Dropped.
They group amazing out of my tikka. No complaints.
 
I've used the eldx in my 280 ai since it was first introduced. I have never lost an animal and have yet to track one farther then 30 yrds while useing it 98% have been Co. Pmete pass through from 70-550 yrds
Put it behind the shoulder it shreds the vitals and kills game dead. It's not made to shoot through shoulders. At high vel/close range
Not what it was designed for

Why people use, a, bullet to do something it's NOT designed to do and even then when they recover the game killed with i claim bullet failure just because it separated Is mind boggling
 
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3 bucks killed with this bullet out of a 6.5prc. 100yd, 328yd and 380yd shots. Incredibly deadly and accurate. Downside has been significant meat damage. One bullet hit a rib and “exploded”. Main portion of the bullet hit the heart. The fractured portions shredded the stomach and made a mess. Accubonds have been just as deadly with less damage.
 
Killed my antelope buck at 405ish yards this year with 143 grain ELDX shooting 6.5 creed, hit him high in the spine, blew a hole the size of a basketball in the far side. Downed him, but still had to finish him off. There where bullet fragments everywhere. I was hoping for it to hold up a little better. Still think its the best out there though, next to barnes type bullets. Will use again (maybe a little scared if I shot Elk and hit bone). Anyone else experience this too?
 
Federal's TLR & T/A would be my Second choice
If hornady ever discontinued the eldx
You will NEVER see Anything nosler or BERGER
ANYWHERE near my reloading room
 
I’ve seen hit or miss results with them. Shot them and the eldm’s exclusively for two years and found they do not perform well at high impact velocities. Had the 7mm 175 grainer pencil through a bull elk twice with a 28 nosler at sub 200 yards and had 143 blow up on impact out of 26 nosler. Ultimately switched back to the old reliable Berger hybrids and had great results with them on elk this year.
 

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