ELDX bullet performance on game

[Peakbagger46]

I’ve got a 6.5 Creedmoor on the way to complement my do everything 30-06. I’m an Accubond guy but am considering trying the 143g ELDX for mule deer and pronghorn given the moderate velocity of the 6.5 and the cost/lack of availability of Accubonds.

Looking for other hunters experiences on on game ELDX performance.

 

[Hugger-4641]

My only experience with 143eldx is on Whitetail.
Compared with the 178eldx in 30-06, I think the 143 is a little less effective with frontal and thru the shoulder hits. With a typical double lung, heart, or high shoulder, they work fine.

 

[Thomasss]

My son shoots ELD-X in .270 Winchester. We are having a great deal of trouble finding the proper seating depth with that 145 grain bullet in .270 Win. I think I have found out why. I recently read an article of ELD-X performance and why it works so much better in newer calibers than in older ones. The article said the bullet performance has more to do with the "free bore" throat clearance in the way the barrel is manufactured than anything else. If that is true, it would make a lot of sense with all the trouble we have had loading it.

 

[jmr40]

I recently read an article of ELD-X performance and why it works so much better in newer calibers than in older ones.

I think it is actually barrel twist, although other issues may be involved. LONGER bullets need to spin faster to stabilize. The 270 was designed with slow twists which work with shorter 130-150 gr hunting bullets. While the 145 GR ELDX is lighter than a 150 gr hunting bullet, those high BC bullets are much longer. Too long to stabilize in many 270 barrels.

It was really quite by accident, but 30-06 was originally intended for 220 gr bullets and is twisted faster. Even though it is over 100 years old 30-06 handles longer high BC bullets very well. At least up to about 200-210 gr.

The barrel twist thing is exactly why the 6.5CM was invented. The 260 was designed for 120 gr hunting bullets. But when target shooters started shooting 140-150 gr high BC target bullets in their 260's accuracy was poor. They found that custom barrels with a fast twist were very accurate with those bullets. They also had to modify the magazines to fit longer bullets in them.

The 6.5CM just offers the same performance from the factory that guys were getting with custom built 260 rifles.

 

[Hugger-4641]

My son shoots ELD-X in .270 Winchester. We are having a great deal of trouble finding the proper seating depth with that 145 grain bullet in .270 Win. I think I have found out why. I recently read an article of ELD-X performance and why it works so much better in newer calibers than in older ones. The article said the bullet performance has more to do with the "free bore" throat clearance in the way the barrel is manufactured than anything else. If that is true, it would make a lot of sense with all the trouble we have had loading it.

.270 is one of the few calibers I haven't tried the ELDx. The 130gr SST or 130 Interlock has been my go to for .270. I do plan on trying the 100gr Cx soon, maybe this deer season.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

I’ve got a 6.5 Creedmoor on the way to complement my do everything 30-06. I’m an Accubond guy but am considering trying the 143g ELDX for mule deer and pronghorn given the moderate velocity of the 6.5 and the cost/lack of availability of Accubonds.

https://www.shootersproshop.com/6-5mm-142gr-accubond-long-range-100ct-blem.html

Looking for other hunters experiences on on game ELDX performance.

 

[Plano11]

143 eldx 3000 fps at the muzzle, hit quartering too at 80yards (he was ready to bolt, no waiting for full broadside). Broke the front leg, turned the lungs to jello, came to a rest under offside hide.

 

[courtgreene]

Don’t you usually go down in weight

143 eldx 3000 fps at the muzzle, hit quartering too at 80yards (he was ready to bolt, no waiting for full broadside). Broke the front leg, turned the lungs to jello, came to a rest under offside hide.
View attachment 1158330 View attachment 1158331

I want a speed goat so bad!!! Thanks for the product review.

 

[LoonWulf]

I shot exactly one animal with an ELD-X and it was a 600lb feral bull. 143Eldx at 2950ish did the job, but looked like it blew apart about a foot or so in. I MIGHT have missed the bullet while i was poking around in there.
A friend of mine shot a small axis with the 145s from his .270 at about 100yds, went thru and turned the squishy bits to jello.

Personally, I primarily shoot ELDs/Amax. Id rate the performance of the Xs very similar, tho i THINK the Xs open quicker just based on what I've seen.

 

[H&Hhunter]

IMHO Hornandy used the moniker of “X” in ELDX as a sales point to give the bullet the perception of being a premium controlled expansion bullet. While it may very well be a very concentric accurate bullet with high BC it can hardly qualify as “controlled” expansion. As far as construction it’s on par with Sierra Game Kings and Hornandy interlocks.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that on deer and maybe elk but a premium controlled expansion deep penetrating bullet it is not!

 

[Hugger-4641]

IMHO Hornandy used the moniker of “X” in ELDX as a sales point to give the bullet the perception of being a premium controlled expansion bullet. While it may very well be a very concentric accurate bullet with high BC it can hardly qualify as “controlled” expansion. As far as construction it’s on par with Sierra Game Kings and Hornandy interlocks.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that on deer and maybe elk but a premium controlled expansion deep penetrating bullet it is not!

I have to disagree slightly.
The Interlock and the SST are almost identical construction. The Eldx, Amax, and Eldm are similarly constructed but the Eldx has a thicker jacket. You are correct that it is not designed to be a deep penetrator or a rapid expansion. It is not really designed to be the best there is at long range or at short range, it was designed to do well at both. If I knew my shots would never be more than 100yds, the Gmx(CX) or SST might be my choice. If I knew for sure my shots would be 100 to 250yds, the Interlock or Eldx is good. The Eldx shines because it works well at 10yds with out exploding, yet still expands properly down to around 1500fps or less depending on caliber, which makes it great for longer ranges of 400yd +. It also does this with the same match grade accuracy as the SMK or the ELDM.

 

[Captcurt]

I took 4 or 5 whitetails with the 143gr. Not impressed. They work but I like my 129gr and 130gr Accubonds better. Went thru a couple of seasons using 130gr Sierra TGK's. They shoot great but are much like Nosler BT's. They will come apart.

 

[Thomasss]

Went thru a couple of seasons using 130gr Sierra TGK's.

ELDx and Sierra GK have a common problem among other things in that they seem to behave badly at high velocities. Sierra came out with their Controlled Expansion bullet a few years ago and seems to work better than the older GK. You may want to try loading the GK down and try again. I'm still trying to figure out the .270 ELDx, only because my son thinks it's a magic bullet. It may be that the ELDx is simply a Creedmoor projectile. There's an old saying that states "Shoot only what your gun was designed to feed when the gun was introduced."

 

[Peakbagger46]

ELDx and Sierra GK have a common problem among other things in that they seem to behave badly at high velocities. Sierra came out with their Controlled Expansion bullet a few years ago and seems to work better than the older GK. You may want to try loading the GK down and try again. I'm still trying to figure out the .270 ELDx, only because my son thinks it's a magic bullet. It may be that the ELDx is simply a Creedmoor projectile. There's an old saying that states "Shoot only what your gun was designed to feed when the gun was introduced."

Thats kind of what I’m hoping as far as being designed for slower cartridges. No way I would consider hunting with an eldx out of say a 7 mag.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I would have to disagree being that I'm shooting ElDx from a 300win mag at 3000fps and 30-06 almost as fast. The SST however has had problems flying apart at higher velocities.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I would have to disagree being that I'm shooting ElDx from a 300win mag at 3000fps and 30-06 almost as fast. The SST however has had problems flying apart at higher velocities.

So the SST is more frangible than the ELD-X in your experience?

 

[Hugger-4641]

Yes, definitely so at close ranges of 50yds or less, at least with .30cal. Every deer I've shot at 100yds or less with a .30 cal ELDx made an exit hole. I don’t have as much experience with the 6.5cm eldx as I do .30 cal, but I have witnessed several deer taken with it including half a dozen by my sil.

 

[H&Hhunter]

From reading Hornandy’s info on the ELDX it has a graduated jacket that is thin in the nose and thicker in the shank. It’s is not a bonded bullet nor is it a partition style bullet. It’s is a cup and core bullet with an interlock ring and the above mentioned graduated jacket.

IMO it’s is not a true controlled expansion bullet nor would I consider it premium bullet. That is not to say that it won’t kill game effectively.