I have taken 35 elk moose and brown bear. I would NEVER USE A CUP AND CORE BULLET. WHY?? Early on I handloaded Hornady cup and core and had very bad results. I switched to Nosler partitions. 100 percent performance. Accurate to one minute. Now I can get.5 or less with TTSX. Can’t be beaten.
The HUGE problem with the ELD-X is that is not reliable at short range. Because it is a cup and core bullet design essentially, it will explode and fragment shedding most of its weight if you shoot an animal at close range. I have shot deer at over 250 yards with this round and gotten complete pass-through and never found the bullet which is what you want. That means high enough weight retention for high penetration and double lung shots. However, I’ve had an elk step out in front of me at 26 yards and both bullets that hit that elk exploded like tiny little grenades. I had 145 grain ELD-X go down to 92 grains. The other one I didn’t recover because it was in a bloody mush of lead and copper fragments. Since you cannot tell how far all of your shots with animals will be in terms of distance, the ELDX for me is a non-starter and I will no longer be using it for my 270 Winchester. I’ll be switching to Barnes TTSX, or TSX or similar style bullet. That is, either a solid copper monolithic bullet or something that is designed specifically for weight retention. These are the keys to a good hunting bullet: 1) Bullet construction = good weight retention & expansion and 2) velocity for a flat shooting rifle with enough penetration for pass through on the animals. There are many good options on the market, but the ELD-X is no longer one of them in my opinion. This is from direct hunting experience and bullet recoveries and TONS of damaged, bloodshot meat. Your mileage may vary.
The eld x is NOT a bonded bullet it ais a long range frangable round but it dose work the eldm are even better the jacket is a touch thicker up front and delays rapid expansion till it's inside a few inches. If you constantly shooting sub 400 yards stick to your bonded /copper rounds for those of us who shoot from 50-1000 frangable is the way to roll berger is even better it holds together a bit better befor expansion
That particular story goes back to my whole point with the 178. The 145 .270 load comes out almost 3,000 advertised. No cup and core bullet will hold together very well at those velocities. That’s why I emphasized something like the creed. Comes out of my rifle at 2653. Retains 1800 FPS to just over 650 yards at my current elevation. That’s a good pairing for a cup and core style bullet. I’ve typically preferred bonded projectiles, particularly at higher velocities. I’m not afraid of this bullet in the right cartridges. All goes back to pairing things up well
A lot of people consider the bullet not holding together a “failure” I understand what they’re saying. As I mentioned in the video, there’s true bullet FAILURES and there’s “it didn’t do what I wanted it to do therefor it failed” “failures” It’s all about your desired bullet style. If you want a really tough bullet that holds together under all circumstances, don’t shoot the ELDX. That doesn’t make the ELDX bad by any means, it’s actually perfect for what a huge percentage of folks desire from a hunting bullet. Just use something that does what you want it to do.
I agree with your take. Ive shot 2 average size deer at 40ish yards with factory loaded Hunter Precision 6.5 PRC and had the bullet completely come apart and not exit. Both deer went between 75 and 100 yards. Alternatively I have used the same box of ammo out of the same rifle at 2 deer over the last few years. One was 275 yards and one was 320 yards across cotton fields and both seemed to function perfectly. One bullet past through leaving a nice sized wound, the other was found well mushroomed and largely intact on the opposite side just under the skin. If I anticipate close shots at higher velocities I won't use it. If I am hunting across cotton or bean fields in the afternoon I have no problem bringing the rifle that likes that bullet and factory load.
Most excellent breakdown. After a lot of hunting time using the ELD's, I have reached the same conclusions as you. I have switched to Terminal Ascent and solved all the shortcomings of the ELD's.
I think a lot of people compare this bullet to a bonded bullet and that’s really not fair. This bullet has performed very well for me on deer in NC. I’ve loaded the 178s for my 300 WM and have been nothing but pleased. From 20 yds out to 300, dead deer. I can’t speak on larger game like elk but it groups extremely well and the performance on game is very similar to the SST which is a great bullet also. I will say that no matter what bullet you use, shot placement is key.
I think it’s really just a matter of using each load within its capabilities and having realistic expectations. It’s a cup and core bullet at the end of the day. Great load for deer. Probably wouldn’t be my choice for close range elk, but it could certainly do it. At the end of the day an expanded projectiles through the vitals will work just fine…
Ive loaded the 212eldx in my 300 win mag with great results. ive only recovered 1 bullet from a deer and it was 105 grains. Yea its only 50% weight retention but it went through 3 feet of deer. Keep your impact velocity under under 2700 fps and you should be just fine with proper shot placement.
I’m not sure why anyone would use this ammo when you can get ammunition with a much better hunting bullet for the same price. Barnes TTSX, Nosler Accubond or Partition. BC means nothing within ethical hunting distance.
Depends on the cartridge for me. I typically lean bonded out of hotter cartridges, but out out of my 6.5 creed there's no reason to run a mono or bonded bullet. It shoots 143 ELDX's 2650ish. No need for anything bonded. Out of my 270 WSM I pretty much only run 130 AB's
I almost lost a 130in 8pnt last yr...I was using the 308 178 precision hunter in an ar10...160yrd hit was ok not like super great but i also wasn't able to zoom way in on him he was crossing an opening...was just a smidge low..buck ran 200 yards or so.. no bld trail for like 100yrds so i had no clue wich direction he went after last line of sight...recovered him next day at lunch w help of a dog...luckilly it was still below freezing from night before
That’s a good pairing for the ELDX in my opinion. Somewhere in the sub 2900 fps range. It’s efficient enough to maintain velocity / ballistics down range without going super fast. It’s exactly what it was intended for. Sounds like a great shot.
Bullet failure is a miss. Everything else is bullet performance. You have to match your chosen bullets to range and impact location on game. I have taken a lot of elk with a 175gr Sierra from a 7mag and most bullet jackets had no lead in them but the elk were dead. Killed a cow using a 143 ELDX from a (gasp) 6.5 cm and the bullet didn't exit the neck on a front on shot at 165 yards. I think the bullet came apart but so did the spine.
Cup and core bullets have been killing game for decades! If a bullet fragments inside the game it will kill! A bullet that exits dumps energy into the dirt on the other side. People overthink this crap and manufacturers depend on that! Put a cup and core or copper bullet in the right place and it's meat! I have been using the eld-x for years. Taken many deer and probably a hundred hogs. Never had a problem. Crybabies complain about a blood trail, if you put the bullet in the right place you don't need a blood trail! Learn hunting and tracking skills! Don't depend on a guide to do everything for you! Learn to be a hunter not just a shooter. Relax!!!
Last deer season was my first experience using Hornady rifle bullets. I've used their pistol bullets with 100% success in muzzleloaders. I killed 4 doe and 2 bucks with 7PRCs using factory Federal ELDX, factory Hornady ELDX, and factory Hornady ELDM. Shots were as close as 50-60 yards and one buck was out at 235 yards. Very limited experience obviously, but all bullets passed through and all the deer died within a few feet of being hit or they dropped. All bullets passed through. All shots were quartering to, broadside, or quartering away. All bullets hit bone in and bone out and there was nothing remarkable about any wound that was different than my experiences with Nosler solid base, accubonds, TSX, TTSX, LRX, Bergers, Ballistic tips, Speer boat tails, Sierra HPBT gamekings, etc. In short, the ELDM and ELDX worked fine and those velocities were all in the 2800s. These are deer so that's all I'm talking about in this experience My friend killed his first big bodies 6x6 elk in CO last year with his new 300PRC Fierce Reaper using factory Hornady ELDM, 225 grain. Dropped the bullet right at 250 yards if I recall correctly. I bought a custom rifle from a company and that owner killed his bullet elk in NM as did his friend, also last year, with their 7PRCs and factory Hornady ELDX ammo at roughly 250 and 350 yards and dropped their bulls. I asked him why he uses Hornady ELDX and he responded, "because everything the bullet hits dies." Please don't over-interpret my comment. I'm in no way a "fan-boy." But until I personally experience a true failure, I'll use whatever. In one of my 7PRCs I did settle on the 175 ELDX over H1000 at 3010fps. The rifle has a 24" barrel and I was able to repeat 0.2" groups 3 times 3 weekends is a row. Good enough for me. That's with Federal nickel once fired brass and Federal 215 match primers. In another 7PRC I'm loading the Berger 180 VLD and in another I'm going with either the Barnes 160 LRX or 168 LRX, undecided as of now. My Tikka 7PRC is shooting factory Hornady Outfitter CX ammo at halfMOA to MOA so it's good
Hornady should rename the ELD-X bullet so that the average person can ascertain that it is a long range bullet. Then, they should have considered loading other bullets for hunting in some rounds. Meanwhile, I’ve considered they would be great for longer shots in open fields. I haven’t had good luck. I shot two whitetail around 300 yards with a 6.5 PRC. One died right there and looked as though a bomb went off. I found fragments all over the animal. The other animal, I hit in the same spot and could not recover the animal. I’ve been dissatisfied for the application. I did kill a big game animal at just shy of 800 yards with the same lot of bullets and it was dead in its tracks. I switched back to TSX/LRX bullets and have been much happier with close and long range performance.
I only have experience with ELDX in my 6.5 prc. I have been a nosler partition and accubond fan for a very long time. I love two holes. I have shot three deer with the ELDX all three deer I have shot 50yrds or less. I have got two holes in all three cases. Two deer never took another step one ran for 40yrds, hit him a little back liver hit he was moving. I have been impressed with this loading so impressed that even though I handload I bought 6 more boxes of Percision Hunter. Just my experience so far did i mention that load just shoots little groups. Darren
The biggest issue that I see holding the eldx back is the folks shooting them. Most hunter's shooting skill and knowledge of animal physiology is terrible at best. The bullet being the easiest piece of the puzzle to push blame onto.
Yes. “I shot a bull elk in the tip of the shoulder front on with my .270 and a cup and core bullet at 35 yards and it didn’t perform well” well….. yeah lol
alot of colorado guieds wont let clients use eldx on theyre hunts. they dont penetrate or explode on impact and go to pieces. ur better off with norma bondstrike. 180 g norma bondstrike works great in my 300 prc
Iv shot most of the eldx and eldm and I much prefer the eldm pretty much across the board...... in 6.5 prc i hunted with 147 eldm , in 300 win mag 208 eldm and a little in a short 22" 300 prc same 208 eldm in 338 285 eldm.. from 50 yards all the way out to 1000 yards my self imposed maximum on game range i shoot much further. I run the 180 eldm in a 20" 7mm prc at 2900 fps with n565 and cci 250 primer and peterson brass.
I’ve had good luck with the ELDM as well. Haven’t shot many animals with it, but the ones I have it’s performed very well. Only switched to the ELDX in my creed because I bought a ton of them a few years ago and was running out of ELDM’s lol.
High velocity magnums the eld x struggles to stay together under 200 yrds. There’s better high bc options than the eld x. Nosler Accubond LR Norma bondstrike long range
I have taken 35 elk moose and brown bear. I would NEVER USE A CUP AND CORE BULLET. WHY?? Early on I handloaded Hornady cup and core and had very bad results. I switched to Nosler partitions. 100 percent performance. Accurate to one minute. Now I can get.5 or less with TTSX. Can’t be beaten.
The HUGE problem with the ELD-X is that is not reliable at short range. Because it is a cup and core bullet design essentially, it will explode and fragment shedding most of its weight if you shoot an animal at close range. I have shot deer at over 250 yards with this round and gotten complete pass-through and never found the bullet which is what you want. That means high enough weight retention for high penetration and double lung shots. However, I’ve had an elk step out in front of me at 26 yards and both bullets that hit that elk exploded like tiny little grenades. I had 145 grain ELD-X go down to 92 grains. The other one I didn’t recover because it was in a bloody mush of lead and copper fragments. Since you cannot tell how far all of your shots with animals will be in terms of distance, the ELDX for me is a non-starter and I will no longer be using it for my 270 Winchester. I’ll be switching to Barnes TTSX, or TSX or similar style bullet. That is, either a solid copper monolithic bullet or something that is designed specifically for weight retention. These are the keys to a good hunting bullet: 1) Bullet construction = good weight retention & expansion and 2) velocity for a flat shooting rifle with enough penetration for pass through on the animals. There are many good options on the market, but the ELD-X is no longer one of them in my opinion. This is from direct hunting experience and bullet recoveries and TONS of damaged, bloodshot meat. Your mileage may vary.
The eld x is NOT a bonded bullet it ais a long range frangable round but it dose work the eldm are even better the jacket is a touch thicker up front and delays rapid expansion till it's inside a few inches. If you constantly shooting sub 400 yards stick to your bonded /copper rounds for those of us who shoot from 50-1000 frangable is the way to roll berger is even better it holds together a bit better befor expansion
That particular story goes back to my whole point with the 178. The 145 .270 load comes out almost 3,000 advertised. No cup and core bullet will hold together very well at those velocities. That’s why I emphasized something like the creed. Comes out of my rifle at 2653. Retains 1800 FPS to just over 650 yards at my current elevation. That’s a good pairing for a cup and core style bullet.
I’ve typically preferred bonded projectiles, particularly at higher velocities. I’m not afraid of this bullet in the right cartridges. All goes back to pairing things up well
My experience exactly.
If the animal is dead how did the bullet fail?
A lot of people consider the bullet not holding together a “failure”
I understand what they’re saying. As I mentioned in the video, there’s true bullet FAILURES and there’s “it didn’t do what I wanted it to do therefor it failed” “failures”
It’s all about your desired bullet style. If you want a really tough bullet that holds together under all circumstances, don’t shoot the ELDX. That doesn’t make the ELDX bad by any means, it’s actually perfect for what a huge percentage of folks desire from a hunting bullet. Just use something that does what you want it to do.
I agree with your take. Ive shot 2 average size deer at 40ish yards with factory loaded Hunter Precision 6.5 PRC and had the bullet completely come apart and not exit. Both deer went between 75 and 100 yards. Alternatively I have used the same box of ammo out of the same rifle at 2 deer over the last few years. One was 275 yards and one was 320 yards across cotton fields and both seemed to function perfectly. One bullet past through leaving a nice sized wound, the other was found well mushroomed and largely intact on the opposite side just under the skin. If I anticipate close shots at higher velocities I won't use it. If I am hunting across cotton or bean fields in the afternoon I have no problem bringing the rifle that likes that bullet and factory load.
Most excellent breakdown. After a lot of hunting time using the ELD's, I have reached the same conclusions as you. I have switched to Terminal Ascent and solved all the shortcomings of the ELD's.
I think a lot of people compare this bullet to a bonded bullet and that’s really not fair. This bullet has performed very well for me on deer in NC. I’ve loaded the 178s for my 300 WM and have been nothing but pleased. From 20 yds out to 300, dead deer. I can’t speak on larger game like elk but it groups extremely well and the performance on game is very similar to the SST which is a great bullet also. I will say that no matter what bullet you use, shot placement is key.
I think it’s really just a matter of using each load within its capabilities and having realistic expectations. It’s a cup and core bullet at the end of the day. Great load for deer. Probably wouldn’t be my choice for close range elk, but it could certainly do it. At the end of the day an expanded projectiles through the vitals will work just fine…
Ive loaded the 212eldx in my 300 win mag with great results. ive only recovered 1 bullet from a deer and it was 105 grains. Yea its only 50% weight retention but it went through 3 feet of deer. Keep your impact velocity under under 2700 fps and you should be just fine with proper shot placement.
I’m not sure why anyone would use this ammo when you can get ammunition with a much better hunting bullet for the same price. Barnes TTSX, Nosler Accubond or Partition. BC means nothing within ethical hunting distance.
Depends on the cartridge for me. I typically lean bonded out of hotter cartridges, but out out of my 6.5 creed there's no reason to run a mono or bonded bullet. It shoots 143 ELDX's 2650ish. No need for anything bonded. Out of my 270 WSM I pretty much only run 130 AB's
I almost lost a 130in 8pnt last yr...I was using the 308 178 precision hunter in an ar10...160yrd hit was ok not like super great but i also wasn't able to zoom way in on him he was crossing an opening...was just a smidge low..buck ran 200 yards or so.. no bld trail for like 100yrds so i had no clue wich direction he went after last line of sight...recovered him next day at lunch w help of a dog...luckilly it was still below freezing from night before
I bought 100 rounds for my 6.5 PRC's to sight in and season the barrels. For hunting I have Federal, Nosler and Barnes.
Always pick the right tools for application.
Agreed
My mule deer dropped in its tracks at 404 yards; 7PRC 175 ELDX @ 2825 out of my 22” barrel. No experience at closer range yet.
That’s a good pairing for the ELDX in my opinion. Somewhere in the sub 2900 fps range. It’s efficient enough to maintain velocity / ballistics down range without going super fast. It’s exactly what it was intended for. Sounds like a great shot.
Bullet failure is a miss. Everything else is bullet performance. You have to match your chosen bullets to range and impact location on game. I have taken a lot of elk with a 175gr Sierra from a 7mag and most bullet jackets had no lead in them but the elk were dead. Killed a cow using a 143 ELDX from a (gasp) 6.5 cm and the bullet didn't exit the neck on a front on shot at 165 yards. I think the bullet came apart but so did the spine.
Cup and core bullets have been killing game for decades! If a bullet fragments inside the game it will kill! A bullet that exits dumps energy into the dirt on the other side. People overthink this crap and manufacturers depend on that! Put a cup and core or copper bullet in the right place and it's meat! I have been using the eld-x for years. Taken many deer and probably a hundred hogs. Never had a problem. Crybabies complain about a blood trail, if you put the bullet in the right place you don't need a blood trail! Learn hunting and tracking skills! Don't depend on a guide to do everything for you! Learn to be a hunter not just a shooter. Relax!!!
Last deer season was my first experience using Hornady rifle bullets. I've used their pistol bullets with 100% success in muzzleloaders. I killed 4 doe and 2 bucks with 7PRCs using factory Federal ELDX, factory Hornady ELDX, and factory Hornady ELDM. Shots were as close as 50-60 yards and one buck was out at 235 yards. Very limited experience obviously, but all bullets passed through and all the deer died within a few feet of being hit or they dropped. All bullets passed through. All shots were quartering to, broadside, or quartering away. All bullets hit bone in and bone out and there was nothing remarkable about any wound that was different than my experiences with Nosler solid base, accubonds, TSX, TTSX, LRX, Bergers, Ballistic tips, Speer boat tails, Sierra HPBT gamekings, etc. In short, the ELDM and ELDX worked fine and those velocities were all in the 2800s. These are deer so that's all I'm talking about in this experience
My friend killed his first big bodies 6x6 elk in CO last year with his new 300PRC Fierce Reaper using factory Hornady ELDM, 225 grain. Dropped the bullet right at 250 yards if I recall correctly. I bought a custom rifle from a company and that owner killed his bullet elk in NM as did his friend, also last year, with their 7PRCs and factory Hornady ELDX ammo at roughly 250 and 350 yards and dropped their bulls. I asked him why he uses Hornady ELDX and he responded, "because everything the bullet hits dies."
Please don't over-interpret my comment. I'm in no way a "fan-boy." But until I personally experience a true failure, I'll use whatever. In one of my 7PRCs I did settle on the 175 ELDX over H1000 at 3010fps. The rifle has a 24" barrel and I was able to repeat 0.2" groups 3 times 3 weekends is a row. Good enough for me. That's with Federal nickel once fired brass and Federal 215 match primers. In another 7PRC I'm loading the Berger 180 VLD and in another I'm going with either the Barnes 160 LRX or 168 LRX, undecided as of now. My Tikka 7PRC is shooting factory Hornady Outfitter CX ammo at halfMOA to MOA so it's good
Hornady should rename the ELD-X bullet so that the average person can ascertain that it is a long range bullet.
Then, they should have considered loading other bullets for hunting in some rounds.
Meanwhile, I’ve considered they would be great for longer shots in open fields. I haven’t had good luck.
I shot two whitetail around 300 yards with a 6.5 PRC. One died right there and looked as though a bomb went off. I found fragments all over the animal. The other animal, I hit in the same spot and could not recover the animal. I’ve been dissatisfied for the application.
I did kill a big game animal at just shy of 800 yards with the same lot of bullets and it was dead in its tracks.
I switched back to TSX/LRX bullets and have been much happier with close and long range performance.
I only have experience with ELDX in my 6.5 prc. I have been a nosler partition and accubond fan for a very long time. I love two holes. I have shot three deer with the ELDX all three deer I have shot 50yrds or less. I have got two holes in all three cases. Two deer never took another step one ran for 40yrds, hit him a little back liver hit he was moving. I have been impressed with this loading so impressed that even though I handload I bought 6 more boxes of Percision Hunter. Just my experience so far did i mention that load just shoots little groups. Darren
Big 6.5 PRC fan. Shot the 156 Berger EOL's out of mine. Scary accurate. Thanks for the comment!
The biggest issue that I see holding the eldx back is the folks shooting them. Most hunter's shooting skill and knowledge of animal physiology is terrible at best. The bullet being the easiest piece of the puzzle to push blame onto.
Yes. “I shot a bull elk in the tip of the shoulder front on with my .270 and a cup and core bullet at 35 yards and it didn’t perform well” well….. yeah lol
alot of colorado guieds wont let clients use eldx on theyre hunts. they dont penetrate or explode on impact and go to pieces. ur better off with norma bondstrike. 180 g norma bondstrike works great in my 300 prc
Iv shot most of the eldx and eldm and I much prefer the eldm pretty much across the board...... in 6.5 prc i hunted with 147 eldm , in 300 win mag 208 eldm and a little in a short 22" 300 prc same 208 eldm in 338 285 eldm.. from 50 yards all the way out to 1000 yards my self imposed maximum on game range i shoot much further. I run the 180 eldm in a 20" 7mm prc at 2900 fps with n565 and cci 250 primer and peterson brass.
I’ve had good luck with the ELDM as well. Haven’t shot many animals with it, but the ones I have it’s performed very well. Only switched to the ELDX in my creed because I bought a ton of them a few years ago and was running out of ELDM’s lol.
High velocity magnums the eld x struggles to stay together under 200 yrds. There’s better high bc options than the eld x. Nosler Accubond LR Norma bondstrike long range