# Firearms and Shooting > Reloading and Ballistics >  New 90 gr 243 ELD X

## Mooseman

Has anyone had anything to do with the 90 gr ELD X in 243, been made for the 1 10 twist barrel. Any info on this projectile especially on game would be great ( and interesting)?

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## Flyblown

This is excellent news, thanks @Mooseman for spotting it. I’ve used the Sierra ProHunter 100gr for over 20yrs, and have been considering testing out the GameChanger 90gr for the benefit of the higher BC. So to have the ELD-X to test as well is well pleasing.

Quite a high percentage of my .243 shots are well past 200m out to 300m+, with all the normal breeze considerations. So I’m looking at the quoted BC of the 90gr GameChanger and thinking hmm, that G1 0.490 looks quite high, especially considering the ELD-X is quoted at 0.409. But the way Sierra quote BCs is different, it will fall to 0.400 and below quite quickly. Will be very interesting to do some drop tests with both of these bullets, with the ELD-X in 6.5mm and .308 both bullets have performed better for me than the models say they will.

The 6.5 and .308 ELD-X are proving to be emphatic killers of goats and deer (with the one exception), perfect blend of fragmentation of the top half with the bottom half punching on through. Hope the 6mm performs similarly.

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## Flyblown

I see the press release was 19th Oct, titled new for 2019 so probably wont see them here for a while?

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## Cigar

Im keen to give them a try, but haven't found any yet.
The 103s were no good in my 1:10 243, but are about quarter of an inch longer than the 100gr Sierra Prohunters that it seems to like.

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## Mooseman

I have talked to my local sports shop to see if they are available yet, will post it when I have found out more. I am using the 95 gr SST at moment but am keen to get some of these and try them out.

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## Cigar

They're here!!!  :Grin:

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## nor-west

> They're here!!!


Where? Im having a majestic finished off pretty sure it's a 1/10 twist and want to try them, would make an easy life to have the eldx for all my rifles from .223 up.

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## Cigar

Listed on Gunworks website.

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## Wingman

Anyone tried the 95gr Sierra TMK in a 1-10" twist? They have a .500 BC and the same structural make up of the ELDM.
Personally Ive always been a fan of the 95gr Nosler balistic tip in the 1-10", it has a less aggressive ogive and stabilizes just fine as well as performing well on game with its tapered jacket and heavier copper base.

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## Mooseman

Have to keep an eye out for them.

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## csmiffy

https://www.reloaders.co.nz/shop/Rel...x100+2441.html

hurry up and try them somebody.
Nice to know what the best 243 bullet ends up being for when I get my shit together and start reloading.

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## Cigar

Postie delivered some today.
Photo is one compared to the 103gr version, that didn't stabilise in my 1:10 twist 243. Length is 28mm for the 90gr compared to 31.9mm for the 103gr.

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## Mooseman

Nice looking bullet let's hope they shoot well. I aren't having any luck with the 90 gr Game changers, could be the rifle though so I took a bit more out of the barrel channel and played around with the pillars I put in so will try it out again. This time I will try so 87 gr Hornady, 85 gr Partitions, 95 gr SST, and I have a few 90 gr BT, as well as the Game changers. Will shoot a group with each and see what happens. If I get some consistency with these ones I will get some 90 gr ELD X to try out, should be a good hunting bullet.

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## Hearties

I couldn’t get the Gamechangers to stabilise in my 1:10 Tikka .243. The 95gr Ballistic Tips shoot great so hoping the Eld-X’s will work given their similar length to the Nosler.

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## Tikka7mm08

I've got some 95gn Targex to try now my BLR trigger and action is well sorted. Also keen to try the ELD Xs.

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## Tahr

> I've got some 95gn Targex to try now my BLR trigger and action is well sorted. Also keen to try the ELD Xs.


Ive shot plenty of deer and Tahr with the 95 Targex. They are a good projectile that behave like the Berger.

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## Tahr

Neck shot @ 300 odd yards with the 95 Targex. Ouch.

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## Tikka7mm08

Wow...they work then!

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## Barefoot

Targex work very nicely, only reason I'm not still using them at the moment is I have a few hundred projectiles to use up first.

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## Russian 22.

> This is excellent news, thanks @Mooseman for spotting it. Ive used the Sierra ProHunter 100gr for over 20yrs, and have been considering testing out the GameChanger 90gr for the benefit of the higher BC. So to have the ELD-X to test as well is well pleasing.
> 
> Quite a high percentage of my .243 shots are well past 200m out to 300m+, with all the normal breeze considerations. So Im looking at the quoted BC of the 90gr GameChanger and thinking hmm, that G1 0.490 looks quite high, especially considering the ELD-X is quoted at 0.409. But the way Sierra quote BCs is different, it will fall to 0.400 and below quite quickly. Will be very interesting to do some drop tests with both of these bullets, with the ELD-X in 6.5mm and .308 both bullets have performed better for me than the models say they will.
> 
> The 6.5 and .308 ELD-X are proving to be emphatic killers of goats and deer (with the one exception), perfect blend of fragmentation of the top half with the bottom half punching on through. Hope the 6mm performs similarly.


how do you rate the 100 gr pro hunters. I've bought 100 but am yet to get my reloading gear together.

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## Seventenths

Ill second the targex projectiles in the .243

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## NewbieZAR

I use the pro hunters, the BC is rubbish but keeping the shot this side of 350 they work fine, full penetration on broadside shots and the deer drop quick enough.
They are a good bullet, cheap too, just rubbish BC

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## Russian 22.

> I use the pro hunters, the BC is rubbish but keeping the shot this side of 350 they work fine, full penetration on broadside shots and the deer drop quick enough.
> They are a good bullet, cheap too, just rubbish BC


i don't intend on shooting fyrther than 300 with a 243 so no worries there

a farmer i know is selling me some 90 gr SST so we'll seen how those go.

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## ZQLewis

Mooseman
My old sav 99 243 stabilized the berger 87gr VLD hunting bullet just fine and dropped some red hinds and goats.
Z

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## Flyblown

They are finally here @Mooseman.

Am sorting out an order right now.

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## Cigar

> They are finally here @Mooseman.
> 
> Am sorting out an order right now.


Mine arrived three weeks ago but I still haven't got around to loading any yet  :Sad:

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## Flyblown

> how do you rate the 100 gr pro hunters. I've bought 100 but am yet to get my reloading gear together.


The ProHunter has been my 243 bullet for longer than I can remember. It has accounted for hundreds of animals, roe, fallow, reds, gazzillions of goats, pigs. 
 @NewbieZAR is spot on with his range assessment, this one was taken at precisely 350m. It wobbled, took a step, fell down the bank. The ProHunters expand and shed fragments and do a lot of peripheral damage in the engine room. 



The only thing I would say is that I'm very careful not to use these bullets in difficult wind conditions much past ~200-225m as they can misbehave. A heavier, higher BC bullet is the go on days like that, so I take either the Creedmoor or .308.

Its this reason why I'm so keen on getting the 90gr ELD-X to work. It will deal with wind heaps better than the ProHunter.

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## Tommy

I'm sure I was reading a post with a table on various 6mm chamberings using 2209 and rl26, on the forum today. Fucked if I can find it though, can anyone help me out?

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## Mooseman

Look under the Firearms, scopes etc section under 6mm Comparisons by Flyblown. I think that's the one.

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## stretch

> The ProHunter has been my 243 bullet for longer than I can remember. It has accounted for hundreds of animals, roe, fallow, reds, gazzillions of goats, pigs. 
>  @NewbieZAR is spot on with his range assessment, this one was taken at precisely 350m. It wobbled, took a step, fell down the bank. The ProHunters expand and shed fragments and do a lot of peripheral damage in the engine room. 
> 
> Attachment 117349
> 
> The only thing I would say is that I'm very careful not to use these bullets in difficult wind conditions much past ~200-225m as they can misbehave. A heavier, higher BC bullet is the go on days like that, so I take either the Creedmoor or .308.
> 
> Its this reason why I'm so keen on getting the 90gr ELD-X to work. It will deal with wind heaps better than the ProHunter.





> I'm sure I was reading a post with a table on various 6mm chamberings using 2209 and rl26, on the forum today. Fucked if I can find it though, can anyone help me out?


https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....parison-53076/

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## Flyblown

Here it is at 2.710" in the COAL gauge.  Looks like a satisfying amount of case capacity behind the 90gr ELD-X, I'm planning on 3150fps for this one. Maybe 3300fps if I get it Ackleyed.

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## Cigar

I got underway today. Still no loaded rounds, but I did measure my max COAL, came out at 2.69 so very similar. 
I will hopefully load some tomorrow afternoon, but it will probably be a while before I get to the range to try them.

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## Flyblown

@Cigar, is the 2.690" touching the lands, or is that assuming a certain amount of jump? Which rifle?

The 2.710" on mine is assuming 20 thou of jump, the actual max (touching lands) is 2.730".

2.690" touching the lands would be quite a short chamber?

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## Cigar

@Flyblown Yes, 2.69 touching the lands. It's a Brno ZKK601. Sounds like its 1mm shorter than your rifle, though i have seen a 0.02 inch difference between different lots of the 308 178gr ELD-X, so could be partly projectile differences too.
I loaded some rounds today at 2.66 COAL (2.16 to ogive using Hornady comparator).

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## Flyblown

I got onto Hornady to ask them about the absence of reloading data for this bullet. They told me to use the 87 grain V-Max data. 

The only thing I would caution about is the fact that in another calibres the ELD-X has reached pressure quicker than the thinner jacketed bullets of equivalent weight. e.g. ELD-X vs ELD-M. In the same way that I've been reading about blokes reaching pressure signs much earlier with the Sierra GameChanger vs the GameKing, also due to the thicker jacket.

I'm aiming to replicate the Precision Hunter .243 ammo that has 3150fps written on the box (24" barrel). So anywhere around 3050-100fps would be good from a 20" barrel.

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## Mooseman

> I got onto Hornady to ask them about the absence of reloading data for this bullet. They told me to use the 87 grain V-Max data. 
> 
> The only thing I would caution about is the fact that in another calibres the ELD-X has reached pressure quicker than the thinner jacketed bullets of equivalent weight. e.g. ELD-X vs ELD-M. In the same way that I've been reading about blokes reaching pressure signs much earlier with the Sierra GameChanger vs the GameKing, also due to the thicker jacket.
> 
> I'm aiming to replicate the Precision Hunter .243 ammo that has 3150fps written on the box (24" barrel). So anywhere around 3050-100fps would be good from a 20" barrel.


Need to get some shots down the barrel to see how they perform. Drilled the pillars out on my 243 the other day so there was no contact when inserting the action screws so I need to be putting some rounds down range too.

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## Flyblown

I'd have been out already if it weren't for this mad westerly flow Brian, crazy winds at our place and some stellar thunderstorms and downpours. Very frustrating. Desperate for a nice calm, cold, crisp period, looks like we might have a respite Monday / Tuesday, which if it happens means an awful lot of shooting is going to happen in my little quiet valley.  Having been away for a while, so I expect someone "new" will call the bloody AOS.

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## Mooseman

You are right the wind has been bad with thunder storms about, looks like a bit better lot of weather over the next couple of days , probably set the possum traps tomorrow for a couple of nights.

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## Russian 22.

> The ProHunter has been my 243 bullet for longer than I can remember. It has accounted for hundreds of animals, roe, fallow, reds, gazzillions of goats, pigs. 
>  @NewbieZAR is spot on with his range assessment, this one was taken at precisely 350m. It wobbled, took a step, fell down the bank. The ProHunters expand and shed fragments and do a lot of peripheral damage in the engine room. 
> 
> Attachment 117349
> 
> The only thing I would say is that I'm very careful not to use these bullets in difficult wind conditions much past ~200-225m as they can misbehave. A heavier, higher BC bullet is the go on days like that, so I take either the Creedmoor or .308.
> 
> Its this reason why I'm so keen on getting the 90gr ELD-X to work. It will deal with wind heaps better than the ProHunter.


Awesome to hear! My factory Winchester seemed to be ok. Expanded really well but didn't get any bang flops. Seemed to blow up on the front shoulders of the fallow. But full penetration on others. 




> I'm sure I was reading a post with a table on various 6mm chamberings using 2209 and rl26, on the forum today. Fucked if I can find it though, can anyone help me out?


You getting 6mm creed more or a 243?

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## Mooseman

Finally got the 243 to shoot a good group. 87 gr Hornady with 43 grs or 2209 went into just over 3/4 inch at 100 yards. T I tried a few 90 gr Game changers but they went into 2 inch as did some 95 SST. Looks like this rifle is fussy to say the least. Now I know it can shoot with a load it likes I will try some 90 gr ELD X bullets to see if it likes them.

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## Mooseman

Previously the groups were stringing so they have improved since last time I tried it.

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## Cigar

My 243 needs bedding and the barrel floated, but out of the blue it did this last time at the range with the Hornady 87gr SP varmint

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## Wingman

Managed to put a couple of groups on paper this afternoon with the new 6mm Dasher barrel, testing these 90gr ELDX as well as some 95gr Sierra TMKs, some 90gr and 95gr Nosler ballistic tips. The ELDX are showing promise with H4895 @3190fps and I have a few more loaded up with some BM8208 to try as soon as the weather allows. 
No issues with loading them and they have perfect 100% bearing surface to case neck contact with the small boat tail sitting in the shoulder junction when loaded 10 thou off the lands. 

Cant say the same for the TMKs...

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## TARGEX

Hi there, hey send me your details & I'll send a few Targex 95gr for you to try. I know a lot of fellas dont believe a bullet made in a shed in little NZ can compete with the big boys but I think you may get a pleasant surprise. If not it will be an interesting experiment for you anyway.
Cheers, Bryn
Targex Bullets.

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## Tahr

> Hi there, hey send me your details & I'll send a few Targex 95gr for you to try. I know a lot of fellas dont believe a bullet made in a shed in little NZ can compete with the big boys but I think you may get a pleasant surprise. If not it will be an interesting experiment for you anyway.
> Cheers, Bryn
> Targex Bullets.


Im a believer. They were great in my .243 You must have a very good shed.

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## Wingman

Shot the rest of my 90gr ELDX this morning before the wind got up. Respectable groups and good velocity with both powders at 3180fps  but the Nosler 90gr still have a slight edge. My 95gr Nosler BTs turned up today so they are next on the test list. 
The 95gr TMKs were unstable and shot 1.5" groups at best. I read quite a few reviews on the TMKs basically saying  dont bother unless you have a 1-8" twist.
My barrel is a 22" long 1-9" 8 groove Shilen.

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## Wingman

> Hi there, hey send me your details & I'll send a few Targex 95gr for you to try. I know a lot of fellas dont believe a bullet made in a shed in little NZ can compete with the big boys but I think you may get a pleasant surprise. If not it will be an interesting experiment for you anyway.
> Cheers, Bryn
> Targex Bullets.


Hi Bryn,
All of my best stuff is made in a Kiwi shed..
What twist rate do you recomend for your Targex 95gr?

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## TARGEX

A 1 in 10" twist is fine for the 95gr I make. SO any twist quicker than that will work well.
Cheers

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## Wingman

95gr Nosler BT seems to be a winner. 

I personally dont think the 90gr ELDX are worth the extra dollars. They did shoot pretty well in general but there are a lot of random unexplained flyers in groups that trouble me. 
The structural make up of the ELDX is very similar to the Nosler but I would think the Nosler may have a slight penetration edge with their thicker copper base if you hit solid bone.

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## TeRei

Wingman, you commented on the 223 AI when hitting goats sounding like a grenade going off. Got the same result with the stoked  T3 223 using 53gr Barnes. Jap stag had its left shoulder in jelly.

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## Dreamer

Tried these in the 6mm cm the other day and looks promising 



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## Cigar

I threw a few 90gr ELD-X down the range on Sunday with the 243.
Had some promising half to one MOA loads, though the old 100gr Sierra Prohunter actually shot a slightly better group at 100m!

And some sight-in loads I threw together with Federal cases, some 2209 and the 87gr Hornady SP shot quarter MOA!

So the ELD-X may not be as accurate as some other projectiles, but still very good, and I expect has better downrange performance than the Prohunter, and better suited to deer than the Hornady varmint SP.

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## Cigar

I had my first go at some long range gongs today, using the mighty EBRG throwing the 90gr ELD-X at 3140fps mv. Three shots to check zero at 200m, then used the data from the free Strelok app, using Hornady BC. Elevation at 590m was correct, but took me 4 or 5 shots to get the wind sorted. First shot at the 865m gong was a hit, so data in and out of the app must be pretty good.

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## andyanimal31

> I had my first go at some long range gongs today, using the mighty EBRG throwing the 90gr ELD-X at 3140fps mv. Three shots to check zero at 200m, then used the data from the free Strelok app, using Hornady BC. Elevation at 590m was correct, but took me 4 or 5 shots to get the wind sorted. First shot at the 865m gong was a hit, so data in and out of the app must be pretty good.


A good day cigar!
Great to meet you and Sharon

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## Cigar

> A good day cigar!
> Great to meet you and Sharon
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


Great to meet you too Andy. It was a long but enjoyable day for us, that lunch was a real highlight!
Good to meet a couple of other forum members too, jakewire and Phillipo

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## Cigar

The 90gr eld-x made a bit of a mess of this fallow at 150m

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## Mooseman

Looks as if the 90 gr ELDX works a treat, looks very similar damage to a red spiker I shot with the 270 and 145 gr ELDX, was it a bang flop or did it run a little?

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## Cigar

Absolutely pole-axed on the spot.
It was a 15 year olds first shot at an animal (and only his 4th shot with a centrefire), I think he has caught the bug now  :Thumbsup:

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## dannyb

> Absolutely pole-axed on the spot.
> It was a 15 year olds first shot at an animal (and only his 4th shot with a centrefire), I think he has caught the bug now


I run 145eldx in my 270wsm, every now and then I'm tempted to try berger vlds and I just can't bring myself to do it as I haven't had a single failure with the eldx shot quite a few animals with it now at varying ranges and all bang flops.....I'm not saying they cant fail but for me and the way I hunt they work extremely well  :Thumbsup:

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## Butch73

Having pretty good results with the 90gr ELDx in 243 win too.  Sako A7 with hi tec stock. 44gr of 2209 = 3160 fps and 0.4 MOA groups. COAL at 2.766 which is around 20 thou off the lands.Good to see they perform in the field too.

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## TeRei

> Having pretty good results with the 90gr ELDx in 243 win too.  Sako A7 with hi tec stock. 44gr of 2209 = 3160 fps and 0.4 MOA groups. COAL at 2.766 which is around 20 thou off the lands.Good to see they perform in the field too.


That is seated out very far. Was running 85gr Sierra at 2.650 and having real problems but wound back to 2.620 and back in in the honey.Simply not enough neck stability and cases not trimmed.

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