Thread: ELD-Match for hunting?

Shot 2 fallow yesterday at 360 and 375m with the 180 ELD-M at 3000fps.
Exited both animals and the heart and lungs were mush.

I know this thread was aimed more at the ELD M bullet but instead of starting a new thread on ELD X bullet performance I have added it in here. Since shooting the sambar with a 178 gr ELD X with good results we have had a few go down to various calibers and those bullets. First with a 260 and 143 gr ELD X and a hit in the spine at 70 odd yards resulted in instant death , bullet damage was minimal losing a few kg's of meat. Next was with Beeman's 260 again at 276 yds through the spine again , dropped on spot required a follow up shot, I shot the yearling with my 270 Win and 145 ELD X at same range but gut shot it animal ran about 10 meters and was finished off with a further shot.( Not the best shooting on these two but it was a bit rushed as we jumped them on a clear cut while we were cruising in the truck)
Another friend of ours who I load ammo for in 7 mm 08 using the 150 gr ELD X has taken two animals ( one a Rusa the other a Red spiker ) both down on the spot.
Yesterday I managed to trip over a nice spiker and at 50 yards knocked him over with my 270 and 145 gr ELD X, he dropped and rolled down the hill, regained his knees and staggered about 10 meters and died.
Velocity of the various loads are: 300 Win Mag and 178 gr 3003 fps, 260 Rem and 143 gr 2772 fps, 7mm08 and 150 gr 2740 fps , 270 Win and 145 gr at 3114 fps.
Overall we are pleased so far with the ELD X on game and for accuracy. Couple of pics fro yesterday.
Pictures of damage are the 270 and 145 gr ELD X

Originally Posted by Mooseman

I know this thread was aimed more at the ELD M bullet but instead of starting a new thread on ELD X bullet performance I have added it in here. Since shooting the sambar with a 178 gr ELD X with good results we have had a few go down to various calibers and those bullets. First with a 260 and 143 gr ELD X and a hit in the spine at 70 odd yards resulted in instant death , bullet damage was minimal losing a few kg's of meat. Next was with Beeman's 260 again at 276 yds through the spine again , dropped on spot required a follow up shot, I shot the yearling with my 270 Win and 145 ELD X at same range but gut shot it animal ran about 10 meters and was finished off with a further shot.( Not the best shooting on these two but it was a bit rushed as we jumped them on a clear cut while we were cruising in the truck)
Another friend of ours who I load ammo for in 7 mm 08 using the 150 gr ELD X has taken two animals ( one a Rusa the other a Red spiker ) both down on the spot.
Yesterday I managed to trip over a nice spiker and at 50 yards knocked him over with my 270 and 145 gr ELD X, he dropped and rolled down the hill, regained his knees and staggered about 10 meters and died.
Velocity of the various loads are: 300 Win Mag and 178 gr 3003 fps, 260 Rem and 143 gr 2772 fps, 7mm08 and 150 gr 2740 fps , 270 Win and 145 gr at 3114 fps.
Overall we are pleased so far with the ELD X on game and for accuracy. Couple of pics fro yesterday.Attachment 80170Attachment 80171Attachment 80172
Pictures of damage are the 270 and 145 gr ELD X

Good stuff! Have a great Christmas @Mooseman

Same to you to Tahr keep those deer on their toes, better still on the ground.

i shot a hind with the 208 eldm out of my 308 at about 100y and she just collapsed. mind you it was a neck shot.
Staring to use them in my 300 win mag now, haven't shot a deer with it yet only a hare at about 300 yards and it died.

Got a yearling hind this afternoon with the 300 Win Mag and 178 gr ELD X at about 70 - 80 yards, was a shoulder shot and it dropped instantly, picture is of lungs from animal, hole through the inside of the chest cavity was about one and a half to two inches in diameter on both sides. These ELD X bullets are working well so far, need a few long shots now to see if they are equally as good at range.

Nice mooseman.

That 150gr is a perfect match for a do all in the 7mm08 I reckon.

Have a few to try in the 284, along with some 162 eld-m's. Just have to stop shooting fish and get out and shoot a deer to find out

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Got a yearling hind this afternoon with the 300 Win Mag and 178 gr ELD X at about 70 - 80 yards, was a shoulder shot and it dropped instantly, picture is of lungs fromAttachment 80820 animal, hole through the inside of the chest cavity was about one and a half to two inches in diameter on both sides. These ELD X bullets are working well so far, need a few long shots now to see if they are equally as good at range.

That load of yours with the 145grn in .270 @ 3144 fps would be hard to beat wouldn't it @Mooseman ?

Yes I was taken back a bit when I seen the velocities coming back each shot (that was an average of 6 shots), that Superformace has certainly put the old 270 into a next category.....along the lines of the 270 WSM. The best I could get with 150 gr bullets with the likes of AR 2213 SC, R22 were around the 2800 -2850 fps. Accuracy at 100 yards for three shots was one enlarged hole.
I think those 145 ELD X bullets are going to be pretty darn good especially if early results are anything to go by.

Just finished cutting up yearling and this is the exit hole coming out of the chest cavity from the 178 gr ELD X.

Now that these have been out a while I'm reviving this thread as I am thinking about giving the 178gr eld m a go through the .300 win mag.
Anymore pros and cons of the eld ms? Anyone used the 178s?

Work mint in my wsm at 2920fps, closest shot has been around 30m


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Originally Posted by Smiddy

Work mint in my wsm at 2920fps, closest shot has been around 30m


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Awesome, plenty of carnage?

Originally Posted by Smiddy

Work mint in my wsm at 2920fps, closest shot has been around 30m

I am not surprised, at 30m. Sure you didn’t mean 300?!

Originally Posted by TLB

Now that these have been out a while I'm reviving this thread as I am thinking about giving the 178gr eld m a go through the .300 win mag. Anymore pros and cons of the eld ms? Anyone used the 178s?

The difference between the -M and the -X terminals is a function of the calibre and bullet weight as well as construction, kind of obvious I suppose.

In .30 cals, the -M will pretty much always exit at short to medium rage, usually with lots of mess.
My business partner pitched up with a .300WM and 208gr ELD-M, that just obliterated smaller deer at 300-400m, dirty horrible great big exit wounds, the combo of velocity, weight and frangibility was too much for small meat deer. He’s switched to ELD-X now and turned down the velocity a bit.

In middling small bores like 6.5mm, at medium range (400-600m type shooting) the ELD-M probably won’t exit, it will fragment massively and mince the internals, but no large fragments will penetrate through but you’ll get quite a bit of offside meat damage. The comments earlier about these ELD-Ms not being ideal for shorter range hunting is spot on, I think they are too frangible at high velocity. IMO unless you’re shooting 600m+ towards 1000m with long rangers, I wouldn’t use the ELD-M for meat hunting unless I was neck shooting them.

I first used the 178gr ELD-X in my .308 and it’s excellent, hits goats and small reds like a freight train, but without the explosive damage of the heavier ELD-Ms. I whacked a fairly heavy rooting sow at about 300m with it not that long ago and that pig was poleaxed on the spot, through the lungs and out the other side.

When the 6.5mm 143gr ELD-X came out I switched to that in the Creedmoor and it’s been much better. Sensible sized wounding at medium ranges, very deadly, reasonable exit wounds with reduced meat damage on the offside.

The -X is a better all-rounder by a clear margin IMO, I’m happy to use it at shorter ranges in the Creedmoor and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in my .308 on heavy reds. I am dead keen on a 6mm Creedmoor to use the 103gr ELD-X, but that will have to wait.

Am I missing something here ? Why are people using the ELD-x when they could use Accubonds. Is it just fashion or are there valid reasons ???
I hate seeing animals with a whole side turned black and ruined like in the pics above