Thread: Having problems with edlx.s

I am using 150 grain eldx,s in my 708 its a 20 inch sps . I just can not get these thing to shoot . A typical group will give about 2 inches for 5 shots but 2 will be touching and the other 3 will be spread out .. The bizarre thing is it will shoot an inch group with hornady whitetail factory loads which is proves that the rifle will shoot but just not with the eld's id appreciate any suggestions regrading bullet options and ones that will work better . I am wondering if it just doesn't like eld,s as it did the same with 162,s . .Anyone had any dramas with bullets before in their 7mms Thanks Wayne

My 308 can't shoot the 150gr sst but it will put 168gr SMK on top of another at a 100. Rifles have sometimes a mind of their own.

^^^Yes this.

My T3 .308 wasn’t particularly happy with the 178gr ELD-X, but shoots A-Max, GameKing and Speer BTSP exceptionally well.

If you know there’s nothing wrong with the rifle, then don’t waste too much money on trying to get them to shoot, plenty of other good bullets that will knock over a deer.

Good advice so far.

Something else to consider - if you want to persist with this projectile, have you tried it with more than one powder? I shoot the 6.5 Eld-X - in my rifle it was horrid with Re26, quite good with AR2209 and stellar with Re16. And in a similar vein to Friwi's advice - I really wanted to use the 90 grain Speer TNT but the rifle just throws them all over the show. But Pommy's 6.5s absolutely love them. Go figure.

As above, maybe change powders and try.
It the rifle may just not like them

Going to look at 140 noslers next either the accubond or ballisatic tip and see what happens . Never encountered a fussy barrel before ,quite frustrating

Originally Posted by wayno

Going to look at 140 noslers next either the accubond or ballisatic tip and see what happens . Never encountered a fussy barrel before ,quite frustrating

Wait till you try and do subsonic loads

Some rifles just don’t like some bullets
Try a Different projectile Serria gamechanger are pretty close to eldx in make up

Is it the first 2 shots touching and the other 3 spread out? could be the barrel heating up

Try some different powder and seating depths. When I was first learning I persisted with the 162 ELD-X in my 7mm rem mag with 2217 and it just wouldn’t shoot. Finally, after wasting a lot of powder and projectiles I tried some new powder and changed seating depth and bingo it shot good. If it’s not working try something different rather then wasting components was my lesson. It may also just not like them at all in which case just try a different projectile.

@wayno
I had a lot of trouble with 150 ELD-X in my 7mm08 when I first started to use them. What I found was they a very sensitive to seating depth and a similar profile to Berger VLD so I used their Recommendations in the VLD making it shoot pdf which is online. Basically I loaded some at 130-thou, 90-thou and 50-thou off the lands and shot groups with them and found that 50-thou out shot the other groups by a long shot, but unfortunately they were far to long to fit in my mag.
Out of desperation I spent $75.00 of my hard earned money and brought a packet of Precision Hunter Ammo and these shoot great they are 2.787" OAL long so you could try that length for a start. Interestingly this is 189-thou form the lang on my rifle so go figure.
When I get time and get a bit low on the Precision Hunter Ammo I'm going to try reloading some again at the same OAL length.
I hope this helps a bit

In my 243 it hates the 90 gr Game Changer even after trying different powders. It shoots the 95 SST well with 2209 but spreads the same bullet with R22. You just need to find the right combo for your rifle.

I;ll have a crack with diffrent seating depths and see what happens . As for how the group shoot the first one was right above the center 2 inches high the next 2 shots where same level but 2.5 inches to the left ,these 2 where cutting each other the next one was left at the same distance as the last 2 but 3 inches directly above and the last shot was 5 inches above the center . Should have taken a pic . The rifle has been gone over with a fine tooth comb and everything was checked . Then as i say it then shot a inch group with the whitetail ammo . I am going to get some sample packs to try to find something it likes . Thanks for the input

I think you have few things to try - ordinarily just off the lands can be a prime spot - however 162 ELDX’s in my 280AI surprisingly seated deep and well off the lands seems to be the sweet spot. Just as well someone else did the load development before I brought it because that would not have been something I probably would have tried.