Thread: ELD-X - 308 - Bush Hunting

Speaking from experience the only eldx iv used that’s being reliable at all ranges has being the 143 6.5 variant iv had penciling failure with 162 175 7mm 200 and 212 30cal BUT all of these were at magnum speeds up close the same projectiles have also being stunning out further and no doubt shot placements had a bit to do with it, iv never used the 178eldx but its reputation makes it sound as good as the 143 when using anything other than my .22 cal I try smash bones

My partner uses 165 SST's with excellent results in her 308. Good ol' cup and core or Hornady Interlock should work fine.

Do you reload or do you shoot factory stuff only?

If you reload ,Go from 178eldx to 178 eldm. Or 170 gr flatnose or 180 round nose.
If factory , go down in weight , as recommended above from 150 federal blue box to 165 fusion . Even a cheap box of 150 ppu would do fine.


I have shot a dozen animals with 168 gr SMk now, they all went down. The 150 gr sst put them down better, but they don’t shoot as accurately in my rifles.

Like others have suggested go get a box of soft points and try again

If you’ve lost confidence in the pill just change.any simple 150-180grain will be fine.
Probably just a bit excited and not quite hitting exactly where you need too.aim to break major bones if possible.
Loosing 3 is a bit of bad luck but it won’t be the bullets fault as unhelpful as that may sound.

150g Speer Gold Dots. Dropped 2 this arvo up the hill with the family in tow(story for another day). Both neck shot and bang flop. Placement is key. These gold dots came recommended and have been great since I brought the 308 bushy off here and loaded them over some 2208.

Did have a couple of misses early on when I first got it though, but that's the turkey on the trigger

Originally Posted by Nathanhough

Thanks for the messages.

100% could be me and just not putting the bullet in the right place.

I think I'm okay at tracking out to 100m ish but after that with no blood it's really tricky in the bush,for me anyway.

I've put 8 deer on the ground since my first in February, all public land in the Kaimais/ Waioeka area. First 2 animals were with Nosler 165s and they did some serious damage, full blown out shoulder and exit wound.

Since switching to ELD-X head and neck shots are sweet as, drop them on the spot. But up close shoulder & lung shots there isn't the type of damage that I would expect and no exit wounds or blood trails.

Just thought I would ask the question as I have no idea about the ELD-Xs i just brought them on a recommendation.

Appreciate the feedback ��

N

Move your point of aim slightly forwards on chest/shoulder/hillar shots,so still picture deer holding balloon between its legs inside it's chest,which you need to pop.just look to smash the big knuckle of one or more shoulders when doing so. If you take out the front wheels,you can't drive far. Smash up shoulder or better still shoulders and locomotion becomes problematic for deer and much easier to find.

Your problem isn’t the bullet, it’s the point of aim and where you’re actually hitting the animal.

You can try all of the above recommended alternative bullets, yet still have the exact same outcome. The ELD-X is not a hard bullet, if it’s not exiting it’s because it’s breaking up in the animal. Having used the 178gr in 308 for a while a few years ago, in the same circumstances as well as longer range, I know for sure that a proper “hilar” or high shoulder shot at close range will drop an animal on the spot. But stray little too far back behind the shoulder, and it’s going to run.

If you’re shooting for the heart, there’s your problem right there.

Spend some time studying anatomy and shot angles depending on how the animal presents. There’s heaps on here about that, search for “hilar” under my username and that’ll start you off in the right direction. It’s vital that the bullet is penetrating through the animal such that after it has passed through the hide/muscle/bone on entry that it’s on course to destroy the front lungs/aorta/pulmonary arteries, if you shoot behind and above that you’re only going to get rear lungs and nothing that will immediately stop locomotion, so off it runs. Not far, but far enough.

Good luck!

Thanks heaps for the advice, sounds like I'm too far back with my shot and maybe a little low.

Will look into the 'Hilar' and do abit more study.

NH

Think balloon inside chest,between the legs/ shoulders down low and won't go far wrong.the advice fourty years ago on broadside animal was pick line of front leg and come up a third of the way through animal then fire.

Good stuff for getting into them up close in the bush, not that easy!
I agree with the guys saying keep it simple and use soft points.
I shoot most my deer within 30m in the bush using dirty old 150 grain Core lokt soft points, and they certainly do the trick and are kind on the wallet.

I find I've got to always take an extra second to ensure I'm actually placing the shot, not rushing and just aiming for the general chest area.

Originally Posted by Riflewalker

Good stuff for getting into them up close in the bush, not that easy!
I agree with the guys saying keep it simple and use soft points.
I shoot most my deer within 30m in the bush using dirty old 150 grain Core lokt soft points, and they certainly do the trick and are kind on the wallet.

I find I've got to always take an extra second to ensure I'm actually placing the shot, not rushing and just aiming for the general chest area.

Ain't that the truth.aim small,miss small.

The 178 ELDX is a good all round bullet in the 30 cal. I use them in my 3006 and they work a treat most times a good exit wound, in the 308 my nephew in Aussie is shooting a lot of pigs with no problems at all.
I load them in a mates 300 Win Mag at close to 3000 fps and he has shot a lot of animals near and far( longest so far 860 yds) and nothing has moved far from point of impact.
So by using them in 308, 3006; and 300 WM the velocity differences don’t seem to upset the performance to much, they are a very good bullet.

Originally Posted by Riflewalker

Good stuff for getting into them up close in the bush, not that easy!
I agree with the guys saying keep it simple and use soft points.
I shoot most my deer within 30m in the bush using dirty old 150 grain Core lokt soft points, and they certainly do the trick and are kind on the wallet.

I find I've got to always take an extra second to ensure I'm actually placing the shot, not rushing and just aiming for the general chest area.

Seriously one of the all time best rounds made would have accounted for crazy amounts of meat on the table accross nz let alone the world