7mm PRC - 175gr ELDX For Moose

waldo54

waldo54

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This fall I packed my CA mesa long range 7mm PRC loaded with the Hornady 175gr ELDX bullet at 2980 fps, I have read things about the ELDX bullet not being good for larger game at close range, not the case as it preformed admirably IMHO.

I shot a bull moose that dressed 591 lbs on the hook, the distance was 150 yards and all I could see of him was his head and back to the front leg, he was quartering toward me and I put it on the point of his shoulder, at the shot he rocked and took 2 steps forward and his shoulder was obviously broke, he turned away from me and I contemplated putting one more in the back of his head. He stood there for about 15 seconds and I could see in the scope he was faltering, he turned to his left and tried to go back the direction he came from but just collapsed in the middle of the cut line.

By the time I walked up to him and pocked him in the eye with the barrel he was deader than a nit.

I never recovered the bullet but it broke the shoulder and destroyed the lungs, his chest cavity was just a bucket of slop, no exit on the far side which to me is just fine as it dumped all it's energy in the moose.

No hesitation going forward using ELDX bullets, this is the 2nd animal I have shot with them and both were one and done, the other was antelope at 337 yards with my 257 WM and the 110gr ELDX it was a complete pass through so again no bullet recovered.

Anyway just my observations for what it's worth.
 
Congrats on your bull!

I had the exact opposite experience last year. 7PRC, 175 ELD-X, 2980 fps. 4 bullets around 200 yards and 1 around 10 yards and they all basically fell apart on contact. The broadside double lung shots didn't even penetrate the ribs. I recovered 4 of the jackets under the hide on the entrance side. I know people get good results like you're experiencing, but never again for me. I shot a bull last week with 168 barnes and he dropped on the spot. The bullet passed through but lots of damage on the way.
 
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Not my experience, but saw the parts of a 7PRC 175 gr ELDX retrieved from a small bull elk, 240 yd into the lungs, hit one rib on the off-side
parts were a piece of lead, and an empty cup, no exit hole
 
I’m with the opinion that it is not a great hunting bullet either, I shot a young bull moose this fall at 275m with 30-06 178gn eldx from factory Hornady ammo, the bull died, but the meat lost was on the heavy side, bullet totally came apart, even found the entire core of one bullet that managed to make its way to the hind quarter some how!
I will not use them anymore( I was too lazy to develop a load for the rifle so just used what I had on hand)! They shoot really well in my rifle though!!
 
I use the 212 ELD-X in my 300 PRC , Stopped a Kudu at 70 yards on shot on the shoulder, took a few steps and dropped. I used it on a Gemsbok at 225 yards. He was facing me, hit him between the shoulders . He just laid down. No exit on either round. Can't get deader than dead. I Love them.
 
They do kill for sure and if it is all you want then good, but if loosing as little meat as possible is you goal they look elsewhere lol
 
The chest cavity full of blood and no exit is a fear I have with rapid expanding bullets. If the shoulders aren't broke and they don't drop on the spot game animals can cover a large distance fast and if that distance is in thick bush you risk loosing the animal. For that reason I prefer the exit. Even with an exit sometimes you just don't get a blood trail but in my experience 2 holes leads to a lesser distance ran.
Congrats on your moose though
 
I have used the 143 Eld-x in my 6.5 Swede loaded to 2750 fps for whitetails and all have been pass throughs with minimal meat damage. But that is deer not moose. I would think that Accubonds would likely be a better choice on larger game. In my experience any of the plastic tipped bullets tend to expand too quickly on impact when driven at higher velocities with the exception of the Accubonds.
 
brybenn said:
The chest cavity full of blood and no exit is a fear I have with rapid expanding bullets. If the shoulders aren't broke and they don't drop on the spot game animals can cover a large distance fast and if that distance is in thick bush you risk loosing the animal. For that reason I prefer the exit. Even with an exit sometimes you just don't get a blood trail but in my experience 2 holes leads to a lesser distance ran.
Congrats on your moose though
Click to expand...

Unless you're a bear it seems. They just don't care about exit wounds... or even entry wounds sometimes :d
 
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