Info on Hornady ELD-X Bullets
- Thread starter badbrass
- Start date
From what I read they do well at longer ranges.
For moose and smaller case I would recommend a barnes type bullet or nosler e-tip.
I am not sure I would trust a Berger or Amax/Eld x at close range on quartering toward shots.
For moose and smaller case I would recommend a barnes type bullet or nosler e-tip.
I am not sure I would trust a Berger or Amax/Eld x at close range on quartering toward shots.
In my 2506 and 300wm theyve been bombs when hitting water jugs. Violent upset and total destruction of the bullet and very shallow penetration. Im sure the results on a game animals chest would bring a quick death but id avoid any and all bone and fat or thick hide. I went back to the sst for a rapid expanding big game bullet. At least there was a smoothed over shank left
At around 2800 fps they tore themselves apart both 110gr 257 and 200gr in 308 caliber
- Location
- Alberta, North America
Less than 2000 they wont open up
I have used 0.308 150gn SST @ 2965fps on elk at 100 - 150m. None of the shots were on the bone and in both cases the Elk died on spot. In both cases I had total cup and core separation.
ELDX is designed for longer ranges and its not so tough as SST. I would think it would separate quicker on impact compared to a SST.
I am sure it will still kill with good placed shot, but I would prefer a tougher bullet for the job.
ELDX is designed for longer ranges and its not so tough as SST. I would think it would separate quicker on impact compared to a SST.
I am sure it will still kill with good placed shot, but I would prefer a tougher bullet for the job.
2250-2300 would be minimum....
If your stuck on using EldX for longer range accuracy it would likely perform fine.....just develope a 2nd load you could carry for close shots and have it chambered first.
If a longer range shot comes up simply cycle the first round out....and load the eldx.
If a longer range shot comes up simply cycle the first round out....and load the eldx.
I harvested a young bull moose at 20 yards with my 6.5 Creedmoor using the Hdy 143 gr ELD-X ammo. It was a quartering to shot in some brush at an uphill angle.
The bullet entered the chest beside the trachea/esophogaus, wiping some gilding metal off on the edge of the ribcage and entered the heart/lung area. Massive internal damage, but I did not find the bullet in the mess, and it did not penetrate through the diaphragm and into the stomach cavity (to my delight for cleaning).
Not the ideal shot for evaluating bullet performance, but the moose only turned and stumbled about 5 yards before going down and expiring as I got to it. It is very accurate in my Browning X-Bolt LH All Weather rifle (less than 1/2 MOA)
Satisfactory performance?
Yes, the animal was cleanly harvested quickly and did not suffer. This, to me, is the most important performance result.
Rapid bullet expansion due to the close range @ nearly 2700 fps and carrying close to 2300 ft-lbs of energy. Enough for any moose. And obviously enough penetration to completely destroy the vitals (approx 24" in soft tissue)
But this is just one animal harvested to date with this bullet, so not a great basis for performance comparison against other bullet brands and models.
So the same bullet in the 6.5x55 should do just fine for you, as the performance for both cartridges is very close to the same, and no moose is going to know the difference.
I would not advise using the Match version (147 gr ELD-M) of their bullet for hunting as it is not designed for that.
As always, bullet placement is key.
As a personal preference, I do prefer the performance of the Nosler AccuBonds experienced to date, of all the bullets I have used, having cleanly harvested many animals from antelope to bison with them, in various calibers and cartridges, since they were first introduced. Since I do not shoot long range and have only ever taken 2 animals at more than 400 yards in 35 years, I am not overly worried about the tip deformation in flight that the ELD-X is designed to prevent. But this is just my experience and opinion.
Hope you find a load that works for you, and good luck on your moose hunt!
The bullet entered the chest beside the trachea/esophogaus, wiping some gilding metal off on the edge of the ribcage and entered the heart/lung area. Massive internal damage, but I did not find the bullet in the mess, and it did not penetrate through the diaphragm and into the stomach cavity (to my delight for cleaning).
Not the ideal shot for evaluating bullet performance, but the moose only turned and stumbled about 5 yards before going down and expiring as I got to it. It is very accurate in my Browning X-Bolt LH All Weather rifle (less than 1/2 MOA)
Satisfactory performance?
Yes, the animal was cleanly harvested quickly and did not suffer. This, to me, is the most important performance result.
Rapid bullet expansion due to the close range @ nearly 2700 fps and carrying close to 2300 ft-lbs of energy. Enough for any moose. And obviously enough penetration to completely destroy the vitals (approx 24" in soft tissue)
But this is just one animal harvested to date with this bullet, so not a great basis for performance comparison against other bullet brands and models.
So the same bullet in the 6.5x55 should do just fine for you, as the performance for both cartridges is very close to the same, and no moose is going to know the difference.
I would not advise using the Match version (147 gr ELD-M) of their bullet for hunting as it is not designed for that.
As always, bullet placement is key.
As a personal preference, I do prefer the performance of the Nosler AccuBonds experienced to date, of all the bullets I have used, having cleanly harvested many animals from antelope to bison with them, in various calibers and cartridges, since they were first introduced. Since I do not shoot long range and have only ever taken 2 animals at more than 400 yards in 35 years, I am not overly worried about the tip deformation in flight that the ELD-X is designed to prevent. But this is just my experience and opinion.
Hope you find a load that works for you, and good luck on your moose hunt!
I had a .308 sst superformance round explode in a deer at 150 yards and a head shot on a coyote that didn't appear to exit. But everything I ever shot with that factory load died and died quick so I still use it for coyotes. I've changed to nosler lrab for bigger game.
What do you think of using 120 grain GMX in 6.5 mm for moose and elk?
X2!!! Dave,
I've been loading 200gr ELD X in my 300 WSM for the last couple of seasons (2790 fps). Very accurate. I haven't had a passthrough on the three whitetail I've shot, these bullets near blow up on contact. They dont make it too far but if you're hunting in the bush, it can be very hard to track.
I wouldn't trust one to go through the shoulder of a larger animal
I wouldn't trust one to go through the shoulder of a larger animal
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