Eld and eld x vs amax and sst

[Teaman1]

I've been looking into the hornady eld x, and was wondering if it is basically just a sst with a new tip/ name. Also wondering about the eld target bullet vs an amax?

 

[Teaman1]

Also.... I'd really like to hear personal experiences on deer with the eld x at any range

 

[PathFinder]

It's basically a bonded A max, not an SST. I haven't shot the X but the match is a great hunting bullet in the heavy for caliber versions.

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[Yellowknife]

I've been looking into the hornady eld x, and was wondering if it is basically just a sst with a new tip/ name. Also wondering about the eld target bullet vs an amax?

Short answer, no. I have all of them in inventory, except the ELD-M. The ELD series is significantly longer and more streamlined than the equivalent SST/AMax/Abond.

 

[Teaman1]

I see. Do you think the eldx would be any "tougher" than the sst?

 

[PathFinder]

I see. Do you think the eldx would be any "tougher" than the sst?

Not particularly in terms of construction. However if you go with the longer, heavier offerings terminal performance will be significantly better, especially in terms of penetration.

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[Formidilosus]

The ELD-X is not a bonded bullet. It is an A-MAX/ELD-M with an interlock ring. Yes, they will tend to penetrate deeper than comparable weight SST's, but people need to understand that the ELD-X's are designed to correctly upset at low velocities while still offering enough penetration if you happen to get a close range shot. The heavier for caliber that you go/lower impact velocity that you have the more they will penetrate. If people buy them thinking that they are a TSX or Accubond, they will not be happy. If they understand what they are, they will like them very much.


Personally, I find ELD-X terminal performance to be nearly ideal.

 

[Yellowknife]

Also, the ELD-X series tends towards those heavier weights. For .308 for instance, the ELD weights basically start where the SST ends.

Both are fairly thin skinned CnC bullets, but as Form says,slower and heavier is going to act "tougher" as far as penetration. No magic there.

Curious for any other users out there, have you found them to be fairly "fast" for the weight? In my Tikka I am easily beating Hornady data with the 178's and 200's with 2" less barrel. Probably just my barrel, but they do have a fairly short bearing surface.


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[Teaman1]

Ok. Thanks for the info. I have 3 more questions for you guys if you'd be kind enough to help me. How do you think they would do on a high shoulder shot? Any opinions on high shoulder effectiveness? I was once looking into minimum expansion velocities and a guy claimed that energy helps to open a bullet up by saying that a heavier bullet in same construction and caliber would open at lower velocities then a lighter bullet. Anybody know if there's any truth to that?

 

[Formidilosus]

Ok. Thanks for the info. I have 3 more questions for you guys if you'd be kind enough to help me. How do you think they would do on a high shoulder shot? Any opinions on high shoulder effectiveness? I was once looking into minimum expansion velocities and a guy claimed that energy helps to open a bullet up by saying that a heavier bullet in same construction and caliber would open at lower velocities then a lighter bullet. Anybody know if there's any truth to that?

ELD-X's and heavy for caliber A-MAX's have no issues getting through "shoulders".

Foot-pounds of energy is not a wounding mechanism and tells you absolutely nothing in regards to terminal performance.

 

[JigStick]

Every hornady bullet that I have used have had very inconsistent jackets and Ogives, leading to constant readjustment of the seating die to get consistent bullet depth seating. Very annoying and time consuming. Also, i had horrible expansion with the SSTs out of my 270. That being said, the AMAX has been explosive on white tails and groundhogs out of my 300winmag and 6.5x47. Very accurate too. But the seating process was too labor intensive for me so I scrapped them. I haven't tried their new bullets yet because Ive been having better luck with the Berger Hybrids and VLDs. For me the Hunting VLDs have performed very well, with devastating energy transfer and huge blood trails.

 

[Teaman1]

I'm not a huge fan of the Berger line. Extremely accurate out of my 300 wsm, but on antelope in deer it leaves about a fist size exit with good blood trail and animal tipping over after 80 yards or so. Any other bullet I've tried had drt results within 200 yards.
I understand that bullet function is more important than energy, I was just curious if something caused the heavier bullets to expand a little more at the same velocity.
I just saw someone on a forum say that and nobody openly questioned it so I was just curious

 

[mtbshark]

Also, the ELD-X series tends towards those heavier weights. For .308 for instance, the ELD weights basically start where the SST ends.

Both are fairly thin skinned CnC bullets, but as Form says,slower and heavier is going to act "tougher" as far as penetration. No magic there.

Curious for any other users out there, have you found them to be fairly "fast" for the weight? In my Tikka I am easily beating Hornady data with the 178's and 200's with 2" less barrel. Probably just my barrel, but they do have a fairly short bearing surface.


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Couple of questions:
Is your tikka stock barreled?
For accuracy are you loading to the slower side?


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[Jordan Smith]

I'm not a huge fan of the Berger line. Extremely accurate out of my 300 wsm, but on antelope in deer it leaves about a fist size exit with good blood trail and animal tipping over after 80 yards or so. Any other bullet I've tried had drt results within 200 yards.
I understand that bullet function is more important than energy, I was just curious if something caused the heavier bullets to expand a little more at the same velocity.
I just saw someone on a forum say that and nobody openly questioned it so I was just curious

False. Impact velocity and target medium are what determine expansion characteristics. KE at impact has nothing to do with it. If it did, heavy and slow bullets with high momentum and low energy would not expand well at all, relatively speaking, which isn't the case.

 

[KurtR]

I have shot the 140 at 2800 fps amax and now the 143 eld x at 2810 fps and have killed deer from 100 to 600 and had performance that i have expected. Hopefully i can report on what it does to elk next fall

 

[GKPrice]

It's basically a bonded A max, not an SST. I haven't shot the X but the match is a great hunting bullet in the heavy for caliber versions.

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Is the ELD X a bonded core bullet ?

 

[204guy]

No, It's basically a heavier jacketed ELDM/AMAX with a small interlock ring. So it's pretty close to an SST without the cannelure.

 

[wind gypsy]

ELDx also have a small void behind the tip to help expansion. I wish they didn't have the void, it hurts BC and there has been a bunch of reports of them coming apart a bit excessively. When you cut open an ELDx the interlock ring is virtually not existent..

 

[Yellowknife]

Couple of questions:
Is your tikka stock barreled?
For accuracy are you loading to the slower side?

Yes, stock Tikka.

No... loading them full tilt. Backing down rarely gets me anything. In the 30-06 I'm 2800+ with the 178's and close to 2700 with the 200's with RL-17. Accuracy was fine in both cases. No fancy loading tricks used. Just worked up to around the high book load, and accuracy was as good as anything I could ever use.

 

[ReddingArcher]

I don't have experience with the eldx on deer or elk but killed a hog a couple weeks ago at around 50 yards. Bullet went in the left side leaving about a 1 inch tall by 3 inch long entrance wound just behind the front leg and exited leaving about the same size exit wound. Not a lot of bloodshot meat. The pig made it about 10 yards so I didn't need a blood trail but it was still there. This was with a tikka 300 wm and factory 200 grainers.