ELD-X Recovered!

[Kotaman]

After two years and multiple species, I’ve finally recovered an ELD X. A little back ground: I’ve been shooting the ELD X in 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC and 300 WSM in factory offerings since it came out. I’ve shot several animals at various yardage’s with all pretty much the same results...a pass through with anywhere from a quarter sized to baseball sized exit.

A couple weeks ago I took a Stone Sheep in BC with the 6.5 PRC shooting the factory Hornady 143 ELD X. (2950 FPS) The first shot was 457 broadside. The bullet hit a little high, tiny entrance golf ball sized exit. The sheep ran about 40 yards towards me and stopped quartering to me. The second shot hit mid body and lodged in the off side hip sending the ram tumbling down the mountain. Upon breaking the ram down we found the bullet mushroomed perfectly and weighing 93 grains.

Overall, contrary to some reports, I’ve had nothing but good luck with the ELD X at alll yardage’s from all three calibers. Late September I hope to take a moose with the Hornady factory 200 grain ELD X out of my 300 WSM.

You read a lot of reports on this bullet, but you don’t read much about the bullet after recovery.

 

[elkguide]

Good recovery.

(Pictures of the "recovered" animal?)

 

[Kotaman]

Good recovery.

(Pictures of the "recovered" animal?)

There’s a photo on the Sheep Photo contest thread...

 

[BAKPAKR]

That looks like good expansion at that range. Thanks for posting the photos.

 

[fightthenoise]

Awesome work and congrats on the sheep. I’ve shot four whitetail with the ELD-X all from an 18” 6.5 CM pushing 2600 FPS. All animals recovered inside 50 yards of where they were hit. Terminal performance hasn’t always been what I had hoped for but it’s hard to stand over a dead deer and complain. What are the closer ranges you’ve taken animals at and how did that go? That’s where I think the ELD-X is most likely to struggle. Long range it is a stellar bullet and I think it is the closest we have to an all-range bullet. My wife drew an elk tag this year and we’ve opted for the GMX bullet as she won’t shoot past 300 so I don’t think we will benefit from the long range performance of the ELD-X but will definitely benefit from the toughness up close. This will be a 6.5 Creed but in a 24” barrel this time.


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[Kotaman]

Awesome work and congrats on the sheep. I’ve shot four whitetail with the ELD-X all from an 18” 6.5 CM pushing 2600 FPS. All animals recovered inside 50 yards of where they were hit. Terminal performance hasn’t always been what I had hoped for but it’s hard to stand over a dead deer and complain. What are the closer ranges you’ve taken animals at and how did that go? That’s where I think the ELD-X is most likely to struggle. Long range it is a stellar bullet and I think it is the closest we have to an all-range bullet. My wife drew an elk tag this year and we’ve opted for the GMX bullet as she won’t shoot past 300 so I don’t think we will benefit from the long range performance of the ELD-X but will definitely benefit from the toughness up close. This will be a 6.5 Creed but in a 24” barrel this time.


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Closest shot was a whitetail doe broadside at 85 yards with the 6.5 Creed with factory 143 eld x. Tiny entrance, quarter sized exit, deer went 25 yards before piling up.

 

[JP100]

Nice one!
We have shot about 30-40 animals from 30-400 yards with the ELDs, mainly 200grain in 300wsm.
Found a few bullets and all have shown nice mushroom and good retained weight.
Really like the the ELD X

Just worked up a new load with the 178s in the 300wsm doing 3000fps, should be dynamite on most critters!

View attachment 78427

 

[Kotaman]

Nice one!
We have shot about 30-40 animals from 30-400 yards with the ELDs, mainly 200grain in 300wsm.
Found a few bullets and all have shown nice mushroom and good retained weight.
Really like the the ELD X

Just worked up a new load with the 178s in the 300wsm doing 3000fps, should be dynamite on most critters!

View attachment 78427

I’m definitely going to load up some 178’s and give them a go at some point.

 

[JP100]

I’m definitely going to load up some 178’s and give them a go at some point.

liking them better than the 200s, but only shot a few animals(3) with the 178s.
Alot flatter shooting at the ranges I hunt than the 200s.

We only had the 200s doing about 2750fps, but they were like bulldozers, would penetrate any animal here lengthways, which was pretty awesome.
Have not recovered a 178, so it seems they penetrate pretty well too!

Liking the ELD over the Berger for terminal performance, so much more reliable from my experience

 

[wind gypsy]

Good info, thanks for sharing and congrats on the sheep!

Have you chronoed the factory 300 wsm 200 grain loads? I’m curious how they compare to my h4831 handloads for when I’m short on time (2800 FPS from 23” factory xbolt).

 

[Kotaman]

Good info, thanks for sharing and congrats on the sheep!

Have you chronoed the factory 300 wsm 200 grain loads? I’m curious how they compare to my h4831 handloads for when I’m short on time (2800 FPS from 23” factory xbolt).

23” barrel from a Boswell Custom with 200 gr. Factories is 2852.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've posted this before. Here's a pic of a factory 143gr ELD-X recovered against the offside hide of a small doe from a 375 yard shot broadside through the ribcage. The core and jacket were found about 4" apart. This was our very first animal shot with this bullet and 6.5 CM. Had we gotten a pattern of passthroughs like you've seen "first", I may have given it a pass.

 

[Carl]

Nice one!
We have shot about 30-40 animals from 30-400 yards with the ELDs, mainly 200grain in 300wsm.
Found a few bullets and all have shown nice mushroom and good retained weight.
Really like the the ELD X

Just worked up a new load with the 178s in the 300wsm doing 3000fps, should be dynamite on most critters!

View attachment 78427

If you dont mind me asking, what is your recipe for the 200s?

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[wind gypsy]

If you dont mind me asking, what is your recipe for the 200s?

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I know you didn't ask me but..

Norma Brass, Fed 210m Primer, 66.9 gr H4831sc, roughly 2.90" COAL. Use a drop tube and there is still some good powder crunching getting the bullets seated.

You could do something similar with RL26 and gain velocity, lose temp stability and have a less compressed load (I think RL26 is more dense). My load thumps enough in a lightweight rifle as is so I wasn't seeking any more speed.

 

[JP100]

If you dont mind me asking, what is your recipe for the 200s?

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Can get the exact Load this weekend if you want,
Norma Brass
Federal Match Primers
AR2213SC
and around 3" LOA

You guys dont get ADI powders in the USA?
As I understand ADI AR 2213 SC is 'the same' as H4831 SC

I think they may even be the exact same powder just sold under different names, but dont quote me on the that, would be best to chech it in a manual, dont want no fireworks!

 

[excaliber]

2750 fps for the 200 gr ELD-X is pretty pedestrian out of a 300WSM. No wonder you think the 178 gr is flatter shooting. I'm pushing the 200 gr ELD-X out of my 300 Win Mag at 2960 FPS+ What are the specs on your loads?

liking them better than the 200s, but only shot a few animals(3) with the 178s.
Alot flatter shooting at the ranges I hunt than the 200s.

We only had the 200s doing about 2750fps, but they were like bulldozers, would penetrate any animal here lengthways, which was pretty awesome.
Have not recovered a 178, so it seems they penetrate pretty well too!

Liking the ELD over the Berger for terminal performance, so much more reliable from my experience

 

[JP100]

2750 fps for the 200 gr ELD-X is pretty pedestrian out of a 300WSM. No wonder you think the 178 gr is flatter shooting. I'm pushing the 200 gr ELD-X out of my 300 Win Mag at 2960 FPS+ What are the specs on your loads?

I did get them going upto 3000, but would not group in my rifle for what ever reason, I always choose accuracy over speed. I also have a 20" barrel so that does take a bit of sting out of it.
I am happy with the 178s doing 3000fps, shoot very well and plenty for any hunting situation I am in.

 

[mcseal2]

I took a couple whitetail with the 143gr ELD-X out of my 264 win mag last year. The first was a buck at 150yds. We saw each other at about the same time as I was trying to cut him off and I shot him just as he had started running broadside to me. I hit the bone of the shoulder about as solid as I could, I couldn't have hit more bone. The buck dropped instantly. The bullet did not exit and I did not find any pieces big enough to weigh, just a few jacket fragments. It pretty much blew up but still did the job. Impact velocity should have been about 3000fps so it was asking a lot of any bullet to hold up to that. This was a really big bodied KS buck 6 or 7 years old, bigger bodied than most if not all muleys I have shot.

The second was a doe at 321yds and the bullet performed much like others are describing. Good penetration, smaller exit. Impact velocity there should have been around 2750fps.

From a very limited sample size I think the bullet is at it's best at longer range or started at lower velocity. I think it would be ideal from a 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm going to use it again this season and see how it does, but I will definitely try to avoid bone with it in the future.