Switched from Berger Hybrids to ELD-Ms for game?

Joined
Oct 25, 2019
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66
Location
Utah
I have a few charge weights shooting 1/2 moa with the 225s...but the node is only .5gr wide it seems. Still working on it. Those are seated .020 off in ADG brass with CCI 250s....I could not get to a high node with H1000 and 225s...I'm working around 74.3 grains right now, luckily I'm at 7k msl...so that'll be the only thing that gets me close to the 'magical' 2800 FPS for this bullet.

Mind sharing your load data?

Apologies for the crickets, finally off the mountain long enough to reconnect with the world.

I'm shooting a 22" Pac-nor 1:10 with an Omega can. I've found my node right around 2775 fps. My node has a span of around 1 grain give or take. Next node up is 2840, but I get signs of pressure there. Shooting with a shorter barrel I realize I'm going to take a velocity hit, but I'm OK with that. 26" barrel is just too long for what I do.

300 Win Mag
H1000 73.5 gr
.020 jump
WLRM primers
S&B once fired brass

I get velocity SD of right about 15 fps. I believe I could get lower with better brass and not using a magnum primer, but it's acceptable for what I do. I'm not a bench rest shooter by any means.

Group in the attached image was on 9/30/2019, 100 yards, 5600 ft elevation, 55 F, 24.05 baro, 31.5% humidity.

I'm curious what rifle/barrel are you shooting?


2019-11-10 14.23.35.jpg2019-10-11 12.20.04.jpg
 
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Vandy321

WKR
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Feb 5, 2019
Messages
2,424
While I didnt get to shoot 225s for a hunt this year, I did knock down a cow with the 215s, a slight quartering away shot at 100 yards. I will say, for all the talk about bergers not performing at close range, I'm pretty happy with the results (but interested in folks inputs, as I'm no terminal performance expert)

2873 FPS and 3941 ft/lbs of energy at impact.

Bullet entered just behind the onside shoulder (cant recall if it hit a rib on entry) took out heart and lungs, found between offside shoulder and hide. 98gr still intact. All 3900+ ft/lbs of energy absorbed by that body. She took 5 steps, dropped, kicked twice, and expired.

I was a little bummed that there was ZERO blood trail, there was zero blood ANYWHERE outside of the hide, not even a drop at the entry wound.

Anyways, still plan to work up a load with 225s and see how they do next year

20191115_140041.jpg
 
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Tumbleweed

Lil-Rokslider
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Dec 11, 2017
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221
Location
Tillamook, Oregon
While I didnt get to shoot 225s for a hunt this year, I did knock down a cow with the 215s, a slight quartering away shot at 100 yards. I will say, for all the talk about bergers not performing at close range, I'm pretty happy with the results (but interested in folks inputs, as I'm no terminal performance expert)

2873 FPS and 3941 ft/lbs of energy at impact.

Bullet entered just behind the onside shoulder (cant recall if it hit a rib on entry) took out heart and lungs, found between offside shoulder and hide (no pass through). 98gr still intact. All 3900+ ft/lbs of energy absorbed by that body. She took 5 steps, dropped, kicked twice, and expired.

I was a little bummed that there was ZERO blood trail, there was zero blood ANYWHERE outside of the hide, not even a drop at the entry wound.

Anyways, still plan to work up a load with 225s and see how they do next year

View attachment 133399

That’s absolutely perfect IMO. You don’t need a blood trail with that kind of performance!


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Vandy321

WKR
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That’s absolutely perfect IMO. You don’t need a blood trail with that kind of performance!


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I agree, I'm glad she dropped inside of 10 yards, however had this been a longer shot or I not been able to watch her drop, the lack of blood is worrysome.

You you correct, I won't argue that it didnt do its job. It definately didn't "explode" on impact, which seems to be the critique of the 215s at close range/high velocity impacts.
 

drmikeyj

FNG
Joined
Aug 26, 2018
Messages
28
Seems like most have better accuracy with the Berger’s than the ELD’s. My experience was opposite. My 300wsm would shoot the Bergers at 1-1.5 MOA. I switched to 200gr ELD-X, now shoots .25MOA. Shot 5 rounds all touching at 200 yards. Now this is in a WSM, but my dad had similar results in his 300 win mag. We were wondering if it was more so the bullet weight than anything...
 
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
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Southwest
The 225 ELD-Ms seem to the more accurate in folks 30 cal magnums...and are a significant cost savings as well.

Anybody knock down elk with BOTH 225s and the 215 Hybrids and have any inputs one way or the other?

The 215 has a solid following and with good reason, but the ELD-Ms seem to have a big following in the 6.5 crowd for deer, curious if that translates to the 225 performing on elk. ...the price and the accuracy of the ELD-M has me thinking.
I shoot the 225 eldm out of a 300 RUM and have taken two elk right at the 800 range. They are accurate and have big wound channels. No tracking involved
 

Freedom

FNG
Joined
Jan 11, 2021
Messages
5
I know this is an old thread, but I will leave this here for research. I shot a large cow elk at 375 yards with 225 eldm with a muzzle velocity of 2700 fps. bullet went through the front shoulder breaking it length wise, hit rib cage with breaking rib with a 2 inch hole, destroyed 90% of both lungs, broke rib and front shoulder on off side splitting scapula length wise. I found the bullet in the hide. If I remember right it was around 100 grains. Elk went 25 yards down hill. blood everywhere. 300 WSM
 
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I just stumbled on this thread
Good info on the 225 eldms, I just found 5 boxes so I'll be giving them a go in my elk rifle
 
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