Anyone have any firsthand experience in killing thin-skinned game (e.g. elk) using Hornady ELD-X bullets (e.g. .308 212 gr.)?  I've read the comments on Midway USA.  Seems most customers have found it be an extremely accurate bullet at all ranges but that the bullet sheds weight FAST upon impact.  Maybe that doesn't matter as long as you're not trying to make a quartering away shot on a 800 lb. elk at 400 yards.  That'd be a lot of meat to penetrate before reaching the vitals.

I've used them on deer and elk and will never use them again.  The company that I used to guide for won't even allow them. The ELD-M actually works better.

Why won't you use them and why won't they allow them?

I beleive in bonded bullets....

Of course I know nothing - I hunt with a little 243 chasing little Florida deer - I just want something to go all the way thru the animal.

Of course YMMV

Red

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/

@owtlaw

Could you elaborate?

Tons of fans of the bullet, plenty of detractors.  
I've filled 3 tags with the 143 gr eldx, no real complaints; all shots under 300 yards though.

Might try federal's terminal ascent bullet this fall.  Depends on how many deer tags I draw.

Still debating on what bullet to use for my cow elk tag in December too.

We have had far too many animals wounded due to lack of terminal performance.  One hunt that I was on last year we had a hunter hit a cow elk at 346 yards. I am basically copying what was written in the hunt report.

Animal: cow elk mature
Round used: 7mm STW, Honady Precision Hunter 162 ELD-X
Animal was in deep snow. The 1st round was fired from 346 yards. Hit was confirmed by guide and spotter as high neck. Animal did not go down. Animal rand uphill for 500 yards before cresting the Ridgeline.
Guide hunter and spotter loaded into sxs and went around on the bottom side. Animal was spotted approximately 1/2 mile from the initial site. Guide was able to get hunter and spotter into an area to re-engage the animal after confirmation that it was the same one that was previously hit. Hunter fired a 2nd round at 282 yards and impact was confirmed. Left side high lung. Animal spun and proceeded downhill approximately 150 yards. Hunter fired 3rd round at approximately 150 and made impact in the front of the head. Upon inspection it was discovered that the 1st round impacted approximately 6" behind left lower jaw and traveled the length of the neck clipping the jugular. Round impacted top of right lung and exited just behind the right shoulder. Damage was minimal. The 2nd round impacted high left side and penetrated both lungs. Again minimal damage was observed.  Guide recomedation is to select a different bullet.

Last season we had 6 other reports on elk hunts that were similar and 5 on deer and 1 black bear.

Thanks for the info. I've taken several animals with 6.5 ELDX but have been thinking about switching. They are super accurate, but I have yet to recover a round. Thinking about switching to the ABLR.

So the first shot was horribly angled.
The second shot was high lung.
The final shot was lethal I suppose.



Frankly this sounds like a hunter who should not have made the first shot and a guide unaware of the hunter's capability. 346 yards is reasonable for the ELD-X from the 7mm STW on an elk, but if you can't place a shot where it needs to go it hardly matters what the projectile is.

When a round clips the jugular and travels 3 feet with no expansion, it is pretty suspect on the part of the projectile.  This is only one incident out of several. There seems to be numerous reports on the in net as well.

Standard Accubonds and Acubond LR has performed well.  Also had good luck with the Swift Scirocco as well.  The Barnes seem ok. We really haven't had many who use them though.

My experience as well.

I shot a whitetail this year at 407 yards with the 212 ELD-X bullet out of a .300 PRC and he bucked and fell about 3 yards from where he was standing at the time of the shot.  Round did not exit the far side of the animal and therefore dumped all energy on the target.

Where did the bullet impact and from what firing angle?

That was a fantastic Florida deer John... you certainly put your time in that week and the harvest was well deserved.

Bullet impacted just behind the front shoulder and although I was in an elevated blind between the 407 yards and the fact that the land has a slight rise to it I would say at most it may have been a 5 degree downward angle if not actually a straight on shot.

I appreciate the kind words, my friend.   It was actually two weeks out there and it was a grind for sure, but definitely worth it in the end.

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I’ve harvested a few Axis and a Nilgai with the 212s in a 300 PRC.  Distances ranged from 80 yards to 310 yards. All were one shot kills, but the bullets were placed correctly.  On both Axis the bullets exited. On the Nilgai, the bullet broke the spine due to the angle of the shot. The damage to the lungs was what you’d expect. The bullet was in pieces due to hitting the spine, but you could see that it expanded correctly.

/YMMV

thank you sir.

thank you.

ELDX Experience
Accuracy was good
Bullet performance not so good!
Appears jacket is soft
I had better performance from regular Hornady Interlock SP flat base on game.
Went back to Nosler Bonded bullets in Accubonds.

Game
Alaskan Moose

I asked Hornady about minimum and maximum velocity for expansion of the ELD Match bullets, which the ELD X are based on. They said impact velocities should be between 1700-2400 fps. So I am guessing on the he elk that might have been moving to slow for good expansion, just a guess though. For my Grendel shooting 120 gn ELD Match the bullet needs up travel 50 yards to get to max expansion velocity and it’s good to about 250-300 yards depending on weather.

Shot distance and impact location?  Caliber?  Any additional description regarding "jacket is soft" ?

Filled my cow tag a week ago today.  6.5 creed factory 143 gr eldx.  165 yards broadside, double lung shot.  Complete pass through, blew a golfball sized chunk of lung out the exit.  She took 20-40 wobbly steps and crashed.

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4 deer have fallen to the 300RUM, shortest distance was 250yrds, longest shot was 740yrds with 212gr EldX over 91gr of Retumbo taveling at 3100fps.
3 fell where they stood, 1 went approx 20 to 30yrds. All were pass through broadside shots behind the shoulder with extensive damage.

This picture is the exit at 400yrds.
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Thats sweet, thats why you shoot em in the ribs instead of the shoulder..looks like the rifles working pretty good....
This is what was left of a 230 Berger @3220 out of my 300rum at 500 yards on a meat caribou.. I shot slightly quartering uphill, bullet went in behind the downhill leg and came out on the front edge of the uphill shoulder, dropped like a rock in his tracks.... bullet made decent hole in, even bigger hole out after shedding the copper off the lead core...

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Entrance on right, exit on left...
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