Hornady ELD-X: Explodes Like A Varmint Bullet?!

[snowshoes22]

Dead less than 30yds.  Wounds were similar to the pictures posted on page 1

[westsidehntr]

Dead less than 30yds.  Wounds were similar to the pictures posted on page 1

So performance was spectacular. 👍

[addicted]

Its made for a 50% weight retention and ballistic performance over long distances.

There are guys that shoot a soft bullet out of a fast burner cartridge and complain about over expansion then there are guys that shoot a barnes out of their 308 and wonder why it ran forever with a pencil hole through it.

A 50% chunk poking deep with a massive wound channel internally sounds pretty optimal. You pic a bullet based off expected speed at hunting range and what it does at those speeds.

[crabcreekhunter]

I’ve shot bears at 25 yards and bull elk/deer from 100-600 yards.  .284 162 eldx at 2975MV.  Nothing but great results and haven’t recovered a bullet yet, golf ball sized exits.  Will continue to use them for my applications.   With that I don’t doubt, a splash is possible.  I’ve seen it with other light bullets at high velocity, or catch bone at a weird angle of deflection.  I think Forrest Gump said it best, “S$/? Happens”.  For all out penetration go mono, but I’ve had my issues with those.  Meet in the middle with a accubond or partition and kill stuff.

[The Big Game Hunter]

I’ve shot bears at 25 yards and bull elk/deer from 100-600 yards.  .284 162 eldx at 2975MV.  Nothing but great results and haven’t recovered a bullet yet, golf ball sized exits.  Will continue to use them for my applications.   With that I don’t doubt, a splash is possible.  I’ve seen it with other light bullets at high velocity, or catch bone at a weird angle of deflection.  I think Forrest Gump said it best, “S$/? Happens”.  For all out penetration go mono, but I’ve had my issues with those.  Meet in the middle with a accubond or partition and kill stuff.

What cartridge have you used these bullets in? 7mm Rem Mag?

[The Big Game Hunter]

103gr eld-x recovered from mule deer. Shot from a 6 arc. All recovered bullets have had core separation. All shots were over 250 yds.  Broadside shots, no heavy bone.

What muzzle velocity are you getting with those bullets out of your 6 ARC?
And where are you physically finding those bullets? Right under the hide on the off side?

[crabcreekhunter]

I’ve shot bears at 25 yards and bull elk/deer from 100-600 yards.  .284 162 eldx at 2975MV.  Nothing but great results and haven’t recovered a bullet yet, golf ball sized exits.  Will continue to use them for my applications.   With that I don’t doubt, a splash is possible.  I’ve seen it with other light bullets at high velocity, or catch bone at a weird angle of deflection.  I think Forrest Gump said it best, “S$/? Happens”.  For all out penetration go mono, but I’ve had my issues with those.  Meet in the middle with a accubond or partition and kill stuff.

What cartridge have you used these bullets in? 7mm Rem Mag?

280AI.

[jrebel]

@crabcreekhunter

You inbox is full. 

[280ackley]

Interesting thread.  Plan is to check em out this year,,, I'll be using 175 ELDX out of my 28 Nosler at 3191fps. I'll report back on how they do.

[crabcreekhunter]

@crabcreekhunter

You inbox is full.

Fixed

[The Big Game Hunter]

I’ve shot bears at 25 yards and bull elk/deer from 100-600 yards.  .284 162 eldx at 2975MV.  Nothing but great results and haven’t recovered a bullet yet, golf ball sized exits.  Will continue to use them for my applications.   With that I don’t doubt, a splash is possible.  I’ve seen it with other light bullets at high velocity, or catch bone at a weird angle of deflection.  I think Forrest Gump said it best, “S$/? Happens”.  For all out penetration go mono, but I’ve had my issues with those.  Meet in the middle with a accubond or partition and kill stuff.

What cartridge have you used these bullets in? 7mm Rem Mag?

280AI.

That was my next guess!

[The Big Game Hunter]

Interesting thread.  Plan is to check em out this year,,, I'll be using 175 ELDX out of my 28 Nosler at 3191fps. I'll report back on how they do.

I look forward to it. Results with the 175gr ELD-X were impressive out of my 7mm PRC. I'm curious to hear how they work going even faster out of your 28 Nosler.

[pickardjw]

Rocks are great for ricochets/shrapnel.

Nailed it!!!......It ricocheted off a rock exploding the bullet in an upward direction hitting 33 1/2 blades of grass...prior to impact.  I'm not sure why I didn't run this scenario by you in the first place???  Had I, I would likely still be shooting those bullets and have great success.  I wouldn't be frustrated knowing a beautiful red colored bear didn't come home with me that year.   

Maybe the bear had shoulder replacement surgery and they put a steel shoulder blade in? 

People would rather blame the equipment than admit they might have missed.

Like I said, if you ever find actual proof of an ELD-X performing as you think that one did myself and plenty of others would be interested in seeing it.

[Rob]

I'm visualizing the bear from "The Great Outdoors" with the bald patches on the head and butt caused by the 12 Ga.

As for Bullet Performance, I have taken a mule deer with the ELDX chambered in 6.5 Cred at 325 yards.  It walked 20 feet and fell over - massive damage in the chest.  I have also taken a bear with the ELD X chambered in 7mm Rem Mag at a closer range - probably 150.  There were some shooter related performance issues but it dropped dead once I put a bullet in the right place.

Regarding the "discussion" about splash and feasibility of that happening.  I have no dog in that race - not calling into question anybody's experience as I was not there.  I will say that I have seen 2 very odd things happen with bullets that I cannot really explain.

1.  I have a buddy who is a machinist.  Very detail oriented perfectionist in many regards.  He has been reloading for decades and builds his own rifles.  I was doing some spotting for him - he was shooting a 243 at some 7 inch targets about 550/600 yards away.  Good day for trace so I could see every shot he took fly and land.  shot after shot was on target or just an inch or so to one side or the other of the target.  Then he took one shot and the bullet sank like a rock.  It was like it was caught in a big downdraft and plummeted to the ground.  I bet he hit 20 feet low.  Most likely a low powder charge we all agreed but the guy is meticulous so that would be unexpected.

2.  My dad shot a reedbuck in 2016.  260 yards, no idea what bullet.  One shot and it went down.  It got up a short while later and its front leg was destroyed at the knee.  We tracked that antelope for about a mile.  The whole thing is on Video.  I did some slow motion screen captures and what I saw was very very odd.  The bullet seems to hit the front leg, and a spot in the dirt behind the animal at the exact same time.  Not sure if it hit a rock and the leg hit was a ricochet, or if it hit the leg and somehow ricocheted into the field behind the animal, or if a bit of bone flew out of the leg and hit the field behind the animal.  The shots below show the sequence.  The cameraman was sitting 3 feet to the side of the shooter so the camera angle and shooter angle are roughly the same.

All this to say, sometimes unexpected things happen between the muzzle and the point of impact.  Again, not saying anyone's experiences did not happen, just sharing a couple of mine.

[Rob]

I dug up the bullet info on that Reedbok.  225 grain Swift A-Frame chambered in 338 RCM. 

Being a bonded bullet, the chances of separation of the bullet seem pretty small.  But who knows!