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Guns and Ammo / Re: Bullet performance 2025?
« Last post by high_hunter on Yesterday at 10:38:22 PM »243s been a deer killer for us this year. My dad took a big bodied mulie using factory Hornady 90gn eldx at 160yds out of a vanguard with 24" barrel. Quartering away shot it pulverized half the liver, lots of hydroshock, and he dropped after one lunge. Some bloodshot but minimal meat damage overall once cleaned up. We found the nicely mushroomed bullet trapped in far hide just behind the opposite leg.
Next day my wife dropped a 3x3 BT in his tracks using the Federal/Berger 95gn hybrid hunter at ~75yds slightly quartering from a m77 with 22" barrel. Broke a rib going in, clipped top of both lungs, nicked spine with its upward trajectory as she was in a kneeling position and sighted for mpbr. Not much left of the bullet and didn't exit the far side. Next to no meat loss other than a 2" diameter. area on each side of the ribcage.
Her first deer 2 years ago was similar distance, hit, & result with the 90gn eldx in the m77. A few years before 1 shot DRT using the nosler 90gn ballistic tip in the vanguard at 130yds high double lung but with a bit more loss.
All have been killed almost instantly but a small entrance hole and no exit may have made for difficult tracking had it been necessary with a poorly placed shot. But like others have said, doesn't matter if you don't have to track them. I'll probably stick with the ELDXs going forward in this caliber and am excited to use them in my .30s as well.
Next day my wife dropped a 3x3 BT in his tracks using the Federal/Berger 95gn hybrid hunter at ~75yds slightly quartering from a m77 with 22" barrel. Broke a rib going in, clipped top of both lungs, nicked spine with its upward trajectory as she was in a kneeling position and sighted for mpbr. Not much left of the bullet and didn't exit the far side. Next to no meat loss other than a 2" diameter. area on each side of the ribcage.
Her first deer 2 years ago was similar distance, hit, & result with the 90gn eldx in the m77. A few years before 1 shot DRT using the nosler 90gn ballistic tip in the vanguard at 130yds high double lung but with a bit more loss.
All have been killed almost instantly but a small entrance hole and no exit may have made for difficult tracking had it been necessary with a poorly placed shot. But like others have said, doesn't matter if you don't have to track them. I'll probably stick with the ELDXs going forward in this caliber and am excited to use them in my .30s as well.
