Free: Contests & Raffles.
Quote from: snowshoes22 on August 27, 2024, 01:05:21 PM103gr 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?
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.
Reading all of this will make a guy's head spin. After reading one of the points made, I decided to investigate the cost difference between Hunter Precision ELDX 300 PRC and Accubond 300WM. From a dealer perspective, it's a 59% increase between the two with Accubonds being the higher cost. Comparing Sportsman's Warehouse prices, it's a 72.43% spreadMy recent communication with Seekins included them telling me, "I would 100% push you in the direction of Hornady Precision Hunter or Hornady Match! They are what we shoot and accuracy test rifles with!". So I just have to wonder....they are getting the results they want to see using the lower cost product....but paper doesn't equate to kills.What is the deal with the significant price difference? I don't know Since it costs more, does it kill better? I don't know.
Quote from: dreadi on August 28, 2024, 01:33:21 PMReading all of this will make a guy's head spin. After reading one of the points made, I decided to investigate the cost difference between Hunter Precision ELDX 300 PRC and Accubond 300WM. From a dealer perspective, it's a 59% increase between the two with Accubonds being the higher cost. Comparing Sportsman's Warehouse prices, it's a 72.43% spreadMy recent communication with Seekins included them telling me, "I would 100% push you in the direction of Hornady Precision Hunter or Hornady Match! They are what we shoot and accuracy test rifles with!". So I just have to wonder....they are getting the results they want to see using the lower cost product....but paper doesn't equate to kills.What is the deal with the significant price difference? I don't know Since it costs more, does it kill better? I don't know. Part of the cost difference has to do with the Nosler name. Though it's much more of an issue with the Partition than the AccuBond, part of it also has to do with the fact that Nosler bullets are more expensive to manufacture due to the nature of their construction. The Partition isn't a bonded bullet, but it's time consuming to make a dual core bullet like that. Look at prices for other Premium bonded bullets (like the Swift A-Frame and Federal Terminal Ascent) and you'll see they're also pretty expensive like the AccuBond.The guys at Seekins aren't wrong about Hornady Precision Hunter or Match ammo. Most companies do indeed test their rifles for accuracy with that stuff and saying ammo from those 2 Hornady lines is accurate isn't a particularly controversial statement. Speaking in broad generalities, the Hornady Precision Hunter and Match ammo will usually be more accurate than Nosler ammo. That's not to say that Partitions and AccuBonds aren't accurate (or aren't accurate enough for most hunting situations), but the the ELD-X and Match bullets will generally have the edge here on average, especially as range increases and small improvements in accuracy become more important.Likewise, those Hornady bullets generally have a much higher BC (comparing bullets of the same caliber and similar weight) and therefore retain velocity and energy much better at extended range. They also do better in windy conditions. Those advantages are less of an issue at closer range (like 400 yards and in), but are very important as the range increases. They'll also still expand at lower impact velocities too, like you'll encounter at longer range.Things are different when it comes to terminal performance. In my experience, Nosler AccuBonds and (especially) Partitions penetrate MUCH better than the ELD-X or Match bullets. Some argue that the ELD-X/M bullets penetrate enough to get the job done, but this thread is a textbook example of how not everyone agrees with that statement. The two Hornady bullets are pretty soft and expand readily at lower impact velocities. This also means they REALLY expand at higher velocities, which is what leads to complaints about their penetration sometimes. That is a double edged sword though and that massive expansion will also usually cause massive trauma to the vitals of an animal.When it all comes together, the result is very fast kills and (potentially) lots of meat damage. Meat damage does vary depending on your exact shot placement and impact velocity.The shortcomings of the ELD Match and ELD-X bullets are most apparent at close range (with very high impact velocities), especially when they strike heavy bone and/or when taking a strongly quartering shot. On the other hand, those situations are where Nosler Partitions and AccuBonds really tend to shine because they penetrate so much better. Plus, the advantages of the Hornady bullets in terms of BC and accuracy are least apparent at closer range.All things considered, I don't think one is necessarily better than the other because (though there is a big overlap in their use cases), Nosler and Hornady bullets are optimized for different situations.There are no solutions, only tradeoffs.If you are unlikely to take a shot past 200-300 yards, then I'd go with a Nosler, or a similar bullet along those lines.If you want better performance at longer range, then I'd go with the Hornady ELD-X.
