6.5 PRC - Make143 ELD-X work

[Plinker147]

Curious as to guys experience with the elite hunters on elk and particularly compared to the ELDXs. I have 143 ELDXs, and 147 Hornady match on hand now too.

Elite Hunters are always my first choice as a hunting bullets. I've killed elk, bear, deer, sheep, with the 6.5 140gr, 7mm 175gr, .30 180gr, 338 250 gr. They flat out shoot great and perform perfectly on game from close to far. Only reason I use other bullets is lack of availability.

But to be fair we have shot 1 Oryx with 162 EDLX at 600 yd, 1 Oryx at 600 with 143edlx and 1 elk with 162 EDLX at 500 yd all those bullet made perfect mushrooms and did their job. Never shot anything close with the X's

 

[dm406]

Our experience is 143 ELDX bounce off elk, Try Berger or nobler ABLR

 

[Idaho Lefty]

@ dm406,.
Yup,.. It's the new, Ballistic Nylon / Kevlar / Chain Steel Mesh, "Blend" of, Bullet Proofing that, the Elk are now, wearing !
.300 Magnum, is Minimum, with, a Solid Copper + Steel Core, Hammer bullet, is the ONLY bullet that, will penetrate thru, this New, chit !
The Nobler's, aren't much use, either !.
Some Heavier, Berger's will, marginally, "work" if, Driven, over,.. 4,300 FPS !
SADLY,.. This Chit's, NOT,.. Wolf, Proof !

 

[COBrad]

I chronoed a maxed compressed load of 156 Bergers Elites at roughly 3000 fps with Retumbo in a stock Mauser 18 and no pressure. When I sighted the gun in last year only the 147 H match were available but it shot .5 inch groups with H4831SC. If the Bergers shoot even close to that it is a nice elk load. No problem getting them in the mag. I will update the results as soon as I can get out to see if that loads shoots. I caught a lot of flack from the .30 cal elk crowd on here by pointing out it surpasses a book maxed velocity .300 Win with a 180 Nosler Partition in energy by 400 yards and catches up the 06 and WSM at about 300.

Curious as to guys experience with the elite hunters on elk and particularly compared to the ELDXs. I have 143 ELDXs, and 147 Hornady match on hand now too.

Just my opinion but I think energy gets too much hype. A high energy bullet with poor penetration won't compete with less energy and serious penetration, especially on elk sized game. A high energy bullet with sufficient weight to penetrate deep into the chest is very deadly as we know so well. I don't plan to shoot elk with my 6.5, but if I did I would use the 156 Bergers or more likely an Accubond or similar bullet. I'm old school but that's my position after 48 years of elk hunting, and 38 of those guiding.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I'd be happy as heck with 1.5" at 500 yds. certainly minute of Elk!

The OP stated 1.5 MOA not, Inches ! He's getting,.. 7.5 to 8 inch, diameter, groups at, 500 yards.
It "could work" but, I'd not be Happy with that size Group, either !
Any Medium, Wind ( 10 - 15 MPH ) will cause, even more, "Problems" with, the Bullet, Drifting, further Out of, the group & OFF, the Kill Zone.
Personally, I strive for, 1/2 to 3/4 MOA out of, my Big Game Rifles.

 

[THUDDOME]

I am not trying to insult anyone with this tread, I am not looking for ideas, I am looking for help from someone who knows and has experience with my problem.
From my previous tread I am thinking I want to use the 143 ELDX for Elk hunting.
My Christiansen will consistently shoot sub MOA at 500 with 147 ELD-M, I struggle to shoot a
1.5 MOA at 500 when I switch to 143 ELD-X.
At present I have both in factory rounds from Hornady I do reload and I'm accumulating brass so I can try to correct the problem
I cannot seat the bullet any longer than what the factory rounds have without magazine problems
Please help if you can.

I shoot a 6.5PRC. I use 156 Bergers for elk.

First off, 1.5 MOA at 500 will still kill an elk. But I understand.

An EC Tuner will save you load development. But if you want to develop start long and size down 30thou or 60thou if the first 2 are horrible. For my rifle 2.975 is max for my magazine. Find the window, probably going to be around 60thou, then seat at the top of the window. You'll have to figure it out for your barrel. Once you find your window you can seat down the others, that's why we start long and work short.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I shoot a 6.5PRC. I use 156 Bergers for elk.

First off, 1.5 MOA at 500 will still kill an elk. But I understand.

An EC Tuner will save you load development. But if you want to develop start long and size down 30thou or 60thou if the first 2 are horrible. For my rifle 2.975 is max for my magazine. Find the window, probably going to be around 60thou, then seat at the top of the window. You'll have to figure it out for your barrel. Once you find your window you can seat down the others, that's why we start long and work short.

Howdy nieghbor !
I'm taking my Ridgeline shooting a 156 Berger load and my 300 RUM on an Arizona Elk hunt this Nov..

 

[bahabill]

From Tucson here. Didn't get drawn for elk but live the coues Deer here. Goodluck.
Got my hands on some more primers and retumbo so gonna work up some 143 eldx again for the 6.5 prc ridge line.
I did find a lot of the eldm's likes the .050 and up off lands and my last run of eldx I don't think I ever made it up that high. I jumped off lands in .005 increments and gave up around .035 ish cause my hunt was coming and had a good load with the swift scirocco

 

[Bullwhacker]

I just finished working up a load in a 260AI with the 143 ELDX and RL26. Found the sweet spot for jump was 0.040". Consistently sub 1/2 MOA average 2938 fps and single digit Std dev. It'll hunt

 

[WYO300RUM]

From Tucson here. Didn't get drawn for elk but live the coues Deer here. Goodluck.
Got my hands on some more primers and retumbo so gonna work up some 143 eldx again for the 6.5 prc ridge line.
I did find a lot of the eldm's likes the .050 and up off lands and my last run of eldx I don't think I ever made it up that high. I jumped off lands in .005 increments and gave up around .035 ish cause my hunt was coming and had a good load with the swift scirocco

I used to hunt the Chericowa
(forget how to spell it) mountains down south in unit 29 for coues deer.

 

[Stonyman88]

I have a 6.5 C and a 6.5 PRC, the PRC shoots .18 groups of the ELD-X , I've notice that the factory ammo is seated way of the lands, around .065, and you might check your lands distance from a fired case, then check the unfired round and see how much they are off the lands, compared to the ELD-M, You might want to seat the ELD-X closer to the lands, you have any way to pull the seeds out a little and reseat them. Mine shoots great with factory ELD-X, Yours might be to far off the lands, but you said you can't seat them longer or closer to the lands, correct. Hell the ELD-M from what I'v heard kill elk just as well at distance. Just a idea. Also I do have a EC turner on the 6.5 C and works outstanding, it's a winner.