The problem is two fold, as I see it. Difficulty in designing a do all bullet, and the economic constraints that go along with it. First of all, a long range hunting bullet has to be super accurate which means construction similar to a target bullet. It also has to expand at lower
velocity to be lethal at the distances we shoot, which also fits thin skinned target bullets. This is exactly why Berger has had success transitioning from turning
target bullets into hunting bullets. The
downside, of course is the over
expansion issues at closer ranges. They also are not as good as a tipped bullet for expanding at extreme ranges, IMO. The ELDX is basically a target bullet with a small inner ring in the jacket to keep the core from separating as easily. It works, to some degree, but not enough at high velocity. They also have a little thicker jacket base than the ELDM to hold it all together a little longer. The alternatives to this approach are thicker jackets,
partitions, bonding, or monos. Thicker
jackets mean less accuracy, at least to
some degree, as well as lower b c.
Monos can be extremely accurate but
lack the density to carry enough b c in a
reasonable length. Bonding definitely
helps but adds considerable cost which
is a problem for manufacturers to
compete in such a competitive market.
Partitions are very effective, but again,
are more costly to make and more
difficult to hold the tight tolerances
needed for long range accuracy.
It always boils down to the same things; how much are you willing to pay, and how much are you willing to give up at high and low impact velocity? The manufacturers have to decide which game to play, and we have to decide, individually, which best fits our needs.
There will NEVER be a best target bullet that is the best hunting bullet, or the reverse.