147 eld terminal performance 6.5 creedmoor

[codyadams]

I would try the 140 ELD-M. From what I've seen they perform well.

That or the 143 eld-x.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I'm probably going to dedicate the 6.5 to gongs & coyotes. I may come back later & try some Berger's in it. I worked on some 140 & 170 Berger's in a 270wsm today and it's looking favorable so far. I did shoot the original 168vlds in my 7mm RM way back when they were unheard of in most parts of the country. They were very accurate but out of two white tails one made a grapefruit sized exit wound (which I'm completely ok with) and the other penciled through. Both deer around 250yds. Partly my lack of understanding about LR bullets used at close range was the fault of it penciling through. But I know more now about where make shots for close range & I've heard that berger has made changes for more reliable expansion. So I'm pretty excited about them in the wsm.

 

[codyadams]

I'm probably going to dedicate the 6.5 to gongs & coyotes. I may come back later & try some Berger's in it. I worked on some 140 & 170 Berger's in a 270wsm today and it's looking favorable so far. I did shoot the original 168vlds in my 7mm RM way back when they were unheard of in most parts of the country. They were very accurate but out of two white tails one made a grapefruit sized exit wound (which I'm completely ok with) and the other penciled through. Both deer around 250yds. Partly my lack of understanding about LR bullets used at close range was the fault of it penciling through. But I know more now about where make shots for close range & I've heard that berger has made changes for more reliable expansion. So I'm pretty excited about them in the wsm.

I also make sure the tips are open on the bergers with a small wire drill on rounds intended for hunting. Takes about the same amount of time as chamfering brass, maybe a little less, and can be done once the rounds are loaded. Never a single issue with expansion in 7mm 168 and 180's, 6.5 cal 140's, and 30 cal 185's, all VLD's, as well as the 30 cal 215 hybrid.

 

[WildRose]

Not really. If you look at the design, the eld-m has a thicker jacket at the nose, but stays the same throughout the body. On an extensive write up I did on this bullet, I found the bullet had no trouble holding together when starting at 3050 fps, the issues I ran in to were the opposite. My niece used it to shoot a pronghorn buck at 980 yards, made two hits and neither expanded at all, acted like a fmj. All the bullet I recovered were between 78 and 95 or so grains, which out of 16 animals this season ranging from pronghorn to elk, was 3. On whitetail, I wouldn't feel bad using it (though I much prefer the Berger, over 20 kills with it and much better overall than the eld-m) as long as I kept impact velocity above 2000 fps or so. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this bullet though. Just my experience.

Yes, really, they aren't a bonded bullet. Even the interlock will consistently break up at those kinds of impact velocities.

 

[codyadams]

Yes, really, they aren't a bonded bullet. Even the interlock will consistently break up at those kinds of impact velocities.

I shot or witnessed 16 animals, ranging from pronghorn to elk, taken with this bullet just this year, the closest at 150 yards with an impact velocity of over 2850 fps (and left a decent sized exit), and none had an issue of breaking up, all either exited or were recovered with 50% retained weight or better.

The recovered ones impacted at 2400fps-2100 fps, and were on a mule deer buck around 500 yds, a 6x6 bull elk at a little over 800 yds, and a cow elk at just over 700. Bonded or not, that was not the issue with this bullet. I will say I did not have the opportunity to test them on an elk at close range, having heavier skin, bone and muscle tissue combined with a higher impact velocity may have changed the story some.

However, on pronghorn (whitetail sized game) with impact velocities of 2850 fps down to 2100 fps, all 10 animals had exits from 1"-2.5" (accept the one buck at 980, which the bullet did not expand) whether bone was hit or not.

But if your personal experience on game with the 147 was different, I would like to hear, it is always good to have more information to add.

 

[snox801]

I've shot 7 larger Michigan whitetail deer with them. All within 400 yards and all expanded and had large exit wounds. I also took a scimitar Horne's oryx at 160 with it. I was able to gag more than one shot on it and none exited. One went right behind the shoulder the other through the shoulder. Both performed very well.
The eldx seemed to cause to much damage in the 5 deer taken with that. Not exssssive but it causes lots of trauma so may be the best option for long range shots.

 

[Litehiker]

Hornady made the ELD-M bullets for target shooting. That they work on deer means the polymer point opens up the bullet enough for the job.

Hornady's 143 gr. ELD-X bullet (X for expanding) is made with a tapering jacket wall with an internal cannelure. It is one of the best medium/big game bullets made in terms of both match grade accuracy and controlled expansion/retained weight.

Eric B.

 

[WildRose]

I shot or witnessed 16 animals, ranging from pronghorn to elk, taken with this bullet just this year, the closest at 150 yards with an impact velocity of over 2850 fps (and left a decent sized exit), and none had an issue of breaking up, all either exited or were recovered with 50% retained weight or better.

The recovered ones impacted at 2400fps-2100 fps, and were on a mule deer buck around 500 yds, a 6x6 bull elk at a little over 800 yds, and a cow elk at just over 700. Bonded or not, that was not the issue with this bullet. I will say I did not have the opportunity to test them on an elk at close range, having heavier skin, bone and muscle tissue combined with a higher impact velocity may have changed the story some.

However, on pronghorn (whitetail sized game) with impact velocities of 2850 fps down to 2100 fps, all 10 animals had exits from 1"-2.5" (accept the one buck at 980, which the bullet did not expand) whether bone was hit or not.

But if your personal experience on game with the 147 was different, I would like to hear, it is always good to have more information to add.

IF you didn't recover the bullets you don't know that they didn't breakup and usually the large exit wound is a good indication that they did.

My experience shooting over a hundred hogs and quite a few deer with the ELD-X is that as long as impact velocities are under around 2200FPS they tend to open well and expand consistently. Over 2800 they were unpredictable. Some broke up, some penciled through ribs, some just pretty well detonated with no exit at all.

I shot quite a lot of them in the .260's, 7mm STW, and .300wm and Rum.

As a rule I'd say they perform pretty well for what they are intended but inside of 300yds is not where they'll give good, consistent terminal performance.