156 EOL terminal performance

[dennisinaz]

Any of you guys have any personal experience with the 156s? I am still using the 143 ELD-X and have had great success with it both accuracy and performance on game wise.

My buddy recently bought a new Proof rifle in 6.5 PRC. He got custom loaded ammunition that featured the 156 EOL. On two coues bucks at 500 yards it killed them outright. On several others including two that were videoed at longer ranges there was no bullet expansion and the deer were able to shake off the shots after time and get up and were lost. One buck, that was recovered, was hit a little back and spined. The followup shot, now that he had the wind,was right in the chest. Buck was still alive and kicking an hour later when he got to it. Made him sick. Said the bullet hit a rib going in and penciled straight through.

I am guessing that the velocity threshold for expansion is not low enough to take advantage of the bullet in the PRC chambering.

 

[DocDoc]

Were the tips checked to see that they were open to provide the possibility of expansion?

 

[lancetkenyon]

I have a buddy who just took a Coues in MX with a 6.5SAUM pushing them @ 2974fps. I think he said 385 yds, and DRT.

 

[dennisinaz]

Were the tips checked to see that they were open to provide the possibility of expansion?

NO- I have no idea what the custom loader did but when I buy a bullet I expect it to perform right out of the box. I have killed/seen killed a hundred+ head of big game by the 180 Berger and the 140 Bergers with zero failures and never running a drill into the tips. IF Bergers 156 EOLs require such treatment, they are target bullets. I didn't notice that the tips were closed or open. Just frustrating to see this happen.

 

[dennisinaz]

Again, a <500 yards, no issues. I think we chrono'd them about 2885 or so.

 

[FEENIX]

 

[elkaholic]

Again, a <500 yards, no issues. I think we chrono'd them about 2885 or so.

What range did the failures occur?

 

[lancetkenyon]

Any of you guys have any personal experience with the 156s? I am still using the 143 ELD-X and have had great success with it both accuracy and performance on game wise.

My buddy recently bought a new Proof rifle in 6.5 PRC. He got custom loaded ammunition that featured the 156 EOL. On two coues bucks at 500 yards it killed them outright. On several others including two that were videoed at longer ranges there was no bullet expansion and the deer were able to shake off the shots after time and get up and were lost. One buck, that was recovered, was hit a little back and spined. The followup shot, now that he had the wind,was right in the chest. Buck was still alive and kicking an hour later when he got to it. Made him sick. Said the bullet hit a rib going in and penciled straight through.

I am guessing that the velocity threshold for expansion is not low enough to take advantage of the bullet in the PRC chambering.

Do you happen to have those videos? It would be interesting to see bullet placement.

 

[dennisinaz]

I know two were in the 700 yard range and one was 900. I don't have the videos so I can't post them. Just seeing what other's experiences are before doing too much work. With what I have seen so far, I would simply quit using them and go to something with a long, proven track record but it seems to be "the bullet" in the 6.5- PRC.

 

[hunter67wa]

You did say one was hit to far back. It would be nice to know all the paticulars

 

[lancetkenyon]

Any photos of bullet performance or shot placement from the bucks that were recovered?
To me, it is hard to place blame on a bullet failure with no empirical data from an animal that was not recovered.
He admitted to a poorly placed shot at 500, wondering where the two at 700 and one at 900 hit.
Where did he go that he shot 5+ Coues bucks? Mexico?

 

[dennisinaz]

One buck was hit in the spine and paralyzed the hindquarters. The followup shot with the wind dope now know, was right where you would want it. Bullet did not expand. Others were hit in the chest cavity and did not go down or got back up and ran off.