208 ELDM for elk

Fotis

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CHEYENNE, WY
I worked up a load for my 300 rum using this bullet. It absolutely loves it although it's extremely finicky with other bullets. My question is the following. I hunt in a place that shots can be taken from 50 to 500 yards on elk. I want to know whether somebody have shot an elk relatively close but high speed and if this bullet stayed together. I have no doubt it will do well at long range but I'm asking about short range.
 
Not trying to be a smart *** but you are shooting a 220g slug out of a 300rum, as long as you don't expect it to shoot through branches or brush I think it will blow a hole right through the elk.
 
It may be a bit splashy at closer ranges. If you use it ,stay with shots in crease. 225 eldm and the a tips have been a bit explosive for folks. I'm just guessing but the lighter and even faster 208....boy , I dunno, maybe other can chime in. Elk are certainly not at all bullet proof but extreme velocity and soft bullets can make a mess.

If you want to shoot 500 and in maybe look into hammer bullets for next fall. Extremely easy to tune , especially for guns that "are finicky" they are worth a try.
 
I would not use that bullet on elk. It is basically 208 Amax. Years ago I used in my 308 Win. and they worked well on deer. Then I gave them a whirl in the 30-378 , big no no. Surface blow up at 120yds on a doe.
5B22A048-92FD-4A01-AE08-5566FA45A751.jpeg
 
I wouldn't use in a rum. That bullet needs to impact 2600 fps or lower.

If you plan to be under 500 yards, bonded or copper(hammers). Hammers tune easy!!

BC doesn't matter much 500 yards and in. For
 
Barnes or Hammers for under 500 yard hunting at RUM speeds for me.

You need something stout to stay together at the speeds a RUM pushes, at least at closer ranges.

I am loading 168gr Barnes TTSX in a 300 weatherby. I shot my cow elk at about 70 yards this year. Impact velocity was probably about 3100fps. It trucked right through. She went maybe 40 yards and piled up. I found 1 of the nose pellets in the exit hole area.

My buddy shot a similar size cow at a similar range with his 308 shooting the barnes 165gr TTSX. Impact would have been about 2375fps. Same results. Trucked right through leaving an exit. She dropped on the spot.
 
Should be fine if you're careful with your angles, which you can easily do at close range. Broadside and quartering away shots, aim for the ribs. Frontal and quartering towards, neck shots will get it done.
 
I would not use that bullet on elk. It is basically 208 Amax. Years ago I used in my 308 Win. and they worked well on deer. Then I gave them a whirl in the 30-378 , big no no. Surface blow up at 120yds on a doe.
View attachment 308922
I've just returned from South Africa. For three years now after coming up with a perfect load of of what I would describe a perfect load of ELDX bullet 212 Grain in my 30-378. I'm shooting out of a custom rifle with a 28 inch carbon fiber barrel and getting 3300 ft./s with perfect accuracy using each 50 BMG powder 214.1 grains. I have killed three Elk in with it all shot between 350 and 444 yards. Each were heart lung shots and only one of the three elk was not a complete pass through the bullet showed hi amount of fragmentation and complete jacket lead separation but because this rifle shoots a 1/3 to 1/4 minute of angle group, I took it to South Africa. There are shot multiple blue wildebeest, black, Willder beast, how to best, kudu, England, water, buck, In every case shots were 202, -430 yards all shots were chest and lung heart. All virtual, immediate complete kills, however, only one pass real on a black wildebeest, the bullets highly fragment and I have zero faith that they would penetrate a shoulder or humerus bone on any of these animals, and still reliably reach vital organs as the bullets were so fragmented I believe that I've been absolutely lucky on elk, and was certainly lucky in Africa, and realized very quickly, after attempting a shoulder shot on a three-quarter black wildebeest that anything other than a perfect heart and lung shot is unethical and ill-advised I do not consider an ELDX 212 grain bullet to be a reliable bullet in any shape way or form in that high velocity cartridge and will be switching to Barnes solids as I do not expect to remain as lucky as I've been and believe that a Barnes 208 grain L RX, bullet or a hammer bullet would be better. It's unfortunate as I spent much time loading the ELD ex bullets and tuning them.
 
How the
I've just returned from South Africa. For three years now after coming up with a perfect load of of what I would describe a perfect load of ELDX bullet 212 Grain in my 30-378. I'm shooting out of a custom rifle with a 28 inch carbon fiber barrel and getting 3300 ft./s with perfect accuracy using each 50 BMG powder 214.1 grains. I have killed three Elk in with it all shot between 350 and 444 yards. Each were heart lung shots and only one of the three elk was not a complete pass through the bullet showed hi amount of fragmentation and complete jacket lead separation but because this rifle shoots a 1/3 to 1/4 minute of angle group, I took it to South Africa. There are shot multiple blue wildebeest, black, Willder beast, how to best, kudu, England, water, buck, In every case shots were 202, -430 yards all shots were chest and lung heart. All virtual, immediate complete kills, however, only one pass real on a black wildebeest, the bullets highly fragment and I have zero faith that they would penetrate a shoulder or humerus bone on any of these animals, and still reliably reach vital organs as the bullets were so fragmented I believe that I've been absolutely lucky on elk, and was certainly lucky in Africa, and realized very quickly, after attempting a shoulder shot on a three-quarter black wildebeest that anything other than a perfect heart and lung shot is unethical and ill-advised I do not consider an ELDX 212 grain bullet to be a reliable bullet in any shape way or form in that high velocity cartridge and will be switching to Barnes solids as I do not expect to remain as lucky as I've been and believe that a Barnes 208 grain L RX, bullet or a hammer bullet would be better. It's unfortunate as I spent much time loading the ELD ex bullets and tuning them.
How the heck did you fit 214 grains of 50 BMG in a 30-378?!
 
I killed an elk with the 208 eld-m two years ago 158 yds. No autopsy pics but the bullet entered about 3 inches above the armpit broke a rib and completely liquefied the lungs. Never found a trace of the 208 grains. Not a jacket, piece of lead, nothing. But that was one dead elk. Bullet didn't exit, just totally evaporated in the diaphragm. Craziest thing I've ever seen. My 300 win mag is 2918 fps avg. I like an exit hole for elk, but I'm still shooting those 208's. Can't punish the bullet for dropping an elk right where he stood. If I really want a pass through, my 300 Weatherby does 3200 fps with the 180 Barnes ttsx. It's goes through everything. But I don't shoot the Roy past 500 yds on game animals. Those 208s I've shot out to 690 yards with stellar performance.
 
I've just returned from South Africa. For three years now after coming up with a perfect load of of what I would describe a perfect load of ELDX bullet 212 Grain in my 30-378. I'm shooting out of a custom rifle with a 28 inch carbon fiber barrel and getting 3300 ft./s with perfect accuracy using each 50 BMG powder 214.1 grains. I have killed three Elk in with it all shot between 350 and 444 yards. Each were heart lung shots and only one of the three elk was not a complete pass through the bullet showed hi amount of fragmentation and complete jacket lead separation but because this rifle shoots a 1/3 to 1/4 minute of angle group, I took it to South Africa. There are shot multiple blue wildebeest, black, Willder beast, how to best, kudu, England, water, buck, In every case shots were 202, -430 yards all shots were chest and lung heart. All virtual, immediate complete kills, however, only one pass real on a black wildebeest, the bullets highly fragment and I have zero faith that they would penetrate a shoulder or humerus bone on any of these animals, and still reliably reach vital organs as the bullets were so fragmented I believe that I've been absolutely lucky on elk, and was certainly lucky in Africa, and realized very quickly, after attempting a shoulder shot on a three-quarter black wildebeest that anything other than a perfect heart and lung shot is unethical and ill-advised I do not consider an ELDX 212 grain bullet to be a reliable bullet in any shape way or form in that high velocity cartridge and will be switching to Barnes solids as I do not expect to remain as lucky as I've been and believe that a Barnes 208 grain L RX, bullet or a hammer bullet would be better. It's unfortunate as I spent much time loading the ELD ex bullets and tuning them.


This is a cup and core bullet. IMO any cup and core with impact speeds above 2850 to 2900 will not penetrate heavy body game. At that speed the bullet expands to rapidly. You double you range or slow down your muzzle velocity and the bullet performs better. If want high mv shoot bonded or copper but you lose BC. It's a trade off. Inside 600 yards, shoot the bonded or copper. There are few bullets that perform well from 0 to 1200 yards. I would guess the one that do, have a high enough bc that you can run 2900 to 3000 at the muzzle and still have 2000 fps at 1000 yards.

IMHO cup and core work best at impact velocities between 2600 and 1900 fps. In its advertisement for the eldx, the max impact speed of a recovered bullet shown is 2600 fps. While Nosler shows pics of the accubond over 3000 fps. There is a reason for that.
 
I killed an elk with the 208 eld-m two years ago 158 yds. No autopsy pics but the bullet entered about 3 inches above the armpit broke a rib and completely liquefied the lungs. Never found a trace of the 208 grains. Not a jacket, piece of lead, nothing. But that was one dead elk. Bullet didn't exit, just totally evaporated in the diaphragm. Craziest thing I've ever seen. My 300 win mag is 2918 fps avg. I like an exit hole for elk, but I'm still shooting those 208's. Can't punish the bullet for dropping an elk right where he stood. If I really want a pass through, my 300 Weatherby does 3200 fps with the 180 Barnes ttsx. It's goes through everything. But I don't shoot the Roy past 500 yds on game animals. Those 208s I've shot out to 690 yards with stellar performance.
114.1 grains of H50 sorry for type error
 
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