225 eldm on game?

[Joefrazell]

Anyone have any real world experience with the .30 cal 225 eldm on game? Any experience would be great to hear about. Good or bad. I'm currently switching from the 215 Berger to the 225 eldm just to see what kind of performance I can get on steel but was curious about using them for hunting deer, elk and black bear. I did a little searching but didn't find much.

 

[Deleted member 102985]

I shot my elk this past season with a 300 lapua and a 225 eldm. 963 yards the bull dropped in his tracks. He tried to get up so I hit him again. After skinning him and seeing his heart and offside lung destroyed there was no need for the follow up shot. I have taken several elk and a few mulie bucks with them and have been very impressed.

 

[Joefrazell]

I shot my elk this past season with a 300 lapua and a 225 eldm. 963 yards the bull dropped in his tracks. He tried to get up so I hit him again. After skinning him and seeing his heart and offside lung destroyed there was no need for the follow up shot. I have taken several elk and a few mulie bucks with them and have been very impressed.

What kinda impact velocities have you had? Good to hear they are working good!

 

[Farmerbrown32]

I killed a boat load of stuff last year with the 285 eldm. Including a bull elk at 500. And it hit him like a freight train. Dead before he hit the ground. And so was everything else. They are fantastic.

 

[Westernhuntr]

Anyone have any real world experience with the .30 cal 225 eldm on game? Any experience would be great to hear about. Good or bad. I'm currently switching from the 215 Berger to the 225 eldm just to see what kind of performance I can get on steel but was curious about using them for hunting deer, elk and black bear. I did a little searching but didn't find much.

I've hunted with ELDM's quite a bit in the past, and after killing three elk with them and a pile of deer I feel they are too explosive for big game.
I just sold all my 225's after seeing one completely fragment on an elk shoulder at 700 yards last year, I posted a pic on another thread.

 

[jpd676]

I killed my biggest anelope 2 years ago at 700 yards with a 300 rum and 225 eldm's (hey, it was a new rifle so had to use it). I hit him a few inches behind the shoulder; he dropped and the bullet passed through. The insides were mush.
I have killed lots of animals (deer, elk and antelope) with the 208's in my 300wm, 308 and 300wsm, I swear by them.

 

[dirtytough]

I have used the 7mm 180 eld m a lot and as much as I wanted to like it, I just couldn't. Super accurate but erratic performance. (I read about 180's blowing up mid flight so maybe a jacket issue? I never had that problem as far as I know)

This year I figured I would try out the 225 eld m. 2875 fps mv. Wife shot an oryx estimated 175-225 yards. Quartering towards her. About 1/3 of the way up. It walked off with blood in its mouth/nostrils. She put at least two more into the lungs and finally walked up an killed it. I would of done a better autopsy but it was hot out. So as soon as I had the first hind quarters off I started packing.

I killed a bull with the same rifle/bullet. The bull was slightly quartering away. Almost broadside. I caught the tricep muscle going in and the bullet was stuck on the offside hide. No bone. Impact velocity and energy were 1995 and 1985. The bullet only retained 142.6 grains. Imo that's not very good weight retention with the distance the bull was hit at. I would be really worried if I hit a shoulder under 500 yards.

I really would like to use them since they shoot and aren't very expensive. But after using the 180's on more than 10 animals and the 225's on the oryx and elk this year I'm done using eld m's for hunting.

If you use them hopefully you like the results that you get.

 

[stonehands1]

If and I stress if you can confidently hit the mark at long range then the 225eldm is awesome. Wacked a couple deer at 860 last year and one at about a 100. One a couple years ago at 1400. All of them were dead before they hit the ground. All were pass through shots. I have no problem recommending these for deer. Elk on the other hand I would say only if at 800 yards or more. Bear as well.
Shot an Elk at 400 last year. One behind the shoulder then one in front. Hit no major bones and both bullets recovered in the off side hide.
They expand to quickly for real big/heavy game at close range. At distance when they have slowed down a bit then ok.
Here's a pick of bullet recovered from Elk. Both bullets looked the same.
Shot with a 300 Norma Improved at 3100fps at the muzzle.

 

[DMP25-06]

If and I stress if you can confidently hit the mark at long range then the 225eldm is awesome. Wacked a couple deer at 860 last year and one at about a 100. One a couple years ago at 1400. All of them were dead before they hit the ground. All were pass through shots. I have no problem recommending these for deer. Elk on the other hand I would say only if at 800 yards or more. Bear as well.
Shot an Elk at 400 last year. One behind the shoulder then one in front. Hit no major bones and both bullets recovered in the off side hide.
They expand to quickly for real big/heavy game at close range. At distance when they have slowed down a bit then ok.
Here's a pick of bullet recovered from Elk. Both bullets looked the same.
Shot with a 300 Norma Improved at 3100fps at the muzzle.

Congratulations on your successful hunts .

That bullet , in your hand ,looks to be a perfect mushroom , almost twice it's original diameter , and you said recovered in the off-side hide . What is the weight of the recovered bullet ?
What more could you ask for , other than a complete pass-through , and then you have no bullet to recover for examination of it's performance .

DMP25-06

 

[stonehands1]

I doesn't weigh much. Ill. Weigh it tonight. Keep in mind that it didn't hit any major bone. While it did the job and leaves massive wound channel I'd bet if you hit solid bone on a big animal that it may not make it to the vitals. Certainly will break the bones and slow it down for a follow up shot but I dont like to bet on that.

 

[Joefrazell]

That looks about like any cup and core I've seen through an animal.

 

[Deleted member 102985]

I'm trying to find it but, my son shot a bull 2 years ago through the front shoulder at 267 yards. It blew through the shoulder perfect mushroom. Found it under the hide on the off side. If I can find it again I'll get a weight. As I remember it was pretty heavy still.

 

[Grizzhunt]

I shot one cow last season with a 300 prc and a 225 eldm. Can't give you to much info I hit it in the neck and it didn't do anything but hit the ground. One of my other rifles a 6.5x284 killed 3 elk last season with a 147 eldm. I shot a cow at 500 one shot and she went down. A friend shot another one at 530 hit her kinda back in the lungs she didn't go right down but it didn't take to long. My dad killed a bull with with it at around 250 yards it was looking at us and he hit it about 6" under the jaw. Also not recommend but my dad killed a cow with my 243 last year at 300 yards shooting a 108 eldm. The first shot went through the shoulder and the next was in the head. It did pretty good damage for that small of a bullet.

 

[Greybeard]

Anyone have any real world experience with the .30 cal 225 eldm on game? Any experience would be great to hear about. Good or bad. I'm currently switching from the 215 Berger to the 225 eldm just to see what kind of performance I can get on steel but was curious about using them for hunting deer, elk and black bear. I did a little searching but didn't find much.

yes….Don't use it. absolutely no penetration. Speaking from experience on elk. Not a hunting bullet.