AkBirder300
Well-Known Member
I always find that if I'm wanting a .375 to do the job, 1 MOA is plenty accurate
30 Cal 200 grain ELDX Performance???
- Thread starter motrapper
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vancewalker007
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That's one heck of a buck. Looks like the bullet did its job if the deer went 30 yards and DRT. These soft long range bullets are all going to flatten out a lot. They are made to do that so they mushroom enough at lower velocities you have at longer ranges. It looks like your bullet dumped all of its energy in the animal. Was that deer quartering away from you? The entrance hole seems high and back. If you ever go to Africa never ever aim that high and that far back on a side facing antelope there. You will be in no-mans-land as archers say.
Trogon
Well-Known Member
In April of this year I was able to hunt South Africa on a package hunt for a variety of antelope (from smallest to largest-Springbuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Impala, Warthog, Blesbuck, Nyala, Black Wildebeest, Cape Kudu). Camp rifles were Sako or Howa rifles in .300 Winchester Magnum, handloaded 200 grain ELD-X rounds. I had pass-thru's on nearly every animal that was shot broadside (wildebeest and a Blesbuck were shot head-on), most shots were over 200 yards. Average distance for shots on game was probably over 300 yards. The Kudu was the long one at 470 yards and found mostly jacket minus lead behind the offside shoulder under the hide (my shot went through the lower shoulder bone, through the heart). I think this bullet was the choice to cover a wide range of game that could be encountered.
That's a hoss. I killed a mulie buck a couple weeks ago with a 7 mag 180 eldm at 304 yards and it had an entry like yours and 3 exit wounds on the offside rib cage about the size of a nickel. I don't know if that's what most call good performance but it sure put his lights out instantly
Trogon
Well-Known Member
Awesome buck by the way, congrats!
crazyhorse
Well-Known Member
Killed an elk 2 years ago with the 200 ELDX in a 300WM. Range was just under 400yds and it absolutely stoned him on the spot!
Entered slightly high and just behind the shoulder, no exit but lots of internal damage.
Entered slightly high and just behind the shoulder, no exit but lots of internal damage.
quarterman
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- Jan 10, 2015
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- 157
I have shot alot of game with eld-x's in different calibers and weights, since hornady introduced them. I haven't had a core and jacket separate yet. I have had a few that didnt exit on the opposite side, But I dont care about the bullet exiting when it kills the animal on the spot or within a few yards. The times my bullets didnt exit were all shorter range shots, inside 200 yards
My experience on lots of game with the 200 and 212 ELDS, is they are going to absolutely grenade inside of 350 yards. Now that being said all your bullets energy is going inside the chest cavity. Some like it, some don't. If your looking at shooting a bullet with better pentatration or weight retention at 400 yards and in, you need to pick a different bullet. They are soft and they are designed to mushroom at lower velocity.
motrapper
Well-Known Member
I believe you are 1 thousand percent correct.
My 418 yd shot with a 143 ELDX was perfect performance and my wifes at 312 was good.
the 242 was a grenade. With just the jacket on the off side.
I am looking at 180 and 200 grain Accubonds for the future for deer and elk going forwards. As I cannot guarantee 300 yds plus and beyond when hunting. 400 to 700 yds both Accubonds should have the ballistic coefficients to allow simple adjustments and accuracy needed.
My 418 yd shot with a 143 ELDX was perfect performance and my wifes at 312 was good.
the 242 was a grenade. With just the jacket on the off side.
I am looking at 180 and 200 grain Accubonds for the future for deer and elk going forwards. As I cannot guarantee 300 yds plus and beyond when hunting. 400 to 700 yds both Accubonds should have the ballistic coefficients to allow simple adjustments and accuracy needed.
My humble opinion is you will be hard pressed to find a better hunting bullet than a Accubond. They are very accurate and very consistent on how they perform on game. The ABLR holds up better than a ELD. Better weight retention and less of a grenade effect inside of 350. The standard AB has been a proven winner since its introduction. I look at bullet performance on elk, as the proving ground of a good bullet. For me I prefer a bullet that will penetrete heavy bone (shoulder, shoulders) and have a consistency in Weight retention and wound Chanel. If your typical hunting scenario is shots inside 600 yards I would consider the 165 to 180 out of the WM. The 180 to 200 grain will only give you more of an advantage past 600. All depends on what you consider to be your typical hunting application (Deer, or Elk). Just my thoughts.
