338ELD-X bullets?

[bitbythebug]

I started to shoot 285 Hornady a-max bullets and ran out and can't find any more so I called Hornady to see if they made them any more and found out that they don't. I asked what they were going to repalce them with and the man was evasive but said it wouldn't surprise him if Hornady released a 338 eld-x bullet this summer. I was wondering if anyone knew if they were coming out with a bullet to replace the a-max. I really like their bullets for hunting and will wait if there is any news. Thanks.

 

[Swamplord]

The Hornady website doesn't even show a 285 gr A-Max anymore, they do show the 285 gr Match BTHP and the new 285 gr ELD Match which has apparrently replaced the 285 gr A-Max...... I have 4 boxes left of the 285 gr A-Max and looking forward to getting some of the ELD Match stuff....
Hornady really should have released the 338 cal 285 gr ELD-X first not the ELD Match but I'm not complaining, will shoot the Match when I get them

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Rifle :: Choose by Caliber :: .338 338 CAL :: 338 Cal .338 285 gr ELD™ Match

 

[ultraedge]

powder4 valley and Wideners reloading have 285 Amaxs in stock.

 

[Pdvdh]

I started to shoot 285 Hornady a-max bullets and ran out and can't find any more so I called Hornady to see if they made them any more and found out that they don't. I asked what they were going to repalce them with and the man was evasive but said it wouldn't surprise him if Hornady released a 338 eld-x bullet this summer. I was wondering if anyone knew if they were coming out with a bullet to replace the a-max. I really like their bullets for hunting and will wait if there is any news. Thanks.

What Swamplord stated.

Hornady's 338 285gr ELD-M bullets are identical to the former 285gr Amax but with the new heat resistant tips. So the ELD-M are in production now. Saw a box in the local Sportsman's Warehouse last week.

I'm waiting for a 285gr ELD-X... Rumors are that Hornady will manufacture it. That still leaves the matter of when.

 

[Timber338]

I emailed Hornday about a 285 ELD-X late last year and here is their response:

"That is not currently on the table however, as with any new line of bullets I'm sure that you will see something like that, at some point, in the future.
Thanks,"

Very vague but I'm guessing they have gotten an enormous number of inquiries about a 338 ELD-X. I would really hope they have more than 1 bullet weight too. Maybe a 250 and a 285 grain...

 

[bitbythebug]

I remember one little item that the rep from Hornady said; "If they do, I would look for it in a different weight other than 285". He said, " maybe a 250 or 265". Your posts jogged my memory. It still doesn't tell us anything. I was quite shocked that they developed others ahead of the 338's. Maybe it's not as popular a hunting round as I thought.

 

[Timber338]

Well that's good news to hear. Like you say it doesn't mean much, but it's enough to give me hope.

I think something in the 250-265 range is ideal for my 338 RUM elk rifle. Regardless of the caliber, I like a bullet to have a good BC for its weight and I want to be able to push that bullet somewhere north of 2900 FPS. I think that is the perfect mix for a long range hunting bullet.

 

[bitbythebug]

I asked the Hornady rep if I could hunt with the 285 ELD match bullets and he said "that he would would not recommend it because they were constructed differently and wouldn't be an effective killer". If I use the 285 hpbt i'm back at the same place I have been with the Berger bullets where I don't trust them as an effective killer.

 

[Pdvdh]

I'll give the Hornady rep credit. It's rare to find a manufacturer that won't recommend purchasing their own product.

I wouldn't hesitate to use the 285gr ELD-M bullet for shooting large game at distances past 500yds, and/or where the bullet velocity has dropped to less than 2300-2400fps.

I wouldn't use them at close range with high velocity impacts, if you want to eat what you've shot.

 

[snox801]

Hopefully the X bullet will be heavier than 300 gr fits the larger 338s better

 

[Swamplord]

Well, after the long wait on my backorder (Nov.) Midway just shipped the 338 cal 285 gr ELD Match bullets ! yay !

A check of their website still shows them in stock but I suspect that won't last long !

Hornady ELD Match Bullets 338 Cal (338 Diameter) 285 Grain Boat Tail

 

[jrock]

I picked up a box for testing a couple months ago from midway. Won't get to testing them for a while but plan to do a wet phone book test. I also have been told that a larger X variant is not on the table.

 

[bitbythebug]

Shot at 15 sheets of 3/4" industrial particle board today to test several bullets in my 338 also one bullet in my 300 rum. The 285 a-max was expanding by the 2nd board and we dug it out of the 10th board and it still weighed 267 gr and was three times it's original size. If it retains that much weight going through tough particle board it will punch through a lot. Others penciled through the 15 boards and nearly through a gong plate we had behind them. They were a solid brass bullet. I also shot some 210 gr .308 ALCO bullets and they penciled way past 10 boards. The ALCO's have been very accurate but finicky but I will not hunt with them. By finicky, I mean they have been very difficult to get any velocity out of before the pressure spikes to high and very hard to get consistent velocities. After penetration testing, I will shoot Accubonds, a-max's, ELD-X's and nothing else for long range accuracy and killing ability.

 

[Pdvdh]

Experienced bullet expansion testers on this Forum and other forums have found that water is a more severe bullet expansion testing media than wood. In other words, bullets that hold together after penetrating wood may come unglued and shrapnel when penetrating water at high impact velocity.

Water is also much more comparable to the consistency of large game animals, which are comprised of ~80% water by weight.