Eld Match for big game?

[Deleted member 25294]

I just got my 28 Nosler "Remage" out together. I tried out the 195 EOL's and ran into pressure with both H-1000 and Retumbo at 2840, and 2950 FPS respectively, certainly not what I was hoping for...

I just shot a few of the new 180 ELD Match bullets and was really impressed: 81.5 grains of Retumbo put me at 3130 FPS and I shot basically a hole group at 100 yards! Extractor marks were there and bolt lift was slightly heavy but much less than what I experienced at max loads with the 195's.

I'm seriously thinking about scrapping the bergers and going with the 180 ELD Match bullets.
Any thoughts on using them on big game including elk?

Here's a picture of my setup:
Remington 700, 26" McGowen pre-fit barrel, all fluting done by Kampfeld Custom (lucky for me Carl lives just up the road)
Finished weight with VX-6 3-18 scope is 8.6 lbs!

 

[jpd676]

Sweet rig! I shoot 208 gr Amax bullets in a 300wm, 300wsm and 308 and have kills with each rifle at extended ranges and as close as 60 yards on an elk. When my Amax stockpile dries up I will definitely switch to the 208 eldm bullets. I'm sure they will be great on game.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

Thank you,
I have used the 162 and 208 amax bullets on deer in the past with great results as
well. Good to hear you've taken elk with them
I'm just wondering if the eld match bullets are as tough?

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

two elk killed this year with ELD match in my family.

cow elk 350 yards 140 ELD match out of a creedmoor. good results.
cow elk 350 yards 285 ELD match out of 338 RUM. good results.

I give them the nod. they act just like a berger.

 

[scdogman]

Building a 28 nosler myself. Planned to run the 180-m myself. Are you running the saami rifle or is it throated for the longer bullets. All the guys reaching 3100+ speeds have their throats modified. Only way to achieve 3100 speeds with the 195s.

Where did u get the eld-m 180s? I can't find them.

What's your barrel and stock weight? I think the lightest I can get is about 11 lbs. I will have a 4 pound barrel or so.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

Building a 28 nosler myself. Planned to run the 180-m myself. Are you running the saami rifle or is it throated for the longer bullets. All the guys reaching 3100+ speeds have their throats modified. Only way to achieve 3100 speeds with the 195s.

Where did u get the eld-m 180s? I can't find them.

What's your barrel and stock weight? I think the lightest I can get is about 11 lbs. I will have a 4 pound barrel or so.

I am loading the 180's to a coal of 3.5" so a little over saami.
My barrel is a Remington mag contour, and after fluting weighs 2.9 lbs. The stock I believe weighs around 30 ounces, it's a B&C Alaskan.

Midway is selling the 180 ELD Match bullets as a generic (won't list what they are for contractual reasons) factory second tipped match bullet. And they are now $17.50 a box!
Another member on here clued me in so I ordered a box to see it it really was the 180 eld match. I measured the bullet length and it's 1.54 just like Hornady listed for the 180 eld-m. I haven't been able to verify at range yet but am confident that these are the real deal.
Left to right is the 195 EOl, 180 ELD-M, and 162 ELD-X

 

[Metzger]

What contour and stock did you go with?

 

[scdogman]

Thanks for the info.

I'm sure that you know that to reach 3100 fps with the 195s most are using r33 with a coal of 3.6 and over. I'm going to try to say away from it because of temp stability.

Good luck. Might order the 180s

 

[bigngreen]

I got both good and bad feed back for the ELDM, some were out standing and some are penciling through so each one will need to be shot and worked out in range on game to determine what is going to work.
Your 28 is very short throated, these class bullets need to throated in the .180+ range to start seeing there potential.

 

[elkaholic]

I have not shot anything with the ELDM's as yet, but have had great results with the 140 A-max in 6.5 and 178 A-max in my '06 mountain rifle. I am pretty sure the ELDM is just a high b.c. A-max

 

[IdahoCTD]

I've shot quite a few animals with Amax's too and had pretty good success with them. I think the heavier for caliber ELD-M bullets Hornady has come out with will only be better. I'm going to give the 147 6.5's, 180 7mm, 225 .30, and 285 .338 bullets a run this year and see how they do. Maybe I'll trade guns after each elk and see how they compare. With any luck I'll have 4 elk tags again plus the normal deer tags to go with my AK moose tag.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

I got both good and bad feed back for the ELDM, some were out standing and some are penciling through so each one will need to be shot and worked out in range on game to determine what is going to work.
Your 28 is very short throated, these class bullets need to throated in the .180+ range to start seeing there potential.

Actually the 195's are seated .020 off the lands with a coal of 3.65

I miss typed the oal on the 180 ELD-M it's 3.55 at .025 off the lands.

Given the feed back on hunting with the ELD-M; a .796 BC 180 grain bullet at 3130 fps with 81 grains of a temp stable powder (Retumbo) seems like pretty good potential to me...

 

[Skytrash]

I use the EDL's for hunting here in Alaska, dumped a big bull moose at 813 yards a few weeks ago with their .285's out of my .338 Lapua. Heading to Kodiak in 10 days to try them on a brown bear.

 

[Michael Eichele]

I use the EDL's for hunting here in Alaska, dumped a big bull moose at 813 yards a few weeks ago with their .285's out of my .338 Lapua. Heading to Kodiak in 10 days to try them on a brown bear.

Please tell us how that goes. I'd be interested in seeing how any ELDM works on a Kodiak brown bear. I've used 208s on moose. I definitely won't again but a 285 might be different.