ELD-X, concerning terminal results. Disappointed.

[the444shooter]

Shot a smallish cow elk on opening day of shoulder season here in Montana. 7mm Rem Mag, Hornady factory Ammo with the 162 ELD-X. The load itself shoots well and I had a shot as she was laying down, exposing her right side. 284 yards, shot her in the high shoulder to anchor her and thought she was done. She required another shot to the neck to end it. Recovered my bullet from the first shot. I believe it knicked the scapula and ended up breaking two ribs with about a baseball size wound/bloodshot area and it was just jacket with a minuscule amount of lead remaining in the base. Found a few fragments of lead surrounding the jacket as well. It was found in the upper lobe of the near-side lung and never penetrated to the far side lung. Impact velocity should've only been around 25-2600fps. I'm going to be very picky with the shots I take with these from now on, as this one didn't hold together like I thought it would. I don't have a scale for the weight. Thought you guys would be interested in the report.

 

[Zen Archery]

Thanks for the infield report. This always help others in bullet selections!

 

[coop2564]

Its not a bonded bullet so likely will frag at mid to high velocity's, but should do well at long ranges.

 

[elkaholic]

I am not terribly surprised but thank you for the real world report! I think they are great at long range, but as you said, be careful where you aim close up!......Rich

 

[the444shooter]

My surprise and disappointment comes from the fact that it didn't encounter heavy bone and couldn't even make it into the 2nd lung. And at almost 300yds I expected it to be slow enough to not upset so violently. I would love it if they were able to produce an interbond within the PH/ELD family.

 

[FURMAN]

Most non bonded bullets perform much better at speeds less than 2000fps.

 

[elkaholic]

My surprise and disappointment comes from the fact that it didn't encounter heavy bone and couldn't even make it into the 2nd lung. And at almost 300yds I expected it to be slow enough to not upset so violently. I would love it if they were able to produce an interbond within the PH/ELD family.

I think they should not have left a void below the ballistic tip! The ELDM does not have the void and it is not needed as they expand PLENTY without it!......Rich

 

[Sevy]

I shot and antelope with the 212 eldx at 500 yards out of my 300 win mag on Monday and it didn't appear to expand at all. It went through a lung and the liver and a couple ribs and the exit was only slightly bigger than the entrance. I was disappointed in the expansion. I am nervous about using them on an elk unless I hit a shoulder.

 

[excaliber]

I've yet to kill anything with my 200 g ELD-X's but I'm seriously thinking of abandoning them and using the 180-200 g Accubonds instead. The ELD-X's look like a poor choice at distances under 300 yards and I'd rather work my way in under 200 yards than shoot at 600+ yards.
I thought the ELD-X's would be the ticket because they are super accurate out of my rifle but from what I've seen everywhere they appear to be too fragile of a bullet to use for Elk.

 

[shaughn]

I would hesitate, to discard a bullet based on a limited scope of posted results, keeping in mind that any bullet can fail and usually do so in a spectacular manner and no maker is immune.

But if you lose faith in a bullet to do it's job, then select something, not much else you can do.

 

[elkaholic]

If you are not into long range, there is no good reason to use an ELDX! Something like an Accubond would be a better all around choice. If you are a long range hunter, by all means use the ELDX or the ELDM which I plan to use. You can still have very good success at closer range by simply staying off the shoulder. If the shot is closer, it should not be that difficult to place the bullet in the chest cavity......Rich

 

[fatjake]

Bullet choice is such a touchy subject..... let's have a bonded bullet that retains 90% of its weight orrrrr let's make a bullet like a Berger that just comes apart shortly after impact

 

[Montucky Roamer]

Just a little info on eld x performance. 178 factory precision hunter shot well in my mod 70. So been shooting lots and trying to learn. Anyway , shot a cow at 630 yards on a MT shoulder season hunt. High lung hit...pencil in, golf ball size exit. She staggered a bit and went down. Turns out, it was the cow my buddy had just hit with a 180 accubond 300 wm at 503 yards, I picked a limping elk..his shot hit point of shoulder, never went thru, slid up shoulder blade and parked on backstrap. Bullet was slightly bent is all! Now how do you stop a bullet that fast without deforming it!!?

 

[Sevy]

I would hesitate, to discard a bullet based on a limited scope of posted results, keeping in mind that any bullet can fail and usually do so in a spectacular manner and no maker is immune.

Elk are tough that's all there is too it! I'm not gonna stop shooting the 212 eldx because of my one poor expansion. I shot a mule deer last year with one at about 100 yards in the spine (story for another time) and the damage was devastating. I think part of my lack of expansion on my antelope was they are small and I didn't hit anything even somewhat solid on the entrance just a lung and the liver. He only went a hundred or so yards so I shouldn't complain. Just on the exit I caught a rib. A lot of people have had good luck with them and I will continue to use them until I have proven to myself that they are not the right bullet for me.