ELDX and exits.

[Holycity73]

Wondering if anyone else out there has had an issue with Hornady ELDX bullets not exiting At a range where they should make a massive exit. yesterday were hunting with my niece, I shot a mature buck at 32 yards in a textbook placement scenario. The deer fell we're he stood, never standing again. Although I should be elated with the results, I was very disturbed by the fact that at over 2700 ft./s, there was no exit wound at less than 90 feet. My question is has anyone else had the same or similar results with an ELDX bullet? I have had this happened several times, only seeing an exit wound occasionally at distances between 150 and 300 yards on lung shots.

 

[otis332]

Boy hit his buck at under 50 yds, probably closer to 25. Through and through. Exit size of golfball, 300 wm 200 grn. Not close range but I hit mine at around 150 yds with 300 wsm. Exit close to same as my boys.

 

[motrapper]

View attachment 161830 No shoulder shots but 2 deer less than 100 yds and another at 278 yds 6.5 CM all passed thru. 143 grain ELD X
Excellent pass thru at 300 to 410 yds using 143 grain ELD X 6.5 PRC

 

[elkaholic]

Wondering if anyone else out there has had an issue with Horne at the ELD extra bullets not exiting that range is where they should make a massive exit. yesterday were hunting with my niece, I shot a mature buck at 32 yards in a textbook placement scenario. The deer fell we're he stood, never standing again. Although I should be elated with the results, I was very disturbed by the fact that at over 2700 ft./s, there was no exit wound at less than 90 feet. My question is has anyone else had the same or similar results with an ELDX bullet? I have had this happened several times, only seeing an exit wound occasionally at distances between 150 and 300 yards on lung shots.

This is not at all unusual for that bullet. They expand very rapidly at high velocity and often come apart. They are better at longer ranges or in a lower velocity cartride close up. Everyrhing is a trade off.

 

[Holycity73]

This is not at all unusual for that bullet. They expand very rapidly at high velocity and often come apart. They are better at longer ranges or in a lower velocity cartride close up. Everyrhing is a trade off.

This is what I was looking for. It's also what I had a feeling the issue was. Looks like I'm going back to AB after this season. Most of our shots here in SC are at 150 or less.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

We've stacked up over 11 elk & 5 deer the past 3 seasons with ELDX (200gr & 175 gr.)

out of those 16 animals - 3 were exits.

furthest being 751 yards, closest just over 100.

If you want exits, I would run a Barnes LRX. I've yet to recover a bullet w/7 game animals ranging from 80 yards to 701!

 

[elkaholic]

We've stacked up over 11 elk & 5 deer the past 3 seasons with ELDX (200gr & 175 gr.)

out of those 16 animals - 3 were exits.

furthest being 751 yards, closest just over 100.

If you want exits, I would run a Barnes LRX. I've yet to recover a bullet w/7 game animals ranging from 80 yards to 701!

Hammer bullets also very good for that!

 

[zslayer]

6 bucks this year shot with eldx bullets out of a 6.5cm from 230 yards to 536 yards and every one of them had an exit.

here is deer #5 exit a Coues deer at 405 yards

 

[Hespco]

85 yds with 6.5 143 ELDx. Ribcage, hit a rib going in. EXPLODED throwing fragments into the guts blowing foul everywhere.. Blood shot shoulder close to entrance. Shoulder not hit. Lost almost all of that shoulder. From now on 100gr Barnes TTSX or 110 gr Hammer.

 

[Zeke-BE]

It died in its tracks! Nothing wrong with that. No matter what bullet you have its a crap shoot on exactly what the bullet will do with the placement it hits, at the distance its at. Shoot it again at the same spot same distances it might pass through with a fist size hole exit and it will run 50 yards and kill over. It just happens

 

[elkaholic]

6 bucks this year shot with eldx bullets out of a 6.5cm from 230 yards to 536 yards and every one of them had an exit. View attachment 161855
here is deer #5 exit a Coues deer at 405 yards

Thats because the impact velocity was low enough.

 

[nodakhunter]

Here's a photo of the entry hole from the muley I shot this year. No exit hole. Calculated impact velocity was 2386 fps, 270 grain eld-x from a .338 Lapua. Happy I didn't hit him in the shoulder...

 

[Highvoltage]

I shot a buck this year with a 270 and the 145 eldx at 70 yds, great performance complete pass through. I think the bullet design is a lot like the sst or ballistic tip. They are designed to open quickly and tend to dump a tremendous amount of energy leaving very little retained weight at close distances. I can honestly say with all the elk and deer I've killed unless I head/neck shoot them I've never had one drop with a behind the shoulder shot so I think your experience would be a win and I'd be elated with no track job. Best wishes

 

[Beardeddeer91]

I've shot a little over 20 deer and 4 pronghorn the last couple years with the ELD-X. The bullets were the 212 and 200 gr. out of a 300 WM and 143 out of a 6.5 CM. The 300 WM has passed through all with both bullets from ranges of 27-510 yards, not surprising considering the round and all animals being smaller/thin skinned.

The 143 out the 6.5 CM as a general rule does not leave an exit IME within a hundred yards. I've shot about an equal amount from 15-100 as I have at 100-487. Nearly all the farther shots passed through, while only one (at 72 yards) did with the closer shots. Not a single one regardless of distance ran farther than 50 yards.
As elkaholic mentioned the bullet is designed to expand at low velocity so it's not surprising that it blows apart at high velocity. It my rifles they shoot very well and where I hunt there can shots at many different distances so I want one that preforms well at low velocity. Regardless if it passes through the bullets do a good amount of internal damage so I'll take that trade off. In regards to the ELD-X in large calibers (like out of the 300 WM), there is no replacement for displacement. If you want pass throughs every time with a LR bullet with close shots then shoot a big one.