Anyone else having issues with jacket separation on the eldx? The past few years I’ve been using 178 eldx, great groupings on paper just poor performance I’ve recovered 4 projectiles that didn’t pass through mule deer all of which were empty jackets. Jacket was folded back on itself very poor internal damage. Yes my load was near the hot side. This year changed it up 200gr eldx out of a 300 win mag, same jacket separation, now my load data is middle of the book. What the hell is going on? Bought a pile of partitions yesterday, it won’t help my case this year. Just wondering if anyone else has has these issues? At first I thought the 178 was just a bad lot, then the same issues carried over to the 200!
Eldx issues
- Thread starter Fsmith
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OleRedbeard
Well-known member
I had the same issue shooting them. I had read that they had separation issues beforehand when loaded hot so I backed off the load a little in the 300WM for the simple reason I was getting great groups and really wanted to like these bullets. Two animals later and both did pretty much the same as you describe. Even with a regular load and nothing near max. I pulled the rest to safe my brass from getting another firing.
I still had most of the box left I offered to a friend thinking that maybe the WinMag was just too much and that it would be better out of a .308 so after some tinkering I worked up a load for him in his Savage to use over the summer for 20 damage permits on his farm for deer. He used them exclusively until around August and went back to whatever it was he was using before. He said he really liked their accuracy but didn't seem like they had the same killing power as his old load he is 76 and has probably killed more stuff around this country than CWD so his opinion although sometimes pretty jaded is something hold pretty highly.
I went back to the Partition and even though its not quite as accurate (about 1.3 MOA on average for my Vanguard) its still plenty accurate for real world hunting ranges and it has yet to fail me on several dozen deer, 3 or 4 bear, and probably 5 or 6 other critters. Always either dead right there or dead a very short distance later with good weight retention and perfect expansion whether hit in the chest or in the shoulder.
These were 200gr btw
I still had most of the box left I offered to a friend thinking that maybe the WinMag was just too much and that it would be better out of a .308 so after some tinkering I worked up a load for him in his Savage to use over the summer for 20 damage permits on his farm for deer. He used them exclusively until around August and went back to whatever it was he was using before. He said he really liked their accuracy but didn't seem like they had the same killing power as his old load he is 76 and has probably killed more stuff around this country than CWD so his opinion although sometimes pretty jaded is something hold pretty highly.
I went back to the Partition and even though its not quite as accurate (about 1.3 MOA on average for my Vanguard) its still plenty accurate for real world hunting ranges and it has yet to fail me on several dozen deer, 3 or 4 bear, and probably 5 or 6 other critters. Always either dead right there or dead a very short distance later with good weight retention and perfect expansion whether hit in the chest or in the shoulder.
These were 200gr btw
HighDesertSage
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I’ve had good performance with eld x.
cahunter805
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Thin jacketed bullets usually do separate the jacket and core but more so at the end of the wound channel. An exit wound means nothing to me. It basically has nothing to do with how a bullet kills an animal.
Here is a good discussion on them with some very knowledgeable people.
www.24hourcampfire.com
Here is a good discussion on them with some very knowledgeable people.
ELD-X performance?
It is amazing how mixed the reports are on the ELDX. I have not shot them, except on a range test and they shot very well. A friend shot a big Nebraska cow elk at about 80 yards, with one a couple years ago, using a 6.5x55 ai (about 3000 fps). It had a complete pass through and left a d...
MTHunter1321
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Will never shoot Eldx again. Had multiple bad experiences with them hunting. Have since moved to Barnes TTSX and have had 4 one shot kills the past 2 years
kiwi hunter
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im moving to federal trophy tip(actually the 175 edge in 300 cal)
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std7mag
Well-known member
I hunt with Berger VLDs, so jacket separation is the norm for me.
Massive internal damage!
No exit wounds. But then don't need one.
I also hunt with Nosler Ballistic Tips, and ABLR.
I get exits from these. Internal wounding not as great as the Bergers.
Gotta make sure of shot placement as you can destroy a lot of meat on the offside.
Massive internal damage!
No exit wounds. But then don't need one.
I also hunt with Nosler Ballistic Tips, and ABLR.
I get exits from these. Internal wounding not as great as the Bergers.
Gotta make sure of shot placement as you can destroy a lot of meat on the offside.
redwoood
Well-known member
I shot my muley last week with a 200 grain eldx out of my 300 wm. He had me pegged so I took a frontal shot at 234 yards. I found my bullet and it had separated BUT he dropped where he stood, had a good size hole through the base of his neck, and 1 lung was jelly.
Dead is dead so I am not too worried about it. Hopefully I'll get to test them some more on some whitetail this weekend.
Dead is dead so I am not too worried about it. Hopefully I'll get to test them some more on some whitetail this weekend.
6mm Remington
Well-known member
Use Partitions or Accubonds ( Not the L/R Accubond) and you will be happy once more!!
devon deer
Well-known member
ELD-X are great for paper punching, but I have not been impressed with their performance on deer.
Partitions for me.
Cheers
Richard
Partitions for me.
Cheers
Richard
Woodrow F Call
Active member
What is it you don't like about them?
whiskeydog
Active member
I've killed elk, deer, antelope, and 1 mountain goat with 143gr ELD-X out of a 6.5x284...very pleased with performance.
I shot a calf elk at 50 yards this year in the timber through the shoulders and was surprised to find my bullet had separated. Shooting 178 grain bullet out of a .300 and the bullet piece weighed about 45 grains. I know plenty of other people have used them with no problems but I'll be switching bullets for next year.
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cahunter805
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Flat
Did you happen to find the lead core in the opposite shoulder or wound channel? Most thin jacketed bullets do shed the core and it keeps traveling a ways further than the jacket.
Did you happen to find the lead core in the opposite shoulder or wound channel? Most thin jacketed bullets do shed the core and it keeps traveling a ways further than the jacket.
I guess I’m not the only one then. I sure like the way they pinched paper.
exactly how mine look. Not happy at all. Like these others are saying, dead is dead. Not every shot placement drops them in their tracks. It’s not a perfect universe, that exit wound is a big deal when trailing game that wasn’t hit perfectly.
N
no lead core for me. Just a empty jacket. Makes no sense to me as they shoot paper exceptionally well. I might have to cross section a few of these this weekend. Something just isn’t adding up.
cahunter805
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Flat
I assume the lead core continued along the path of the wound channel/ direction of travel. It could’ve deflected off bone one separated from the jacket also.
Have you tried any Bergers?
I assume the lead core continued along the path of the wound channel/ direction of travel. It could’ve deflected off bone one separated from the jacket also.
Have you tried any Bergers?
devon deer
Well-known member
Just far to frangible, and too much meat damage.
They rarely exit.
Cheers
Richard
buddy shot a elk 2 seasons ago at 60 yards, 162 grain ELDX out of a 7 rem mag. Hit the scapula and splashed. bullet speed was 2875, yup slow but thats all that gun would handle. Tracked the bull and put 2 more rounds into it, 30 yards away, zero pass thru. He then shot a mule deer buck, had to shoot it multiple times, zero expansion. A guide I know said 4 clients who used them (ELDX bullets) had to shoot mule deer multiple times. Last year a buddies father shot a bull elk, 5 rounds in the boiler room to put it down. No way I'm using them
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