Thread: 162 ELD-M close range performance 284win

Hi all

Hoping to pick the collective brains of the forum;

Just getting my Tikka 284win load finalised. Initial testing with 162 ELD-M + RL26 suggest I should be able to comfortably sling them out ~2830ish. This will be ideal as a mid-long range projectile but i'm wondering how it will go on at close bush ranges (hopefully with roaring stags!)?

Would it be worth doing a bush load? I have some 162 Interlocks or 140gn bonded pills i could use sub 200m, or will the ELD-M be okay up close at those speeds?

Cheers

I think at that speed they "should" be ok, but if you have the components why not have a bush load with a pill that's known to perform well ?
Another forum member asked me this question the other day, my response was go heavier and slower or use a bonded or solid copper for a bush load. I think that's about the state of it.
If your worried about the eldm being a bit soft up close avoid bone (shoulder) shots, possibly easier said than done in a bush hunting scenario.
I've only shot a few deer at close range with eld type pills and a couple were fallow head shots at sub 40yds (145gn eldx) and 1 red engine room shot at sub 40 yards with 178gn eldm. So not a great deal of experience the 145eldx were outta my 270wsm at 3100ish fps and the 178 eldm's were outta my 30-06 springfield at 2700ish fps if that matters.

The 80gr ELDMs at 2800 out of a 223 seem to work fine for shoulder shots on reds and bulk tahr at close range so I can't imagine the 7mm 162s won't

Too frangible for up close on big animal at that speed. Personally I’d run a cheap cup n core like your Interloks for that.

I love the eldm line for hunting. But i think as chainsaw mentioned, run the interlock for a bush load. Dont bother with having a long range load under your bush load in your magazine, just get a second mag and have the two seperate. Load it .5 gr less than your eldm, find one that shoots an inch at 100 and call it good, just collect data for 300m and in for those moments when a stag is passing through gaps in trees and you dont have time or want to take your eye off of his line. Thats what i did for my 7mm08 and it was mint

Good advice above. I would use the Interlocks, TSX or Nosler Partitions for 0-200 and your ELD-Ms beyond that.
I use 162 ELD-X in my T3 based .284 to avoid this issue and they go well, including close range shoulder shots.

I use 168 bergers for the long range dailing load and have some 139 inter locks loaded in some old brass that is of unknown number of reloads that I don't mind loosing in the heat of the moment. Pretty keen not to loose the three dollar a pop fancy new brass in the beech leaves. The 168s are what the rifle is sighted in for and the 139s shoot right on the money at 50mtrs without a point of aim shift. If I'm bush hunting I just load up the interlocks and have a few of the long range load in my day pack. You'll normally have a bit of time up your sleeve if you are watching something far way enough that you have to range it and consult drop charts etc.
And the interlocks are cheap and cheerfull and shoot well without any any fancy long winded load development.

I have the 162 eldm and the 162 interlock shooting to same point of impact in my tikka 284win. It works well!!

Originally Posted by kimber08

I have the 162 eldm and the 162 interlock shooting to same point of impact in my tikka 284win. It works well!!

That's what I'm hoping for too. However might save the rl26 for eldm loads and use something else for the interlocks. Will be slower but hopefully close enough for bush ranges.

load your interlocts ....yip they SHOULD be near enough to not matter a shit...and chances are,out to say 350ish they will be just as plurry good. the 140grn version in .270 is very accurate and kills boringly well...a downright boring projectile all around,boringly easy to load,boringly accurate and bores nice holes through deer that die boringly well.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

load your interlocts ....yip they SHOULD be near enough to not matter a shit...and chances are,out to say 350ish they will be just as plurry good. the 140grn version in .270 is very accurate and kills boringly well...a downright boring projectile all around,boringly easy to load,boringly accurate and bores nice holes through deer that die boringly well.

You said that really well!! I agree with everything you said

A fast 120 grain monolithic copper are out standing on roaring reds at close range. 120 Barnes ttsx or similar

You blokes obviously don't have enough to worry about Hand wringing over a lump of copper and lead is a bit futile because they will always do the odd strange thing. If a 162 eldm/2850fps doesn't work at close to medium range nothing will. Ive shot dozens of deer with 140 amax at 50-400 yards and never had a failure.

I shoot the Amax 162gr out of my SAUM at a mild 2800fps, have shot a yearling at 50, out to a chamois 325yd and hind 350yd, aswell as a variety of others inbetween,all instantly dead no foot step. The do leave a golf ball sized hole so no good if wanting to take a cape. I also use a 150gr sierra spbt, boring accurate and very close POI at 100 so have that in reserve, however both these would work no worries at all distances.

I’d just use the 162 eld m for everything. Saves confusion in the heat of battle.