Thread: ELD-Match for hunting?

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Am I missing something here ? Why are people using the ELD-x when they could use Accubonds. Is it just fashion or are there valid reasons ???
I hate seeing animals with a whole side turned black and ruined like in the pics above

I know what you’re saying mate, I don’t really wanna get finger pointy and say “you shouldn’t do that” but to me 50m is too close for a .270 at over 3000fps, for example, with these types of bullet. The ELD-X come into their own for medium range, to my way of thinking, I don’t see that kind of meat damage or anything remotely close using them across the valleys 300m+. Short range for me in the hill country is 150m or less, much less than that and I’m concerned about blowing things up. If they’re that close I’ll shoot them in the neck anyway.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I am not surprised, at 30m. Sure you didn’t mean 300?!



The difference between the -M and the -X terminals is a function of the calibre and bullet weight as well as construction, kind of obvious I suppose.

In .30 cals, the -M will pretty much always exit at short to medium rage, usually with lots of mess.
My business partner pitched up with a .300WM and 208gr ELD-M, that just obliterated smaller deer at 300-400m, dirty horrible great big exit wounds, the combo of velocity, weight and frangibility was too much for small meat deer. He’s switched to ELD-X now and turned down the velocity a bit.

In middling small bores like 6.5mm, at medium range (400-600m type shooting) the ELD-M probably won’t exit, it will fragment massively and mince the internals, but no large fragments will penetrate through but you’ll get quite a bit of offside meat damage. The comments earlier about these ELD-Ms not being ideal for shorter range hunting is spot on, I think they are too frangible at high velocity. IMO unless you’re shooting 600m+ towards 1000m with long rangers, I wouldn’t use the ELD-M for meat hunting unless I was neck shooting them.

I first used the 178gr ELD-X in my .308 and it’s excellent, hits goats and small reds like a freight train, but without the explosive damage of the heavier ELD-Ms. I whacked a fairly heavy rooting sow at about 300m with it not that long ago and that pig was poleaxed on the spot, through the lungs and out the other side.

When the 6.5mm 143gr ELD-X came out I switched to that in the Creedmoor and it’s been much better. Sensible sized wounding at medium ranges, very deadly, reasonable exit wounds with reduced meat damage on the offside.

The -X is a better all-rounder by a clear margin IMO, I’m happy to use it at shorter ranges in the Creedmoor and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in my .308 on heavy reds. I am dead keen on a 6mm Creedmoor to use the 103gr ELD-X, but that will have to wait.

Your not supprised but you say are to frangible at close range?
I'm finding the M to be the perfect all rounder in my set up as I'm not driving them super fast. I did use accubonds in the roar, but have been using the Ms since, only shot 2 stags since the roar but they have worked well at close range


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Originally Posted by Smiddy

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I'm finding the M to be the perfect all rounder in my set up as I'm not driving them super fast. I did use accubonds in the roar, but have been using the Ms since, only shot 2 stags since the roar but they have worked well at close range

Give the ELD-X a try and you may find them even better (than perfect).