225 ELD-M for elk

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I recently came across a bunch of 225 eldms and since bergers are so freaking hard to find I'm thinking about giving the 225s a try in my 30 Nos.
Mainly it'll be for elk at ranges typically beyond 500 yards

I saw one bad scenario where a friend hit a bull in the leg bone junction on the front shoulder, it was 700 yards and the bullet broke the bone but completely came apart.
I will say though that bullet anchored the bull and he was able to hike down and finish him off .

I'd like to hear some more reports from those of you who have used the 225 eldms on game

 

[Lazyninja]

ELDM is a match TARGET bullet by design.
Never meant for use on game.

 

[Choid]

eld-x

 

[db2000]

I recently came across a bunch of 225 eldms and since bergers are so freaking hard to find I'm thinking about giving the 225s a try in my 30 Nos.
Mainly it'll be for elk at ranges typically beyond 500 yards

I saw one bad scenario where a friend hit a bull in the leg bone junction on the front shoulder, it was 700 yards and the bullet broke the bone but completely came apart.
I will say though that bullet anchored the bull and he was able to hike down and finish him off .

I'd like to hear some more reports from those of you who have used the 225 eldms on game

I had a similar scenario with AB 180 out of my 300 WBY Mag at 514 yd. Not sure the bullet came apart but the elk suffered until my buddy got to it before me and put it down. Broke the opposite front leg/shoulder from entry wound. I watched it collapse forward and thought it was a lung shot.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

ELDM is a match TARGET bullet by design.
Never meant for use on game.

Thanks for sharing your experience with them..
The Berger 180, 215, 230, and 250 are all target bullets that "weren't meant for use on game"
Seems they've proven themselves to be exceptional killers

 

[Choid]

Thanks for sharing your experience with them..
The Berger 180, 215, 230, and 250 are all target bullets that "weren't meant for use on game"
Seems they've proven themselves to be exceptional killers

Not really. In comparison to actual hunting bullets they pretty much suck. Very accurate, though.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Not really. In comparison to actual hunting bullets they pretty much suck. Very accurate, though.

For LR hunting the opposite is true, they excel while bonded bullets actually don't expand as well.
If I'm hunting timber then copper bullets are my choice, but that's not my scenario here

 

[Choid]

I don't know, man. I live right in the heart of elk country. I've helped a lot of people pack in and pack out, seen a lot of elk shot. Bergers have easily the highest percentage of multi shots of any bullet I've seen, and it isn't close. But everybody has their favorites.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I don't know, man. I live right in the heart of elk country. I've helped a lot of people pack in and pack out, seen a lot of elk shot. Bergers have easily the highest percentage of multi shots of any bullet I've seen, and it isn't close. But everybody has their favorites.

Not doubting your experience, I'm a bullet nerd and have tried all types.
I've taken quite a few timber bulls with 140 partitions, but they're the wrong bullet for LR.
I've seen some epic failures with all types of bullets, and like you was anti Berger after seeing a few pencil through or come apart on heavy bone.
If the tips are cleaned out with a tiny drill bit then nothing kills elk better at long range than a Berger, even shoulder shots do a tremendous amount of damage and will anchor a big bull.
I switched over to accubonds for elk and was not impressed at all, I put two 175s in the lungs of a big bull at 860 yards and literally knocked him flat. Well he got up and left the fucking country! I tracked him 2 days in the snow and finally lost the trail.
I've never lost a deer or elk with Bergers, or Amax/Eldms

At lower impact velocities traditional hunting bullets just don't open up violently enough to create a good wound channel.
I spoke with a guy from LR Pursuit about it and he said he's seen the exact same thing happen where a bull is punched in the lungs with a bonded bullet at LR and there's very little internal damage.

I'm not looking to start a debate on hunting with target bullets, I know some work exceptionally well under the right circumstances.
What I am looking for is results from guys who've taken game with the 225 ELD-M specifically.

 

[Choid]

Not doubting your experience, I'm a bullet nerd and have tried all types.
I've taken quite a few timber bulls with 140 partitions, but they're the wrong bullet for LR.
I've seen some epic failures with all types of bullets, and like you was anti Berger after seeing a few pencil through or come apart on heavy bone.
If the tips are cleaned out with a tiny drill bit then nothing kills elk better at long range than a Berger, even shoulder shots do a tremendous amount of damage and will anchor a big bull.
I switched over to accubonds for elk and was not impressed at all, I put two 175s in the lungs of a big bull at 860 yards and literally knocked him flat. Well he got up and left the fucking country! I tracked him 2 days in the snow and finally lost the trail.
I've never lost a deer or elk with Bergers, or Amax/Eldms

At lower impact velocities traditional hunting bullets just don't open up violently enough to create a good wound channel.
I spoke with a guy from LR Pursuit about it and he said he's seen the exact same thing happen where a bull is punched in the lungs with a bonded bullet at LR and there's very little internal damage.

I'm not looking to start a debate on hunting with target bullets, I know some work exceptionally well under the right circumstances.
What I am looking for is results from guys who've taken game with the 225 ELD-M specifically.

I have heard that drilling them out helps a lot. And I basically agree with your sentiment, especially since the kill zone gets harder to hit the further out you get, and Bergers are definitely the most consistent as far as tuning. ELDs being second in my book.

I have to admit, I am mostly a timber hunter, as it is what I enjoy most, and it fits most of my immediate hunting areas. Sorry I don't have any specific experience, but I do wish you luck.

 

[benchmstr]

It’s perfectly fine! Nothing on this planet will survive a well aimed hit from it!

just keep the velocity on impact at around 1600fps

I have killed tons of shit with that in 300 prc

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

It’s perfectly fine! Nothing on this planet will survive a well aimed hit from it!

just keep the velocity on impact at around 1600fps

I have killed tons of shit with that in 300 prc

Thanks thats good to hear
Any shoulder shots by chance?
I saw a video on YouTube where the 140 eldms were fired through a deer hide draped over a scapula embedded in ballistic gel.
Pretty awesome results with full expansion and exits out 900 yards
here's the link

 

[b6graham]

you're assuming they make it to the target

jokes aside

it might work. it might not

all bullets fail with a poorly placed shot

 

[benchmstr]

Thanks thats good to hear
Any shoulder shots by chance?
I saw a video on YouTube where the 140 eldms were fired through a deer hide draped over a scapula embedded in ballistic gel.
Pretty awesome results with full expansion and exits out 900 yards
here's the link

Do not intentionally hit the shoulder! I did that on a whitetail at a little over 700 yards with the eldm 225 grain..brutal to say the least lol

same thing happened with the eldx 212 at 530 yards

but you crank a heavy grain high bc bullet like that at 3000 FPS it’s not going to be pretty

 

[4thandbleek]

I have had good success with the 225 ELDm (300 RUM)on elk out to 800 yards. Devastating wound channel. Shot placement is the key and as, avoid shoulder shots.

 

[RRW]

Thanks for sharing your experience with them..
The Berger 180, 215, 230, and 250 are all target bullets that "weren't meant for use on game"
Seems they've proven themselves to be exceptional killers

You can also hammer a nail with a screwdriver but doesn't mean it's the best tool for the job. Target bullets on game are hit and miss. There is a reason bullet makers specifically mention this.

 

[benchmstr]

You can also hammer a nail with a screwdriver but doesn't mean it's the best tool for the job. Target bullets on game are hit and miss. There is a reason bullet makers specifically mention this.

I’ve had way more problems with hunting bullets to be honest

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I’ve had way more problems with hunting bullets to be honest

Me too
The worst were SSTs, and ABLRS I'll never shoot that crap again

 

[Schw15]

Me too
The worst were SSTs, and ABLRS I'll never shoot that crap again

Thats funny my favorite combo growing up was 6.5-06 ackley 140 sst. I killed more game with that combo than anything else and nothing went more than maybe 20 yards. But i always heard how terrible that bullet was but anything from antelope mule deer and elk.

 

[st1650]

I don't do much LR hunting but I am fascinated by the topic. For this fall hunting season I'll be hunting with a 26" DTA 6.5 Creedmoor and plan to use Sako 156 Norma Onyx bonded bullets because most of my shots will be under 200 yards and at that speed, I think a heavier bonded bullet will do quite good.
That being said, I've browse the killed by scenar thread on 24cf ( https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4977783/31 ) and I do have a case of of Scenar 136 (factory sako ammo) and bunch of Lapua handloaded 139 and I'm quite tempted to try them as well. I've also heard mixed reviews about the 143 elx, some hate them, some swear by them.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Thats funny my favorite combo growing up was 6.5-06 ackley 140 sst. I killed more game with that combo than anything else and nothing went more than maybe 20 yards. But i always heard how terrible that bullet was but anything from antelope mule deer and elk.

They are absolutely the most explosive bullet I've used to date!
My wife blew one up on a tiny whitetail buck with a 270 wsm.
She punched him in the scapula at 80 yards and it literally blew hair, hide, and tissue all over the snow.
I found big pieces of jacket laying there as well, the buck took off and we caught a few glimpses but never got another shot
We spent another day looking but he covered to much ground.

 

[Schw15]

They are absolutely the most explosive bullet I've used to date!
My wife blew one up on a tiny whitetail buck with a 270 wsm.
She punched him in the scapula at 80 yards and it literally blew hair, hide, and tissue all over the snow.
I found big pieces of jacket laying there as well, the buck took off and we caught a few glimpses but never got another shot
We spent another day looking but he covered to much ground.

Yeah had to treat them very nice. Dont hit shoulder only ribs and had to keep speed under 3000 feet slower the better with those. I did have them in a 7mm stw going 3400 that wad the 162 sst and they were horrible haha i since moved on but i got away with it for years til then but i honestly refuse to shoot any hornady bullet target and hunting besides 200 or 212 eldx.

 

[Wyfox]

Me too
The worst were SSTs, and ABLRS I'll never shoot that crap again

Curious to hear your experience with the ABLR? I've had nothing but excellent performance on game. Biggest drawback is not every gun likes them.

 

[benchmstr]

Curious to hear your experience with the ABLR? I've had nothing but excellent performance on game. Biggest drawback is not every gun likes them.

I can get them super accurate..out of the 15-20 that I used only 2 expanded..the rest penciled

 

[Ledzep]

225 ELDM Pounds elk. I would try to avoid boney shots but I'm aware of at least 3 from friends and coworkers and they were all DRT.

 

[Wyfox]

I can get them super accurate..out of the 15-20 that I used only 2 expanded..the rest penciled

Everyone I've recovered has been perfect. Probably 20+ animals killed with them.

 

[st1650]

In the case of the accubond, wouldn’t it be more about the speed ? At high speed they would have no problem expanding but anything below a certain threshold they’re not as reliable ? I know some company will claim expansion at 1800 FPS but that’s probably under perfect conditions in gel.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

In the case of the accubond, wouldn’t it be more about the speed ? At high speed they would have no problem expanding but anything below a certain threshold they’re not as reliable ? I know some company will claim expansion at 1800 FPS but that’s probably under perfect conditions in gel.

Exactly what I've seen
I had a really bad experience with a big bull shot at 800 yards with two well placed 175 ABLRs.
He went down and then got up and took off like he hadn't even been hit!
Both shots were verified by a spotter as well, one in the rear scapula the other center lungs

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Curious to hear your experience with the ABLR? I've had nothing but excellent performance on game. Biggest drawback is not every gun likes them.

See post above.
I think the very tip is explosive but the rest of the bullet doesn't expand well below 2100 FPS.
My wife shot a 5x5 bull last season 3 times in the vitals with 142 ABLRs.
I hiked over when I heard the shooting and when we got to the bull he was alive and trying to get up.
It looked like they splashed on impact making a huge surface wound with very little internal damage.
Range was 100 yards

 

[Schw15]

See post above.
I think the very tip is explosive but the rest of the bullet doesn't expand well below 2100 FPS.
My wife shot a 5x5 bull last season 3 times in the vitals with 142 ABLRs.
I hiked over when I heard the shooting and when we got to the bull he was alive and trying to get up.
It looked like they splashed on impact making a huge surface wound with very little internal damage.
Range was 100 yards

Coppers!! Pva hammer or badlands

 

[st1650]

Would the 127 Barnes LRX do better in the 300-500 yards ?

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Update I decided to load 225s this season for elk, and yesterday wifey got to try them out on her cow
Range 200 yards, Impact velocity 2700 fps.
The shot hit dead center and clipped the scapula, the cow dropped like it was a spinal hit.
I've never seen anything like it she was literally pole axed on impact, and barely twitched.
The wound channel was massive and fragments made it into the offside shoulder.
Here's a few pics

Entry wound

Exiting ribs into offside shoulder

 

[BCX]

End of Aug and your killing elk! Congrats

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

End of Aug and your killing elk! Congrats

Haha it definitely feels early, the depredation season actually started August 1st but it was way too hot