140Eld-M performance on game.

[LoonWulf]

So first let me say that I'm not suggesting ANYONE do anything, or use any equipment they arnt 100% comfortable with on game animals. If you feel that using a target bullet is questionable DONT DO IT!

I've been using heavy for caliber Amax as my primary hunting bullets for years and have had nothing but excellent results. This is the first time I've had any length of experience with the Eld-Ms. From what I've seen in 3 animals they perform exactly the same as their Amax counterparts.


I have not been behind the trigger on any of the rifles that made these kills (in fact I've owned 3 6.5CM rifles, and never hunted with any of them), and I've only been present for the large 150lb spike.

First up is a 60lb pig, shot at about 60yds (according to the guy who borrowed the rifle).


Second is a 90-100lb Axis doe. Shot was made with my new Ruger American 6.5, same barrel length same load. The range was 250-300(from my own experience in the location). Slight quartering angle.


The third I failed to get a picture of the wound, but the round struck the spike in front of the hind ledgs and square thru the thickest part of the spine. Shot was at about 120yds. The bullet did not exit, and was recovered under the hide on the off side. It did completely destroy a 6" section of spine, and damage the internals with shrapnel. This was a very large spike, and probably topped 150lbs






I tend to prefer the heaviest options available, and had I not got a good deal on these 140s, I probably would have loaded 147s instead.

I have used the 143Eld-x from my 6.5-284, to take a feral bull of about 600lbs. I've also used 162 Amax from my 7mm for the same, and performance for the game bullet didn't seem much different than the target version.

 

[Patocazador]

Was that the same bullet that you used on the feral cow?

 

[LoonWulf]

No, the cow (bull) was shot with a 143eld-x at 50yds, launched at about 2900fps

 

[troy fairweather]

aka hawaiian cow stoppers

 

[LoonWulf]

aka hawaiian cow stoppers

I probably won't use them on cows again if we go. It worked ok, but I'd want a tougher bullet in that cal/cartridge, or I'd prefer a larger/heavier cal.

On the flip side the two bucks I shot with the .375 and 270btsps took me about 4 hours to process due to all the lead and bone chunks strewn throughout the one I shot going away.....gonna have to slow them down or go to a harder bullet....or not shoot them thru heavy bone.

The one shot cross wise wasn't as bad, but still nasty.

 

[troy fairweather]

we have killed some cows when i was younger, mostly beefers and some out off controle bulls. most were with a 22lr or 22mag to the head. the only one i shot was a bull that went crazy, just so happen i was at the farm load testing my 45/70 load 400 barnes original into the shoulder killed him on the spot. the bullet passed thow and did not damage to much meat.

dad killed a bison with his savage striker in 7wsm with the 150 combined technology it fell in about 20 yard with a behind the shoulder shot. the bullet stay together and went out the front of the chest. if it was shot out of a rifle i think it would have fragmented

 

[LoonWulf]

we hae killed some cows when i was younger, mostly beefers and some out off controle bulls. most were with a 22lr or 22mag to the head. the only one i shot was a bull that went crazy, just so happen i was at the farm load testing my 45/70 load 400 barnes original into the shoulder killed him on the spot. the bullet passed thow and did not damage to much meat.

dad killed a bison with his savage striker in 7wsm with the 150 combined technology it fell in about 20 yard with a behind the shoulder shot. the bullet stay together and went out the front of the chest. if it was shot out of a rifle i think it would have fragmented

Yeah my .458socom dropped a smallish bull with a 405gr rem jsp, on the spot.

Not sure if he was shooting the fail-safes, or balistics but.....
My experience with the CT balistic tips is that they we're a little tougher than the older balistics. I think they may have changed the balistics in the last 10-15yrs tho and the cts are now similar.....course this is just my experience, nothing concrete.
My buddy and his dad took a couple bull elk with one shot each using 168gr CT balistics from a .300WM, back in 2000ish. Bang flops with nearly perfect mushrooms from what I was told (and remember, it was highschool, and it's also been a while).

The Amax tend to operate like the old balistics, and honestly I originally tried them in my 7 because I couldn't get the 150 noslers I was shooting.

 

[troy fairweather]

i have seen may deer killed with amax with they did not discontinue them may 308 loes the 155 amax. can u buy the ct bullets or just the ammo

 

[Citadel99]

No judgement here. Curious as to why you wouldn't just use ELD-X? They are crazy accurate as well.

Mark

 

[LoonWulf]

No judgement here. Curious as to why you wouldn't just use ELD-X? They are crazy accurate as well.

Mark

I tried them, and didn't see enough of a difference (from the amax I used) to spend the extra 15 bucks a box over what I got the Eld-Ms for.

Nothing wrong with them by any means tho, and had I not stumbled into these I'd have probably bought more since I had loads for them already.

 

[Citadel99]

Check out Prime Ammo as well. Crazy accurate at a great price point in the 6.5.

I think these days everyone wants to blame the bullet vs the shooter. At 200 yards and I think just about any bullet in a high powered rifle gets the job done. Everybody seems to be a physics and terminal bullet performance expert these days. Put the bullet where it needs to go and the animal will die.

My son shot his first deer last year with a .222 with Core Lokts. He did his part and it went down. That same rifle has shot a lot of hogs and deer dead. He’s getting a .300 BLk stripped lower for Christmas that we will build together over the year. .300 BLK? You know the round that people say is too wimpy? My buddy dropped a big buck in its tracks with one last week. 192lbs after field dressed. It that round is a gimmick? Right?

BTHP have killed a lot of animals and people. Personally, I’m switching to mostly loading Barnes TTSX for hunting. Small holes on each side but the trauma in the middle is insane.

Mark

 

[H&Hhunter]

Check out Prime Ammo as well. Crazy accurate at a great price point in the 6.5.

I think these days everyone wants to blame the bullet vs the shooter. At 200 yards and I think just about any bullet in a high powered rifle gets the job done. Everybody seems to be a physics and terminal bullet performance expert these days. Put the bullet where it needs to go and the animal will die.

My son shot his first deer last year with a .222 with Core Lokts. He did his part and it went down. That same rifle has shot a lot of hogs and deer dead. He’s getting a .300 BLk stripped lower for Christmas that we will build together over the year. .300 BLK? You know the round that people say is too wimpy? My buddy dropped a big buck in its tracks with one last week. 192lbs after field dressed. It that round is a gimmick? Right?

BTHP have killed a lot of animals and people. Personally, I’m switching to mostly loading Barnes TTSX for hunting. Small holes on each side but the trauma in the middle is insane.

Mark

I’ve had excellent performance on everything I’ve ever shot with Barnes X, TSX, TTSX, LRX bullets. With the exception of one Antelope as mentioned above.

I’ve killed hundreds and hundreds of hogs with a variety of Barnes X’s. I’ve also killed deer, elk, moose, caribou, bears, a plethora of African plains game from Dikker to Wildebeest, DG to include several Cape buffalo.I’ve also swatted a pile of coyotes with Barnes X’s of all flavors.

I find the X series and especially the TSX series to be a superb game bullet with match grade accuracy.

On light stuff like deer I like the Accu Bond better but I don’t hesitate to use Barnes on deer sized critters. In Africa where I might be shooting a Sunni in the morning and a Cape buffalo later in the day the Barnes X is THE bullet to use. It doesn’t blow up the little stuff and it is about the perfect bullet for big stuff.

The reason I use Barnes exclusively on elk sized critters and up is that it widens your shot opportunities. I shot my last bull moose facing me head on at 269 yards. I wouldn’t take that shot with a softer bullet. With a Barnes TSX I don’t even hesitate to take that shot because I know it’s going to penetrate to the goods.

If I hadn’t taken that shot I would not have killed my coveted Shiras Moose bull after 17 years of waiting for a tag. I had about 15 minutes of daylight left on the last day of the hunt. That 270 Gr Barnes went through the massive neck muscles, top of the heart and wound up under the skin of the hind quarters. Granted it was a .375 H&H but a 180 Gr TSX would have gotten to the goods too. I wouldn’t expect a 180 Gr cup and core or even an Accubond to give reliable enough penetration to take that shot on a big bull moose or even a big bull elk.

 

[LoonWulf]

The reason I use Barnes exclusively on elk sized critters and up is that it widens your shot opportunities. I shot my last bull moose facing me head on at 269 yards. I wouldn’t take that shot with a softer bullet. With a Barnes TSX I don’t even hesitate to take that shot because I know it’s going to penetrate to the goods.

This is exactly the use I see Barnes and other monometals excelling at. I've heard enough mixed reviews on soft hits and smaller (sub200lb) animals to be hesitant of them for my normal usage.
Equally, were I to hunt stuff where I REALLY wanted to be able to shoot from nearly any angle I'd probably shoot a Barnes.

The soft bullets excel on lighter game, and in situations where you can choose your shot placement, and timing.
I only load one bullet for each cal (or rifle if one doesn't like a particular bullet), so I generally chose the one that's cheapest and provides the type of accuracy and performance I prefer.
This usually brings me back to Hornadys, and since I like soft bullets the Amax/eld-m/x are pretty much my first tries.

 

[LoonWulf]

i have seen may deer killed with amax with they did not discontinue them may 308 loes the 155 amax. can u buy the ct bullets or just the ammo

You can get both the bullets and loaded ammo.
I bought some of the win supreme ammo with the 150s about 2 years ago for 15 bucks a box (marked down from 70) and I'm hording it. I may try the CT balistics again in my 7, I like the way they look and they perform well.....Ive still got a few 160tmks, and 162 Amax to burn up first. I haven't been shooting my 7 much this year.

 

[FL-NC]

I have had excellent results with Hornady 75 grain BTHP match in 223. Hornady designates it as a target/competition round, some military units use it as a duty round. It groups at least as well if not better than the famed MK 262 (Black Hills 77 grain SMK). I have successfully killed 5 deer and a hog, and several turkeys with this round. Except for 1 deer that ran 20 yards or so, everything else has been DRT.

 

[LoonWulf]

I have had excellent results with Hornady 75 grain BTHP match in 223. Hornady designates it as a target/competition round, some military units use it as a duty round. It groups at least as well if not better than the famed MK 262 (Black Hills 77 grain SMK). I have successfully killed 5 deer and a hog, and several turkeys with this round. Except for 1 deer that ran 20 yards or so, everything else has been DRT.

I shot the 68s from my Mini and had similar results. I eventually switched to 65gr Sierra btsp, but not for lack of on game performance, just because I got a good deal on a pile of them.
My buddy just ran off with my last AR build, and he's planning on using it for sheep and pigs, I'll have him try the 75s as well as the 65s I gave him.

 

[troy fairweather]

i need to get some 68 to 75 grainers for my ar. i think the 75 are a waste out of my 16'' tho one day i will get a 18 or 20 inch barrel.

 

[LoonWulf]

68s we're what I was using, sorry mixed up the Sierra's and Hornadys.......
Even from a 16 you can get them cruising along pretty good.

 

[troy fairweather]

i hope midway has there factory seconds soon.