# ELDX load development



## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Thought I'd share my results from starting load development with 178gr ELDX in my 308. I use the 200gr ELDX in my 300WM and have been really impressed with the performance on deer. The ELDX is rapidly becoming my favorite bullet because of its performance on game and ease of load development.

Rifle is a SAC 308
Rem700 LH blueprinted
16" Bartlein 5R 
HS Precision stock, skim bedded
PTG bottom metal
Jewel trigger set at 1 pound 
SilencerCo Harvester
4-14 NF SHV F1

*Warning this was safe in MY RIFLE, might not be safe in your rifle. Don't be a retard, start low and work up*
Load is 
Nosler brass
FGMM primer
RL15 powder 
COAL 2.801
Necks have been annealed

Note sure of velocity as my chrono was dead, but I'm going to doing some fine tuning to the load Sunday and will run them over the chrono.

I have no idea why the pics are upside.....


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Two or three of those look to be at the right speed. 39.6 and 41.7 for sure, great cloverleaf pattern. Might be hard to beat 39.6 though, that looks to be 3/4 MOA or better already. Might work on COAL now and see if you can maximize one of them. Looks like a shooter for sure.

I have three rifles that need new loads worked up with the ELDX bullets. 7 mag, 260 Rem custom target rifle and 6.5-284 hunting rifle. 

When I have a load that I am going to keep for a rifle that I know I will likely never sell/change, I lock down that die. If I work up another load for that rifle, it is on a new die. But that is just me.


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## al_carl (Jan 20, 2012)

NFAJohn said:


> Don't be a retard, start low and work up


Best reloading advice ever


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

RB II said:


> Two or three of those look to be at the right speed. 39.6 and 41.7 for sure, great cloverleaf pattern. Might be hard to beat 39.6 though, that looks to be 3/4 MOA or better already. Might work on COAL now and see if you can maximize one of them. Looks like a shooter for sure.
> 
> I have three rifles that need new loads worked up with the ELDX bullets. 7 mag, 260 Rem custom target rifle and 6.5-284 hunting rifle.
> 
> When I have a load that I am going to keep for a rifle that I know I will likely never sell/change, I lock down that die. If I work up another load for that rifle, it is on a new die. But that is just me.


39.6 measure .266
41.7 measured .34

If I was shooting benchrest Iâ€™d chase the 39.6 load, but this is a strictly deer blind/ fun on steel gun so Iâ€™ll be chasing the higher node. Iâ€™m going to work 41.4-42 in .1grains and see what I get for velocity and group size.

Wish I could chase seating length, but Iâ€™m feeding from a box magazine so Iâ€™m pretty much married to 2.801.

I totally agree with locking the die down! I bought 1k of the bullets and 500 of the brass. Once I get a load picked Iâ€™ll load all the brass then it will be time to develop a eldx load for my wifeâ€™s 7stw























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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

Funny you posted this. I just loaded some intial loads for my 700 5r in 308 with 178 ELDXs last night. I have hornady brass and Winchester primers with 4064. Found some Varget yesterday though. I loaded them to 2.83. With is still like .14â€ off the lands.... 

Where any of those loads compressed? I loaded to 41 I think and it was getting tight. 

On another note, have you had any experience with those bullets on game? The 178s


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Csafisher said:


> Funny you posted this. I just loaded some intial loads for my 700 5r in 308 with 178 ELDXs last night. I have hornady brass and Winchester primers with 4064. Found some Varget yesterday though. I loaded them to 2.83. With is still like .14â€ off the lands....
> 
> Where any of those loads compressed? I loaded to 41 I think and it was getting tight.
> 
> On another note, have you had any experience with those bullets on game? The 178s


Your 5R ought to shoot some smoking groups with the 178s. I use to have a 5R before building the above rifle and 41.3gr of 4064 with Sierra Tipped Matchkings was an absolute hammer.

I didnâ€™t have any pressure signs and none of the loads were compressed. Iâ€™m using RL15, my understanding is that it is very similar to Varget, but Iâ€™m not sure about itâ€™s density.

As far as on game performance Iâ€™ve killed three deer and one pig with the 200gr eldx driven to 2983fps with my 300WM. Results are great, minimal meat loss and all were bang flops. I have seen 4 pigs shot in one day by a 6.5CM with the eldx and the results were similar. I decided to build this 308 because a 300WM driving a 200gr pill roughly the speed of light is wayyyyyyy overkill for Texas deer. 308 also makes for a good trainer rifle and keeps me from burning up barrels on my 300wm.

I managed to recover a few from the berm at the farm. They show core separation, but itâ€™s hard to say if thatâ€™s whatâ€™s happening on game. I know the more of them I shoot the more impressed I am. Iâ€™ve run them to 1500 yards with my win mag and the BC holds true according to my kestrel.










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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Core is MIA

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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

Thanks for the info. Iâ€™m kind of new to reloading, starting with the 308. I figured if I can get these eldx bullets to shoot itâ€™d be a good plinking and hunting round. Be ordering some dies for my 6.5 cm soon though.


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Csafisher said:


> Thanks for the info. Iâ€™m kind of new to reloading, starting with the 308. I figured if I can get these eldx bullets to shoot itâ€™d be a good plinking and hunting round. Be ordering some dies for my 6.5 cm soon though.


No problem bud. I realized I whiffed on your previous question, I have not shot anything with the 178eldx yet. I have high hopes after seeing them in action in my 300wm and a friendâ€™s 6.5CM.

They are priced cheaper than match bullets, seem to be just as accurate in everything Iâ€™ve shot them it and kill game DRT. I think youâ€™ll have good success in your 5R. If ya need any advice shoot me a PM.

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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

I have seen cup/core separation pretty regularly on game with the eld-x. I trail a lot of wounded game with dogs so I tend to see lots of bad shots as well as bullet failures and/or bullets used for the wrong game/conditions. I wouldn't hunt with eld-x or really any Hornady bullet unless I was positive I could hit exactly where I was aiming (read ear hole). I know I'll probably catch a lot of grief over this bc a lot of guys love Hornady but I think the only thing Hornady is really good at is marketing.


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

Those are some really nice groups btw!


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Cynoscion said:


> I have seen cup/core separation pretty regularly on game with the eld-x. I trail a lot of wounded game with dogs so I tend to see lots of bad shots as well as bullet failures and/or bullets used for the wrong game/conditions. I wouldn't hunt with eld-x or really any Hornady bullet unless I was positive I could hit exactly where I was aiming (read ear hole). I know I'll probably catch a lot of grief over this bc a lot of guys love Hornady but I think the only thing Hornady is really good at is marketing.


So let me get this straight you donâ€™t think that bullet in the lungs would be fatal?

You also know bag hornady manufactures a monolithic copper bullet right....but you hate all hornady products so by virtue Iâ€™d think you hate Barnes as well.

Can you show pics of recovered fragments?

I guess it was magic that killed the three deer Iâ€™ve shot with a eldx.....

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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Cynoscion said:


> Those are some really nice groups btw!


Thanks! Have to give you a hard time for raggin on my bullet tho lol

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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Cynoscion said:


> I have seen cup/core separation pretty regularly on game with the eld-x. I trail a lot of wounded game with dogs so I tend to see lots of bad shots as well as bullet failures and/or bullets used for the wrong game/conditions. I wouldn't hunt with eld-x or really any Hornady bullet unless I was positive I could hit exactly where I was aiming (read ear hole). I know I'll probably catch a lot of grief over this bc a lot of guys love Hornady but I think the only thing Hornady is really good at is marketing.


I have had some similar sketchy results with Berger VLD bullets. Shot a mule deer square in the shoulder at 150 yds with a 168 Berger out of a 7 mag. Splattered on the shoulder blade with NO/ZERO/NADA penetration into the chest cavity. Conversely, shot a big WT quartering to, right in the crease of the neck/chest. Came out on the point of his hip and turned him an absolute flip. 200 yds.

I think the impact shock was so high that it may have given him a heart attack, he finally got up on his hind legs and I finished him, but the bullet did not enter the chest cavity. All intact.

Haven't heard any bad results from the ELD-X bullets though. Not disagreeing, just haven't heard bad reviews and I know a lot of guys that shoot them.

I personally think high velocity at close range with either of these bullets may result in bad penetration depending on shot placement. Hard bone like a shoulder blade may cause failure of the bullet.


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

RB II said:


> I have had some similar sketchy results with Berger VLD bullets. Shot a mule deer square in the shoulder at 150 yds with a 168 Berger out of a 7 mag. Splattered on the shoulder blade with NO/ZERO/NADA penetration into the chest cavity.
> 
> I think the impact shock was so high that it may have given him a heart attack, he finally got up on his hind legs and I finished him, but the bullet did not enter the chest cavity. All intact.
> 
> ...


Iâ€™m with you on Bergers. You gotta remeber these hit HARD clay at the farm at 100 yards. Iâ€™ll try and chunk a few into some lined up milk jugs and see what they do.

I also think the bergers and the eldx are â€œlong rangeâ€ hunting bullets that sent really designed for inside 200yards. The allure of the eldx for me is theyâ€™re silly accurate for ringing steel wayyyyy out there and seem so far to work well on game.

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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

NFAJohn said:


> Thanks! Have to give you a hard time for raggin on my bullet tho lol
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No offense taken. I knew this would lead to a good old fashioned debate.

No doubt your eld-x would kill a deer shot behind the shoulder into heart/lung area. Put that same bullet into the shoulder and hit the humerous bone and I bet it blows up and breaks a shoulder at best. I've trailed several deer with dogs under this exact scenario. Berger vld's and Hornady sst's do it a lot also.

I think you hit the nail on the head about impact velocity. Most of these newer design bullets are made for the long range game. With high impact velocities at shorter distances, they just don't perform like they do at distance. This is the marketing hype I'm talking about. You'll see these comapnies tout their bullets as the best thing since mayo in a squeeze jar but they won't tell you about their limitations.

In the last 3 months I've caught a nilgai shot in the face with a 6.5 man bun shooting an eld-x at less than 100 yards. The bullet didn't even break his jaw! Splattered and turned to **** on the hide. And an axis deer shot square in the shoulder with a 6.5 man bun shooting an sst. Bullet hit the humerous, broke it and toted it off. If it wasn't for dogs, neither of these would've been seen again. The man bun and Hornady are great for my dog business but I feel sorry for hunter's who buy into their marketing. They do have the coolest looking ammo boxes out there though, haha.

You are right though, if I HAD to shoot a Hornady bullet it would be a gmx but I'll take any Barnes bullet any day.


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

Cynoscion said:


> No offense taken. I knew this would lead to a good old fashioned debate.
> 
> No doubt your eld-x would kill a deer shot behind the shoulder into heart/lung area. Put that same bullet into the shoulder and hit the humerous bone and I bet it blows up and breaks a shoulder at best. I've trailed several deer with dogs under this exact scenario. Berger vld's and Hornady sst's do it a lot also.
> 
> ...


Man bun......WTH kinda rifle is that?????? LOL


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Cynoscion said:


> In the last 3 months I've caught a nilgai shot in the face with a 6.5 man bun


Hahaha the fact that you refer to it as the 6.5 man bun means weâ€™d be good friends  
I was raised off of the horse power school of thought, hence the 300wm I tote and the 7stw the wife totes










Iâ€™m sure youâ€™ll catch the 160gr tsx box on my shelf....that 7stw is tooooo **** fast for anything but a Barnes. Iâ€™m working up the 175eldx for her gun in an attempt to bring impact velocity down some and get a cheaper, if such a thing could be said, 7STW load for the wife to punch steel with.

Iâ€™ll agree with you whole heartedly that the eldx is entirely too light in construction for anything but deer/ pigs/ axis. For something the size of a Nilgai or Elk Iâ€™d probably still look to a Barnes pill and even then be looking for shoulder and not face.

All that being said for a man looking to make a single load for steel and deer hunting in Texas Iâ€™ll put my money on the eldx.

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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

RB II said:


> Man bun......WTH kinda rifle is that?????? LOL












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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

Cynoscion said:


> No offense taken. I knew this would lead to a good old fashioned debate.
> 
> No doubt your eld-x would kill a deer shot behind the shoulder into heart/lung area. Put that same bullet into the shoulder and hit the humerous bone and I bet it blows up and breaks a shoulder at best. I've trailed several deer with dogs under this exact scenario. Berger vld's and Hornady sst's do it a lot also.
> 
> ...


So then, what bullet would you prefer? Barnes?

Sierra has a new bullet out called the game changer...


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

RB II said:


> Man bun......WTH kinda rifle is that?????? LOL


Haha. The 6.5 Creed. Since it's all the rage nowadays (and not the .260 Rem which is almost identical?), I figure to get the full performance out of it, you have to wear a man bun and vape.


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

Csafisher said:


> So then, what bullet would you prefer? Barnes?
> 
> Sierra has a new bullet out called the game changer...


I have no experience with the Game Changer. I am a really big Barnes fan. I shoot a TSX, TTSX or LRX in just about every rifle I have. We literally shoot thousand of them per year and take hundreds of animals with them. I have yet to see one fail.
I like a bullet that retains a lot of its weight. Exit wounds equal blood trails and blood trails equal recovered animals. Not every hunter is capable of putting animals down where they stand every time. Seeing fur Inc the scope does things to a man's nerves.
I would have no problems shooting a plain old pointed soft point (Core Lokt or even a Hornady!), Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond, Swift A-frame, Trophy Bonded, etc. These are all well constructed bullets with high weight retentions that I have personally seen perform well on game.


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Csafisher said:


> So then, what bullet would you prefer? Barnes?
> 
> Sierra has a new bullet out called the game changer...


Donâ€™t let old man winter over here freak you out, plenty of people have killed plenty of animals stone dead with the eldx. Your impact velocity with a 308 wonâ€™t be silly high, bullet will have a much better chance of a pass through. The bullet o sent a picture of hit very hard clay, even a tsx might have shed a petal there......

Iâ€™ll try my best to make a water trap and shoot some into it at 100,200 and 300 Sunday.

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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

Wow! That really hurts, John. I don't feel that old.

When you start hunting other places in the world, you will quickly find out about Hornday's hype and how no unsponsored professional hunter chooses to use their ammo or bullets. Everyone around the world shoots the bullets I have listed above (and Woodleighs). Why? B/c they work under just about every condition imaginable.


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

Confession: I shoot a Berger in my 6XC. It shoots great but I have no doubt if will fail on game if I put it in the wrong place. I also shoot Hornady Leverlution ammo in my .45-70. There, I feel better now.


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Cynoscion said:


> Wow! That really hurts, John. I don't feel that old.


Lol gotta take my shots where I can!

I understand though, you have to match your bullet to your conditions/ target species. I still contend that the eldx for whitetail, pigs and axis is an adequate bullet. Iâ€™d say that it stands an even better chance on game when the impact velocities arnt at magnum speeds.

Match burners in the 6XC?

What should I shoot these into to capture them? I was thinking a large rubber made tub with water

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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Cynoscion said:


> Confession: I shoot a Berger in my 6XC. It shoots great but I have no doubt if will fail on game if I put it in the wrong place. I also shoot Hornady Leverlution ammo in my .45-70. There, I feel better now.


Since weâ€™re making confessions, I really like the Nosler Partition, but Iâ€™m too cheap to shoot a thousand of them a year.....

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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

Soak a couple of feet of newspaper in water for a day or so and shoot that. That would be an awesome penetration test and probably be overkill compared to bone.


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

The 6xc is shooting 105 gr vldâ€™s. Tiny groups at stupid distances.


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## NFAJohn (Nov 3, 2016)

Cynoscion said:


> Soak a couple of feet of newspaper in water for a day or so and shoot that. That would be an awesome penetration test and probably be overkill compared to bone.


Iâ€™ll give it a try, I have a cracked rubber made tub Iâ€™ll shore up with duct tape. Need to find some news paper though.

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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

NFAJohn said:


> Donâ€™t let old man winter over here freak you out, plenty of people have killed plenty of animals stone dead with the eldx. Your impact velocity with a 308 wonâ€™t be silly high, bullet will have a much better chance of a pass through. The bullet o sent a picture of hit very hard clay, even a tsx might have shed a petal there......
> 
> Iâ€™ll try my best to make a water trap and shoot some into it at 100,200 and 300 Sunday.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Oh Iâ€™m not worried. Just curious. Itâ€™s obviously not a bullet for a nilgai or something like that.


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## Cynoscion (Jun 4, 2009)

NFAJohn said:


> Iâ€™ll give it a try, I have a cracked rubber made tub Iâ€™ll shore up with duct tape. Need to find some news paper though.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nobody reads them anymore so they probably give them away.


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## 223AI (May 7, 2012)

I've never had good results with RL15 in 308, but I realize i'm in the small minority here. Those 178 will love varget and lapua or Alpha brass though...maybe hornady 308 match in a pinch.


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

Finally got to shoot my eldx loads. Rifle seemed to have a nice accuracy node around 41-41.5gr which is where I stopped. About .6-.7â€ groups. Sorry donâ€™t have a pic. But that showed no pressure signs so may try up to 42.5gr or so next time. 

Rem 700 5R
Hornady brass
4064 powder
WLR primers
COAL of 2.830â€
178 Gr eldx.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

I love my gen 1 5r. Its been my go to long range/sub sonic shooter for years. But now that the throat is over 3" , she needs a new barrel. But my pet load was 178 amax , 42.5 varget, 210m primers. 2.810". Killed many a hogs with them also.


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