Eland and ELD-X performance

[kdiver58]

It's hard to tell but I got fried. We were quite some distance from the bucky when the clouds opened up. Rain at a 45 degree angle. That washed off all of my sun screen. I doubt I will go in November again. Weather was against us.
I shot a mature old bull in South Africa last week. 1200 pounds on the hoof, dark dewlap, worn horns and almost no hair on the neck. We tried for 2 days to get a larger bull. I didn't want to do a sniper shot. He was too smart for me. I ended up shooting the one in the picture. Slight quartering shoulder shot. 300 PRC 212 ELD-X 2860 fps at the muzzle. The bullet went through bone, the first lung, over the heart and was recovered against the second lung. It slightly pierced the second lung as both lungs were full of blood. It had spit it's core. The the Eland ran about 120 yards and fell dead.

I love the 143 ELD-X in my 6.5CM and it has been a one shot kill with every animal my wife and I have taken over the past 5 years. It's been a great performer. We have never had to track an Animal ever. Just walk to the kill 100 yards has been the longest ever. BUT I will NEVER use that bullet on an Eland again.

 

[shark_za]

Congrats.
It ended up well but that penetration is on the shallow side for me.
A basic cup and core 9.3 bullet does better.

 

[Odinsraven]

Congrats.
It ended up well but that penetration is on the shallow side for me.
A basic cup and core 9.3 bullet does better.

Indeed 9.3 does it every time

 

[Nhoro]

Nice eland @kdiver58. I am interested in the bullet performance that you describe. Was the eland fairly close ? And do you have a pic of the bullet. I am guessing with the high velocity of the PRC, maybe the bullet opened a lot and therefore didnt penetrate as much as you expected ? Although it did its job and pushing through the shoulder bone of and eland and still getting through one lung and the heart area is not bad. I think that most bullets in a 300 calibre would struggle to penetrate better.

 

[PeteG]

The eld-x is a little soft in my opinion.
I have tried them in 300wm and although effective (if no bone was hit) i would not choose them again.

 

[IvW]

Nice eland @kdiver58. I am interested in the bullet performance that you describe. Was the eland fairly close ? And do you have a pic of the bullet. I am guessing with the high velocity of the PRC, maybe the bullet opened a lot and therefore didnt penetrate as much as you expected ? Although it did its job and pushing through the shoulder bone of and eland and still getting through one lung and the heart area is not bad. I think that most bullets in a 300 calibre would struggle to penetrate better.

Eish....dismal performance to say the least. Lucky...
A premium grade expanding bullet heavy for caliber would penetrate a lot better than that, typically ending up under the skin on the other side...
A bullet is the cheapest part of a safari use the best available...

 

[fourfive8]

Agree with @IvW

E extremely L low D drag X expanding. Designed for long distance sniper hunting. Small internal nub ring called "Interlock", relatively thin jacket, non-bonded core, plastic tip, boat tail.

Results about what to be expected. Overcooked impact velocity. "Interlock" nomenclature for marketing hype, that tiny nub ring on the internal jacket surface does nothing once the jacket starts to rupture- never has since its introduction. Not a tough, premium big game bullet.

Predictable performance- study the cross section and design specs.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have had exceptionally good performance using ELD-X in 6.5 Swede, 7x57, 7mm RM, 270 and 300 WM. Probably 20 kills with one shot on deer, antelope and PG. I did not and would not use the ELD-X on Eland or DG. For that, a Swift A Frame is my go to bullet.

 

[kdiver58]

Nice eland @kdiver58. I am interested in the bullet performance that you describe. Was the eland fairly close ? And do you have a pic of the bullet. I am guessing with the high velocity of the PRC, maybe the bullet opened a lot and therefore didnt penetrate as much as you expected ? Although it did its job and pushing through the shoulder bone of and eland and still getting through one lung and the heart area is not bad. I think that most bullets in a 300 calibre would struggle to penetrate better.

I will post a picture of the jacket once I have all of the flesh cleaned out of it. The core unfortunately was lost when they were cleaning the cavity out they were not able to find it.

 

[gajie270]

from looking at bullet cutaways I think the speed grand slam is what the interlock bullets always should have been. the interlock ring is far too small of a mechanical lock to do much of anything.

 

[Puddle]

In the last 2 seasons I have used the 143 grain ELD-X to take 4 mature Elk cows.
From a 22 inch barrel the average MV is 2660 fps. This is not a bonded bullet.

I purposely wait for broadside-only shot opportunities and fire as the near side leg takes a step, avoiding as much bone as possible. Following this approach, the shots have been less than 200 yards and all have been pass-throughs. The animals have never gone further than 50 yards before dropping with the average follow-up distance being about 30 yards.

 

[Nhoro]

Eish....dismal performance to say the least. Lucky...
A premium grade expanding bullet heavy for caliber would penetrate a lot better than that, typically ending up under the skin on the other side...
A bullet is the cheapest part of a safari use the best available...

I would respectfully disagree.I have filmed or 7 eland hunts in the last couple of months. 6 were with the 375 H&H. 6 broadside hits and 1 neck shot. Only the neck shot exited. That is about 8 or so shots including finishing shots that did not exit with a 375 and aframes and no major bones were hit.Then the last eland was shot with a spine shot above the shoulder with a 30-06 and it exited. Then 2 shots to the chest-no exit to finish it and when then the PH put a solid 470 into him which did exit. If a 375 a frame doesnt exit on a broadside eland shot I wouldnt expect a 30 cal to break the shoulder and then be found under the skin on the opposite side. Maybe if it whistles through the ribs and lungs but not after busting through the shoulder.

 

[shootist~]

Good looking bull. Thanks for posting your results - sharing valuable knowledge is always appreciated.

 

[Nhoro]

View attachment 500406

I will post a picture of the jacket once I have all of the flesh cleaned out of it. The core unfortunately was lost when they were cleaning the cavity out they were not able to find it.

So it did bust the shoulder. At least it did the job and you didnt lose the animal. But core seperation indicates the bullet cannot cope with the stresses.The PRC has too much velocity at bushveld distances for the ELD=X design and added to that an eland shoulder bone will put pressure on any bullet. You shouldfind a stronger design in a bonded or solid copper expanding to soak up the extra stress that a PRC puts on bullets when you next tackle something as big as an eland.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I shot an eland with my 404J using a 400 grain swift. Granted the shot was about 200 yards, but I got no exits - just bullets under the skin on the off side of the animal.

These animals seem a bit 'soft' but they do take some killing.

 

[IvW]

I would respectfully disagree.I have filmed or 7 eland hunts in the last couple of months. 6 were with the 375 H&H. 6 broadside hits and 1 neck shot. Only the neck shot exited. That is about 8 or so shots including finishing shots that did not exit with a 375 and aframes and no major bones were hit.Then the last eland was shot with a spine shot above the shoulder with a 30-06 and it exited. Then 2 shots to the chest-no exit to finish it and when then the PH put a solid 470 into him which did exit. If a 375 a frame doesnt exit on a broadside eland shot I wouldnt expect a 30 cal to break the shoulder and then be found under the skin on the opposite side. Maybe if it whistles through the ribs and lungs but not after busting through the shoulder.

A frames almost never exit on LG they mushroom too good and by the time they reach the skin on the other side they stay there....perfect.
Clearly you have not seen 200gr A frames perform in 30 cal from 3006 to 300wm..they smash through the shoulder hines and end up under the skin oposite side....again perfect...

I never said a premium expanding bullet needs to exit...

You want to use these long range non premium target type bullets by al means but thinking that 1 lucky shot on an eland bull that is not particularly big in body size(1200lbs) is good performance that is your choice....

I have hunted Livingston Eland bulls that weighed 1000lbs more than this(yes heavier than a buffalo bull!!). Doing so is only possible with certainty when using appropriate caliber and premium bullets. Speed in excess of 2400 to 2500 fps is also not desireable as these are hunted in bushveld environments so you need a heavy for caliber bullet in an apropriate caliber to get the job done.

The furthers and longest recoveries on any animal I have hunted has been an elephant and the rest large eland bulls....they never stop....one took us 4 days at Nuanetsi....others 2 and 3 days....many hunters give up after the first day....

Luckily the OP has realised how marginal this bullet was and that he would never use it again on eland....wise man...

 

[crs]

Winchester .338 Win Mag Fail Safe went in broadside and exited killing bull eland where it stood. It just gently settled a bit and all was over. Took about a dozen men to load that one onto truck for drive to cleaning station. All but me as I took pix.

USE enough gun! And proper bullet.

 

[Firebird]

Maybe I missed it but what was the distance of the shot?

 

[crs]

Shot was less than 50 yards, as were most of ours on that first Safari.
I was hiding in some cover about 100 yards away while the PH and my buddy, Sterling and my Ruger 77 .338 rifle were hidden near a game trail. When the bull came along Sterling shot it where the PH said.
Somewhere, I have a picture of the crew trying to get the Eland onto the back of the truck. Also a pic of it hanging from the cattle cleaning rig with the head touching the floor. It was an impressive Eland and made a nice shoulder mount.
My wife made slides of the hunt pix and when Hannes Els of Limcroma Safaris was in Dallas, we presented the Safari slides to a Dallas Woods and Waters Club dinner meeting.

 

[kdiver58]

Maybe I missed it but what was the distance of the shot?

A little over 100 yards. I'm boiling the jacket clean right now before I post a pic.