I shot a doe on a draw hunt this weekend, she was 28 yards. Shot went between ribs on entrance and hit a rib exiting and left a hole the size of a quarter. Took out lungs and she went down quick with minimal meat loss. Didnt really look like the bullet expanded much except for on exiting the deer...Keeping in mind it was a small doe and pretty soft tissue, does that seem normal? Her lungs had a hole punched through them but were not jelly like I have seen in the past.

At 28 yards a lot of bullets will punch right thru with just a small hole and not much expansion. Dead deer is a dead deer, wouldn't read too much into it.

A bullet has to run into some resistance to expand. When you shoot a really lightly built Critter that small the bullet doesn't really run into much to cause it to expand unless you hit a bone. Think of throwing a rock through a piece of paper that is pulled taut. It will tear and it won't even slow the rock down but if you use a stronger material some of the energy from the rock will get transferred into that material before it tears.

My observation that some will not like...the eld-x are inconsistent under 200y, they seem to be a great long range killing bullet. They kill but how you just don't know, I've personally seen penciling on three different occasions with them and all at different speeds and calibers...284/277/30 cal.

I won't use them on anything but pigs at this point...I don't trust them. Good luck.

Sounds like good expansion to me, with desired results. Any pics?

What caliber and what speed? 28 yards is pretty close. With that close of a shot, I would have expected excess speed and lots of expansion. Either way, she's dead, right?

I've been using ELD-X since they were released. Nothing has been closer than 100 yards. And my muzzle velocity is 2640 fps. 1 1/2" exits. All animals recovered.

28 yards, with a rifle bullet leaving Mach II, I would expect similar results with most bullets.

Where I have used them the most, is 200 gr .30 cal in .300 Win Mag and .300 WSM for customers. Everyone has been quite happy with the results the last few years. They have successfully put down many elk.

Try the ELD-Ms for lightly built animals.

Edit: I say that because I had great performance out of the A-Max even though it was supposed to be a match only bullet.

What cartridge and bullet weight? This will make a big difference. But generally, if you hit back in the lungs, there isn't much "stuff" to open up a tough bullet, like the ELD-X.

6.5 Creedmoor Hornady precision hunter...Was avoiding putting caliber due to the opinions on the creed...But as you said there's little resistance in the lung area if you miss ribs.

A couple things on the factory 6.5 CM with 140-143 grain ammo. Their boxes state 2700 fps. I've chronographed factory ammunition at 2540 and 2560 for for the 143 PH and 140 BTHP match ammo in a 22" barrel. So their speeds can be very slow. At those lower speeds, you don't have a lot of velocity to work with for good expansion on the 143 ELD-X. I've also had some reports of the 143 ELDX not opening up in the shorter barrels. Change over to the 140 ELDM or a lighter bullet to gain some speed, and you will have better expansion.

Sounds like it is working well for you. But, if you want something else................ I use a bullet that doesn't exit at all, SST. My hunting partner uses it in your caiber, 129 gr Hornady Superformance with great results. I use it in .308, 165 gr. You're hunting, so it's the result you're after. No exit, small exit, large exit, ethical kill is all we're after.

Im definitely not "mad" at it, she ran about 50 yards or so with a pretty good blood trail. Just was not sure if I should have had a fist sized exit on mostly soft tissue or if this was normal. The rifle likes that ammo and has been awful mean to coyotes and that deer so I don't have too much to complain about

I don't like "fist sized" exits, ever.

My goal when hunting is a dead deer. Whatever creates that best is what I use. I have an affinity for Hornady bullets, I use the SST in my 25-06 and it has killed everything pretty quickly that I hit. I use ELD-X in a .300 wsm (one of the JG customers, and can't speak highly enough of his work) and it has killed everything i hit with it.

Dead deer is good. Dead elk is good. That is what my tool does for me. I haven't had issues with tracking or blood trailing an animal yet. And the accuracy with those two rounds is phenomenal. What more can I ask for?

I've shot nearly 30 animals with the 143gr ELD-X, both in the Precision Hunter and Chad's Speedmoor load. Only on one animal did I think it pencilled and that easily could have been due to the placement. I shot one 150lb hog with it through both shoulders, bullet was a perfect mushroom on the other side under the hide, shot was 70 yards and he died fast. Don't think I've recovered another; on pronghorn, shots at 190-200 turned the lungs to jelly. Heart shot doe at 343 left a huge blood trail for a 30-yd recovery.

OP, I think you just managed to put it in the right spot at the right speed. Dead deer is a dead deer.

I had a really good talk, actually listen, with a Hornady rep at DSC Convention. I asked him about the difference in SST & ELDX. Due to the differences in the tips and bullet construction of the two, each is well suited for a different hunting scenario, which is exactly how you are using each. No accident.

I used the 175 eldx out of a 7mm08 for several years. They muzzle at an average of 2607 fps. Furthest kill is a little over 200 yards. Whitetails hogs and javelina so far. All have had a quarter to a little larger exit, with exactly what I look for in regards to internal damage, not too much and not too little. If you don’t hit a leg the exit is on the smaller end if you do it might grow a little.

Taking my 300 wby next week on a nalgai hunt loaded with some 212 grain eldx muzzling at 2865 fps, sure hope I get to test them out!

This was a very dead antelope. Is this your idea of good bullet performance?




This is more like it.........350+ yard exit, mature whitetail buck, 7mm 120 BT.

Ha I’ve done same thing to pronghorn, I think they tend to do that more due to skin thickness and hair profile.

Mine was with 257wby and 115vld’s, only had that issue on pronghorns with at bullet. Could be unrelated issue but nonetheless

looking forward to your success story. on my bucket list

Let's do it in the fall or winter Buzz. It's on my list.

Ignore those that hate on the 6.5 Creedmoor. Those same idiots probably dote on the 260 Remington or the 6.5 Sweede. I have shot quite a few things with the 143 eldx, but nothing inside of 100 yards.I have had nothing but good results, which, by the way, your result was a good result. Dead deer. Now, my 6.5 has a 26" barrel, and I am getting 2800 fps with handloads. As Chad pointed out, The factory ammo may not have the same speed as is printed on the box. You may want to run it over a Chrony or get your long range dope and figure out what speed you are actually getting.

After reading all the above responses, and thinking about what happened to you, my guess is that QSYB hit the nail on the head. You just managed to put it in the right spot at the right speed to get poor expansion.

ELD-X is a great round. Ignore the 6.5 Creed criticism. I love that cal.
People gotta hate ...My son has killed every deer he has shot dead on without any follow-up out to 100 yds with the 143 GR ELD-X in 6.5. Never had to look for one. Nice exit holes. Solid round.

Very normal results for the condition