Favorite Elk Bullet? Average shot distance in AZ?

[Dpduckhunter13]

We’ve had great luck with the 6.5mm Eldx on deer sized animals and even a couple cow elk, but have not been impressed with the terminal performance on the 7mm or 30 cal versions under 200 yds. Seems like they tend to explode on impact when they’re over 3000 FPS or hit anything solid while traveling at high speeds. Had a bull last year eat 5 rounds from a 300 ultra at 150 yards. It died, but lots and lots of gaping holes entrance side and appeared only shrapnel entered the cavity.

Upon reading a lot of internet (taken with a grain of salt because, well it’s the internet) and talking with a bunch of guys/guides who are a part of a lot of kills each year, the general consensus was it’s not an isolated incident.

Shot placement is key of course, but they seem to be designed well for longer distance shots and not up close. Personally I went back to a regular accubond for most of my rifles, aside from the 6.5 hipster and a 7mm wsm that only likes 180 VLDs. 

[excaliber]

 Dpduckhunter13  That post of yours seems to be pretty common with the ELD-X.  Out of my 300 Win Mag the 200 gr ELD-X is the most accurate bullet I've ever shot.  It's a flat out hammer out to 600 yards on steel.  

 I've mostly Archery hunted over the years and just wanted one large magnum for when I drew some killer Elk Tags.  Bullet choice seems to be a major compromise.   I'm going to do my best to get the 200 gr Accubonds to shoot very well this spring when it warms up a bit.

Thanks for all the info.  Best of luck to everyone in the draw.   

 

[metau]

All my elk hunts in AZ have been archery, but when I first got into elk hunting back in CO, Accubonds were my preferred bullet out of my 308 and 300WM and my gf's 25-06. 

[1uglydude]

I prefer a bullet that holds together better than a Berger or even ELD-X for the simple reason that I don't want to have to cut a way meat near the main wound channel just to avoid getting lead in my burger.   Historically, I always used Barnes bullets, but I'm open to bonded bullets for certain applications.   This past season I made the mistake of going with the 150gr LRAB in my daughter's 7mm08.  They were the most fragile bullet I've ever seen.  Accurate, but absolutely fell apart.  Between her kills, me using it on my deer hunt, and letting the neighbor boy use it, the rounds took down five animals last fall, but I had blood shot meat and pieces of bullet sometimes more than a foot away from the main wound channel.

My good friend started working for a processor recently, and they have a running joke every time "another 6.5 ELD-X" animal comes through the line.  It kills them, but if you hit them in the shoulder you make a huge mess.

[Jlreff]

Had his leg tucked up at the shot covering his chest cavity. If I had been running my normal Barnes load it would have blown thru. It looked like pepper coating the chest cavity. The second bullet exploded a inch into the chest cavity with no exit. Lost over half the animal to bloodshot damage.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

On 2/25/2020 at 6:33 PM, rossislider said:

Our whole group (me included) was on the same page with you, but once we saw the animal on the ground, hide removed, where the bullet hit, how it didn't clear the rib, etc. it didn't matter that the bullet might have been a bit forward. After inspecting the animal, I don't think it was too far forward, even considering the angle. Moreover, two of the other four bullets fired had similar results on the opposite side. I wouldn't believe it either had I not seen and felt the holes and impact damage in person. I have also used Berger for many years and on many animals (not as many as you), just not a bull this big. 

Really all of that (forward or back) is irrelevant, because the bullet didn't make it past the first rib, and isn't something I would consider using on a comparable animal again. 

I totally appreciate that your experience is different. As someone I respect greatly and look up to a great deal, I love hearing your take. But for me and my group, I won't risk it with these bullets on a bull hunt. 

FWIW I talked with a guy last weekend that said he has almost exclusively used Berger bullets when they first came out. He was/is a rifle builder and guide in Mexico and elsewhere and stated that when the Berger bullet was "bought" or started to be produced by Lapua the quality decreased significantly, (IDK) they had to stop using them due to stories just like yours.  

 I have all of my bullets from 2008 so that may be a reason that my results have been different. just more thoughts. 

[Red Rabbit]

I have used a 200gr Accubond/125 yards and 180 Scirocco/100 yards on two bulls from a 300WSM, and a 180 Accubond from a 300WinMag on a cow at 200 yards.   The only bullet I recovered was the 200 AB under the far hide behind the shoulder.  It only went through ribs and lung.  Only one shot per elk was needed.  Sorry, but most of my elk tags have been archery.

[thegunsmith2506]

On 2/25/2020 at 7:56 PM, HuntHarder said:

Rossislider-  That would have been a great shot except the bull was quartering away it looks like.  I think the shot is forward of where you want to put it.  IMO it looks like the shot is almost a foot forward of where I would think is a double lung shot.  GREAT bull BTW.

I agree 100% 

[bojangles]

35 minutes ago, thegunsmith2506 said:

I agree 100% 

that shot does not look lethal, imo.  needed to be at least a foot back at that steep angle.  but hey, you got him.  

[Coues120]

One raghorn and one cow elk with a 6.5 creedmor and handloaded 147 Eldm at 2650fps. Both one shot one kills, raghorn at 250 cow at 400yds.

[GreyGhost85]

10 minutes ago, Coues120 said:

One raghorn and one cow elk with a 6.5 creedmor and handloaded 147 Eldm at 2650fps. Both one shot one kills, raghorn at 250 cow at 400yds.

this does not surprise me. 6.5CM's are more deadly than a 50BMG.

[AzRaised08]

I used a Remington Core-Lokt 165g PSP for my 30-06 and it worked like a charm at 125 yards. I plan on using the same bullet again for this season!

[Couestracker]

Nosler partitions. I've killed elk at 50 yards and at 300 yards. The distance thing is like the old adage, they are where you find them. 😉