Hornady ELD-X

[Red Leg]

I am considering new ammo for my roe deer hunting in the future. Up till now I was using nosler ballistic tip 180 grains in 30-06.

Red Leg, do you think ELD-x will be effective on roe deer?

roe deer is smallish soft skin animal, basically question is will it properly expand on impact and create shok?
You have hunted them, so I think you are perfect person to ask,

It would be a fine choice for roe deer. On an animal as small as one, and were I concerned about delivering more energy using an '06, then I think I would opt for 150 gr.

 

[mark-hunter]

It would be a fine choice for roe deer. On an animal as small as one, and were I concerned about delivering more energy using an '06, then I think I would opt for 150 gr.

Thank you red leg.
150 grains, is fantastic choice in my opinion, with higher velocity and flatter trajectory giving longer point blank range.

 

[sgt_zim]

Thank you red leg.
150 grains, is fantastic choice in my opinion, with higher velocity and flatter trajectory giving longer point blank range.

I'm looking at Hornady's 11th edition manual (I have 9 and 10 as well) - they don't make a 150 gr ELD-X, though they do make a 155 gr ELD Match.

Looking at Hornady's published data, and using MPBR (4" vital zone) for either the 155 gr ELD Match (210 yd zero, MV 2900 fps) or 178 gr ELD-X (198 yd zero, MV 2700 fps), there is no practical difference in ballistic arc until around 250 yards. At 250 yards, the 178 is about 3.25" low, and the 155 is about 2.25" low. Out to 200 yards, there is no more than about a half inch difference between ballistic arc for either of them at any distance.

That 155 gr reaches it's apex at 125 yards, where it's 2" high. The 178 reaches its apex also at 125 yards where it is 2" high as well. I wouldn't sweat the choice between them. They'll both do the exact same thing you want to at any practical hunting distance.

 

[mark-hunter]

They'll both do the exact same thing you want to at any practical hunting distance.

Great feedback, much appreciated.

Can any improvement in external ballistic be expected if using Hornady factory ammo, in superformance line?

 

[sgt_zim]

Hornady makes 2 Superformance loads - one with CX, the other with SST, both showing nearly 3100 fps MV on the box. No mention made of the BC on the CX bullet.

Refer back to my "can we please stop talking about flat-shooting cartridges."

Everything with a sufficiently high BC (say low 0.4x to low 0.5x) and fired with a sufficiently high MV (say 2650 - 3000 fps) will all have very similar trajectories out to around 250 or 300 yards

An example
I shoot Hornady 286 gr SPRP (BC .41) out of my 9.3x62 at around 2425 fps. I worked up some loads with Speer Grand Slam 180 gr (BC .374) for both my sons' 308 Wins, MV around 2550.

If both calibers are zeroed at the same distance, there is no difference in ballistic arc at any practical shooting distance - call it 300 yards.

That was a long way of saying to just find a load that works in your rifle and go with that. If you want to shoot the CX or SST Superformance, go for it. If you want to shoot the ELD Match or ELD-X, then go for that. No roebuck will ever know the difference, and provided you can shoot MOA or better with all of them, you won't have to worry about holdover out to around 250 yards or so with any of them.

 

[mark-hunter]

That was a long way of saying to just find a load that works in your rifle and go with that. If you want to shoot the CX or SST Superformance, go for it. If you want to shoot the ELD Match or ELD-X, then go for that. No roebuck will ever know the difference, and provided you can shoot MOA or better with all of them, you won't have to worry about holdover out to around 250 yards or so with any of them.

Copy that!
Well explained!