75 gr ELD-M, .223 Rem, Mule deer buck

P

pharmseller

Handloader
Feb 13, 2012
557
95
Tikka Varmint in .223 Rem, 75 gr ELD-M over Benchmark, 2900 fps MV, Mulie buck kilt at 475 yards.

Hit a tad high on the left side, broadside

20231009_200652.jpeg

Wrecked a vertebrae going in, big hole on the way out

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Exit just behind the shoulder blade cartilage. Surprisingly little bloodshot.


20231009_200821.jpeg

Lungs a bit of a mess

20231009_192511.jpeg

Full exit, no lead or copper found in the meat. The buck dropped right now, didn’t take a step.
Steady rest, no wind, he didn’t know I was there.







P
 
Cool.
I am learning that the ELD-M's seem to open up faster than comparable weight A-Max's.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I would be aware of it, especially with close up shots.
I use ELD-M's myself.
It is more about shot presentations becoming more important at close ranges.
I am thinking this is more important with 22-6mm especially, since the weights are relatively light compared to the heaviest weights as you go up, like a 134 25 cal, 147 6.5, etc....
 
Is the headstamp in the photo for size reference or is it a ring-what am I looking at there?
 
xphunter said:
Cool.
I am learning that the ELD-M's seem to open up faster than comparable weight A-Max's.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I would be aware of it, especially with close up shots.
I use ELD-M's myself.
It is more about shot presentations becoming more important at close ranges.
I am thinking this is more important with 22-6mm especially, since the weights are relatively light compared to the heaviest weights as you go up, like a 134 25 cal, 147 6.5, etc....
Click to expand...
I've used the AMAX/ELDM the last 15 years for all my big game hunting. However, my shots are typically 300+ where the impact velocities are lower, and that's where they start to shine. They are a highly frangible bullet, but no more so than the beloved Berger VLDs. Up close you definitely want to stay off the shoulder, but at longer ranges the high shoulder shot is simply amazing with them. Killed my furthest elk at 1150 yards with a 162g AMAX at 2925fps with a lung shot. He went 30-40 yards and piled up dead with all 4 feet in the air.

I now use a 7-300 Win Mag with the 180g ELDMs at a mild 3000fps and have taken a few deer and elk with them out to 750 yards. The results have been simply amazing. DRT all of them with a resounding whop like I've never heard from a 7mm bullet.

The 108g ELDM at 3000fps is the bullet of choice for my new 6 Creed as a long range hammer on coyotes and also long range steel out to 1200.

And I'll be using the 75/80g ELDMs at 3000-3100fps exclusively from my 223 also for a long range steel trainer out to 1200, and of course the occasional coyote of opportunity.

I love the ELDMs. They're cheap, accurate, have a high BC, and they just flat out kill things. No one will ever convince me otherwise.
 
remingtonman_25_06 said:
I've used the AMAX/ELDM the last 15 years for all my big game hunting. However, my shots are typically 300+ where the impact velocities are lower, and that's where they start to shine. They are a highly frangible bullet, but no more so than the beloved Berger VLDs. Up close you definitely want to stay off the shoulder, but at longer ranges the high shoulder shot is simply amazing with them. Killed my furthest elk at 1150 yards with a 162g AMAX at 2925fps with a lung shot. He went 30-40 yards and piled up dead with all 4 feet in the air.

I now use a 7-300 Win Mag with the 180g ELDMs at a mild 3000fps and have taken a few deer and elk with them out to 750 yards. The results have been simply amazing. DRT all of them with a resounding whop like I've never heard from a 7mm bullet.

The 108g ELDM at 3000fps is the bullet of choice for my new 6 Creed as a long range hammer on coyotes and also long range steel out to 1200.

And I'll be using the 75/80g ELDMs at 3000-3100fps exclusively from my 223 also for a long range steel trainer out to 1200, and of course the occasional coyote of opportunity.

I love the ELDMs. They're cheap, accurate, have a high BC, and they just flat out kill things. No one will ever convince me otherwise.
Click to expand...
DITTO!
7mm 180 class ELD-M's have a great record on elk.
E
 
JD338 said:
Nice buck and shooting Ernie. Evan at that ELR distance, the exit wound looks pretty wicked.

JD338
Click to expand...
Thanks!
If I remember right, I did get some shoulder bone, so if that is correct, I had some extra help/projectiles.
 
Charlie-NY said:
Ernie - Some of the things you've accomplished are (almost) unbelievable! Congrats!!
Click to expand...
The secret to this 1K+ plus kill is, I Intentionally Took a Spotter Shot at a small plant on the left side of a raised up prairie dog mound to the right, (just over 50 yards away), but still at the same distance as the lope.
If the buck spooked, he spooked...I wasn't about to do a cold bore shot at that distance with the wind (quartering tail from the right).
Cool thing is, my wind dope was almost spot on, so much, I just held a little off (less than 4-5 inches), and immediately loaded, moved left, and that ended that.
 
xphunter said:
The secret to this 1K+ plus kill is, I Intentionally Took a Spotter Shot at a small plant on the left side of a raised up prairie dog mound to the right, (just over 50 yards away), but still at the same distance as the lope.
If the buck spooked, he spooked...I wasn't about to do a cold bore shot at that distance with the wind (quartering tail from the right).
Cool thing is, my wind dope was almost spot on, so much, I just held a little off (less than 4-5 inches), and immediately loaded, moved left, and that ended that.
Click to expand...

Spotter shot or not, still very impressive. 👍
 
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