I have the 25 CM ready. Got the barreled action back from Precision and put the Howa 1500 action in a KRG Bravo stock so I can adjust LOP for the grandkids. It will be hunted from a blind with should less that 200 yd and depending on the blind within 50 yards. I will reload and looking at the 128 ELD-X, 117 gr Barnes LRX or Hammer 120gr HHT. Does anyone have any hunting experience with these bullets? I recognize that there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Thanks
No experience with any of them, too new.
Man, for that 50 yard shot with something going as fast as the 25 cm, seems to be begging for a copper bullet in my opinion. One of the big complaints about the eldx is that at Superfast speeds they can sometimes shatter especially if they hit bone. Of course for a deer size game that probably wouldn’t matter much
Can’t wait to hear your experiences with it
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The Hammer HHT price has really gone up but that or the LRX are the one I am leaning towards. I have some H4350 and RL16 so see which i can wring the best accuracy out of. But would still like to hear any experiences.
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Whitetail can cover a LOT of ground quickly and almost always dash as soon as they are shot. They can be mortally wounded but still 200 yards away and difficult to find. In my opinion, whitetail is a perfect example of an animal where cup and core wins to just cause more damage in a smaller animal.
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Jim, have you had good luck with the ELD-X hunting deer?
Yep! It’s my most used deer bullet.
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Shot my first deer with a Berger, highly expanding bullet last season. 50 yards at most, 160 some grain 308 going 2640 feet per second. She bled for about the first 10 yards, then the bleeding stopped. She went at least another 200 yards, and not in a straight line, she zigzagged in the middle of the very dense bush. Only found her because I had a buddy with a tracking dog. Thank heavens it was December and not September or else I would have been covered with ticks and probably bitten by snakes
Not super impressed with it. But, it’s only one so I do want to try that load again to see if something different happens.
Main point though is that the deer can certainly run several hundred yards after being shot but I don’t think it’s any different using a mono bullet versus a explosive cup and core. I’ve shot plenty of deer with a 120 ttsx and sometimes they drop right away, sometimes they run 10 yards, sometimes they run 100 yards. Seen the exact same thing using a Sierra highly expanding bullet.
Always like hearing about different bullet performance experiences from everyone. I do hear really good things about the 156g Berger out of the 6.5 PRC’s, but otherwise a lot of mixed reviews for use on game. Haven’t tried them myself.
What Sierra bullet was it that you used?
For both the Berger and Sierra, where did you find the bullet When you field dressed? Curious what they did from a wound channel perspective.
It was a 165 BTSP, don’t know if it actually had a specific name. It was actually loaded by federal. Federal no longer produces that load. I have not looked at Sierra’s website to see if they still make that bullet or not
For the doe killed by the Berger, it took me so darn long to find her that I had to rush it to the processor before they closed therefore I didn’t actually open her myself and check things out. For the older Sierra loads, which were a 7mm magnum by the way, they basically passed all the way through each time but did have a significantly larger exit wound. Never really noticed much lead scattered about, which I know a lot of people say will happen with those type of bullets
Like what jim said, those deer can cover ground quick! If you go with one of those tough bullets like the hammer or the barnes. Dont be afraid of that high shoulder shot. Punching a hole though 2 shoulders and having them drop right on the spot.
I have limited experience (all positive) with ELDX’s but I’ve shot dozens of deer, caribou, and some other stuff, with my 25 Gibbs (essentially a 25/06 Ackley) over the last 35 or so years, all with various 100 grain Barnes bullets. Mostly high shoulder shots and most animals literally collapsed on the spot even though the bullet almost always passed right through. I’d love to try the 117 LRX but the twist on my old rifle is probably too slow.