143 eldx or 129 interlock advice

[Jamie956]

Hi all
I've been using eldx in my creedmoor but my local shop is now stopping stocking them saying people don't want to pay the price, but they are continuing to stock 129 interlocks.
My question is, providing my rifle likes them and shot placement aside, how do they compare on roe, and i suppose, where does copper come into it in effectiveness and price?
Thanks in advance

j

 

[Mungo]

Hi all
I've been using eldx in my creedmoor but my local shop is now stopping stocking them saying people don't want to pay the price, but they are continuing to stock 129 interlocks.
My question is, providing my rifle likes them and shot placement aside, how do they compare on roe, and i suppose, where does copper come into it in effectiveness and price?
Thanks in advance

j

The interlock is a harder bullet.

At short range, or higher speeds, the eldx can make a bit of a mess, especially if it hits the shoulder. You get less of this with the interlock.

The downside is that if you’re shooting with a 20”barrel, you may be getting quite low speeds (worth checking). That means at longer range (200m+), the interlock can pass through without expanding properly.

However, the differences are very small.

 

[Mungo]

Also: are you talking about just bullets (heads, for reloading), or are you talking about made up ammunition?

 

[Jamie956]

Cheers
Thinking factory ammo
To be honest i don't think I'd go past 200 unless necessary, mainly because I don't have a dog anymore, i like them to fall ASAP and don't know the limits if the rifle to that extent and don't want to run out of puff
Mines 22" and I'm getting around 2600 I think, can't remember exactly

So if you could only pick one which would ut be?

 

[jcampbellsmith]

Once upon a time I used the 129 gr Interlock exclusively in my own reloads. One issue with them was that the ogive measurably changed from batch to batch. I recovered the following bullet from a roe buck shot at approximately 100yds.

I would suggest finding another shop or finding a non-lead round to use. I recently bought some of the following ammunition RWS 6,5 Creedmoor EVOLUTION GREEN 6,0g | RWS Ammunition

Regards

JCS

 

[Mungo]

Cheers
Thinking factory ammo
To be honest i don't think I'd go past 200 unless necessary, mainly because I don't have a dog anymore, i like them to fall ASAP and don't know the limits if the rifle to that extent and don't want to run out of puff
Mines 22" and I'm getting around 2600 I think, can't remember exactly

So if you could only pick one which would ut be?

Under 200?

Don’t think it makes much difference.

 

[Jamie956]

Under 200?

Don’t think it makes much difference.

Cheers

I mean I havnt gone past 200m with it yet as I don't know at what point stopping power will significantly start to drop off

 

[coldboremiracle]

Unless you are shooting way out there, like beyond three or four-hundred yards I wouldn't worry, either would work. Especially on small deer species.

 

[Mungo]

Cheers

I mean I havnt gone past 200m with it yet as I don't know at what point stopping power will significantly start to drop off

For a Creedmoor shooting factory ammo, you will start to see more runners with chest shots from 200 (often a bit before).

 

[KimE]

Once upon a time I used the 129 gr Interlock exclusively in my own reloads. One issue with them was that the ogive measurably changed from batch to batch. I recovered the following bullet from a roe buck shot at approximately 100yds.

I would suggest finding another shop or finding a non-lead round to use. I recently bought some of the following ammunition RWS 6,5 Creedmoor EVOLUTION GREEN 6,0g | RWS Ammunition

Regards

JCS

I have used the .30 165gr with great result bullet seated to the crimp rill about 60% retained weight half of them going through a moose chest. Only used them up to 180m so I dont know how they do at longer range but they are the softest bullet I use. 3/4 MOA at 100m

 

[longrangepete]

I have used eld x for nearly 10 years now
Is 6.5 -284 6.5 cm & 308
There absolutely brilliant all tho the very odd occasion
If you hit bone they can do a little damage

Strange had a new barrel on my 6.5 cm
And dropped the velocity on a new load to try it by 200 FPS
and seems to be more destructive like the old Amax at lower speed

 

[wildfowler.250]

ELDX I’ve found to be accurate but messy. I’m going to look into an alternative when I’ve used my last few up.

 

[Mungo]

I have used eld x for nearly 10 years now
Is 6.5 -284 6.5 cm & 308
There absolutely brilliant all tho the very odd occasion
If you hit bone they can do a little damage

Strange had a new barrel on my 6.5 cm
And dropped the velocity on a new load to try it by 200 FPS
and seems to be more destructive like the old Amax at lower speed

My experience from the beginning has been that the terminal effect is very similar to Amax.

That’s at 2550 fps. I have home loads at 2740 fps, but don’t have enough data to say if they perform differently.

I also have them loaded 6.5PRC at 3150fps, but haven’t hit anything with those yet. That will be interesting…

 

[wildfowler.250]

My experience from the beginning has been that the terminal effect is very similar to Amax.

That’s at 2550 fps. I have home loads at 2740 fps, but don’t have enough data to say if they perform differently.

I also have them loaded 6.5PRC at 3150fps, but haven’t hit anything with those yet. That will be interesting…

I think that will be bruising central but will be good to hear.

I’m surprised more folk don’t load an accubond or similar in 6.5 but I suspect it’s due to marketing

 

[coldboremiracle]

For a Creedmoor shooting factory ammo, you will start to see more runners with chest shots from 200 (often a bit before).

What do you mean by this?

 

[6pt-sika]

I’ve tried just about every legitimate 6.5mm hunting compatible bullet made and a few that are considered target only . And while Hornady isn’t my first choice I’ve killed deer with both bullets you mention and saw no difference in killing ability between them . To be honest if I were hung up on Hornady bullets exclusively I’d buy the SST bullets 129 or 140 grain . It just dawned on me you’re speaking of factory loads . That I cannot make a statement as all I used were in handloads .

 

[Mungo]

What do you mean by this?

Assuming 143gr Precision Hunter factory ammo, if you're shooting from a 20" barrel, it will be slow - around 2550fps.

So if you if you hit a deer with a standard heart-lung shot at 200m+, the terminal energy is relatively mild, and the damage not particularly extensive. So the deer tend not to collapse instantly, and tend to run a bit.

Runners obviously happen at any distance, with any load, but I have pretty good data now showing that the probability of a runner, and the distance they run, starts to increase quite markedly from about 180m onwards, with Creedmoor at this speed. You can counteract this by shifting the point of aim, and aiming a bit up and forward, to hit the shoulder or the 'hilar' area. Of course, your ability to hit that precisely also declines with distance!

By contrast, under 100m, almost every deer I've hit with the same round has folded up on the spot - even when the placement has been a bit too far back.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Unless you are shooting way out there, like beyond three or four-hundred yards I wouldn't worry, either would work. Especially on small deer species.

Yep - if a 55gns Sierra drops Roe in their tracks (and they do) you can rest easy that your 129ers will be just fine…