By Brad Moore

January 6, 2018

2016 was the first season for high-power rifles in Indiana and I took a buck and a doe with 95 grain Hornady SST handloads from my Ruger Hawkeye .243.

Both deer were taken within 100 yards and succumbed to the first shot but I was haunted by the fact that neither bullet exited. Both were clean kills and the forensics damage to both was amazing but still... I wondered if I was using the correct bullet for the job.

For 2017 I switched to the 6mm 103 grain ELD-X bullet and had an almost identical shot as last year on a buck and this bullet performed exactly as I had hoped. Tremendous internal damage but the bullet held together enough to exit and leave a good blood trail... though the buck certainly didn't go far! I'm staying with the ELD-X!