(Photo submitted by the author)
January 12, 2026
By Joseph von Benedikt
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Bullet Basics Hornady ’s ELD X (Extremely Low Drag, eXpanding) bullet is the epitome of modern extended-range hunting bullets. A sleek profile, advanced composite tip, and generous boattail give it outstanding aerodynamics. The copper jacket is very thin up front to allow reliable expansion at low (long-range) impact velocities, then thickens toward the rear of the bullet to arrest expansion. A subtle Interlock barb around the inside of the bullet helps lock the core into the rear of the jacket. Generally, ELD-X bullets are made in heavy-for-caliber bullets, as typified by this 128-grain quarter-bore example. It’s worth noting this specific ELD-X bullet was engineered for the new .25 Creedmoor cartridge and requires fast-twist rifling.
Testing Ground HUNTING’s Managing Editor Colton Heward used this bullet to take a large red stag in New Zealand. Mature red stags are generally much smaller than elk but in N.Z. can weigh up to 600 pounds. Although not known for mind-bending toughness, stags can be resilient, particularly during the rut.
Field Performance (Photo submitted by the author) Hornady’s .25 Creedmoor ammo loaded with the 128-grain ELD-X generated 2,815 fps in Heward’s rifle. The bullet pictured here was fired from 180 yards, and impacted an impressive stag at an estimated 2,550 fps. Shot placement was through both lungs, so the bull was dead on his feet, but knowing the resilience of a large-bodied stag, Heward sent three more in quick succession. The stag stumbled no more than 10 yards and was dead in seconds.
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Stats After driving an estimated 24 inches through the vitals of the slightly quartering stag, the mushroomed bullet stopped against the offside hide. It retained 69.1 grains of weight—about 54 percent of original mass. Average expansion is 0.44 inch, or 1.71 times original diameter.
Notes/Observations With a G1 BC of .633, this is one of the most aerodynamic hunting bullets ever created in .25 caliber. Savvy shooters are calling the .25 Creedmoor the “Goldilocks” cartridge in the Creedmoor family, and it’s possible this could be one of the best quarter-bore bullets ever for deer-size game.
Joseph von Benedikt
Raised in a tiny Rocky Mountain town 100 miles from a stoplight or supermarket, Joseph von Benedikt began shooting competitively at age 14, gunsmithing at age 21, and guiding big game hunters professionally at age 23. While studying creative writing at the university he began publishing articles about firearms and hunting in nationally distributed magazines, as well as works of short fiction about ranch life. An editorial job offer presented an open door into the industry, along with an eye-opening two years stationed in the Petersen Publishing building in Los Angeles.
A position serving as Editor in Chief of Shooting Times magazine took von Benedikt and his young family to Illinois for four years. Homesick for the great Rocky Mountains, von Benedikt swapped his editorial seat for a position as a full-time writer and moved home to the West, where he's been writing full-time ever since, along with hosting the Backcountry Hunting Podcast.
Favorite pursuits include high-country elk and mule deer hunting, safaris in Africa, deep wilderness hunts in Alaska, and wandering old-growth forest in Europe for stag, roebuck, and wild boar.
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