Whichever gun you shoot the best is the answer.
If you’re worried about expansion at lower velocity, run eldms in either 3. I’ve killed a pile of whitetail, axis, and black buck with 140 eldms out of a 20” 6.5 creed at 70-500 yards. They’ll punch through at least the first shoulder of deer sized game at close range and make it to the vitals. If further out, they will stay together better and perform like your classic bonded hunting bullets. If you make a questionable shot and you’re at a decent range, they will still expand and cause a lot of damage. I’ve lost game with a not so good shot from a 178 eldx in a 16” 308. At lower velocities the ELDXs and other bonded bullets can pencil through unless you hit bone and create a rather narrow wound channel. Made the switch to eldms and they’re awesome. For mule deer, I’m more concerned about wind drift so I run a 20” 30 Sherman mag (300 prc ai) with 225 eldms or 245 berger elite hunters . This year I’m going to use an 18” 6.5 prc with 147 eldms or 156 elite hunters.
For hornady: their eldms have thinner jackets than the ELDXs.
Berger: their hunting bullets have thinner jackets than their hybrid target bullets.
I’ve seen TTSX, partitions, and federal terminal ascents used on mule deer and other deer sized game (I part time guide clients every fall), and nothing drops them quicker, even with questionable shots, than a frangible bullet.
