Anyone have Pet loads for 123 eldm and 130 otm?

[BluteEhre]

Hi everyone, thought I would try here for any ideas on loads for these bullets.

Ive tried alot of different combos with the 123eldm and it seems my gun just isnt loving them. Was getting pressure signs at 28.5gr 8208 when loaded to 2.26" and 41 primers. I know thats alot of folks "go to" load. Loaded some lower charges and it wasnt impressive accuracy wise. 26gr H4895 seems to be my best but slow. Cfe223 just plain sucks in my rifle with this bullet.. just tried some powerpro2000mr at 30gr.. wasnt impressive either.

Moving to 130 bergers, i get cloverleafs at 100yards with 30gr cfe 223, but spread can be worse than 100fps! No good at all at ranges this bullet was designed for.. 25.5gr h4895 shoots like crap, no better luck with leverevolution..

Thanks for any ideas

[imaguy3]

Use at your own risk...

my 16" gun likes 26.3 of benchmark, 123gr eldm, 1.643" base to ogive.
It's slow but accurate in my gun, 2350fps. Single Digit SD

Pics are from when I was validating strelok

[Zeneffect]

130gr berger otm hybrid = 30.3gr of leverevolution 2.285 COAL. Starline brass + cci #41. This gives me single digit SD and ES around 15-20.

I have never had ES of 100 using lever... ever. not on any bullet in any case with any primer. Tell us about your reloading setup, specifically sizing die setup, and powder measure/scale. something seems off and to me its not the rifle. it could be as simple as the chronograph is being insane also.

also... 28.5gr of 8208xbr + 123gr ELDM loaded at 2.26" COAL = over pressure and not by a little. i wouldnt load this high with xbr and a 123gr, and i load pretty hot some/most times. 28.2 is pushing it and is known to be the bolt breaker load with 123s.

[VASCAR2]

I use 31.0 grains CFE223 with 123 grain AMAX or ELD/M with CCI450 primers in Hornady or Lapua brass.

[jasper2408]

My first question would be how are you choosing your powder charges to test. Are you using a ladder for each powder with corresponding targets and then picking a load after seeing which load groups good and might/might not have good SD/ES or just picking a load at random and shooting it? If you are just picking a load at random then you could be shooting loads until you are blue in the face and never find a good one.

Also, you didn't say what type of rifle you are shooting, AR or bolt action.

Another thing is what shoots in one persons rifle may not shoot good in yours so you have to work a load up for your rifle.

28.5gr of 8208xbr + 123gr ELDM loaded at 2.26" COAL = over pressure

Hodgdon gives a 28.5gr compressed load as max with a Sierra 123gr HPBT seated at 2.25" at 50,000psi pressure. This load may be too hot for the Hornady 123ELDM though. I have no experience with this load for the Hornady 123gr ELDM bullet.

[BluteEhre]

Thanks for the input so far guys.

Bit more detail on my end; I have been using once fired hornady brass, bushing neck sized .287 for both the bullets in question. I will revist Lever for the 130gr Otm, perhaps it will bring down the ES numbers from what i am seeing in with CFE. Ran a ladder test with cfe and the 123eldm and never came in to an accuracy node that was where i expected it should be.
The Otm and eld both are over 2.23" coal before they hit the lands in this grendel II chamber(brownells/saturn?). I can load out to 2.9" when i use a duramag.

Gun shoots other combos(lighter bullets with 8208xbr) as small as .25" at 100yards, so i dont believe any inherent inaccuracy is taking place(in regards to the 123eldm.)

[LRRPF52]

My go-to with the 123gr A-MAX (ELD-M is an A-MAX with new tip) is:

Hornady or Lapua brass
Rem 7.5 BR primer
31.2gr CFE223
Double-seat the bullet for concentricity (half-seat, rotate, fully-seat)
2.260” COL

I’ve literally rapid-fired that load at 1000yds on large steel gong, making an 8” vertical and 4” horizontal group. That was from a Lilja Wasp profile 17.6” barrel, really lightweight gun. Chamber is an actual SAAMI chamber with compound throat.

Barrel is bedded and a bunch of other things done in my build process I’ve talked about before extensively.

For 10 rounds at 100yds, it cuts a ragged hole on paper.

[BluteEhre]

Thanks for the reply Lrrpf52, how much jump are you allowing the bullet at 2.26"coal?
I have alot of cfe223, so I will have to revisit this.

[LRRPF52]

Thanks for the reply Lrrpf52, how much jump are you allowing the bullet at 2.26"coal?
I have alot of cfe223, so I will have to revisit this.

In the Howa, there was so much jump that I could load a 140gr A-MAX really long, way beyond even the clipped mag length.

I think this was 140gr A-MAX, 129gr SST, and 123gr SST factory round Left-to-Right: