NEW Hornady 6.5 Grendel 100gr ELD-VT Factory Load

[BluntForceTrauma]

Was reviewing the new Hornady 22 ARC info when I saw they're also releasing a 6.5 Grendel load with a new 100gr ELD-VT (Extremely Low Drag-Varmint/Target) bullet. See Hornady's YouTube video at 7:00 HERE.

More specific info on Hornady's website HERE.

Pretty cool!

[Casper77]

I’m excited for this as well. I haven’t seen the mv advertised yet, have you? It’s great to have another factory load and I look forward to working up some loads for the bullet. Published G1 BC of the bullet is .448. I’m curious to see the OAL of the bullet. SD is .205 which is the same as the 100 gr ELD Match if that says anything.

[LRRPF52]

100gr ELD-VT should do:

28” 2849-2948 fps
26” 2819-2918 fps
24” 2786-2885 fps
22” 2749-2848 fps
20” 2707-2806 fps
18” 2659-2758 fps
16” 2603-2702 fps
14.5” 2555-2654 fps
12” 2457-2556 fps
11.5” 2434-2533 fps
10.5” 2385-2483 fps

[Casper77]

Thanks! If I can get 2700 fps out of my 18” barrel this will be my go-to round.

[Zeneffect]

Any bc numbers? If they match or exceed the sierra 105s then I know what I'll be playing with next.

[grayfox]

With the higher BC, the bearing surface may be longer than other 100 grainer's (longer bullet). So may have to wait and see what kind of MVs we get.

[biodsl]

Any bc numbers? If they match or exceed the sierra 105s then I know what I'll be playing with next.

Posted in another thread http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...post309588

[LRRPF52]

Any bc numbers? If they match or exceed the sierra 105s then I know what I'll be playing with next.

.445 G1 BC for the 100gr ELD-VT

.385 G1 for the 100gr ELD-M, which means they really stretched this one or put a longer boat tail on it.

100gr ELD-M would give me 1109fps and 273 ft-lbs at 1000yds based on their doppler program, when fired at 2700fps mv.

Using G7 for the new 100gr ELD-VT fired at 2700fps from a 17.6-18” Grendel, at my altitude (6300ft) I would see:

300yds 2223fps 1097ft-lbs 1.1 mils drop .6 drift

400yds 2074fps 955ft-lbs 1.9 mils drop .8 mils drift

500yds 1932fps 828ft-lbs 2.9 drop 1 mil drift

600yds 1794fps 715ft-lbs 3.9 / 1.2

700yds 1662fps 613ft-lbs 5.1 / 1.5

800yds 1535fps 523ft-lbs 6.5 / 1.8

900yds 1413fps 443ft-lbs 8 / 2.1

1000yds 1296fps 373ft-lbs 9.6 / 2.4

[LRRPF52]

With the higher BC, the bearing surface may be longer than other 100 grainer's (longer bullet). So may have to wait and see what kind of MVs we get.

They’re using a longer ogive and boat tail to get those numbers, which means the bearing surface might have even been reduced.

Hornady has pretty short boat tails in their 95-129gr line of projectiles.

[Zeneffect]

The listed bc is better than the sierra 105s. Im interested now.

[grayfox]

They’re using a longer ogive and boat tail to get those numbers, which means the bearing surface might have even been reduced.

Hornady has pretty short boat tails in their 95-129gr line of projectiles.

... which is of course all fine w/ me, I'm just speculating. But the ogive/boat tail work would do it.
So... what do we call this, a face-lift and butt-tuck to the ol' 100? Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LRRPF52]

... which is of course all fine w/ me, I'm just speculating. But the ogive/boat tail work would do it.
So... what do we call this, a face-lift and butt-tuck to the ol' 100? Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Face-lift, butt-tuck, and liposuction of the double chin for the hollow nose cavity.

V-MAX jacket so it doesn’t hold together. Heat Shield Tips from the ELD-Ms.

[Legionnaire]

That's pretty cool. Has my attention ...

[603Country]

I’ve shot a few hogs with the 95 gr V-Max. Worked fine. I wonder if this bullet will hold together as well or better.

[Disciple]

I wonder if this will be appropriate for defensive use in a 10.5" barrel. Will the low velocity prevent over-expansion and shallow penetration?

[Jake TN]

I wonder if this will be appropriate for defensive use in a 10.5" barrel. Will the low velocity prevent over-expansion and shallow penetration?

I believe the original Hornady TAP ammo used either 55 gr or 60 gr vmax for 5.56, I am guessing it is perfectly suited for defense. Won’t be good for any type of barrier, but nothing is perfect for every situation.

[Double Naught Spy]

You know I will probably try to shoot some hogs with it...

[BigGrizz70]

So I went to the indoor range just to shoot and chronograph the Hornady 6.5 Grendel 100 ELD VT Match ammo. I took a 20" 1-8 twist Black Hole Weaponry upper with roughly 150 rounds down it, and my new unfired 24" black Hole weaponry 1-8 twist. The 20" upper gave me 2,625 fps , and the 24" barrel gave me 2,725 fps. Being that the 24" is new, I am thinking the same round count in the 24" barrel, it will give me around 2,775 fps. So velocities are not staggering ,but SD's were crazy. I shot 4 rounds in each gun, and velocities were all within 2 fps. Recorded on a new Garmin C1 Pro.

Even at 2,625 for the 20" barrrel at sea level, you're transonic at 1,000 yds and supersonic to 1,100 yds. With 10 mph 90 degree cross wind 100 yd zero 10.39 mils drop, 2.39 mills drift.

With the same environment except 24" barrrel. Transsonic at. 1,080 yds, Supersonic 1,180 yds drop 9.04 mills, and drift 2.18 mills

By comparison, a 123 Scenar out if the 24" barrel at 2,640 fps give you 990 yds transonic 1,090 yds supersonic 10.24 mils drop, 2.37 mills drift. To me transonic is really where the rifle can be accurately shot to. So the ELD VT beets all of them except the 130 RDF will just inch inside it at just under 1.96 mils drift but drop is 9.65 mills, it is transonic at 1,120 yds and supeersonic to 1,240 yds . But the RDF are hand loads. If you hand loaded a 100 gr ELD VT, my guess is a warm load at 2,850 fps. With these velocities, transonic 1,120 yds supersonic 1,230 yds , drop 8.49 mils 2.09 mills drift.

Either way the ELD VT should perform very well as a varminting and target round in the Grendel. After I get some more data and get some aELD VT'S TO hand load, i'll get back to you.

[BigGrizz70]

So I pulled the bullet on one of the Hornady 100 gr ELD VT Match rounds today. First the bullets current COAL = 2.246”
The bullet I pulled weighed 99.5 gr
boat tail was .1515”
base to ogive.5135”
bearing surface .362
ogive to tip was .728”.

For its weight the bullet is long 1.2415”. Here is a pic next to a 107 gr SMK. The nose is long , where it is loaded at 2.246 the ogive is basically right at the end of the case. 25.8 gr of ball powder. Not sure what it is But the SD’s are crazy low. From the right round I fired, 4 in each barrel, only 1 or 2 fps.

I put the bullet on a Hornady lands tool. On my 20” BHW 1-8 had a COAL of 2.406 to the lands. My 24” BHW 24” 1-8 had a COAL of 2.375” my ACS magazine can load 2.30 my widowed PRI magazines can load 2.385” in the 24” barrel , I had to file down the extension 4 or 5 thousandths so the feeding bullets would not hang on the extension.

[BigGrizz70]

I have been thinking about it a little more. In the 24" barrel, the lands a 2.375. So if .020 off the lands 2.355 COAL with the windowed PRI mag which can be done, no problem in the 20", as the lands are .030 more. Based on that COAL, I recon I should be able to fit in another 1.5 grains of powder in the boiler room . So with the Hornady Match, load of 2,725 fps, after I barrel break I should be in the 2,760 or so area.. With 1.5 grains more capacity than the 2.26 load length , I m thinking 2,860 to 2,880 is a true attainable velocity in this 24" with PRI mags without getting crazy. For the 20" with this load, say I would guess around 2,740.

Using 2,875 as then hand load velocity, here is what I get drop and drift at 1,000 yds at sea level and 100 yd

8.28 mils drop
2.06 mills drift
For the 20" using 2,740
9.34 mils drop
2.23 mils drift

Comapred to a 88 gr ELD M form a 24" barrreled 22 ARC at 2,860 , 100 yd zero 10 mph crosswind wind
8.03 mils drop
1.94 mills drift
It is pretty dam respectable.

The 130 RDF is chugging along at roughly 2,590 fps. And the same variables
9.34 mils drop
1.98 mills drift
So 1.15 more mils drop with the 130 rdf. Drift is a little tighter, but .25 mills less wind drift.

So for a Grendel, the 100 gr ELD VT makes the rifle shine , as a varmint hunting and precision shooting platform. A lot flatter shooting with very respectabul wind drift for its weight. The bullet will be devastating on coyotes and barbiturates size game. Of all the Grendel based cartridges, this brings a lot of performance to the Grendel.

I'm still not going to get a 6 ARC or a 22 ARC, for that matter either. The 6.5 Grendel platform just offers so much in platform capabilities, varmit hunting, deer hunting, hog hunting etc ettc. You just load up a bullet that matches your performance envelope and away you go.

It will never be a PRS comp rifle, as you have got tons of better options. The 22 ARc shooting 90 gr ATips is pretty sweet, filling that role, but everything else except hunting varmits at ranges past 400 yds is in the Grendels wheel house. The small advantages the 6 ARC and 22 ARC have at long ranges don't really matter. I have other bolt action rifles for that.

So when I get a couple hundred 100 gr ElD VT bullets are start developing loads along these lines. I’ll be back at you.