6.5 Grendel Hornady 100 gr ELD VT

[DavidA]

So Hornady came out with the ELD VT concept to really boost the 22 Arc performance as a Varmint round relative to the 22-250. The idea being to create long nose hollow space the allow lighter bullets to have higher BC’s than traditional varmint bullets. This is the main problem with the Grendel as in trying to shoot to 1,000 yds and beyond . The high BC heavy bullets in 6.5 exist traditionally at 130 gr. Even the 123’s while respectable BC’s, you still can’t drive them fast enough. The Hornady ELD VT design is about overcoming those shortfalls.

I’ve run ballistics on them out of a 6. 5 Grendel and if thru shoot well , they become the go to round for long range precision and varmint hunting. Looked for bullets for weeks on end. No joy. But I found loaded ammo at Schells. So I ordered 60 rounds. Out of a 20” barrel expecting just around 2,800 and close to 2,900 fps from a 24” barrel. Should get them next week . Ballistic are as good or better than any 6mm ARC load If they work as expected and they shoot half decent I’ll be looking for a couple hundred bullets to hand load.

The 308 174 gr ELD VT bullets will do same thing in the 308 win. I may try them next.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DavidA]

Got them in the other day. I may shoot a few tomorrow and see what kind of velocities I can get.

 

[357Max]

Got them in the other day. I may shoot a few tomorrow and see what kind of velocities I can get.

I'll be curious to see your results. When there available as components I'd like to try the 6mm & 308.

The 62gr VT's are 3175fps in my 18" Valkyrie with Lever.

 

[DavidA]

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 supeersonic 1,230 yds , drop 8.49 mils 2.09 mills drift.

Either way the ELD VT should perform very well as a varmiting 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.

Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

 

[Park ranger]

For posterity, 109 Berger 6 arc at 600 yards on F class target.

 

[DavidA]

For posterity, 109 Berger 6 arc at 600 yards on F class target.

That some darn fine shooting


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DavidA]

I think tomorrow I am going to pull a bullet out of the match ammo, measure a bullet, weigh the powder, see I have any idea what it is, then put it in a Hornady lands tool and find out how far I can load them. I have a windowed mag. However, even though barels are the same manufacturer (Black Hole Weaponry), the 20" barrels lands are .03" closer. That way, hopefully, I can move the bullets out and get some more room in the boiler room. This way ,maybe I can get another 75 to 100 fps when I handload. If so, I would be slinging 100,s ar 2725 fps out of then 20" and real close to 2,900 in the 24.

Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

 

[DavidA]

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 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.

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DavidA]

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 zero

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 Grrendel, the 100 gr ELD VT makes the rifle shine , as a varmit hunting and precsion 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, you 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.

Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

 

[smokey]

Thanks for the work you're putting in to this thread. The info is pretty awesome.

 

[Squaregrouper]

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 zero

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 Grrendel, the 100 gr ELD VT makes the rifle shine , as a varmit hunting and precsion 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, you 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.

Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

One of my go to Grendel loads is a 100gr Midsouth Match Monster (Nosler CC) with CCI 450 and 30.2gr of 8208XBR out of my PSA labeled FN 20" barrel. In the summer I get slight swipe marks, so I am at the top end of the safe charge. This load averages 2850fps.

 

[DavidA]

One of my go to Grendel loads is a 100gr Midsouth Match Monster (Nosler CC) with CCI 450 and 30.2gr of 8208XBR out of my PSA labeled FN 20" barrel. In the summer I get slight swipe marks, so I am at the top end of the safe charge. This load averages 2850fps.

Great velocity. I'll update you when I get some bullets I can handload.

Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

 

[DavidA]

This might take awhile. Retailers have the Hornady 6.5 Grendel 100 gr ELD VT factory ammo but bullets can’t find them anywhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DavidA]

Just got 200 from US Tactical Supply . They were hard to come by.

Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

 

[Tracker12]

So after all the data how does the factory ammo group. My best bullet is Hornady ELD match out of the Grendel

 

[DavidA]

I went today and did some load testing for 123 gr SST’s. I was using ARComp in my 24” barrel. With 28.8 gr I got 2,720 fps. A little hot but 28.2 gave me 2,675 So I’ll be hovering some load +/- .2 grains

As for the 100 ELD VT’s I want to get a hundred rounds down the tube. As it is a new barrel. Then take it to an outdoor range, check my velocity on the ELD VT’s and see how it groups.

Then It will be time to make some hand loads. Don’t know what powders to use for 100 gr bullets. I have been loading 123’s 120’s, 130’s snd even 140’s. I have AR COMP, Power Pro Varmit, and CFE 223. Need to do a little research seems some folks have been getting good velocity with 8280 XBR. We will see, but with right powders can see 2850 to 2,900 if you load them warm,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk