Hornady ELD-Match 140gr

[Second]

That magneto speed is going to have an effect on the accuracy/shot groups unless you are running massive barrel, like a M24 profile or heavy Palma....or you have one of the spigot mounts to keep it off the barrel. If you are doing 10 rounds at your target value, 5 with the MS, 5 without.

Have a modified Magnetospeed Sporter with a adaptor so that it never touches the barrel.
IMG_4867.JPG

[Sticks]

[gwtx]

If the modified case is shorter (most likely) then your jump will be shorter with your fired/sized case.

I found it easiest to make a special case with a ever so slightly sized neck that will allow a bullet to be moved by hand (with a little effort/twisting) and chamber it with the bolt and extract while pushing with a cleaning rod from the muzzle to make sure the bullet does not give false readings by being pulled out from slightly forced into the lands. Rinse and repeat several times to get consistent readings.

You could also do the math by measuring your sized case to the datum line, and the Hornady modified case.

Sticks, thanks for the info/reminder. I made my own modified case, but I don't remember if I used a "fired" case, or a new one I'll have to check to make sure. Really appreciate you guys sharing your experience and knowledge,,,,AND your MEMORY

[Sticks]

Sticks, thanks for the info/reminder. I made my own modified case, but I don't remember if I used a "fired" case, or a new one I'll have to check to make sure. Really appreciate you guys sharing your experience and knowledge,,,,AND your MEMORY

Yeah....

Then I leaned more after the fact which even made my "fired case comparator" inaccurate. I had been bumping my shoulders only .002-.003 after each firing. Turns out that I was still way short on a couple of chambers and ended up with quite a bit of room, so I was effectively putting my cases at .005 from the chamber limits causing excessive wear on the cases.

I started another thread on it in the reloading section for 1 method of getting the optimum case life for each chamber. http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...ing-to-chamber

[jmkhenka]

I amen to the sooth and N160/6.5x55. Been there, done that. When i started focusing less on long COAL it solved itself (6-6.5mm seating depth).
I have used N140 and 140 grain pills in 6.5 grendel, i had some Sellier and Bellot bullets - 140 grain FMJBT. I used 25 gr of 140. Got 700msec out of a 20" barrel.

Accuracy was not that impressive, 2" at 100 meters. But then the bullets are dirt cheap (by swedish standards), and not known for accuracy.

No sooth, but then i have really short throat and the bullet was well below the shoulder.

Once you get sooth, you really need to clean the chamber or you will keep getting it, due to the case not sealing properly.

[Second]

Range report.

Early trip to the range this morning.
I choose two loads for the target. The 27,8gr and the 28,2gr.
Loaded up 10 shots each and have shot them i 5-shots group on a target.
Since I got soot on the cases in the previous test, I seated the bullet a little deeper to see if this would change anyting. BTO for this test is 45,95mm that gives me a jump to the lands of 1,0mm (0.0393")
Also collected data on theses two loads with the Magnetospeed.

Temp -2C
995hPa
58% humidity
300m above sea level.
Range: 97m to the target.

1. N140 27,8gr
Avg:739 m/s
Hi: 741
Lo: 738
SD: 1
ES: 3

Group No. 1-2

2. N140 28,2gr
Avg: 747 m/s
Hi: 751
Lo: 740
SD: 2
ES: 11

Group No. 3-4

Target:
GR-KR 140gr ELD-M N140. Tavla 200401.JPG
Very happy with the 28,7gr on the speed data.
And also very happy on the target. It was really windy on the range that can explain for the "flyers" to the left. But I am happy.
A little soot still on some of the cases, but only in the 28,2gr loads. No soot on the 27,8gr. But I have more room so that I can try more jump and see if that will sort it out. Or maybe test a smaller bushing to get more neck tension.

[Lemonaid]

Impressive! How are the cases holding up? Are they harder than normal to resize?

[Second]

Impressive! How are the cases holding up? Are they harder than normal to resize?

Think that the cases are holding up very well.
No definitive problems when resizing. Are using Redding Type-S dies and have set the die to resize minimal on the body.

I can however feel a slight difference in the primer pocket when seating the primers. But they are still tight after seating.

Have plans to get new brass, but have other expenses that needs to be prioritized.

[jmkhenka]

I noticed that the N140 has really nice SD and ES. when breaking in the rifle (well, fireforming brass more like it) i loaded 25 N140 with S&B 140 grain bullets, the cheapest i had.
they had sd of single low digits, like 2-4, over 5 and even 10 shot groups. Never had that reliability with the 6.5x55 even with the same powder.
N133 also gives me extreme low SD. Just using hornady brass, CCI primers and n140.

I have a frankford intellidropper, who knows it might make more even loads the old (well 1 year) hornady gs-1500.

[Second]

There is a local match at the range on 300 meters tomorrow so was doing the last test on target this morning.

Have used N140 powder and the load 27,8 gr.
Have tried for this time to seat the bullet even deeper to try and get rid of the soot on the cases. Looked to be successful but after 12-13 shots, the soot was all over the cases.

The wind changed a lot but shot 4 different 5-shot groups.
This is the third group:
IMG_5147.JPG
Group is 37mm (0.123mil)

And this is the last group:
IMG_5148.JPG
IMG_5151.PNG
Really pleased with that!
Just need to figure out the wind so that I can get the group closer to the center. But today, I tried for group size and did not bother that much to hit in the middle.
The two groups also looks to to be close of each other in terms of POI. And that is nice also.

Only concern now is the soot on the cases after firing...
Have tried to seat the bullets deeper and deeper, but no luck so far.
And to take more powder might work, but then the consistency of the speed and load looks to be worse. Also, I can see slight marks from the ejector, so the pressure is there. But the soot still appears.

It is also strange that directly after I shot this groups and got soot on all cases, pretty much. I shot a laddertest with another bullet (130r Norma GT) but with the same cases, same primers, same powder but a heavier load.
And there was no soot on any of those cases. Even that I have had soot on the cases from the 140gr ELD-M just before. No cleaning or so, just changes into the 130gr Norma GT and shot them.

So not sure how to proceed with the soot issue.
Even more jump and seat the bullets deeper? Or more neck tension? Or is it just not better than this? It still shoots, but with soot on the cases...

[Second]

Match report.
The local match was done on Saturday.
Really tricky winds that changed a lot during the match.
Range was 300 meters, all shots done prone with bipods and rear bag.
Totally 15 competitors with different rifles and calibers with really no restrictions. I ended at 6th place and are very happy with that.
Missed a bit on the first two series of 5-shot groups, but ended with two nice groups.

Here the best group of the day:
IMG_5180.PNG

[Sticks]

Well done Second. You have given us some valuable info to work with. Going to have to try that powder under my 130s

[Lemonaid]

Congrats! that looks like about a 2 inch group? Did you have to do anything different at the match due to the Corona situation?

[Second]

Well done Second. You have given us some valuable info to work with. Going to have to try that powder under my 130s

Thanks Sticks!
Happy to share!

Congrats! that looks like about a 2 inch group? Did you have to do anything different at the match due to the Corona situation?

Thanks!
Yes, a little under 2". Have measured the group to 43mm (~1.69").

Up here in Northern of Sweden out in the forest, no special was done. We shoot out in the open on the ground with no houses or anything like that. Every shooter held their distance to other shooters and used common sense. No kissing was allowed though
We are still very little effected by the Corona situation. Hope it stays that way.

[Second]

A little update.

There is a upcoming rifle match next weekend where I will participate with my 6,5 Grendel.
The distance is 600meters and we will be shooting from different prone positions out in the woods. There will also be a benchrifle-match the day after and this will be at 300meters. Never tried to shoot from a bench, so this will be interesting.

I have done some testing with this 140gr Hornady ELD-Match and VV N140.
This bullet works very well in my rifle and I have give it a little more powder this time.
Sighted in at 100meters and tested at 300meters.
This ended up in the smallest 5-shot group I ever done, with any caliber. And this target is from 300meters.
GR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_300_1.jpgGR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_300_2.jpg.png

Moved out to 600meters an few days later and confirmed the drop at a steel plate before I shot 4 different groups, 10 shots each.
GR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_600_1.jpgGR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_600_2.jpgGR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_600_3.jpgGR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_600_4.jpg
The targets are the same size as the ones we will be using on the match, but only the inner area. The real target will be with points all the way down to 1.
I have 1 shot on the target 3 and 4 that dropped very low from the others. Low left corner. And I think that this is due to the fact that I pierced the primer on 1 shot in each serie.
If this is true, I do not know, but this my theory.
First target measured:
GR-KR 140gr ELD-M 28,7gr N140_600_1.1.jpg.png

Conditions were very good but still, very pleased with this test.
210801_1_600.jpg

The result after next weekend will be interesting
Also, my first match from a bench and at 300m. Will probably learn something, as always.