6.5 Grendel V-Match

[biodsl]

The ELD-VT info is now in the Hornady 4DOF app.

[xoon]

none shipping yet but I see it popping up on a few website
soon...

[Double Naught Spy]

I don't know how useful it will be for hogs. I am hoping it is outstanding. That it is 100 gr. really isn't an issue.

We really don't know until we shoot some critters and see what the terminal ballistics look like to know if we like the performance of the bullet. I suspect it will work well enough that somebody will try shooting something far too large with it.

[Zeneffect]

I don't know how useful it will be for hogs. I am hoping it is outstanding. That it is 100 gr. really isn't an issue.

We really don't know until we shoot some critters and see what the terminal ballistics look like to know if we like the performance of the bullet. I suspect it will work well enough that somebody will try shooting something far too large with it.

Samsquatch

[Double Naught Spy]

Samsquatch

I don't know if I should be more bothered by the notion of killing a potentially unique animal specimen that is undoubtedly endangered (if it were known to exist) or that you seem to have named an imaginary animal "Sam."

With that said, it would be an excellent target to check bullet performance.

[Zeneffect]

Have you seen history Channel lately? Apparently there gangs of hill Billy's trying to bag one. "Samsquatch" is the appropriate vernacular when a tooth brush is taken in a literal technical sense of the word.

That being said, in the world of imaginary creatures I would say it would be close to bear sized caliber and energy requirements. Not sure I'd take on even a black bear with one of these 100gr pills.

Chalupacabra would go down easy.

[Bob R]

I have seen one of the .224 62ELD-VT Bullets. It looked good. My local Gunsmith got some in, along with some 22 ARC 75 ELD-M Loaded Ammunition. So far he has not gotten any other ELD-VT Bullets or Loaded 6.5 Grendel Ammunition.
I need to check back with him the first of the week and see if anything he has on order has shown up.
I think the 100 ELD-VT will be an impressive bullet in the 6.5 Grendel. It should be impressive in my Nosler M48 Handgun in 6.5CM also.

Bob R

[LRRPF52]

I picked up some of this ammo at my local Scheel’s and took it out with my boy to shoot at our favorite range.

I ran the estimated velocity through Shooter’s Notes internal ballistics engine calculator to give me a good idea of muzzle velocity from the 17.6” Grendel.

Loaded it up at the 1000yd range, went for the 700yd gong out of the gate since I didn’t want to waste time at 600yds and closer.

1st-round connect at 700yds, went to 800yd gong.

1st-round connect at 800yds, didn’t even bother with the 900yd and went to the 1000yd gong.

Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding.

Let me boy get on the gun, ding, ding, miss, ding, ding. He’s never shot past 780yds before.

It was really cold at around 20˚F. Elevation 6300ft. Winds 4-7mps half value.

I checked my turret and was dialed in at 10.8 mils for a nice horizontal waterline set of impacts on the steel.

First rounds were down and low right on the gong, so I adjusted until it was centerline on the steel.

It was hitting louder than I’ve heard 100gr hit steel at distance before, so maybe the hollow nose is allowing more splash in a shorter time to create more noise???

[grayfox]

Better BC maybe, more velocity and ke on the target?

[LRRPF52]

It seems like this round gives you 6mm ARC out of the Grendel basically. It’s a really long bullet with a great BC, cuts the wind very well, hits hard even at 1000yds.

Truing the data shows that it was going 2590fps from my 17.6” Lilja barrel.

I will definitely be buying a lot more of this ammo. The waterline impacts seemed to be within 1 MOA of vertical, though I was unable to drive down to the 1k gong due to mud.

[mulyhuntr]

Chrono'd two rounds of the 100gr Eldvt last range trip and velocities were 2690 and 2683 from an 18" barrel. Will shoot some groups next time out.

[mulyhuntr]

5-shot avg 2,660, es 60, sd24 and a hair over 1" from 18" Odin works barrel.

[biodsl]

It sounds like the trajectory of this round is similar to the trajectory of Mk262 out of a 18" barrel. The initial velocity is less but the better BC should make it up down range. You might be able to tune a 5.56 BDC to acceptable accuracy.

[LRRPF52]

It flies almost identical or overlapping with 6mm 103gr ELD-X and 108gr ELD-M. 108gr ELD-M might have .1 - .2 mils wind advantage once you get out from, but the 4DOF Hornady doppler Radar data is not showing much of that:

Comparing 14.5” 6.5 Grendel with 100gr ELD-VT at 2509fps vs 6mm ARC with 103gr ELD-X and 108gr ELD-M at 2452fps:

400yds = 1 mil drift for Grendel w/100gr ELD-VT, 1 mil for 6mm 103gr ELD-X, 1 mil for 108gr ELD-M
600yds = 1.7 mils for Grendel, 1.6 mils for 6mm 103gr ELD-X, 1.6 mils for 6mm 108gr ELD-M
700yds = 2 mils drift for Grendel/100gr ELD-VT, 2 mils for 103 ELD-X, 2 mils for 108gr ELD-M
800yds = 2.4 mils Grendel/100gr ELD-VT, 2.4 mils 103 ELD-X, 2.4 mils 108gr ELD-M

I’m using Hornady’s ballistic programs for both, but the 4DOF/Radar data is not available for the 100gr ELD-VT. When I was shooting it at 1000yds from a 17.6” Grendel, I was holding about 1.5 mils into the wind and had all hits on steel, with a varying wind at about 3/4 value, at 6300ft elevation and 20˚F.

I used 1000ft elevation and standard weather conditions even for the above comparisons. I used the standard Hornady program for the 100gr ELD-VT, and the Doppler Radar 4DOF program for the 6mms. My real world data with 100gr ELD-VT matches what the Hornady program generated even with G1 out to 1000yds. If there is a difference in wind values in favor of the 6mm, they might be .1 mils at 400yds, .2 mils at 600yds, .2 mils at 700yds, .2 mils at 800yds, .2 mils at 900yds, and .2 mils at 1000yds.

Both are supersonic to 900yds at 1000ft elevation. For yotes, you won’t notice the difference within 400-500yds. Barrel quality will matter more and your ability to read wind and shoot your call quickly.

[LRRPF52]

Something isn’t making sense when I compare real-world 100gr ELD-VT performance to 6mm ELD-X and ELD-M Radar track data.

There’s a tiny bit of difference, but not where I would expect it to be based on the published BCs. Makes me wonder what the BCs actually are with the 6mms.

For example, with the 6.5mm 123gr A-MAX and SST, the published G1 BCs were .510, but in reality, they are .468 and .462 respectively.

With the 129gr SST, it’s published at .485 G1, but Litz found it to be .495 G1, which makes sense when you look at the side-by-side. Longer scant ogive, more mass.




So what if a 103gr ELD-X with a published .512 G1 is actually .470?

What if the 108gr ELD-M (.536) is actually .485?

The listed BC of the 6.5mm 100gr ELD-VT is .445 G1.

Sierra tends to list theirs lower than they actually are. 107gr 6.5 SMK is much higher at .462, 123gr SMK is .523, not .510, etc.

Short story is you get about the same performance from the 100gr ELD-VT as you do with the common 6mm 103-108gr bullets.

The 6mm 110gr A-TIP should have better wind drift than the current 100-110gr class of 6.5mms, but they’re pricey.

Here’s an older pic of the 6mms:


Would be interesting to see the more modern 6mms lined up next to the 100gr ELD-VT and 107gr SMK.

I know for me, I lost all incentive to do a 6mm once I saw what the 110gr PPU FMJ would do, then even more after shooting the 100gr ELD-VT to 1000yds.

I have not been off the steel from 700-1000yds yet with it.