NEW Hornady 6.5 Grendel 100gr ELD-VT Factory Load

[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?

[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]

[BigGrizz70]

[grayfox]

Measure the diameter of the base at the very bottom, then we can model the bullet in Grt.
That can lead to some comparative estimates and powders, etc.

[grayfox]

I can build an estimate with Acc 2520, at 2.280 OAL, that is very close to your observed MV, both 24" and 20" actual MV's.
2520 is a ball type.
So might be worth trying a ladder with it, start low, work up.
I was in the low 30 gr's, not the 25's. The limit, regardless of what OAL you can do, will be chamber pressure and seating length that has enough bearing surface resting in the case neck. That's why I stopped at 2.280. Maybe possible to get more but I think pressure is going to limit you there.
Don't try to "get" their powder it is a custom cannister blend, not what we can buy off the shelves.

[cb4017]

I took a box of these out a few days ago to try through my 20" Rexus. Velocity was 2670.8 fps with a 13.7 fps SD.

I only fired 5 rds. Out of those 5 I had 3 failures to feed. I think my gun is slightly under gassed with them. At least with a rifle buffer and recoil spring. Bolt wasn't going back enough to strip the round from the magazine and didn't lock the bolt back on the last round. I'll probably try them on a carbine lower in the near future.

Group was 1.432". (1.368 MOA). Probably me since I had to screw with the gun a few times to clear the failures.

[BigGrizz70]

So what do you know, Hornady published some article with a G7 bc of .266. That is what I stuck into Strelok to get ballistic results. Well I'll be dammed but it was a typo. True G7 bc is .226. Now ,that makes a difference. It is not bad but a 107 TMK beats it. , and a 123 scenar beats it, eve.n a 123 SST is only a few inches more in drift and a 118 cavity back beats is as well in drift to 1,000. Drop yds. It is a little flatter than the above . So, it is probably a better suited varmint load, less drop ( flatter). So once again when something is to good to be true, it probably isn't.

[LRRPF52]

So what do you know, Hornady published some article with a G7 bc of .266. That is what I stuck into Strelok to get ballistic results. Well I'll be dammed but it was a typo. True G7 bc is .226. Now ,that makes a difference. It is not bad but a 107 TMK beats it. , and a 123 scenar beats it, eve.n a 123 SST is only a few inches more in drift and a 118 cavity back beats is as well in drift to 1,000. Drop yds. It is a little flatter than the above . So, it is probably a better suited varmint load, less drop ( flatter). So once again when something is to good to be true, it probably isn't.

I just ran the numbers on it if hand-loaded with Hodgdon’s new data using LVR and CFE223.

From 18” barrels, it really beats the 6mm ARC 108gr ELD-M, even if we hand-load the 6mm 75fps faster than Hornady’s data.

I’m using Hodgdon’s load data for the 100gr Partition (which is harder to drive into the lands) with an average between their CFE223 and LVR data from 24” barrel (2873-2900fps), then run down to 18” velocity of 2750fps.

6.5 Grendel 18” barrel, 100gr ELD-VT, 2750fps, .226 G7 Hornady program, 6300ft elevation, 59˚F

600yds 3.7 mils drop 1.1 drift
800yds 6.0 / 1.6 (592ft-lbs)
1000yds 8.8 / 2.1 (436ft-lbs)

6mm ARC 24” barrel, 108gr ELD-M, 2650fps hand load, Hornady Doppler Radar Data, 6300ft elev, 59˚F

600yds 4.1 mils / 1.3 drift
800yds 6.8 / 1.9
1000yds 10.2 / 2.6

That really kills the ARC in that weight class. ARC is still relevant with the 55-87gr bullets for varmint, but I’m just not seeing the attraction in the 100-110gr class. Let me switch to the 110gr 6mm A-TIP to see if it will do it....


110gr 6mm A-TIP, 2650fps Hodgdon’s max data, 24” 6mm ARC, Hornady Doppler program, same conditions:

1000yds 9.5 drop / 2.2 drift 433 ft-lbs

[LRRPF52]

I just checked Hodgdon’s 6mm ARC data. The 18” Grendel beats 24” 6mm ARC even with the A-TIP, unless I have made some type of major error (very possible).

I just think it comes down to velocity working in Grendel’s favor in this case with bullets that have close BCs, even though the 6mms are supposed to be much better on paper.

The doppler program doesn’t lie, and neither does real world impacts on target.

[41bear]

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!

Great that they see the need but I'm disappointed that it's loading is so slow, even their loading book, that I have, shows several loads with an 16/18 inch barrel at 2600/2700 fps. I'm guessing that the psi must be in the upper 40's for that speed in a 24 inch barrel.

[LRRPF52]

Great that they see the need but I'm disappointed that it's loading is so slow, even their loading book, that I have, shows several loads with an 16/18 inch barrel at 2600/2700 fps. I'm guessing that the psi must be in the upper 40's for that speed in a 24 inch barrel.

Yup. I saw 2675fps with 100gr Nosler BT 14 years ago without exceeding max published loads from my first 16” Grendel.

Looking at Hodgdon’s recent load data, they got 2900fps from a 24” barrel with the 100gr Partition, which is harder to drive into the lands than other cup and core bullets.

Hodgdon	CFE 223	2.240"		29.5	2,625	39,800 PSI		32.9	2,873	49,500 PSI
Hodgdon	LVR	2.240"		28.2	2,680	42,600 PSI		32.2	2,900	49,800 PSI

Manufacturers are having a hard time sourcing consistent powder supply with compliant pressure behavior. I think Hornady addressed this with the recent questions about their 7mm PRC low velocities.

Most of the powders Hodgdon’s tested under a 100gr in 6.5 Grendel produced 2640-2767fps. LVR and CFE223 are exceptional in that they generate 2873-2900fps.

If I run that through the internal engine for Grendel for different barrel lengths based on that CFE223 max of 2873fps...

20”: 2793fps
18”: 2744fps
16”: 2688fps
14.5”: 2639fps
12”: 2540fps
10.5”: 2465fps