Hornady's new ELD bullets in F-TR?

[DRNewcomb]

I was wondering if anyone had tried Hornady's new ELD-M bullets for shooting F-TR? I must be missing something because I don't quite understand why they offer them in the weights they do. The lightest .308 bullet is 208 gn, which is pretty heavy for .308 Winchester. I'm surprised that they don't offer these in 155-170 gn weights. They have an ELD-X in 178 gn but I'm not sure it offers a lot of advantages over their 178 HPBT.

 

[XTR]

Take a look at any hunting site, everyone has watched a long range hunting show on TV and now wants a 300 Vorpal Magnum to shoot at animals from the next zipcode, never mind that Ray Charles could read wind better.

 

[DRNewcomb]

Got it but the ELD-Ms are supposed to be "match" bullets, not hunting. Why wouldn't they make something as could be fired from a .308?

 

[XTR]

Got it but the ELD-Ms are supposed to be "match" bullets, not hunting. Why wouldn't they make something as could be fired from a .308?

errr... I don't know. In F-TR we are about to the point where 185 is as light as anyone shoots and 200-215 are the norm.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

The 208 Amax did well out of the 308. Never mind the fact that the bullets probably weren't going fast enough to melt the tips.

You can push them up around 2600 out of a long barrel.

 

[XTR]

The only "problem" as it were that I've heard about with the 208 Amax is that it has a longer bearing surface than the Berger offerings in the same class so it builds pressure sooner so the it loses out on velocity when you run them to the edge.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

That is true with Varget. I did it.

 

[watercam]

They are definitely being marketed as long range hunting bullets. Supposed to expand well at velocities as low as 1600 fps.. That being said, if they are more accurate than a conventional cup and core match bullet, great!

 

[Berger.Fan222]

For me and my buddies, it will come down to a combination of price, accuracy, and availability. You can't shoot what you can't buy. A steady supply is the first requirement.

 

[boltman13]

These new bullets are just too new, untested, and scarce. The target bullets, yes there are hunting and target bullets, will get a thorough testing by the long range shooters once they become more available, and if they are shown to be accurate, reliable, and competitive with other companies bullets they will see success. The 30 cal shooters both F-open and F-TR, will probably be the first to give them a try. The trend in both classes it toward heavier and heavier bullets for caliber. I have moved from Berger 168 gr Hybrids to 185 gr Hybrids to handle wind changes better and despite the added recoil am glad I did. F class rifles are heavy, and there are some recoil mitigating devices that also help make recoil less punishing. I will certainly see if my rifle likes them when they become more available.