So I spent about 3 hours at the range today. Conditions were great: next to no wind, 74F and low humidity. Unfortunately the sun was beating down on the firing line/barrel.
I took with me six, 5-shot loads.
1. 42.26 gr Varget (96.5% of listed max load) seated at 2.208" CBTO which I estimate to be 50 thou off the lands - this was the best performing load from my previous seating depth test (90, 50, 30 and 10 estimated jump) done at 96% of listed max load
2. 42.46 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
3. 42.68 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
4. 42.90 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
5. 43.12 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
6. 43.34 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO (98.5% of listed max load)
I was expecting 2 to do better than 3 on paper. It's closer to the CBTO of the HPS ammo (Sierra Matchking 168 gr with 44.5 gr of N540) I have been using until now. But it did not. Group wasn't as good and velocity SD larger as well. Seems like these ELD Match like a big jump in my rifle (if anything at all).
None of the above loads produced groups as good as the HPS 'factory' ammo.
Here's some velocity data: (figures more informative on relative basis than absolute basis)
Average then SD in fps
1. 2467.8 12.68
2. 2474.0 16.84
3. 2490.4 19.72
4. 2499.6 15.79
5. 2494.0 18.80
6. 2500.8 12.01
By way of comparison, 6 rounds of my HPS ammo produced
2571.5 16.53
Tighter groups but with a relatively large velocity SD.
I find it interesting that average velocities really flattened out (4-6) in my ELD-M ladder test.
I don't think I am getting any pressure signs (pic of primers attached; loads 1 left thru to 6 right). Please do let me know if you think otherwise. (Click thumbnail for larger image)

(Of course I was only doing 5 shot groups. Even with load 6 I can only be 95% confident that the population average is somewhere between 2485.9 and 2515.7 and the SD between 7.19 and 34.51.)
I think I need to keep progressing up the powder ladder and test a slightly shorter CBTO (longer jump).
I took with me six, 5-shot loads.
1. 42.26 gr Varget (96.5% of listed max load) seated at 2.208" CBTO which I estimate to be 50 thou off the lands - this was the best performing load from my previous seating depth test (90, 50, 30 and 10 estimated jump) done at 96% of listed max load
2. 42.46 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
3. 42.68 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
4. 42.90 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
5. 43.12 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO
6. 43.34 gr seated at 2.218" CBTO (98.5% of listed max load)
I was expecting 2 to do better than 3 on paper. It's closer to the CBTO of the HPS ammo (Sierra Matchking 168 gr with 44.5 gr of N540) I have been using until now. But it did not. Group wasn't as good and velocity SD larger as well. Seems like these ELD Match like a big jump in my rifle (if anything at all).
None of the above loads produced groups as good as the HPS 'factory' ammo.
Here's some velocity data: (figures more informative on relative basis than absolute basis)
Average then SD in fps
1. 2467.8 12.68
2. 2474.0 16.84
3. 2490.4 19.72
4. 2499.6 15.79
5. 2494.0 18.80
6. 2500.8 12.01
By way of comparison, 6 rounds of my HPS ammo produced
2571.5 16.53
Tighter groups but with a relatively large velocity SD.
I find it interesting that average velocities really flattened out (4-6) in my ELD-M ladder test.
I don't think I am getting any pressure signs (pic of primers attached; loads 1 left thru to 6 right). Please do let me know if you think otherwise. (Click thumbnail for larger image)

(Of course I was only doing 5 shot groups. Even with load 6 I can only be 95% confident that the population average is somewhere between 2485.9 and 2515.7 and the SD between 7.19 and 34.51.)
I think I need to keep progressing up the powder ladder and test a slightly shorter CBTO (longer jump).