Transonic issues with 30cal Hornady 225ELD-M?

[PWS]

Just curious if anybody is having success with 30cal 225ELD-Ms at transonic ranges.

I put 100 of of these through a stock Sendeho, 300RUM at 2975mv. While I had no troubles out to 1250yds, impacts went wild at 1500.

Didn’t think too much about it but they’re doing the same thing out of a 1-9Brux 300WSM at 2775mv. I’m at ~1moa out to 1250 but impacts are opening up to ~4moa another 250 yards out.

 

[284winner]

Just curious if anybody is having success with 30cal 225ELD-Ms at transonic ranges.

I put 100 of of these through a stock Sendeho, 300RUM at 2975mv. While I had no troubles out to 1250yds, impacts went wild at 1500.

Didn’t think too much about it but they’re doing the same thing out of a 1-9Brux 300WSM at 2775mv. I’m at ~1moa out to 1250 but impacts are opening up to ~4moa another 250 yards out.

Wouldn't think you'd be transonic yet at 1500 yards. Not sure your elevation but even at a mean elevation of 2000' in AK, I'd think you still have enough steam to still be supersonic. If you are hitting that transonic range, it more than likely is the issue

 

[284winner]

Try running up the velocity some. Right around 3050-3100 is what my buddy runs his. His does great at 1750 with both 210s and 225s. A little under weight for when he's trying those plates in some wind but it makes it fine with no transonic issues. Could just that simple.

 

[DaveTooley]

I think you have another issue. This is the first I've heard about issues with the 225"s. I know Hornady and a lot of other people have shot them much further with no problems.

 

[284winner]

I agree. I do not think it's a transonic issue.

 

[PWS]

I’m right at sea level (400 yards from the N Pacific in fact) and JBM is giving me a remaining velocity of ~1375 for the RUM and ~1250 for the WSM. As far as I can tell, drop numbers are spot-on and I just put four into 16” at 1250 (3in8”) two days ago. Couldn’t luck a hit on the 1500 plate on three different range sessions.

The last two weeks have been steady high pressure, light winds and I’m shooting right at daybreak to minimize environmental factors but it’s probably just the nut behind the butt wishing he could blame his equipment.

 

[284winner]

Well it really doesn't sound like a transonic issue. From your original statement on the 1250-1500 change, it sounds odd. Run some different bullets the same and see what happens. Maybe some lighter bullets that will pick up a little more velocity(210/215).

 

[FeMan]

What BC are you using? A buddy had issues with the 7mm 180 hitting way low after 1,200 yards. Once he changed to a variable BC based on velocity he started getting hits. We shoot out to 2,500 yards for fun sometimes. My Bergers work with a constant BC but not the ELDMs. They can be a mil or more low.

 

[PWS]

FeMan, I’m using the BC in the JBM bullet library, G7 of 0.391, and it seems to give me accurate come-ups and windage to 1250.

I’m getting hits on plates from 500 to <1000 that are around 2moa (random chunks of scrap metal) and around 3moa from 1000 to 1250.

The two main causes of a miss is poor shooting technique or a bad wind call but the impacts at 1500 were all over the place and random.

 

[PWS]

Conditions were as close to perfect as it gets here this morning so I tried my last 15 225s and a few 208AMAXs.

My 1500 plate hangs on a lake wooded shore so for starters, I put five rounds at the reflection to see the splash. Vertical was ~3moa and horizontal less than 1moa.

The next ten rounds were directed at the plate and resulted in three hits. Of those, two of the splotches are, no question, oblong. Five of the misses were lost in the bank but two were down on the water about 2moa low. JBM calls for 47.24 and I was dialing 47.25.

I then switched to 208s at 2830mv and got three hits in five shots with nice, round, daisy-face impacts on the plate. Sent four 208s at 1750 and the two hits there were unquestionably nose-on.

Not sure what’s going on with the 225s but they’re not working for me beyond 1250.

As an aside, I am a big fan and user of Hornady products so this isn’t meant to be Hornady bashing thread.

 

[DaveTooley]

It does have a 1-10 twist barrel or supposed to anyway. Talked to an engineer friend at Hornady and he said it's not a twist problem. Something else happening.

 

[PWS]

The 300RUM is a recent factory Remington barrel. I only shot 215Bergers and 225ELDs in it and it definitely preferred the Berger’s at all ranges.

The 300WSM is a 1-9 Brux, six groove.

My results could be from something as unrelated as shipping damage. The bullets came from MidwayUSA to Kodiak via USPS and the box looked like a football by the time it got here. Two of the five bullet boxes had ruptured inside the main box (but luckily not enough to spill the contents). A random number of the bullets themselves have little dimples, particularly on the ogive but not placed consistently, as if they were hit with another bullet’s heel. Perhaps those random dimples are the problem?

 

[284winner]

Conditions were as close to perfect as it gets here this morning so I tried my last 15 225s and a few 208AMAXs.

My 1500 plate hangs on a lake wooded shore so for starters, I put five rounds at the reflection to see the splash. Vertical was ~3moa and horizontal less than 1moa.

The next ten rounds were directed at the plate and resulted in three hits. Of those, two of the splotches are, no question, oblong. Five of the misses were lost in the bank but two were down on the water about 2moa low. JBM calls for 47.24 and I was dialing 47.25.

I then switched to 208s at 2830mv and got three hits in five shots with nice, round, daisy-face impacts on the plate. Sent four 208s at 1750 and the two hits there were unquestionably nose-on.

Not sure what’s going on with the 225s but they’re not working for me beyond 1250.

As an aside, I am a big fan and user of Hornady products so this isn’t meant to be Hornady bashing thread.

Well now you know it's not the rifle. Run those 225s around 3050+. Could be the shipping damage but try a bit faster velocity. Post results