ELD-M minimum velocity for “expansion”?

My hard and fast rule is all cup and core bullets, VLDs, ELDM/X, ballistic tip Noslers, sierras, all those type are 1600fps. The ABLR you could go lower probably 1500 to 1400. Enough data to back up those out there seems like. Bonded 1800fps. These are all minimums.
 
Huntnful said:
You'll gain around 100FPS in the 28 nosler with the switch from 195's to 180's. And still gain BC.

I just killed an elk with the 180 ELDM at 2150fps impact velocity and performance was solid.

I like 2000fps as my minimum, but that has zero credibility or science behind it lol. Bullets just seem to work at or above that speed.
Click to expand...
Do you think the 180 ELDM really has a G7 BC of 0.401? That would require a form factor below 0.8. Do you know how long that bullet is?
 
Hornady has it around .391 and Litz has it about .360.

The screen shot below is Hornady's publications.

The .401 is on the box. Keep in mind that BC changes for different ranges.


Bullet length is 1.535ish tip to base.


IMG_3639.jpeg
 
dfanonymous said:
Hornady has it around .391 and Litz has it about .360.

The screen shot below is Hornady's publications.

The .401 is on the box. Keep in mind that BC changes for different ranges.


Bullet length is 1.535ish tip to base.


View attachment 613315
Click to expand...
Even with whatever the custom curve is from AB, if I remember correctly, the numbers seemed better with the 180 ELD-M than the EOL.
 
Last edited:
dfanonymous said:
Hornady has it around .391 and Litz has it about .360.

The screen shot below is Hornady's publications.

The .401 is on the box. Keep in mind that BC changes for different ranges.


Bullet length is 1.535ish tip to base.


View attachment 613315
Click to expand...
Yes very true. I should clarify that I trued at 1000 yards. Beyond that I'm sure the BC's start dropping
 
chav0_12 said:
Even with whatever the custom curve is from AB, if I remember correctly, the numbers seemed better with the 180 ELD-M than the EOL.
Click to expand...
I've never compared the two. While I have rifles in these chambers, I don't spend a ton of time in the 7mm/28 cal cartridges.

The custom curve is just the actual bullet flight rather than based on a drag model. Where the custom curve becomes off is when your equipment is exceptionally different. That's why in the AB library you'll see the PDMs.

Which brings me to
Phil Rizzo said:
If I shot a bullet and came up with true numbers based on my MV, elevation etc I would not pay much attention to Litz, H or anybody else.
Click to expand...
I suppose it would be that simple. However, everyone is always just "truing" to whatever they want to get data to line up to. You true in errors.

The only way to use drag models and have data dead nuts to subsonic is to have multiple BCs.
Most hunters don't do that. Competitive shooters do.

That's the point of custom drag curves.
 
Last edited:
Huntnful said:
Yes very true. I should clarify that I trued at 1000 yards. Beyond that I'm sure the BC's start dropping
Click to expand...
I wasn't going to say anything. A 28 nosler with a longer barrel than the test barrel and, and a faster twist than Mach 2.25 publications can most definitely be closer to the box.

Again, not knowing any other information or errors trued in.

Frankly it doesn't matter as long as you're getting the results you want.
 
dfanonymous said:
I wasn't going to say anything. A 28 nosler with a longer barrel than the test barrel and, and a faster twist than Mach 2.25 publications can most definitely be closer to the box.

Again, not knowing any other information or errors trued in.

Frankly it doesn't matter as long as you're getting the results you want.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. Could definitely have errors involved. So I don't put a ton of weight into the trued numbers as far as preaching them as gospel.

I just get a good zero, constantly monitor MV, and make sure my stuff hits center at long range.

Scope tracking could be slightly off. Zero could be .1 high or low. So on and so on.

But if you start around .38 I think you'd be pretty close at 1000+ yards.
 
I've used eld m since the 7mag and its partitions got retired.
120& 123s in the Grendel have taken the last dozen antelope and a mulie buck fron 50-450 yards. Most droped in thier tracks with one making it 25 yards.
The Sweede filled a few tags with the 140 and 147s from antelope to elk.
The 30-06 only likes the 168eld m and filled a few tags over the years.
Keep them off meat as they grenade even at longer ranges! Not sure what the low threshold is but am confident they are better than most.
Also have not sent them through much bone, they would frag but not sure they would hold together good enough? The bullets I've recovered have been mushroomed pefectly and retained 1/3 to 1/2 their original weight.
 
Huntnful said:
Good info! The BC is definitely up there from my testing. Other than the 190 A-tip, it's pretty tough to compete with until you get to the big 30's pushing the 230 A-tip or bigger at pretty fast speeds
Click to expand...
It's quite the projectile. I'm launching them at 3019 in adg brass in a sammi chamber and it's nasty.
 

Similar threads

K
Minimum velocity for expansion?
Replies
2
Views
3K
Weezer
W
R
minimum velocity for reliable expansion?
Replies
1
Views
2K
sewwhat89
S
F
Barnes xpb minimum expansion velocity
Replies
8
Views
981
biednick
B
N
Berger Hunting VLD Minimum Expansion Velocity
Replies
1
Views
7K
MontanaRifleman
M
USAFRet
Low Velocity Expansion
2
Replies
17
Views
2K
USAFRet
USAFRet

Recent Posts

Top