178g ELD X report- shooting well at 400y!

[Peakbagger46]

After some help here I worked up some loads for my 24” Remington 700 5R .308 using Hornady 178g ELD X bullets. I had been shooting 168g SMK out of this rifle but wanted something more efficient at ranges from 400-700y.

Lapua brass, CCI BR primers, 43.0g VARGET, 2.810” COAL. This load is ever so lightly compressed and is OVER MAX listed by Hornady’s (conservative?) data. Safe in my rifle, but work up and be careful.

All groups shot prone off bipod. Jacket used as rear rest. Scope is a FFP Vortex Viper PST 4-16X50. Decent, but not stellar optics.

Testing groups at 100y:


Two five shot groups at 400y. Poor wind call on first group:




Not shot over the chronograph yet, but correcting my ballistic app for drop, velocity appears to be around 2,720fps. Interestingly, POI at 100y is identical to my old 168g load.

No world class shooting here, but I am tickled with the results so far.

 

[z7]

Good shooting!

I shoot a lot of the 178 eldM out of my 24” 308. I am using Winchester brass and 44.0g of varget for 2660fps. It’s not pushing really hard but the billet flies well out beyond 500yds.

Last long range outing I went 5 for 5 off a tripod (standing) on a 12” gong at 630yds. The load groups for me around 1/2” at 100 and any outside that group are usually my shooting, I need a new bipod because i fight my Harris and am not very consistent on a bench with it

Prone in grass or dirt I am solid

 

[jmr40]

I doubt you're getting 2700 fps. I used data for 180 gr bullets and Hodgdon shows 2660 fps with 45 gr. I've been loading 44.5 gr in my 22" guns and getting about 2620 fps. That is about the same accuracy that I get. I really like these bullets. I'm getting the same accuracy with the 143 ELD's in my 6.5 CM.

 

[Walkalong]

This load is ever so lightly compressed and is OVER MAX listed by Hornady’s (conservative?)

I would never assume a powder makers data was "conservative" and "assume" you can go over it. And without pressure equipment you have no real idea of what pressure your load runs.

 

[Orcon]

Hornady 308 Match, WLRP and 43.5 gr of varget gives me an avg 10 shot of 2700 fps with the 178gr ELDX in a 24" 5R Krieger. Glad to see you're seeing success. Hornady 308 data is weaksauce.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I would never assume a powder makers data was "conservative" and "assume" you can go over it. And without pressure equipment you have no real idea of what pressure your load runs.

As always, Walkalong, your input is appreciated and respected.

The powder manufacture (Hogdon) lists 45.0g as a max load for Varget with 180g. This is with a different bullet though, going that hot with the long ELD X would likely be a very bad idea. Also the Winchester brass they’re using likely has more capacity than Lapua brass.

Based on the below data from Hogdon, do you still think 43g is dangerous?

 

[Peakbagger46]

I doubt you're getting 2700 fps. I used data for 180 gr bullets and Hodgdon shows 2660 fps with 45 gr. I've been loading 44.5 gr in my 22" guns and getting about 2620 fps. That is about the same accuracy that I get. I really like these bullets. I'm getting the same accuracy with the 143 ELD's in my 6.5 CM.

What brass are you using? I’m surprised you could get that much Varget into the case with the ELD X.