150 grain ELD-X and 7mm-08

I got 2 boxes of the new 150 grain ELD-X bullets from Santa. Anyone have experience loading these bullets in a 7mm-08? I have Big Game, Hunter, and Varget.




I swapped the SA bolt stop on my Tikka Superlite for a LA stop and I reached the lands at 2.987". On the left is my main load, 140 NP at 2.808". I'd like to get close to 2750 fps.




P

mjcmichigan":2dyuiyr4 said:

pharmseller":2dyuiyr4 said:

I got 2 boxes of the new 150 grain ELD-X bullets from Santa. Anyone have experience loading these bullets in a 7mm-08? I have Big Game, Hunter, and Varget.

I swapped the SA bolt stop on my Tikka Superlite for a LA stop and I reached the lands at 2.987". On the left is my main load, 140 NP at 2.808". I'd like to get close to 2750 fps.



Can you double check what you have?

I can't find a 150g ELD-X in 7mm, I'm finding 162g. Hornady's load data on the 162g matches the 162g SST. Surface metal and secant must be very similar.


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Click to expand...

Looking harder, I found the Hornady manual is likely in error.
The 162 is a ELD-match, the ELD-X is avail in 150, 160, and 172g.
I'd call hornady


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mjcmichigan":26oi97kz said:

mjcmichigan":26oi97kz said:

pharmseller":26oi97kz said:

I got 2 boxes of the new 150 grain ELD-X bullets from Santa. Anyone have experience loading these bullets in a 7mm-08? I have Big Game, Hunter, and Varget.

I swapped the SA bolt stop on my Tikka Superlite for a LA stop and I reached the lands at 2.987". On the left is my main load, 140 NP at 2.808". I'd like to get close to 2750 fps.



Can you double check what you have?

I can't find a 150g ELD-X in 7mm, I'm finding 162g. Hornady's load data on the 162g matches the 162g SST. Surface metal and secant must be very similar.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Looking harder, I found the Hornady manual is likely in error.
The 162 is a ELD-match, the ELD-X is avail in 150, 160, and 172g.
I'd call hornady


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Take a peek.

http://www.hornady.com/store/ELD-X

ELD-X in 7mm comes in three flavors, 150, 162, and 175.




P

I have loaded 150 gr. Nosler BT's with hunter and get 2760 fps in a 22" barrel.

Tjay":3gxtw7jq said:

I have loaded 150 gr. Nosler BT's with hunter and get 2760 fps in a 22" barrel.

Click to expand...

How much Hunter?




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The hunter load was right at 49.5. FPS Measured with a magneto chrono.

I have the newest quickload , Dec 2016 . the 7mm , 150 ELD-x is not listed .

I loaded 6 each starting at 2.318" (measured from the ogive with a Hornady Comparator), then 2.279", 2.239", and 2.197". The shortest length still exceeded max mag length using the 7mm-08 mag.

Nosler says 49.5 grains of Hunter is a compressed load. There at the end I could sorta feel a crunch, but Hunter is pretty fine.

I hit the range yesterday , 37 degrees and calm. After boresighting and getting on paper at 50 yards I moved to 100 yards and set up 4 targets. I started with the shortest loads first, and got the best accuracy short.

The second-shortest load showed the most promise, coming in at 0.82" in 5 shots.




The shortest load looked okay, coming in just under an inch.





I think I'll try a couple hundredths between the two loads.





P

Finally another range day! Windy as heck but the rain didn't start until I was almost done.

This time I picked the loads I put together using different charge weights of Hunter. The factory OAL didn't shoot worth a darn with any of the four charges.

The load .030" off the lands was equally bad until I got to the higher charges. More research is needed, but I might have found a winner.




This one measures 0.588". It's over max so I'm not going to post the recipe, but the cases look fine. I'll chrono it maybe next week to make sure I'm not significantly over speed. Then I'll roll a few more and see if I can replicate the group. This could get interesting.






P

I have found loads with Hunter to get better as you get to max pressure. I read that it is designed to burn better/efficiently at higher pressure and that mag primers can tighten groups up also.

I chronographed these loads today. I got an average of 2897 fps and an ES of 9. I know brass appearance is a poor indicator of pressure issues, but the brass looks fine.





I'm going to shoot a few more at the range to see if I can replicate my earlier success.





P

Not having stated your barrel length...2897 fps is a screaming 150gr bullet out of a 7/08, and I personally don't like the look of those primers. Just my $0.02, but it looks like you're on/over the edge.

That is one heckuva good looking load. That is some serious speed on the 7-08. I get right about the same with the 150 Partitions and Ballistic Tips with RL17 and a 22" M70 7x57. That load right there will have some good reach. Pretty danged sleek bullet.

Any chance you would put one of them into the water jugs for us?

The is seriously fast with a 150 grain bullet out of the 7-08, look forward to tossing the brass after a few firings due to loose pockets. Primers looks pretty flat.

I don't have QL sitting in front of me right now, but what does it show for PSI with a 150 BT (I know it has a little more bearing surface than the 150 Hornady), and Ramshot Hunter?

I don't put too much stock into primers anymore fellas. They are a sign, but I have rifles that make them pancake flat with factory loads that are quite slow at best. Not saying it isn't a hot charge at all, but primer appearance doesn't worry me one way or the other most of the time, within reason.

I don't read primers either , I've seen to many false signs . I was measuring case head expansion for awhile , but this is hard to do and get a repeatable number . if your not using more than normal effort to open the bolt and brass life is good use it . most if not all my better shooting loads are right around max or over , it just seems to be that way for me .

I read through the thread, I don't see enough info to run a quickload to get an idea of the PSI this is making . if it's here point it out , someone will run it .

fired case water capacity
COAL off the tip
powder , hunter ?
charge weight
bbl length

Nosler lists 2869 fps with 150 and Hunter, but that's out of a 26" barrel. From my original post I'm shooting a Tikka Superlite, 22 7/16" barrel.

Be advised I swapped out the bolt stop so the bullet is seated quite long. I'll measure OAL, I'm using the ogive measurement currently.

I'll check case head expansion and report back. No problem with extraction whatsoever.





P

Jim, one more thing to add. Checked QL and my newest version does not show the ELD-X 150 grain bullet. Will need to get bullet specs to enter the bullet data. Hopefully Pharmseller may provide the specs.

Cartridge : 7 mm-08 Rem.
Bullet : .284, 150, Nosler BalTip 39586
Useable Case Capaci: 47.954 grain H2O = 3.114 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.900 inch = 73.66 mm
Barrel Length : 22.7 inch = 576.6 mm
Powder : Ramshot Hunter

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.462% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-04.6 102 46.74 2711 2448 51900 9659 97.1 1.183
-04.2 103 46.96 2724 2472 52757 9700 97.2 1.174
-03.7 103 47.19 2738 2497 53613 9741 97.4 1.166
-03.2 104 47.41 2752 2522 54486 9780 97.6 1.157
-02.8 104 47.64 2766 2548 55375 9819 97.7 1.149 ! Near Maximum !
-02.3 105 47.87 2779 2573 56280 9857 97.9 1.141 ! Near Maximum !
-01.8 105 48.09 2793 2598 57201 9894 98.0 1.133 ! Near Maximum !
-01.4 106 48.32 2807 2624 58140 9931 98.2 1.125 ! Near Maximum !
-00.9 106 48.55 2820 2649 59096 9966 98.3 1.117 ! Near Maximum !
-00.5 107 48.77 2834 2675 60070 10000 98.4 1.108 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 107 49.00 2848 2701 61062 10034 98.6 1.100 ! Near Maximum !
+00.5 108 49.23 2861 2727 62072 10066 98.7 1.093 ! Near Maximum !
+00.9 108 49.45 2875 2753 63103 10098 98.8 1.085 ! Near Maximum !
+01.4 109 49.68 2889 2780 64151 10128 98.9 1.077 ! Near Maximum !
+01.8 109 49.91 2903 2806 65221 10158 99.0 1.069 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.3 110 50.13 2916 2833 66309 10187 99.1 1.062 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 107 49.00 2981 2960 74216 9745 100.0 1.019 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 107 49.00 2664 2364 49416 9762 92.5 1.206

I ran it for 22.7" barrel, 2.900 COAL and the 150 BT with Hunter.

This is what I see, you are probably in the 63-65K range, just about where a 270 Winchester operates. Your bullet has less bearing surface than a 150 Ballistic Tip.

As Jim said, if you aren't wearing out brass and you feel okay with it, I'd shoot it, but there isn't any place to go up from there.

Pharm, it is just about as good as a 270 Winchester at those speeds :mrgreen:

Just kidding about the 270 Win thing.

Honestly, the 7-08 is mapped a little lower than a 25-06 or 270 Win. You are running up there in that area. If cases last, and the gun isn't balking, and you are A-Ok with it, I'd run it. With the BC on that bullet it should do its work just fine, even backed down another 50FPS..