6.5 Creedmoor 100gr ELD-VT + Varget Load Development

[Dylan4570]

I couldn't find very much online regarding results of testing the new Hornady 100gr ELD-VT. I just so happen to have recently come into possession of a 6.5 Creedmoor. So I thought I would give it a shot. My goal was a sub moa load with good(approaching single digits or better) SD.

The Rifle is a ARC Nucleus with a PVA 26" prefit.
Sig LRP brass. Because it was the cheapest I could get 50 pieces of 6.5 brass. Never tried Sig brass before, overall it seems to be acceptable quality.
Federal LRP's. Trying to use them up.
Varget Powder.
Hornady Dies.


Below is my initial loadings. The Hornady load data suggested 2.775 COAL. I started with 2.800.

It was hot and there was some mirage.

Although the general accuracy was good. I am not happy with the SD's This isn't to blame the bullet or anything in particular. I'm theorizing that either the bullet needs to be slightly deeper closer to Hornady spec. OR possibly the jump is to far. I am willing to dedicate 25 more shots to this combination because the accuracy is already quite good.

Subsequent loadings will be:

I like being 20-40 thou off the lands. I find that to provide good results most of the time. My issue is that there's not much bullet actually in the case with this length... Hence my additional 3 loads will be 2.790. slightly shorter.

Overall the bullet seems to be pretty good.

Now how much does the SD matter in the use case of this bullet? Well anecdotally last time I was Coyote hunting with my 22 250 with 40gr projectiles I had a dog stop on me at 500 yards. If I'm going into a situation where I expect to take that long of a shot. I'd take my 6 or 6.5. So what does a 25 FPS variation mean at 500?

The 6.5 ELD-VT
3200 FPS = 39.96 inches @ 500 yards
3225 FPS = 39.19 inches @ 500 yards

Given all the other variables in a hunting situation. How much does the SD actually matter? Not THAT much in my opinion. Regardless hopefully my further testing and now fireformed brass will improve results. I won't be disappointed either way. I think the importance of SD on this bullet is exasperated by it's intended purpose. Its a varmint bullet that can reach out. To reach out though, a good SD is important.

Should Hornady have gone with a ~115gr bullet that had a little longer body suited for 2.8+ seating depth?

Am I ignoring a potential area around 40.8gr because I like speed? Maybe...

 

[Jdowns0415]

i found with my ELDVT 6.5's and 6arc to load them at a shorter COAL to reduce SD/ES. I seated mine at 2.760 & 2.740 and they had 6-10SD instead of 15 like it was seating them at 2.800. This was with H4350 and the powder was basically almost in the neck of the cartridge so I stopped at 45.0 for my AR10.

 

[Dylan4570]

i found with my ELDVT 6.5's and 6arc to load them at a shorter COAL to reduce SD/ES. I seated mine at 2.760 & 2.740 and they had 6-10SD instead of 15 like it was seating them at 2.800. This was with H4350 and the powder was basically almost in the neck of the cartridge so I stopped at 45.0 for my AR10.

Thank you for the response. That is good info.

Hopefully I see slightly improved SD/ES with the shorter depth. if I do; I will keep going shorter. I also have some IMR 4350 to try if needed.

 

[Jdowns0415]

Thank you for the response. That is good info.

Hopefully I see slightly improved SD/ES with the shorter depth. if I do; I will keep going shorter. I also have some IMR 4350 to try if needed.

I'm going to try staball match and varget next. I have had good luck with 6.5 Staball in every load I have tried it with so I'm hoping the staball match works good too because Varget and H4350 meter like shit in my Hornady Auto Charge.

 

[Dylan4570]

This weekends results:

So shorter COAL did lead to better SD's. I'm pretty happy with mid teen SD's.

hard part is deciding what final load to use. I am leaning towards 42.1gr @2.780


Edit: Added some of the groups. 2x .6's and a 0.4 MOA group.

I would like to touch on the accuracy overall. I reload to a goal. Which in this case was decent SD and sub moa. I achieved it. When I keep tuning and tuning I find it very easy to get lost in the noise. If you shoot the same load into 20x 5 shot groups. You know the group size will vary... Just because the last group went into 0.4 doesn't mean it will always do that. Given the mirage and scope (Bushnell nitro SFP junk) I can't even say I could shoot much better with a perfectly accurate rifle.

 

[Prison Mike]

I’m seating these .020 off the lands and had fantastic results. I don’t have my book in front of me but I think it’s around 2.217 base to ogive. Loaded with 43.2 gr of Varget out of an 18” Benchmark. Results were 3192 fps at .373 moa with 4.1 SD. I do lube all my case necks prior to searing. That was on my very first load development trip and I didn’t mess with it again after that. For hunting that’s more than good enough for me. Now I just need to test out the killing capability with these bullets to figure out if I want to stick with them or switch back to the Vmax.

 

[Jdowns0415]

2.750 COAL, 42.3gr of varget, starline SRP brass, CCI450. No pressure signs on the brass out of my 20 inch criterion barrel in my AR10 these are going 3250 with an SD of 11 in 7x fired brass. Sub MOA (.6-.9) with no can, I can probably get that group size down with better marksmanship skills and a can on the rifle, overall very happy with the results with varget. Next week I'm going to try and take them out and group them around 600y and see how I do with them. then take them out to 1300 on some steel. rifle is a 20 inch criterion 6.5 stainless barrel on a aero reciever set, SA gas block, RCA Bolt, tubb spring and KAK AR10 rifle buffer.

 

[mwiggi]

Thinking about trying these in my shorty 6.5cm.

Now that it’s been a couple of months, would yall recommend these?

I know Varget is popular with them, but I was planning on using H4350 or IMR 4064.

 

[Jdowns0415]

in my 18 inch AR10 H4350 never worked well. Couldn’t get up to velocity without pressure signs. I’d go with varget. Save the H4350 for the 130+gr loads

 

[Prison Mike]

Thinking about trying these in my shorty 6.5cm.

Now that it’s been a couple of months, would yall recommend these?

I know Varget is popular with them, but I was planning on using H4350 or IMR 4064.

Zero complaints out of my shorty 6.5.

 

[mwiggi]

Zero complaints out of my shorty 6.5. View attachment 8526796

That’s a nice rig. Debating on getting a Manners to replace my extra Iota Eko.

Ordered a couple hundred ELD VT from Midway since they were on sale. Would IMR 4064 work? Or should I just plan to get more Varget?

 

[Prison Mike]

That’s a nice rig. Debating on getting a Manners to replace my extra Iota Eko.

Ordered a couple hundred ELD VT from Midway since they were on sale. Would IMR 4064 work? Or should I just plan to get more Varget?

Thank you. I use varget and consistently shoot .3” groups at just over 3000 fps. I can’t speak to 4064.

 

[mwiggi]

Loaded with 43.2 gr of Varget out of an 18” Benchmark. Results were 3192 fps at .373 moa

43.2 grain of Varget works great in my Tikka 6.5cm shorty. Just had the rifle bedded and couldn’t be happier. Spent almost a year trying to find a load that shot half this well. I’m a believer in bedding now.

 

[tekmann2377]

Varget works fine, but for 95-100 gr class bullets in the Creedmoor 8208 XBR works awesome! Somewhere in the 39-40 gr range should make in the 3150-3200 fps range. I had better consistency with 8208 vs Varget under 95 Vmaxes.

4064 is a similar burn rate to Varget and I see no reason it would not be a good choice. Typically a very forgiving powder as well.

 

[mwiggi]

Anyone shot any whitetail with these? Seen a few pictures on Rokslide and seems lethal, but destroys a ton of meat.

 

[Dylan4570]

Anyone shot any whitetail with these? Seen a few pictures on Rokslide and seems lethal, but destroys a ton of meat.

It would seem pretty stupid to shoot something you want to eat with a varmint bullet. It's designed to come apart.

 

[Hondo1]

Did any of you get around to trying StaBall Match yet?

 

[mwiggi]

Did any of you get around to trying StaBall Match yet?

Haven’t tried anything other than Varget in two rifles. Accuracy is just too good to try a different powder. Was very easy to find an optimal charge weight and very little recoil.

 

[Jdowns0415]

Couldn’t find match locally but I got staball 6.5, ultimateadvertiser did a video with it and got good results so I’m gonna try it. 3300 seems to be the sweet spot in my rifle and the hold is only 6.2mil to 1000 yards so I’m gonna just attempt to replicate that velocity and accuracy so I can load on my Dillon.

 

[mwiggi]

Anyone try one of the Vihtavuori powders on these? Debating between N140 and N160, but would buy 8lb jug at a time. N140 looks closer to Varget, so I am leaning that way. But looks like N140 wouldn't be great for 130grain loads, so I'm undecided.

 

[redbullitt]

Going to try these bad boys out in the 28inch barrel 260 for some coyote medicine, then maybe the creedmoor.

 

[mwiggi]

Tried out N160 and ELD VT in my SJA 6.5cm. Much lower SDs than the Varget loads as a whole, but also a good bit slower. But at $31 a pound, it’s worth the FPS lost to me.

 

[Elmerfuzz]

Did any of you get around to trying StaBall Match yet?

I tried the 6.5 staball powder with poor results.
100grain eld vt
47.0 grains Winchester 6.5 staball powder
Fed 210 primer
Star line brass. New
2.800 oal
Es70 sd 19 low 3042. High 3112 av 3075
Ruger American predator 6.5 creedmoor

Fired 9 shots. Bolt very hard to lift. Had a primer come out at about shot 5. Should have stopped. The 9th shot the bolt got stuck and I gave it some force to eject it. Broke the extractor and the primer had also been blown completely out once the bolt opened

 

[Dylan4570]

I tried the 6.5 staball powder with poor results.
100grain eld vt
47.0 grains Winchester 6.5 staball powder
Fed 210 primer
Star line brass. New
2.800 oal
Es70 sd 19 low 3042. High 3112 av 3075
Ruger American predator 6.5 creedmoor

Fired 9 shots. Bolt very hard to lift. Had a primer come out at about shot 5. Should have stopped. The 9th shot the bolt got stuck and I gave it some force to eject it. Broke the extractor and the primer had also been blown completely out once the bolt opened

Does that rifle shoot factory ammo fine? I'm surprised you have that much pressure for the velocity...

 

[tekmann2377]

I tried the 6.5 staball powder with poor results.
100grain eld vt
47.0 grains Winchester 6.5 staball powder
Fed 210 primer
Star line brass. New
2.800 oal
Es70 sd 19 low 3042. High 3112 av 3075
Ruger American predator 6.5 creedmoor

Fired 9 shots. Bolt very hard to lift. Had a primer come out at about shot 5. Should have stopped. The 9th shot the bolt got stuck and I gave it some force to eject it. Broke the extractor and the primer had also been blown completely out once the bolt opened

I don't know if you can exclusively blame the powder, yours loads are way, way, way too hot. I have never seen good accuracy or ES/SD from primer blowing hot loads. I mean it literally broke your rifle.

I do agree on the results being odd, Staball 6.5 isn't that fast burning of a powder, and the velocity is low compared to that charge and burn rate. I got similar velocities using a moderate load of 8208 XBR, which should be all accounts generate similar pressure to your what your load was likely predicted to be (IE NOT primer blowing hot)

 

[Dylan4570]

I don't know if you can exclusively blame the powder, yours loads are way, way, way too hot. I have never seen good accuracy or ES/SD from primer blowing hot loads. I mean it literally broke your rifle.

I do agree on the results being odd, Staball 6.5 isn't that fast burning of a powder, and the velocity is low compared to that charge and burn rate. I got similar velocities using a moderate load of 8208 XBR, which should be all accounts generate similar pressure to your load.

Maybe it was staball match? not staball 6.5? lol.

EDIT: even then. the velocity would be higher. IDK...

 

[steve101610]

Did any of you get around to trying StaBall Match yet?

I load them with staball match and get great results. 3250 fps from a 20” proof carbon. Consistent sub moa and single digit sd with alpha lrp brass. I also tried varget and it worked great too but staball match gave more speed and meters so much better.

 

[Elmerfuzz]

Does that rifle shoot factory ammo fine? I'm surprised you have that much pressure for the velocity...

I ve never shot anything but hand loads but they have all shot perfectly before this incident

 

[Elmerfuzz]

Maybe it was staball match? not staball 6.5? lol.

EDIT: even then. the velocity would be higher. IDK...

I don’t have any staball match. I don’t know. I’m stumped

 

[Elmerfuzz]

I don't know if you can exclusively blame the powder, yours loads are way, way, way too hot. I have never seen good accuracy or ES/SD from primer blowing hot loads. I mean it literally broke your rifle.

I do agree on the results being odd, Staball 6.5 isn't that fast burning of a powder, and the velocity is low compared to that charge and burn rate. I got similar velocities using a moderate load of 8208 XBR, which should be all accounts generate similar pressure to your what your load was likely predicted to be (IE NOT primer blowing hot)

100% agree it was too hot but I’m just not sure why. 46.6 starting load and 49.9c according to what I found on hodgens website. Still confused on this

 

[Thomas Geistman]

For people shooting coyotes and bobcats with the new ELD-VT line, are the bullets exiting or no? Trying to judge if they’re gonna be fur friendly or not before I buy a bunch of them.

 

[Bevo]

I worked up a load for my 22” gasser and settled on 40.8 gr of Varget in Lapua LRP with 210M primers. 2.780” COAL.

3150 fps with SDs around 7. 5-shot groups.

 

[1clicktrick]

Going to try these bad boys out in the 28inch barrel 260 for some coyote medicine, then maybe the creedmoor.

Damn I bet you have super fast velocity with the 260! Did you ever load these? Im working up coyote pills for my 260 as well.

 

[Kocher]

The 6.5 ELD-VT


Should Hornady have gone with a ~115gr bullet that had a little longer body suited for 2.8+ seating depth?

Am I ignoring a potential area around 40.8gr because I like speed? Maybe...

I would say do the same business model horny-day follows: look what everybody else is using, copy the competition and sell it as your own…

So if I were you, I’d go to one of the major manufacturers of bullets ( I bet Berger may be interested?) and make a copy of one one of the ELDVT’s. Make it 115 grain little more length ect. And make it even more precise and accurately made.. And then go out and put on every single media page, having any commercial saying “ this is the first bullet of its kind.” “ There isn’t anything even close to this.”

and sell the shit out of it…

 

[Kocher]

For people shooting coyotes and bobcats with the new ELD-VT line, are the bullets exiting or no? Trying to judge if they’re gonna be fur friendly or not before I buy a bunch of them.

I don’t like starting rumors, but I have heard the 22. 60 ELDVT‘s out of a 22Creedmoor are no go on anything other than ground squirrels… just going at too high speed and absolutely grenade on the outside surface of coyotes skin, and they runoff…. According to one poster this happened on many occasions.

If you look at the pictures of the construction of the ELDVT, there is no lead upfront. Now if was an EFP going slower would be better… the copper would have to liquefy….

The heavier projectiles I don’t know what the end result would be…. I know my 87 grain. Vmax can’t even penetrate at 100 yards into half of a cast iron ram 2500 front brake rotor. Shot at 3000 FPS out of the barrel. granted that is a heavy duty brake rotor. I’ll have to look at the construction of a regular 87 gr Vmax 6 mm.

I think slower and heavier… should give you much better results with Horny-Day’s ELDVT’s

But I will say that maybe there’s a very specific reason why all of the lighter varmint bullets in the 6.5 are all around 95 to 105 gr from all the manufacturers

 

[supercorndogs]

I don’t like starting rumors, but I have heard the 22. 60 ELDVT‘s out of a 22Creedmoor are no go on anything other than ground squirrels… just going at too high speed and absolutely grenade on the outside surface of coyotes skin, and they runoff…. According to one poster this happened on many occasions.

If you look at the pictures of the construction of the ELDVT, there is no lead upfront. Now if was an EFP going slower would be better… the copper would have to liquefy….

The heavier projectiles I don’t know what the end result would be…. I know my 87 grain. Vmax can’t even penetrate at 100 yards into half of a cast iron ram 2500 front brake rotor. Shot at 3000 FPS out of the barrel. granted that is a heavy duty brake rotor. I’ll have to look at the construction of a regular 87 gr Vmax 6 mm.

I think slower and heavier… should give you much better results with Horny-Day’s ELDVT’s

But I will say that maybe there’s a very specific reason why all of the lighter varmint bullets in the 6.5 are all around 95 to 105 gr from all the manufacturers

Based on reading someone else's posts, you needed to bump this thread to tell us that. You're not starting rumors, you're spreading them.

Biggest problem I have had with 87 vmax woukd benit exiting coyotes. Based on fur prices it's not a problem unless I call a bobcat.

 

[redbullitt]

I like them properly applied : / lol.

The grendel loves them. Perfect use case so far for me. Likely fun from 6dasher etc too.

260 rem likes them ok, coyote at 320 or so got souped up pretty nicely. Not sure what a 50yd shot would do though...

80g from the 6mm creed... not sure yet.

I mean... at some point most bullets especially varmint ones start splashing on meat, depends how fast they go. Simple yes? Sounds like you might just be playing with the upper speed limit on things like coyote etc... bet still good for smaller varmints going 3500+