Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

[XTR]

I was picking up some reloading supplies the other day and as an impulse decided to get something faster/lighter than my Sierra Game King 165 HPBT to use on deer.

Not knowing anything about them I picked up a box of 150gr Hornaday GMX bullets. After doing a bit of research I've discovered it's a lead free (basically a solid copper) that has pitiful terminal performance below 2700fps, which is probably fine if you are loading an -06 or some kind of 300 mag and can push well over 3000fps MV, but at 308 speeds it's not going to give much outside 150 yds. Pretty sad; however, I was looking at the velocities and if my basic numbers are close it stays SS well beyond 1000 yds, and has about 45" less drop than a 175 SMK. (assuming MVs of 2650 and 2900) Since it's a solid there is no potential for irregularities in the jacket thickness it may just be an accurate bullet.

In any case, I've got a box now, I may as well work them up and see how they do. Just curious if anyone else had tried them.

 

[High Binder]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

I have 150 I'll sell to you cheap!

Worst bullet, I've eve worked up loads for and by far.

 

[High Binder]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

P.S. look up the reviews on MidwayUSA, it get's horrible ratings.

 

[XTR]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, it only has 3 reviews on Midway, and they are all good.

 

[kyreloader]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: XTR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After doing a bit of research I've discovered it's a lead free (basically a solid copper) that has pitiful terminal performance below 2700fps, w</div></div>

Where were you researching that bit of information?

First, the GMX is a guilding metal bullet, not a solid copper bullet. Second on the website, the velocity window listed for the bullet is 2000-3400+ fps.

http://www.hornady.com/store/GMX-Gilding-Metal-eXpanding/

I would think that the GMX bullet would be a good bullet in the .308 in the 150g variety. The reason being, you can speed it up and not worry about it coming apart due to its construction. Also, some people report problems getting it to shoot well due to its ogive shape (similar to IB), but once OAL is found, they shoot really well.

This bullet is basically a Nosler E-Tip bullet with grooves cut in it similar to the TTSX.

I would hunt anything in NA that doesnt bite back with these bullets in a .308 Win.

 

[kraky]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

I tried the 165's (gmx) in some guns that shoot other 165's well and didn't get good results. Some people have reported good luck with them but I was surprised that I didn't get a hint of a group.
I like hornady stuff in general but for now the barnes offerings seem to knock the snot out of the gmx and etip for quick accuracy and finding ez loads.

 

[XTR]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

Here for one.

Using JBM with a BC of .410 and a MV of 2900 it drops below it's optimum expansion velocity of 2700 at 100 yds. It probably does OK out to 200 yds, and that's fine, but they cost 2x what a Sierra 150 GK or PH costs and I know they expand like they should in a white tail out to any <span style="text-decoration: underline">reasonable</span> .308win hunting yardage.

 

[kyreloader]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

The Chuck Hawks you link I would take with a grain of salt. He even states;

<span style="color: #FF0000">"I have never been a fan of monolithic, pure copper bullets due to their propensity to foul the bore and because they require special barrel cleaning procedures. I look forward to testing some Hornady GMX gilding metal bullets soon in the hope that they make these problems a thing of the past."</span>

He hasnt even tested the bullets, yet he is commenting on them. How does he know that the bullets wont expand below 2700 fps? The picture shows expansion at different velocities, but only at 3 velocities. Does that mean that the bullets do not expand at 2300fps, 2400 fps or 2500fps, when they do expand (although limited) at 2000 fps?

Look at this picture of the Etip on the Nosler website. The GMX is basically an ETip with grooves. The picture clearly shows expansion down below 2600 fps.

http://www.nosler.com/Bullets/E-Tip-Lead-Free.aspx

Using your same inputs, the 150g GMX will be going 2200 fps at 300 yards. I wouldn't want to be hit by that bullet at that distance.

Use it, dont use it-doesnt really matter to me, but I do not think a bullet company would make a bullet that does not expand below 2700 fps. That is way too small of a market share to even think about putting the capital into the development of a new bullet line. The TTSX/Etip are not known for not expanding, no reason to think the GMX is any different!

 

[XTR]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

I finally got around to shooting a batch of these that I'd started loading as test loads. I loaded up a ladder of 12 loads with RL 15 that ended at about 46gr (don't have my notes in front of me)

What I found most peculiar is that all the way up the line from about 2450 fps all the way to over 2700 fps every one of the loads POI was nearly 3" to the right of the POI for my 150 SGK rounds. I didn't pull my targets because I'm not planning to use the bullet, I was basically just forming the cases and satisfying my curiosity as to how they shot. My hunting 308 puts 150 SGKs in a 2 to 3" group at 200 yds, shot several this session, zero was on.

All 12 loads of the GMX flew about 2.5" right at 200. Just to satisfy myself after I shot the GMXs I shot a 3 shot group at 100 with my SGKs and they were spot on. Don't know why it happened but I found it odd.

 

[XTR]

Re: Has anyone tried the 150 GMX for long range?

150 GMX don't shoot for crap in a 308, at least not mine. A note on these. With the plastic tips this is a very long bullet. To load even 45gn of Varget it was crunching powder when seated at 2.835 OAL. There was a whole lot of bullet in the case. THe edge of the brass was between the cannelures. That is the max length to fit my internal mags, and a hunting bullet needs to do that. I was shooting my VLS against my Longshot Chris Mathews rifle today with duplicate loads, they wont even group out of my LSR. Maybe they work in some of the magnums, but not in a 308, at least not for me. Neither of my rifles would group them better than an MOA. I can shoot 175 SMKs and 165 SGKs at about 1/2 to 3/4 moa out of my VLS and 3/8 to 1/2 out of my LSR.

Rereading my post above, Oddly enough I was again getting flyers to the right with these? Anyone ever see that in a bullet?