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Hornady ELD's

Brux

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 12, 2013
828
102
GA
Is anybody noticing any excessive copper fouling shooting these bullets? I bought some 178's to do load work up for my hunting rifle which is a Tikka T3 lite and when I cleaned it after shooting these bullets I noticed it. It's a 300WSM. I have shot Nosler Ballistic tips,Berger classic hunters and Hornady SST's threw this rifle and have never seen the copper fouling like I get with the ELD's.
I'm not getting false reading's because I clean all my rifles with the same components.
 
Myself and a friend of mine have noticed copper issues with them. My Model 700 would get copper fouled so bad it would go from 1/2" groups to 3" groups.
 
I normally go a few hundred rounds before cleaning the barrel in two different rifles that shoot the ELDs. These two rifles only shoot ELDs so I can't comment on the flip side. I will say the copper is a SOB to get out though.
 
I usually don't clean my rifles often either except for maybe pulling the carbon out of them. However I do clean regularly when doing load work up. I have never experienced copper fouling in this rifle with the other bullets mentioned above but I have with these.
 
I put several hundred rounds down the barrel before my groups deteriorated, this was with the 212gr ELD-X at 2980 fps. I didn't notice the copper fouling to be excessive and after a letting some foaming cleaner sit a little while before swabbing the bore the accuracy came right back.
 
Rob,

Can you confirm that the newer "heat shield tip" ELD-M's are opaque again? The reason I ask, is that I have some that have clear red poly-carbonate tips, and another 1000 I ordered (and just started loading) have the older looking red opaque tips. Also these state a ".626 G1" BC, which I thought was the original one before they corrected it.

Appreciate any info or confirmation/denial.

Just wondering if what I got was new old stock...
 
Rob,

Can you confirm that the newer "heat shield tip" ELD-M's are opaque again? The reason I ask, is that I have some that have clear red poly-carbonate tips, and another 1000 I ordered (and just started loading) have the older looking red opaque tips. Also these state a ".626 G1" BC, which I thought was the original one before they corrected it.

Appreciate any info or confirmation/denial.

Just wondering if what I got was new old stock...

Yes the original were the clear red tips but due to a possible trademark infringement they switched to the solid red color. Same material but just a different color so no difference.

The BCs were started at what they got from the original prototype testing and then it was raised after production runs were tested but that was still an 800 yard average. Wanting to give the shooters an apples to apples they went to what is now a 200 yard average as most companies use for BC. If you want to read more about the BC you can here.

https://www.hornady.com/support/ballistic-coefficient