6.5 143 eld-x
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Hotolds442
Well-Known Member
I've had the same issue with the 143 and RCBS dies.
cervus
Active Member
No problems with forster ultra micrometer die......
coyotezapper
Well-Known Member
What die? VLD stem? Hard to seat? Neck sized cases? Describe your reloading steps.
johnnyk
Well-Known Member
I have same w/208gn AMax in my .300WinMag Hornady CGNDDie. It did not seem to affect it over the long haul. YMMV though. JohnnyK.
Darkker
Well-Known Member
I believe they use the AMP jacket process. If so, it is a hybrid half plated-style, half traditional jacket.
Very much like Speer has been doing with the find did for a very long time.
Very much like Speer has been doing with the find did for a very long time.
orch
Well-Known Member
I found the same thing with the 143 grainers... Using a Hornady seater plug in my whidden micrometer seater die for my 6.5 rsaum when I first started loading for it... Annealed and Switched to a larger neck bushing to reduce my neck tension a bit and the denting went away...
For what it's worth they shot just as good with the denting.
Orch
For what it's worth they shot just as good with the denting.
Orch
How clean are the insides of your case necks? Do you chamfer after trimming? I have been known to put and old bore brush in a battery drill and clean the inside of the necks before I do the resizing. Some times I even put a drop of bore cleaner on the brush every few cases to help with the process. I get way less chatter on the way back down with the press. Most bullets seem to seat effortlessly.
Idaho Lefty
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 29, 2018
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The Hornady 143 gr. ELD-X has, a thinner, Tapered, "Nose" and a nice, thick .037 "Shank" portion that helps this Bullet, Penetrate, "well",..
even at, 6.5 PRC Velocities.
I use, Forster Dies, so NO, nose, "deformation" But, I have been known to, "Lap" any, "problem Bullet's" to, my seat Stems, IF necessary.
After Trim, I chamfer Neck and "touch up" a Bit with, some Fine steel Wool. Then I use, a TINY Bit of case Lube on a Nylon Brush to clean and "Lubricate" Necks,.. LIGHTLY !
With, .002 / .003 Neck Tension, I have had, NO problems with, seating / denting any of, the High BC, VLD, type, or, ELD, Bullets.
even at, 6.5 PRC Velocities.
I use, Forster Dies, so NO, nose, "deformation" But, I have been known to, "Lap" any, "problem Bullet's" to, my seat Stems, IF necessary.
After Trim, I chamfer Neck and "touch up" a Bit with, some Fine steel Wool. Then I use, a TINY Bit of case Lube on a Nylon Brush to clean and "Lubricate" Necks,.. LIGHTLY !
With, .002 / .003 Neck Tension, I have had, NO problems with, seating / denting any of, the High BC, VLD, type, or, ELD, Bullets.
coyotezapper
Well-Known Member
Its been awhile since this thread has had any activity. My opinion of these bullets have not changed. They fly great and perform great on game.
To address the above questions starting with the 2016 post.
The ring left by the seating stem is a common problem and easily fixed. I have seen this from most all die makers but more out of Redding. The fix is to remove the seating stem from the die and chuck it up in a drill. Then put a little lapping compound on the bullet you are using and run the drill on low speed and run the bullet in the stem. It takes no time at all to remove the small burr that is in the seating stem. I have never had any problems with concentricity after doing this step. You would have to really try to screw up the stem to where it would not seat straight. In most cases it actually improves concentricity.
Necks can be too clean and this is why I don't wet tumble with stainless pins. When I do seating depth testing I seat everything long and then take my Harrell's press with seating die with me to the range. I noticed that if a few days went by before I went to the range that the bullets would stick or pop once I seated them to the target depth. There is some kind of binding property that happens between the copper and brass and causes this. I don't remember the actual terminology for this but its real. I also found if I didn't address this that weeks later my ES would be higher than when testing right after seating. My first step after dry tumbling the brass is to run a dedicated brush through the neck to knock down / out any loose carbon. I then lube the neck with hBN. I tried quite a few neck lubes but ended up using hBN in alcohol and a qtip. I impact tumble all of my 17 caliber bullets in hBN and I have never had problems with those sticking so rather than adding something new I went with something that was already proven to work.
As stated above make sure your seating stem matches the ogive of your bullet. VLD's need a vld seating stem.
Now, back on track with the original subject. The ELDX bullets are not perfect but no bullet is. If kept at a good velocity and weight / caliber for game they perform as designed. If you take them out of the good velocity and energy window then not so much.
To address the above questions starting with the 2016 post.
The ring left by the seating stem is a common problem and easily fixed. I have seen this from most all die makers but more out of Redding. The fix is to remove the seating stem from the die and chuck it up in a drill. Then put a little lapping compound on the bullet you are using and run the drill on low speed and run the bullet in the stem. It takes no time at all to remove the small burr that is in the seating stem. I have never had any problems with concentricity after doing this step. You would have to really try to screw up the stem to where it would not seat straight. In most cases it actually improves concentricity.
Necks can be too clean and this is why I don't wet tumble with stainless pins. When I do seating depth testing I seat everything long and then take my Harrell's press with seating die with me to the range. I noticed that if a few days went by before I went to the range that the bullets would stick or pop once I seated them to the target depth. There is some kind of binding property that happens between the copper and brass and causes this. I don't remember the actual terminology for this but its real. I also found if I didn't address this that weeks later my ES would be higher than when testing right after seating. My first step after dry tumbling the brass is to run a dedicated brush through the neck to knock down / out any loose carbon. I then lube the neck with hBN. I tried quite a few neck lubes but ended up using hBN in alcohol and a qtip. I impact tumble all of my 17 caliber bullets in hBN and I have never had problems with those sticking so rather than adding something new I went with something that was already proven to work.
As stated above make sure your seating stem matches the ogive of your bullet. VLD's need a vld seating stem.
Now, back on track with the original subject. The ELDX bullets are not perfect but no bullet is. If kept at a good velocity and weight / caliber for game they perform as designed. If you take them out of the good velocity and energy window then not so much.
