# New Hornady Bullet



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Hornady has a new bullet, the ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag eXpanding.)

One of the projectiles' attributes is that the plastic tip won't melt in today's long range rocket launchers. Uh........does this mean the tips melt on the other plastic-tipped bullets Hornady makes?

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

Another attribute is that the new bullet has 4 capital letters, but in my humble opinion the hyphen is unnecessary.

.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I was just reading bout that on americanhunter.org. hornady is saying all the current polymer tips from all manufacturers melt after 150 yds. wonder what the velocity threshold for melting tips is. anyways, I like the 200 gr loading for .300 win mag, may try em out. 
you make a fair point about the hyphen. should I pause before the x when I say it out loud?


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I'll try these just because I'm a junkie. My first reaction is that the melting tip theory is either bunk or non consequential as I've been shooting sub-MOA groups at 1000 yards for a long time with the A-MAX. -----SS


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

the way I heard it, Hornady was testing their bullets using some doppler radar thingy, and found that at very long range the ballistic coefficient was dropping off. That's when they figured out that their tips were melting. Maybe they should use bronze ones like Remington did before 'goob was born.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Springville Shooter said:


> I'll try these just because I'm a junkie. My first reaction is that the melting tip theory is either bunk or non consequential as I've been shooting sub-MOA groups at 1000 yards for a long time with the A-MAX. -----SS


Yeah I was thinking the same thing; how do you explain all the dime-sized groups using all the plastic-tipped bullets in the past.

On another note I'm disappointed Hornady is introducing new projectiles while the manufacture of other bullet configurations have been discontinued or are on "hold."

Lastly, like you I'll be trying the things out.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Loke said:


> the way I heard it, Hornady was testing their bullets using some doppler radar thingy, and found that at very long range the ballistic coefficient was dropping off. That's when they figured out that their tips were melting. Maybe they should use bronze ones like Remington did before 'goob was born.


Hey, the only thing wrong with bronze bullets is you can't find them anymore.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Loke said:


> the way I heard it, Hornady was testing their bullets using some doppler radar thingy, and found that at very long range the ballistic coefficient was dropping off. That's when they figured out that their tips were melting. Maybe they should use bronze ones like Remington did before 'goob was born.


If they had tech like that, the doppler thingy, they were probably making special bullets for the military and super long range shooting.

Arguably, the coefficent does change with respect to velocity. Thats one reason why Sierra shows 3 different BCs for their bullets, depending on the velocity. I had a request to calculate that in my software, to "bracket" velocites... I started down that road but it was overly complicated and honestly, it was looking like the precision really wasnt all that different than using a single bc.

-DallanC


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

I'll give 'em a try. I've got 500+ 140 gr Amax, and 500+ 162 Amax to toss down range before I get to those though.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Hornady has a new bullet, the ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag eXpanding.)
> 
> One of the projectiles' attributes is that the plastic tip won't melt in today's long range rocket launchers. Uh........does this mean the tips melt on the other plastic-tipped bullets Hornady makes?
> 
> ...


Why can't they just be bullets...why do they have to hyphenate the names...I think hyphenated names are just plain ridiculous...look you're either an American or not, geeze what's with all this hyphenated PC garbage these days. :doh:


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

im intrigued by the new offering but I'd be more excited if they'd announced they were Going to resume production of .35 cal 250 gr roundnose.


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## Utmuddguy (Aug 25, 2013)

How does the tip melt after 150 yards seems the rotation and velocity slow at longer ranges thus creating less friction.


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## ultramagfan2000 (Nov 27, 2009)

I wonder if I can send back all my unused SST's, Interbonds and Amax and demand a replacement for faulty equipment. They said it themselves the tips are melting.;-)


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

Utmuddguy said:


> How does the tip melt after 150 yards seems the rotation and velocity slow at longer ranges thus creating less friction.


I suppose that as friction is placed on the bullet as a result of the air it passes, especially at high velocities are the norm, the bullet heats up. At a given point in time, and where ever that may be spatially, 150 yards or otherwise, the plastic portion of the bullet has reached its melting point at what ever pressure it is currently undergoing. As long as the heat produced by friction reaches that melting point and starts deforming the tip before there is too little heat, the effect would remain. When we apply heat to ice in an attempt to melt it, it doesn't happen immediately, but once it does start to melt and that liquid H2O melts down the drain, it doesn't matter if it turns back to ice, we're still missing mass. A more visually pleasing model would be the idea of trying to boil water when you don't have time for such things.

This is just my immediate idea that might explain what is happening 150 yards away from the muzzle, under the acceptance that tip melting is an occurring event. It may explain the switch to a 'low drag' bullet as opposed to a conventional design, or perhaps as just a competitor to Nosler's accubond long range bullets.


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## Fez (Sep 3, 2009)

Nobody buy any more AMAX please

Maybe they do melt and accuracy does suffer but not enough to throw them all away. 
Dont get me wrong I do want to try out the new and improved bullets with that high BC but im not going to say what was already on the market was junk


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Utmuddguy said:


> How does the tip melt after 150 yards seems the rotation and velocity slow at longer ranges thus creating less friction.


 Don't forget the friction the bullet experiences while leaving the barrel. It could be that the bullet heats up substantially from this process, and at about 150 yards, the polymer tip has had enough opportunity to heat up and deform. Then add in air friction, and I could see why this would happen.

Although, I don't think I have ever considered this a possibility. But in theory it makes sense.

They should just replace the polymer with a brittle glass that shatters on impact.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Bax* said:


> They should just replace the polymer with a brittle glass that shatters on impact.


Then there would be health advisories about eating meat with glass embedded in it.

I'm going to call BS on the tips melting. If it is getting that hot then you would be burning hair or fur when the bullet enters a animal.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

There's alot of blowby of super heated gases even before the bullet starts to move... I cant imagine friction of the bullet through the air would be more than that. Sounds like a good marketing "story" that is fractionally based on fact.


-DallanC


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Critter said:


> Then there would be health advisories about eating meat with glass embedded in it.
> 
> .


I was hoping someone would call that out!

Critter gets kudos for paying attention!


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I don't really care what the tip of my bullet is doing... It could be be doing the "Harlem Shake" in it's flight path...As long as it prints well on paper and they each do the exact same thing every time I pull the trigger them I am happy. 

I do like Hornady though...


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## ultramagfan2000 (Nov 27, 2009)

wyogoob said:


> Yeah I was thinking the same thing; how do you explain all the dime-sized groups using all the plastic-tipped bullets in the past.
> 
> On another note I'm disappointed Hornady is introducing new projectiles while the manufacture of other bullet configurations have been discontinued or are on "hold."
> 
> Lastly, like you I'll be trying the things out.


 What projectiles are you looking for goob? I've noticed several of the ones that were on hold have started showing up again.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I'm intrigued by the concept but since I'm not a long range hunter and am getting better results using Nosler than Hornady, I think I'll just stick to what's working...


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

ultramagfan2000 said:


> What projectiles are you looking for goob? I've noticed several of the ones that were on hold have started showing up again.


60 grain .257 flat point for .25 Remington, 25-20 WCF and .256 Win Mag

.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Merry Christmas

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=519702160

-DallanC


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Merry Christmas
> 
> http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=519702160
> 
> -DallanC


Thank you, I haven't checked for awhile. They usually go for $60 to $70

I have them on my GunBroker Saved Searches as "......caliber". These are "cal".


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## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

I do like the 143gr 6.5 with a BC of .620 G1 BC. Seems to be the 2nd best BC out there in a hunting bullet next to the ABLR. Not a bad price for 100 either at $36.99 per 100. Much cheaper than the ABLR or the Bergers & Sciroccos whos BC fall a little short.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Merry Christmas
> 
> http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=519702160
> 
> -DallanC


I won the auction! Got them for $34; best I've ever done on #2510s.

thanks DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

You are welcome. Glad it worked out.


-DallanC


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