Thread: 6.5 143 ELD-X, are they THE 6.5 hunting bullet?

Originally Posted by zeropak

The 143gn ELDX looks like THE Projectile for the 6.5 calibre. I shoot a 6.5 Creedmoor and use factory ammo.

I have been mainly using the Hornady superformance 129gn SST. I recently bought a couple of packs of the Hornady Precision Hunter 143gn ELDX.
I ran these over a chronograph and was dissapointed at the actual achieved velocity of these factory 143gn pills. MV was 2550fps.The rifle is a T3X tikka with 20" barrel.
Perhaps this is a good reason to handload. Just wondering if anyone else has experience with the factory loaded 143gn pills.

This sounds about right, i have a t3x 6.5 creedmoor shortend to 18 inches and it shoots the 143gr precision hunter factory ammo at 2459fps average. My partners 16 inch creedmoor shoots them at 2379fps average. 40fps loss per inch of barrel. So yours at 20 inch and 2550 is right on what id expect to see.

I havent developed a load for either of these properly yet, but did do a speed ladder with the 18 inch one, got to 2630fps with a slightly compressed load of 2209 before seeing pressure signs. Going to revisit once im finished with working on loads for other rifles.