Thread: Load Testing Analysis. What do i make of this?

Originally Posted by ZQLewis

I'll answer that one for you 7RM

There is no one bullet for everything.
Up close and with large heavy game or shooting bone you need a tougher bullet.
Out past ????? varyies with velocity 200mtr, or smaller or soft skinned game you need a bullet that is softer and opens up more readily.
Hence some people opt to use the ELDX at short range and the ELDM at long range. (NOTE THE LOAD DATA IS QUITE DIFFERENT)

The ELDX has a thicker jacket so opens up slower, or in other words requires more resistance from the target to open up. ie on a side on shot at a red spiker at 300 mtrs just passing through the ribs and a lung or 2 you will get a slow kill.
The ELDM on the other hand has a thin jacket and will open up violently and do far more tissue damage for a fast kill.
But at short range on a large red Stag a shoulder hit may leave a large crater and a wounded deer that may get away, while the ELDX will penetrate right through.
Horses for courses, knowing your anatomy, and knowing your bullet and placement.

However some of us get too worked up over this which bullet thing. A standard cup and lead core soft point has worked for 100 years.
You have some great advice above and look to be taking it in. Don't go chasing top velocity, give yourself some room for errors and your barrels will last a lot longer. Mostly I reload for 2 rifles, 1 a very strong custom bolt action. Book max is 46.7 gr and while I did work up to that load to check I had some head room left, my standard load is 46.0 gr for just over 3000 fps as that gives me all they energy I need out further than I'm happy shooting.
The other is a lever action and on that I typically stop 1-2 gr under book.

Also some bullets will catch you out. This year I had some Speer 75gr HP left over from my Dad that I wanted to use up in the 243. I just went straight to a mid range load thinking I had a strong action all good. Turns out it was not all good, I was lucky really as nothing bad happened but about 1 in 3 I got an ejector swipe mark.
Mentioned to Dad that I had an issue with them and he straight away asked Pressure ???, Turns out that's why he had not used them up in the 1970's.
ALWAYS START AT BOOK MINIMUM.
Z

Very good reply there. Cheers for explaining.