Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Hornady 73gr EDL Match

I'm loading up some of these to try this weekend. Anybody had a chance to try them yet?

If the accuracy is there, these things may kill the 77gr TMK at $10 less per box of 100.

First I've heard of them, but I'm very interested in these and Nosler's 70gr RDF. Will have to give them a try, please report back with your impressions.

Another one I'd like to try is the Barnes 85gr Match Burner. It's supposed to run at mag length also.

All I've seen are 100 count boxes.




Dave

What OAL are you going to load to?

I'd also like to get some of the 75 grainers in that bullet as well

MM

I loaded them all to 2.255" which is about as long as I like to go so I know they will work in all my magazines.

I think the 73gr was specifically designed to work in the AR magazine while the 75gr ELD is likely a replacement for the 75 AMAX. The 75 would be fun in a bolt gun, I think it's a little too long for AR mags though.

That answered the question I was going to ask...thanks 700 and also very interested in hearing how they shoot for you

That might be correct; Hornady doesn't really say & they don't give the actual length of the bullets either.

Says they both have an "optimum secant ogive", but the 75 has significantly higher BC than the 73, so even more likely that the 75 won't allow loading to AR mag length.

MM

We already know the ELD-M bullets are just the A-max with a new tip; Hornady said that quite a while ago. We also know the 75gr doesn't fit well in a 5.56 case at mag length without putting the ogive below the case mouth.

Other people are loading the 73gr already; after an hour or two of reading about these it's obvious they were designed for magazine length restrictions where the 75gr doesn't fit.

The ELD's are more than just a new tip. A side by side comparison of an AMAX and a ELD shows a little different profile between the two. AMAX's didn't just get new tips, it's a whole new bullet.

That's a mighty pretty foto-graf 'eagle..

Are those 75's or ? Hornady did say they were the same bullet, but then again, they've made several minor revisions of other bullets as well over the years without changing the name, similar to the differences shown in your pic. The 75gr BTHP is one example.

Which is which? The one on the left has a bit more bearing surface. Not a good thing.

The color of he tips is off due to the poor lighting. Those are both .30 cal 178gr bullets. AMAX on the left, ELD on the right. I don't have any 75gr AMAX's or ELD's to compare.

I believe I'll try some myself then.

Of course I'll let you do all the work first.

I use a lot of 75 gr. A-max's in 223 bolt guns & (current) 75 gr BTHP's in AR's & those ogives & bearing surfaces are dramatically different..........I don't have any of the ELD's to compare to directly, but the 73 gr ELD would have to be very similar to the 75 BTHP to fit in a mag at 2.250'ish.

I'm guessing that the 73 ELD is essentially the same as the 75 BTHP but with the plastic tip put into place & thus accounting for the small weight difference.

It'll be interesting to get some of the new 73's & 75's...........I actually have an AR that prefers the Hornady 75 BTHP over 77 SMK's, TMK's & Bergers for accuracy, & it would be great to add a little more BC to that equation.

MM

The BC isn't much different according to Hornady.

They need to bulk pack that schit if they really want to sell.




Dave

Yeah the 73gr ELD looks like a tipped 75gr BTHP but with a sharper (longer) boat tail.

I was thinking of giving them a try, please share your results.

Didn't get around to do any load testing/development today but did throw together a load that works well with the 75gr HPBT. 24.0gr of TAC, PMC brass and the 73gr ELD seated at 2.255" OAL. I got a zero at 100 and then dialed out to 600 for another 3 shot group.

M00_9070 by X Ring, on Flickr


First 3 shots at 100 yards, 5/8" or so (all day long right?)



3 at 600, roughly 3" (I underestimated the muzzle velocity and wind which made them fly high and right.)