180 ELD-M

Loaded up 15 rounds with the new 180 ELD-m in my 28 Nolser last weekend.
Got home in time to run out and give them a run out to 650 yards.
I shot one at 100 just to see if POI was close to the 195 Berger I was sighted in with. Elevation was perfect and windage was slightly left of center so that's close enough to accomplish my goal.
Next I shot a group at 350 on paper and they shot into basically a 1 inch group.
I then shot 3 at 600 dialing based of the G7 BC Hornady published first shot went low came up .1 Mil and next was dead center.
Then things got interesting. Next shot nada.... except I saw dust blowing to the right about 300 yards down range? There is a crown in the ground at about that 300-350 but I found it hard to believe that the arc of the bullet wouldn't have easily cleared that even if I shot way low. I thought maybe I just missed the plate due to a wind gust.
So now I go to 650 first shot was .2 Mil low and so I let the barrel cool then fire again this time I see the dust again in the scope and no bullet impact
So now I pull out a 195 Berger smack the bullseye first shot at 650.... this indicated to me the wind did not blow me off those two shots that vanished. I have never had a bullet disintegrate in flight but now I am thinking that is what happened.
Velocity was averaging around 3265fps

Wouldn't think there is enough speed/rpm to cause the bullet to fall apart.

Only weeks ago I saw bullets coming apart out of a 6 mm with I think a 1:7 if memory serves. Every time the jacket came off one, I'd see a puff in the air 40 to 70 yards in front of the rifle. It sounded different too.

And on a cold barrel it tended to not happen. Once the barrel was shooting it's third, or more shots, it was making the jacket come off.

Might want to try a Barnes LRX. Its not the greatest but probably will hold together.

Actually I have a good load with the 195 Berger EOL bullet.... but can't seem resist trying something new.
I said when I got the rifle if the 195 shot good I was not going to waste barrel life tinkering.
So now I guess I will just stay with the Berger load and be happy... although there is the new Sierra 197 MK?

This is par for bullets falling apart but op had good groups at 300yd so there is something else likely happening.

Had a cooler barrel then too.

That could be the case. I shot 4 long spaced shots with no issues. Barrel was very hot. So I laid it aside and pulled the 6BR and shot it. Then I pulled the 28 back out fired 3 shots spaced about 3 minutes apart at 600 yds and the 3rd vanished. The next one that vanished was also a hot barrel 2nd or 3rd shot

Idk. Seems to me like something else is going on. I've only seen bullets come apart when moving/spinning very fast. Maybe you got a bad batch with really thin jackets.

What's your twist rate of the 28 Nosler barrel, David?

Yes, over-spun is the main culpret. I was just saying that I've seen over-spun bullets stay together the firsr couple of rounds, then poof, once the barrel heats up.

DStroud, what's your twist? If it's a 1:8, I'd expect 180's to be fine. And agree with dee, it makes me wonder if there's a bullet jacket error from the manufacturer.

If you have an 8.5" twist barrel (to stabilize the 195 Berger) and pushing the 180 grain ELD-M at 3265 fps, your RPM's are 276,000. In an 8" twist (which is what mine is), you are at almost 294,000 RPM's. That's A LOT of spinning and centrifugal force. Hornady runs a normal jacket thickness on their match bullets, so it's not beefed up like the Berger's are.

Take a typical 300 WM with a 190 grain at 3000 fps in a 10" twist, that's running at 216,000 RPM's. Take a 308 Win with a 168 bullet at 2700 fps in an 11" twist, and it's only running 176,000 RPM's.

So, that 180 ELD-M is spinning it's A$$ off!

1/8 twist

The first bullet that I was not sure what happened was traveling 3265 but the next one that disappeared was 3308fps as I tried multiple charges

The guys at McWhorter Rifles are having great luck with the new Beger 190gr in their 7mmSTW's

just throwin it out there. Its a dead on killer

You mean the 195 Berger.... it works pretty well in mine too

I would still say you got defective bullets or something. Hornady recommends a fast twist to run them. I'd call and ask them what their thoughts are.

Yes D that's the bulet. I'd call that one "good"

That bullet was spinning at almost 298,000 RPM's!