Precision Rifle Gear Are 147’s still blowing up?

Using a 6.5 PRC with 26" barrel @2900+ fps, no issue. That was with the Hornady factory ammo 147 gr ELDM. I didn't have any issues with the 143 gr ELDX factory ammo either. Have not shot very many of those though.

Hornady told me 6 groove 8 twist barrel is recommended for the 147 gr ELDM and the 143 gr ELDX. That info was sent via email to me.
 
I am running the 147's out of a 6.5PRC averaging over 3080fps and have yet to blow one up. Accurate too.

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They are terrible. Send them all to me for disposal

I have shot several thousand through my NRL hunter rifle and some through my PRS rifle and I think they do well. They also killed an elk, a muley, and a whitetail very dead this last hunting season
 
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147 Blew up on every one that i know that shot them , so for a while there was lots of them on sale in classifieds and mosf of us knew to avoid them deals like plague .

There are too many good bullets out there to waste time with Hornady.


The common theme was 1:7 twist barrels and leaning on them hard.

I've never had one blow up in a 1:8 twist barrel, and I've used the same data over a bunch of different lot numbers with zero change in dope.


I can shoot a lot more bullets when they're $0.50 instead of $0.80.
 
Lack of experience does not disprove others experience, many who have seen A LOT of these bullets go down range in classes and matches.
First of all Rob and I have seen about as many rds go down range as anyone on here. I have been sponsored by many companies over the years but never asked or will ask Hornady for a sponsorship so I have no skin to loose in this discussion either way

There are lots of great bullets out there. I have seen every brand of bullet blow up over the years. Very seldom but on occasion.Usually it’s because
1. They were pushed to hard and fast
2. The barrel was rough and tore the jacket

I have no doubt that a few of the ELDs blew up but my experience over the last five years is Hornady has stepped up there game and is making great bullets for far less money then the competition. I teach a bunch of classes and shoot regularly to one mile with 147’s pushed to 2850 fps. When I first saw students showing up with Hornady ammo I thought I hope this works because factory ammo to me in the past was usually Fed Gold Metal Match. Hornady ammo impressed me and I started building some ammo for my use with Hornady bullets. Heck when it worked I was tickled because they were less expensive.
I have been teaching shooting for nearly forty years. In the early days it was all Federal ammo or SMK bullets. Then Lapua. Then Berger (early Berger’s were notorious for blowing up) but now they are the standard for the best. Now Hornady has become a player and people say great things until the normal excuses come out.

I am not casting dispersions on anyone but it’s common for anyone who gets free stuff to find fault with competitions offerings. I have been guilty of it myself. There was a time all I could bring myself to shoot was
155 Scenar in 308
139 Scenars in 6.5
And 220 Scenars in 300wm

Then I set records with 155.5 Fullbores and I started experimenting more. I picked up the first 147’s on the hide a few years ago and always buy when I see a deal. I am sure a few bad bullets are out there but not as many as you guys claim

Lastly in completion when a guy fs up the default is
1. Blame the scope
2. Blame the rifle
3. Blame the anmo

Few in this society can take blame for there own f ups anymore
It was not long ago on here done PRS guys thought a scope was bad because zero in cook am was different than hot afternoon. I just shook my head at the lack of basic knowledge

I have heard every excuse on the line you can imagine

The equipment today is so much better than the general shooter could hope to be. Not perfect but nothing man made will ever be
 
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The common theme was 1:7 twist barrels and leaning on them hard.

I've never had one blow up in a 1:8 twist barrel, and I've used the same data over a bunch of different lot numbers with zero change in dope.


I can shoot a lot more bullets when they're $0.50 instead of $0.80.
I saw Berger 155 VLD .30’s blow when pushed through Savage barrel, 1/10 twist at 3250fps but when kept at 3100 or below printed tiny groups so a 1/7 twist could be the reason. You spin any bullet fast enough and it will shed its jacket
 
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First of all Rob and I have seen about as many rds go down range as anyone on here. I have been sponsored by many companies over the years but never asked or will ask Hornady for a sponsorship so I have no skin to loose in this discussion either way

There are lots of great bullets out there. I have seen every brand of bullet blow up over the years. Very seldom but on occasion.Usually it’s because
1. They were pushed to hard and fast
2. The barrel was rough and tore the jacket

I have no doubt that a few of the ELDs blew up but my experience over the last five years is Hornady has stepped up there game and is making great bullets for far less money then the competition. I teach a bunch of classes and shoot regularly to one mile with 147’s pushed to 2850 fps. When I first saw students showing up with Hornady ammo I thought I hope this works because factory ammo to me in the past was usually Fed Gold Metal Match. Hornady ammo impressed me and I started building some ammo for my use with Hornady bullets. Heck when it worked I was tickled because they were less expensive.
I have been teaching shooting for nearly forty years. In the early days it was all Federal ammo or SMK bullets. Then Lapua. Then Berger (early Berger’s were notorious for blowing up) but now they are the standard for the best. Now Hornady has become a player and people say great things until the normal excuses come out.

I am not casting dispersions on anyone but it’s common for anyone who gets free stuff to find fault with competitions offerings. I have been guilty of it myself. There was a time all I could bring myself to shoot was
155 Scenar in 308
139 Scenars in 6.5
And 220 Scenars in 300wm

Then I set records with 155.5 Fullbores and I started experimenting more. I picked up the first 147’s on the hide a few years ago and always buy when I see a deal. I am sure a few bad bullets are out there but not as many as you guys claim

Lastly in completion when a guy fs up the default is
1. Blame the scope
2. Blame the rifle
3. Blame the anmo

Few in this society can take blame for there own f ups anymore
It was not long ago on here done PRS guys thought a scope was bad because zero in cook am was different than hot afternoon. I just shook my head at the lack of basic knowledge

I have heard every excuse on the line you can imagine

The equipment today is so much better than the general shooter could hope to be. Not perfect but nothing man made will ever be
That's all fine and dandy but when you see a bullet explode on glass about 50-100 yards down range...all that stuff you typed means nothing. And then when every 2nd or 3rd round out the tube does it, you may think about it different.

There was a guy in the MDS class that was shooting factory Hornady match 108s. Every 3rd shot the bullet was coming apart. The instructors could see it the shooters could see it, and the entire class could see it. Dude has to borrow ammo from another shooter to finish the class.

It's a well known issue when you get them going too fast ( generally above 300k rpm) they come apart. AB has done testing with down to like 3 twist barrels to see if barrel twist has an effect on accuracy and I'm sure they were getting those bullets well over 300k and they were for the most part staying together....except for one brand.

Litz has talked about it. Well known shooters have talked about it. Guys who shoot a ton of matches and classes talk about it.

You know who doesn't? Fill in the blank.
 
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That's all fine and dandy but when you see a bullet explode on glass about 50-100 yards down range...all that stuff you typed means nothing. And then when every 2nd or 3rd round out the tube does it, you may think about it different.
Ok what was velocity
Twist and barrel condition?
I said anything can fail but reports are often exaggerated
 
I saw Berger 155 VLD .30’s blow when pushed through Savage barrel, 1/10 twist at 3250fps but when kept at 3100 or below printed tiny groups so a 1/7 twist could be the reason. You spin any bullet fast enough and it will shed its jacket

All bullet manufacturers get real nervous around 300k rpm. I've seen lots of brands blow up.

Pushing 2900fps at 1:7 you're 290k, while at 1:8 you're 260k.

Add in a rough bore and you find the limits.

That's all fine and dandy but when you see a bullet explode on glass about 50-100 yards down range...all that stuff you typed means nothing. And then when every 2nd or 3rd round out the tube does it, you may think about it different.

Did you ever try them again after changing barrels?

There's more to it than just the bullet or every single one would blow up in every gun. When so many of us have success, you might want to reflect on why you're having an issue rather than running around shitting on 1 component.
 
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All bullet manufacturers get real nervous around 300k rpm. I've seen lots of brands blow up.

Pushing 2900fps at 1:7 you're 290k, while at 1:8 you're 260k.

Add in a rough bore and you find the limits.



Did you ever try them again after changing barrels?

There's more to it than just the bullet or every single one would blow up in every gun. When so many of us have success, you might want to reflect on why you're having an issue rather than running around shitting on 1 component.
Because Hornady is the common denominator. Bergers and smks don't blow up anywhere near the frequency. Hell I have yet to have a norma 108, 130 or 143 blow up yet and they are cheaper than eldms and a tips. I am sure if you get em fast enough they will come apart....but not at the low threshold the Hornady do.

It's most likely a twist / speed issue along with Hornadys variance in bullet construction that's gets you a winning ticket.

It's crazy how people here are getting butt hurt trying to defend something that is WELL known in the industry.
 
I made an explanation as some one in the industry for decades. You obviously made an excuse then attacked like you often do

I now understand you had it happen to you. It does happen just not at the frequency you proclaim or many others would see it as well

Like I said no skin in this and no need for me to make excuses

We who have shot loading on the ragged edge for decades have all seen the blue mist.

My suggestion is find a slower load and as you post “ Give your balls a tug” or change twists. If they are blowing up “ regularly “the speed is too fast or barrel rough or too fast of twist. Once again that’s nothing new
 
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Because Hornady is the common denominator. Bergers and smks don't blow up anywhere near the frequency. Hell I have yet to have a norma 108, 130 or 143 blow up yet and they are cheaper than eldms and a tips. I am sure if you get em fast enough they will come apart....but not at the low threshold the Hornady do.

It's most likely a twist / speed issue along with Hornadys variance in bullet construction that's gets you a winning ticket.

It's crazy how people here are getting butt hurt trying to defend something that is WELL known in the industry.

So I should run around and shit on Sierra, Berger, and speer for bullets blowing up?

They only blew up because I pushed them past their design.


It's only well known on the hide because a handful of guys had issues and created 1000 threads bitching about it. I've never heard it anywhere else.
 
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Lastly I have seen
Baseball players blame bats and gloves
Golfers blame clubs
Tennis players blame racquets
It’s who we are.
You forgot the bowlers who blame the ball or the lane. The amount of oil on the lane is also the #1 complaint because it's easy to point to the person who applied it. There was either too much or not enough.

I live in an area where the fault line runs through the line formed by the 1000 yard targets. It seems that whenever I go to shoot, there is a small tremor which moves the target just enough to cause me to miss. It's the honest truth!
 
Lack of experience does not disprove others experience, many who have seen A LOT of these bullets go down range in classes and matches.

This should be rewritten as

My incompetence at choosing the correct barrell spec masquerades as experience on Hornady bullets. Many have seen barrels that overspin bullets keep blowing up bullets at classes and matches


Has the standard of not shooting cup and core bullets over 300k changed recently ?
 
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This should be rewritten as

My incompetence at choosing the correct barrell spec masquerades as experience on Hornady bullets. Many have seen barrels that overspin bullets keep blowing up bullets at classes and matches


Has the standard of not shooting cup and core bullets over 300k changed recently ?
Should be rewritten as I can't fucking read and am jumping to conclusions because only a low IQ idiot who cannot read also would buy Hornady products.
 
I made an explanation as some one in the industry for decades. You obviously made an excuse then attacked like you often do

I now understand you had it happen to you. It does happen just not at the frequency you proclaim or many others would see it as well

Like I said no skin in this and no need for me to make excuses

We who have shot loading on the ragged edge for decades have all seen the blue mist.

My suggestion is find a slower load and as you post “ Give your balls a tug” or change twists. If they are blowing up “ regularly “the speed is too fast or barrel rough or too fast of twist. Once again that’s nothing new
Where did I say it happened to me?

I have seen it happen about a dozen times over the years and when talking to the shooter, they are shooting a tips or eldms. Many times factory ammo. Seen it in 8 and 7.7 and 7.5 twist barrels for .264. 7.5 is not too fast considering certain bullets need that to stabilize at sea level. For .243 I have seen it happen with both 7 and 7.5 twist barrels. 7 twist being the one I agree is dumb but still, it shouldn't be enough to blow up bullets. That is a bullet issue. It's not some egregious shit like running a 7 twist .308, which is actual retardation unless you are shooting copper solids. Hell my norma would stabilize anything up to 245 bergers with a 9 twist.

In classes, at matches.

Not all shooters, especially newer ones understand this. Can any brand bullet blow up? Sure if you push them hard enough. But no one does it with the frequency and low threshold of Hornady.. which is why people talk about them and ask questions such as the guy who started this thread. It's a known issue and people like you trying to whitewash the issue just makes you look like an asshole.
 
Should be rewritten as I can't fucking read and am jumping to conclusions because only a low IQ idiot who cannot read also would buy Hornady products.


" It's a well known issue when you get them going too fast ( generally above 300k rpm) they come apart. AB has done testing with down to like 3 twist barrels to see if barrel twist has an effect on accuracy and I'm sure they were getting those bullets well over 300k and they were for the most part staying together....except for one brand."

Im reading what you wrote- If you push them faster than they are supposed to go they blow up

Your the CNN of the shooting community, just stop
 
Where did I say it happened to me?

I have seen it happen about a dozen times over the years and when talking to the shooter, they are shooting a tips or eldms. Many times factory ammo. Seen it in 8 and 7.7 and 7.5 twist barrels for .264. 7.5 is not too fast considering certain bullets need that to stabilize at sea level. For .243 I have seen it happen with both 7 and 7.5 twist barrels. 7 twist being the one I agree is dumb but still, it shouldn't be enough to blow up bullets. That is a bullet issue. It's not some egregious shit like running a 7 twist .308, which is actual retardation unless you are shooting copper solids. Hell my norma would stabilize anything up to 245 bergers with a 9 twist.

In classes, at matches.

Not all shooters, especially newer ones understand this. Can any brand bullet blow up? Sure if you push them hard enough. But no one does it with the frequency and low threshold of Hornady.. which is why people talk about them and ask questions such as the guy who started this thread. It's a known issue and people like you trying to whitewash the issue just makes you look like an asshole.
Often the person of less intelligence and has need for social standing reverts to insults. Have a good day
 
" It's a well known issue when you get them going too fast ( generally above 300k rpm) they come apart. AB has done testing with down to like 3 twist barrels to see if barrel twist has an effect on accuracy and I'm sure they were getting those bullets well over 300k and they were for the most part staying together....except for one brand."

Im reading what you wrote- If you push them faster than they are supposed to go they blow up

Your the CNN of the shooting community, just stop
Again you are too dumb to understand the difference between what they are supposed to do and what they do do. When FACTORY Hornady ammo is blowing up out of typical twist barrels then how is that faster than they are supposed to go? Maybe you should call them up and let them know they are incompetent at another thing in addition to making bullets and stealing designs. Why are other manufactures able to handle similar rpms and Hornady is not? Weird right? ( You don't have to answer that by the way...it's rhetorical and I can find you a dictionary if you need to know what that means)

It's not a surprise you and others are defending them. Shit birds of a feather stick together.
 
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Often the person of less intelligence and has need for social standing reverts to insults. Have a good day
And a person of any intelligence would not make assumptions and put words in people's mouths because they lack the ability to make a rational argument. Maybe next time read more and post less because you are outgunned, undermanned and incapable of winning this argument.
 
Again you are too dumb to understand the difference between what they are supposed to do and what they do do. When FACTORY Hornady ammo is blowing up out of typical twist barrels then how is that faster than they are supposed to go? Maybe you should call them up and let them know they are incompetent at another thing in addition to making bullets and stealing designs. Why are other manufactures able to handle similar rpms and Hornady is not? Weird right? ( You don't have to answer that by the way...it's rhetorical and I can find you a dictionary if you need to know what that means)

It's not a surprise you and others are defending them. Shit birds of a feather stick together.
Are you still here?

Would you like me to quote you once again on spinning bullets to fast, how you dont shoot hornady bullets or how new shooters don t know what they are doing?

Im going to tell you something you might not know- No one on this forums cares about what you think, no one cares about your opinion,
If you notice this is a pattern that repeats over and over much like your claim on hornady bullets. When your mother says she likes you shes lying to.
If you were to suddenly stop posting on this Forum people would actually see that as a postive.
Let that sink in for a few days
Try to do better
 
Are you still here?

Would you like me to quote you once again on spinning bullets to fast, how you dont shoot hornady bullets or how new shooters don t know what they are doing?

Im going to tell you something you might not know- No one on this forums cares about what you think, no one cares about your opinion,
If you notice this is a pattern that repeats over and over much like your claim on hornady bullets. When your mother says she likes you shes lying to.
If you were to suddenly stop posting on this Forum people would actually see that as a postive.
Let that sink in for a few days
Try to do better
You still can't read? Try again.
 
I’m gonna comment again

I have seen this on video with a factory gun and factory ammo not over 300k and no 3 twist. It was happening on command, hell the video I have was one and done because we can predict it.

The 147gr was absolutely blowing up with factory twist rates and not being pushed to fast. I’ll post the videos again