Thread: 223 on deer

Originally Posted by gimp

2950 with a 73 ELDM is within "reasonable to expect" for a .223 with a 20 inch barrel I would think.

Looking at the data, ADI lists a 70gr Speer which has miles more bearing surface than the 73gr ELD at 2997 with 06H and 3024 with 08. If you expect 20fps loss per inch you'd be looking at 2920 with 06H or 2940 with 08.

Of course that's max load for Saami Max pressure of 55,000psi which is a lower max pressure than we are running in all modern cartridges and can probably be safely exceeded to 60,000 psi or so without even noticing in quality brass, action fatigue isn't going to be a problem with a modern action like a Remington 700 due to the tiny bolt thrust & relative hoop strength of the chamber with the .223 case relative to other cartridges chambered in the same action, the only risk would be case failure

Greetings,
This fascinated me a bit so I went out to the shed. 69grain Sierra HPTBT, Speer 70 grain semi point and 75 grain Hornady ELDM projectiles were fished out. I didn't have any 73 grain. The first thing that struck me was how long the ELDM projectiles were. The 69 grain Sierra projectiles are seated in my T3 mag about as long as the mag will allow so the ELDM projectiles will need to be seated to the same LOA. The ELDM projectiles are 5.8mm longer and will stick that much further into the powder space raising both pressure and velocity. Admittedly the 73 grain ELDM will be a little shorter but not that much. The 70 grain Speer is a completely different projectile so a poor comparison to a spitzer BT in my view with the Sierra a better comparison.
In summary compared the the 69 grain Sierra we have a significantly longer projectile plus heavier and in the T3 seated significantly deeper as well. All raise pressure and reduce the safety margin for a few fps more velocity. Not worth an eye in my book.
Regards Grandpamac.