Need help with Hornady ammo ID (6.5cm)

[justletmein]

So we have a situation where some ammo was switched at a store or at the factory, very strange. The following two different types of rounds were found in a box of Hornady Superformance 129gr SST, 9 of the longer ones and 11 of the shorter ones. The shorter ones look exactly like the 129gr SST's I have from another box so it seems the longer ones are in question. Looking at the different offerings from Hornady I'm thinking they're 140gr ELD-M but not sure. Bottom pic is next to a 143gr ELD-X. All cartridges are stamped with Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor on the casing. Wondering if the reloaders here could maybe help with a more positive ID.

[highspeed]

Have you weighed them on a scale? They might (should’ve) have used the same amount of powder

[justletmein]

Have you weighed them on a scale? They might (should’ve) have used the same amount of powder

Probably not accurate enough but I put them on my kitchen scale, got 21 grams for the shorter one and the longer one is bouncing between 21 grams and 22 grams.

[dustoffer]

Maybe the factory press short-stroked the longer ones, not seating the bullet deep enough? Pull one of the bullets and weigh it on your powder scale, and then weigh the propellant. Do the same with one of the short rounds and compare. If they are the same, run them thru a bullet seating die and make the long ones the same length as the short ones.

[dustoffer]

Maybe the factory press short-stroked the longer ones, not seating the bullet to the proper depth. Pull a bullet and weigh it on your reloading scale, then weigh the charge. Do the same with a short round and compare bullet weights and charge weights. If they are the same and the bullet looks the same (flat base or boat-tail) then run the long ones thru a seating die to make them the same length.

[westtexducks]

Almost looks like an Amax load based on the tip color. Aren't the ELDM similar nose color to that ELDX?

[dustoffer]

double post-

[justletmein]

Maybe the factory press short-stroked the longer ones, not seating the bullet to the proper depth. Pull a bullet and weigh it on your reloading scale, then weigh the charge. Do the same with a short round and compare bullet weights and charge weights. If they are the same and the bullet looks the same (flat base or boat-tail) then run the long ones thru a seating die to make them the same length.

I thought about that, but the shorter ones have a ring/groove on them, so if they weren't seated to full depth that ring/groove in the bullet would be visible. There doesn't seem to be any ring/groove on the longer ones. Looking at the Hornady site it looks like the ELD-M and AMax and Interbond's don't have the rings. The IB would be cool, but it looks like it only comes in 129gr in the 6.5cm so it shouldn't be as long.

Almost looks like an Amax load based on the tip color. Aren't the ELDM similar nose color to that ELDX?

Hopefully someone will chime in, I've not seen either in person to know for sure.

[BangBang]

Not positive, but I did the same thing, but I knew which bullets were mixed, the 140ELDM and 143 ELDX. The ELDX had a more opaque red tip and the ELDMs were not. Don't know if this helps, but either way my gun like both of them with no POI shift.

[Rswan13]

Let me go dig through my stash. I should have some of the SSTs, ELDMs and ELDXs to compare.

[Rswan13]

From left to right 129 SST, 140 AMAX, 140 ELD-M, 143 ELD-X

[Rswan13]

From the bullets I have on hand, the SST and Amax have a similar colored tip. The ELDM and ELDX I have on hand have the newer colored tips and are basically the same color. Is it older possibly older factory ammo? It looks like you may have some Amax bullets like some others have said.

[justletmein]

That's gotta be it, the Amax. You rock dude!

[Rswan13]

Not a problem! I just happened to pull those Amax bullets from some old loaded rounds a few weeks ago.