For the folks who haven’t seen them yet, Hornady has a series of podcasts. They cover a variety of subjects, but the ones I want to emphasize are the ones about ballistics. In particular, I wish #28, about internal ballistics, was required viewing for all reloaders. Take the time to watch it. You can see them on YouTube.

from what Im hearing there is a huge amount of spindoctor bulldust being spouted on them....
folks trying to sell a particular type of something will have bias towards it.

Some of the podcasts are about new products, etc. But the ones about ballistics are just facts about ballistics.

Pkslinger, thanks for suggesting Podcast 28. I will likely benefit from it since I blew a primer last time to the range. I've also watched podcasts 34 about down-range ballistics which is insightful.

However, my contact with Hornady recently has been disappointing..... I just erased the last 15 minutes of typing. Maybe I will post my comments later when I can rephase the wording to be more positive.

LOL
sounds like you are encountering the same sort of BS that others I have been hearing about have got....
was going to contact you but heres as good of place as any...quite a few guys over here are having a good run with Hammer projectiles,sounds like SOME progress is slowly happening on the mono front... stil lwont get me away from cup n core while I can still use them/get them...but progress is good.

Hornady has been putting their new "heat-resistant" ballistic tips on all their monolithic bullets. The heat-resistant BTs are a harder plastic and are negatively impacting low- and mid-velocity expansion. The new tips help the new big cartridge like 6.5, 7mm, 300 PRCs, and 6.8 Western. But for the 100 CX in the 6.8mm min velocity expansion went from the 1600 fps range with the GMX to 2100 fps in their new CX that replaces it (becomes and FMJ). That is a 50% loss in effective range. .308 Win lost 30% of its effective range if a GMX user switches to the corresponding CX. Not good for someone hunting pronghorn and elk with a .308 Win. Hornady has not been receptive to feedback and data showing the degraded performance. There is more but I can only politely comment a little at a time.

Ive read reports of barnes newer batchs being lots harder too..55 grn .224 not expanding on billy goats.
in similar note I see remington corelocts are now out with a flashharry pointy plastic tip...might be hope of Nosler will do same in partition.
I read what you have typed twice to make sure I got gist of it correct,and it doesnt make sence to me.....surely a harder tip wont effect expansion,if anything it SHOULD increase it,the same as the origonal speil on NBT the hard plastic tip is driven back into nose cavity STARTING expansion process....Ive done similar with a plastic or steel #BB in nose of soft lead projectile..definately opens up further and faster than without it.
might I suggest what your seeing is more than likely caused by the metal itself being harder....which is what is said about latest batches of barnes???

“Elvis” wrote:

… might I suggest what your seeing is more than likely caused by the metal itself being harder....which is what is said about latest batches of barnes???

It’s probably a combination of both things Elvis. A tougher metal jacket, possibly slight changes to the internal shape where the plastic BT fits, then the harder plastic BT. All these changes could add up to low velocity expansion problems. Being overall tougher, maybe this bullet is intended more for expansion at higher velocity at closer ranges.

what Im driving at is that if tip is harder,it should if anything,IMPROVE expansion as it will drive back into nose cone with more force rather than absorbing it itself.... from what Im reading the harder material of projectile itself is causing issue...the hammer projectile it seems are still doing ok...

Sorry, Elvis. That is not the case. The claim that ballistic tips promote expansion, especially with copper bullets, is just marketing hype. Copper bullets all expand better with the tips removed in every test I've done. In the case of Hornady's new CX bullet, it is a softer copper than the GMX it replaced but it has a harder tip which is impeding expansion at low- and mid-velocities. Remove the tips and the CX expands as well if not better than the GMX bullets they replaced. I've done over 50 tests including recovering bullets from hogs.

I should take the time next week to post the details of my testing an analysis.

good stuff..my limited testing with lead showed the opposite...great if the copper is softer in new stuff.