I’m currently using the Hornady for my match loads for field carbine matches out to 550 yards. I load on LC brass, CCI 450 primers and Win748 making 2700 fps out of my 18" barreled AR. Im a cheap ass and I can get a deal on some Noslers about $3 per 100 bullets cheaper than the Hornady. I’ve been very happy with the Hornady performance but the price drop is tempting since shooting about 5k a year. Does anyone have any feedback on how they compare? Will I see a difference?
And on a similar subject I’m waiting on my form 4 for my AAC suppressor. AAC cautions against match bullets with thing jackets and can separate and damage the suppressor. Since I’m getting Sub 1/2 MOA out of my loads I would assume the jacket is intact without issue. Will either of these bullets be any better or any worse for suppressor use? I’m using a 1:8 match barrel.
I have never gotten good accuracy from Hornady 75 grain bullets in my guns. However Sierras and Noslers do very well. I am starting to run Nosler because of the price difference when you buy in bulk.
I can get 77 grain Noslers for about 75% of the cost of Sierras.
Pat
I went through 300 of the Hornady 75 grain BTHP’s. They gave unacceptable accuracy through my carbine so I tried Sierra 77’s. Great accuracy but quite expensive.
I settled on the Nosler 77’s. They are less expensive than the SMK’s but give me identical accuracy and offer better terminal performance.
I recently picked up 1k of the Nosler 77’s on sale from Cabelas for $147.00 with free shipping. That’s pretty hard to beat.
I have used quite literally thousands of each of the above manufacturers mentioned 75/77 grain .224 bullets. This being in numerous rifles of both bolt and semiautomatic configurations. Without a doubt Sierra matchkings have ruled for many years, however, the newer AMP jacketed Hornady BTHP’s have now surpassed them in my opinion. Having only fired 900 of the newer version Hornady’s I have witnessed superior long range accuracy. That can be taken to mean beyond 600 yards, the blessings of the desert locale.
So not unlike the OP, when value enters into the equation, Hornady now gets my dollars.
A side note to Nosler; get back with it, you were once the premier manufacturer.
Yep, the 75 BTHP are pretty well known to have mediocre to poor accuracy for most AR users. Perhaps he was refering to the Hornady AMAX in a bolt gun which is too long to fit in a AR magazine.
That would make more sense as I have had reasonable accuracy with 168 and 178 grain AMAX bullets in my 700 bolt gun. I still get better accuracy from Sierra however. I am going to try Nolser in the .308 next to see if it does as well as it does in .223. To .308 Sako Nosler is making great bullets. I absolutely love their 77 grain Match bullets.
Pat
It is the 75gr BTHP. I’ve heard of people getting poor accuracy from them but mine have been fine. I think the issue is people pushing them harder than they want to go. Since I shoot a lot and I want my brass to last I don’t push for crazy speeds and they seem to shoot fine. I’m only making 2705 fps as a 10 shot average in 65* temps out of an 18" gun. I think the folks that are trying to get 2800-2900 fps are seeing issues. I had a 24" gun that I could push into the 2900fps range but as soon as I broke 3000fps I was getting 8-10" groups.
I ended up getting a good deal on the Hornady bullets the other night from Mid South Shooters for $15.50 per 100 bullets so I went that way with a large order. At least I won’t have to rework my load flat this point.
Not in my case. I worked up many loads with this bullet in the 2500-2650 FPS range through my 16 inch mid length carbine. Depending on components groups were in the 3-7 moa range.
Driving them hard with IMR 8208 XBR, LC brass and Tula primers.
Shooting in a Colt Hbar Elite 6724 5.56 chamber at 2850 ft/secs, and 2730 ft/secs in a Rock Creek 5R-18" 1 in 8 twist Wylde chambered rifle gas custom upper.
Just goes to prove each rifle has rules unto itself. I shoot nearly 1400 of the Nosler CC 69’s and 77’s and could not come lose to the level of accuracy the Sierra MK’s were giving me in either weight.
Well there you go. I can’t answer it. I’m even using a surplus powder version of the W748 and I’m getting single hole accuracy. I wonder if the twist has anything to do with it? I’m using a 1:8 and I bet you guys are using 1:7. That wouldn’t seem to make sense but it might be a cause.
I was using there Grendel ammo that totally sucked and I ended up selling the upper because I couldn’t get it to group for shit. But that’s not been the case with the BTHP that nobody else seems to like. I’ll grab some Nosler and test them out and see what I think before I buy my next big batch.
That’s some tight deviation in your FPS. I’m using a power drop on my progressive and I’m no where near that tight. But I am glad to see that I’m deal on your average with the same size barrel. 2700 was my target and I hit it fine with the most accurate load. And my brass looks like it will last plenty fine. I think I’m right at the top end of the .223 loading pressures.
