I had a major isse with this round and was advised by Federal after they performed numerous tests that it is not optimal for use in M4’s as the SP can cause some feeding issues.I will try and post the letter later in the week which explains the issues in detail. They sent me 200rds for my troubles. It is a very good round if you need to shoot through auto glass. I only use 5.56 75 gr Tap now as I know it is 100% in my weapons and it should get the job done from what i have read
does the hornady 55 and 60gr VMAX bullet work good for a defensive round?
Preparing nukeproof bomb shelter for even pointing this out, BUT… in a 75gr. JHP, doesn’t WOLF make this - with a BRASS case? GOTTA be a little easier on ye olde AR extractor!
its actually made by PRVI, and stuffed in a Wolf premium or gold line box or whatever they call their top quality ammo.
Who normally carries the Privi? And how likely are we to find it in stock these days?
Originally posted by Colt6933:
[QUOTE]
Originally Posted by Oscar 319Federal LE223T3 aka 62 grn Tactical Bonded is my choice over all the loads.
Thankfully I am issued this round. It is both hard to find and expensive
I had a major issue with this round and was advised by Federal after they performed numerous tests that it is not optimal for use in M4’s as the SP can cause some feeding issues.I will try and post the letter later in the week which explains the issues in detail. They sent me 200rds for my troubles. It is a very good round if you need to shoot through auto glass. I only use 5.56 75 gr Tap now as I know it is 100% in my weapons and it should get the job done from what i have read[/QUOTE]
DocGKR has mentioned the feeding issue with soft-points before. The exposed lead meplats of the soft-point rounds cause lead build-up on the feed-ramps and after a couple hundred rounds can cause stoppages. This is one of the reasons that I personally prefer the 64 grain Gold Dot for a barrier load; it has the smallest amount of exposed lead at the meplat of any of the bonded soft-points that I have evaluated. A big plus for the 5.56 TAP load is that the ogive of the bullet was specifically redesigned for reliable feeding in the AR-15 platform.
The 62 grain TBBC is certainly one of the top contenders for the penetration of auto glass; it is also a rather inaccurate load compared to the heavy OTM loads. While the 64 grain Gold Dot has produced sub-MOA 10-shot groups at 100 yards and the 5.56 TAP load runs slightly above MOA for 10-shots at 100 yards, the smallest 10-shot group that I have been able to obtain with the 62 grain TBBC is twice as large as the TAP group shown below.
Gel test results courtesy of Dr. G.K. Roberts
Both loads fail to meet the FBI’s minimum penetration depth of 12 inches.
Prvi Partizan 75 grain OTM
Thanks to the efforts of the esteemed Dr. G.K. Roberts, we have some excellent information on the terminal ballistic properties of the Prvi Partizan 75 grain OTM load.
Privi Partizan 75 gr OTM
Velocity: 2468 fps from a 16" 1:7” twist barrel
penetration in bare ballistic gel: 12.6"
neck length: 0.8”
maximum temporary cavity: 3.2” at a depth of 4.7”
recovered diameter: 0.36”
recovered length: 0.15”
recovered weight: 30.1gr
percentage of fragmentation: 60%
The same lot of Prvi Partizan 75 grain OTM ammunition that Dr. Roberts used in testing had a nearly identical velocity when I chronographed it from a 16" Colt barrel.
atmospheric conditions:
Average temperature- 83 degrees F
Humidity - 64%
Barometric pressure – 30.04
Elevation- 960 feet above sea level
Velocity Update
For those of us that are ballistic morons… what does this mean about the PRVI? How does it stack up and why are these numbers good or bad?
Terminal ballistics-wise, the Prvi 75gr is ok, but certainly nothing to write home about…in Dr. Roberts’ testing, the 5.56 TAP T2 and the Black Hills Mk262 both had temporary cavities about an inch larger and penetrated much deeper. This sort of increase in TC should cause notably greater damage - the deeper penetration is self-explanatory.
Dr. Roberts further commented that the 5.56 TAP T2 was the most impressive of the three rounds by a notable margin, especially in terms of consistency.
Bottom line: Does the PRVI 75 gr offer the same level of performance as the 75gr TAP? Doc’s testing gives a resounding no…
But, at the same time, we’re talking about a large difference in price point…I have lots of 5.56 TAP around, but I also have a large “rainy day fund” of PRVI 75.
Would I pay inflated panic-buying prices for the PRVI 75? HECK NO
If it gets down to the cheap prices it was at before the election, however, it would probably be good to pick some up…its definitely nice stuff for its price point.
Here’s a link where Dr. Roberts discusses this test:
Thanks, that’s a great breakdown of the info.
Just to elaborate a little on Jim from Houston’s fine comments, the first thing you want to look at when examining terminal ballistic data is the penetration depth/permanent cavity. Does the load in question meet the FBI’s minimum penetration requirement of 12 inches? The Prvi 75 grain OTM load does meet the requirement with a penetration depth in bare gel of 12.6". Another important aspect to evaluate is the “ballistic neck.”
courtesy of DocGKR
The “ballistic neck” length or initial upset depth is a critical component in evaluating the terminal ballistic properties of a round of ammunition. It is the length that the bullet travels in the body before it begins to upset (expand, yaw/fragment.) Keep in mind that on an average adult male, the surface of the heart is roughly 1.5” below the surface of the chest.
As long as the bullet reaches the minimum penetration depth of 12 inches, the shorter the ballistic neck, the better. The ballistic neck for the 75 grain Prvi load is an outstanding 0.8". For comparison, the ballistic neck for MK262 is more than three times as long at 2.8". For additional comparison, 85% of the time the ballistic neck for M193 will be more than six times as long as the Prvi load at 5 inches.
The difference between a round with a long ballistic neck and a short ballistic neck can be the difference between the bullet sailing through the target without having expanded/yawed/fragmented and only creating the “ice pick” wound versus a bullet that yaws, fragments and creates a large temporary cavity with large amounts of tissue damage within the target.
This . . .
versus this.
This . . .
versus this.
courtesy of DocGKR
After penetration depth/permanent cavity and ballistic neck, you want to compare the concomitant properties of temporary cavity and fragmentation as described in DocGKR’s chart.
Awesome info! I feel like I almost have a handle on the basics of this stuff…
I just wish I could find some Hornady red box 75 grain TAP.
I have been holding on to 2 last boxes from a case that I bought last year. If I had only known. 
I have no problem finding the .308 155 grain red box TAP.
Look at the Hornady TAP Practice, BH’s blue box & PRVI 69gr & 75gr.
C4
The 223 red box 75 grain TAP is basically the same load as the 75 grain TAP FPD, if you can find that.
Not exactly. The red box is loaded to 5.56 specifications and velocities and the listed velocities are from a 14.5" barreled weapon.
Ah, you didn’t mention that you were looking for the 5.56 load. There are two versions of 75 grain “red box” TAP.
Visual Catalog of Hornady 75 Grain Loads
Here is a little “visual catalog” of the 5 different loads that Hornady produces using a 75 grain bullet.
75 grain BTHP MATCH: catalog #8026
223 Remington
This load uses the 75 grain BTHP “T1” bullet without a cannelure. (The is the same bullet that is available as a reloading component.) The case neck does have a very slight taper crimp. The powder used is a short cut extruded type. The lots of this load that I have chronographed have had velocities similar to or slightly higher than the velocities of the 75 grain TAP FPD load (depending on the barrel.)
75 grain BTHP TAP Precision: catalog #80265
223 Remington
The original version of this load was referred to as “TAP Precision” while the more recent version has dropped the “Precision” nomenclature. Both versions come in a red box, but the newer version uses the same style of label on the box that the 5.56 TAP ammunition uses, adding to the confusion.
This load is the forerunner to the TAP FPD load. This load uses the T1 bullet with a cannelure and has a firm taper crimp on the case neck. This load also uses extruded powder and has a velocity similar to 75 grain TAP FPD. The primers are not crimped and the cases are plain brass.
original
current
75 grain TAP FPD (For Personal Defense): catalog #80268
223 Remington
I think this is the load that started a lot of the confusion about the various 75 grain loads offered by Hornday. First off, the ammo comes in a black box. The box is still labeled as “TAP”, but it also has the “For Personal Defense” title on it. Besides the black box, this round also has the “black nickel” coated cases giving the round its distinctive appearance.
Other than the black box and black case the round is basically the same as the 75 grain BTHP TAP Precision load. It uses the T1 bullet with a cannelure and crimped case neck as well as the extruded powder. It does not have crimped primers. The muzzle velocity of this load runs around 2640 fps from a 20” chrome lined, NATO chambered Colt barrel.
TAP 5.56 X 45
75 grain BTHP/WC T2: catalog #8126N
This is the NATO pressure load. It comes in a red TAP box, but the side panel is clearly labeled 5.56 X 45. The panel has a disclaimer that reads “NOT FOR USE IN 223 CHAMBERS.” I think this load is confused with the 75 grain BTHP TAP Precision load because they both come packaged in the red TAP box.
One of the biggest features of this round besides being loaded to NATO pressures is the new T2 bullet. The ogive of the T2 bullet is shorter than the T1 bullet and the T2 bullet has a longer bearing surface than the T1 bullet. The T2 bullets also have incredibly uniform meplats giving the loaded round a more uniform overall length. It is reported that the shape of the bullet was designed so as to improve feeding in the M4 platform.
The T2 bullet has a cannelure and the case neck has a firm taper crimp. The primers for this load are crimped in place and the primer itself is reported to be a “mil-spec” primer. The more recent lots of this load have sealed primers. Contrary to advertisements, none of the lots of this load that I have seen have a sealed case mouth. This load uses ball powder and has a muzzle velocity of around 2820 fps from a 20” chrome lined, NATO chambered barrel.
I’d like to dispel the rumor that the TAP 5.56 X 45 load uses a large rifle primer. This is completely false and can be proved with the application of a tiny bit of science. The nominal diameter for small rifle primers is 0.175 inches.* De-priming a fired TAP 5.56 X 45 case and measuring the spent primer with digital calipers shows the primer has a diameter of 0.174”.
75 grain Practice: catalog #9760
223 Remington
This load comes in a white, 50 round box. The distinctive feature about this round is the Berdan primed steel case that it uses. This load uses the T1 bullet with a cannelure and taper crimp. The load is charged with ball powder and has velocities similar to the 75 grain TAP FPD load.
*The ABC’s of Reloading, page 45.