Im unsure which one of these is which from the description.
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/product_info.php/pName/100rds-223-hornady-tap-fpd-75gr-ammo
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/catalog1/product_info.php/pName/20rds-223-hornady-tap-leo-75gr-hp-ammo
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.
Hornady 75 grain TAP FPD 2009
Since its introduction, Hornady TAP FPD ammunition has been loaded in black-nickel coated cases. According to Hornady these “revolutionary” cases “eliminate the potential for corrosion and improve feeding in all firearms.”
Now in 2009, TAP FPD ammunition is being loaded in “revolutionary” silver-nickel coated cases and according to Hornady these cases “eliminate the potential for corrosion and improve feeding in all firearms.” Hornady also states that these newest cases “are easier to see in low-light conditions and when checking for loaded chambers.”
Hornady 75 grain 223 TAP versus 75 grain MATCH
Hornady’s 75 grain BTHP Match ammunition (part #8026) is loaded with the same 75 grain boat-tail hollow point bullet that is available from Hornady as a reloading component (part #2279). The case mouth of the Match load has a slight taper crimp on it which puts a small crease in the bullet itself. The Hornady 75 grain 223 TAP load (part #80265) uses the same 75 grain BTHP bullet as the Match load with the addition of a cannelure.
Previous lots of both the Match and 223 TAP load have been charged with a short-cut, charcoal colored extruded powder, while the most recent lots that I have purchased (including the ones used in this test session) are charged with a greenish/yellowish colored short cut, extruded powder resembling those powders found in the Hodgdon lineup of powders. Both loads use traditional brass cases and the caseheads from both loads are head-stamped “Hornady 223-REM” and neither load appears to have sealed nor crimped primers. The case mouth of the 223 TAP load is crimped into the cannelure of the bullet.
previous powder
recent powder
Chronograph testing was done using an Oehler 35-P chronograph with “proof-screen” technology. All strings of fire consisted of 10-shots each. All velocities listed below are muzzle velocities, as calculated from the instrumental velocities using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software program.
Accuracy testing was performed using my 24” Krieger barreled AR-15. Shooting was done from a bench-rest at 100 yards. All groups were 10-shot groups. Prior to testing the Hornady ammunition, I fired a 10-shot control group using handloaded 55 grain Sierra BlitzKings. That group had an extreme spread of 0.63”.
Starting with the Hornady 75 grain 223 TAP load, I fired five, 10-shot groups from 100 yards and used the best three groups for analysis. Those three groups had extreme spreads that measured:
1.17”
0.87”
1.05”
for a 10-shot group grand average of 1.03”. The three 10-shot groups were over-layed on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to form a 30-shot composite group that had a composite mean radius of 0.32”.
best 10-shot group of 75 grain 223 TAP
In the same manner described above, I obtained three 10-shot groups of the Hornady 75 grain Match load. The extreme spreads of those groups measured:
0.89”
1.03”
1.16”
for a 10-shot group grand average of 1.03”! Over-laying those three groups on each other using RSI Shooting Lab yielded a 30-shot composite group with a mean radius of 0.36”.
best 10-shot group of 75 grain MATCH
For additional comparison, I obtained three 10-shot groups from 100 yards using hand-loaded Hornady 75 grain BTHP bullets. The extreme spreads of those groups measured:
0.78”
0.71”
0.52”
for a 10-shot grand average of 0.67”. The mean radius formed from over-laying those three groups on each other was 0.23”.
best 10-shot group of hand-loaded 75 grain BTHP
Here’s a pic of the composite groups side by side for comparison.
Lastly, in a tribute to the Internet Commando, I fired two, 3-shot groups in a row from 100 yards using the control load. Both groups were sub- QUARTER-minute-of-angle.
Hornady 5.56 TAP versus TAP FPD
For those interested in Hornady’s 75 grain TAP loads, here are the results of a side by side chronograph test of Hornady’s 75 grain 5.56 TAP round (NATO pressure) and their SAAMI pressure 75 grain TAP FPD (For Personal Defense) round. The TAP FPD comes in a “black box” and uses “black nickel” plated cases. The TAP 5.56 comes in a “red box” and has brass cases with crimped primers and uses the new “T2” 75 grain bullet. Both bullets have a cannelure and both rounds have a crimped case neck.
The ammunition.
The cartridges.
The headstamps. Note the 5.56 round has a crimped in primer.
The 5.56 TAP uses ball powder…
…and the TAP FPD uses a short cut extruded powder.
The bullet on the left is a virgin 75 grain BTHP sold as a reloading component. The bullet in the center is pulled from a TAP FPD round and the bullet on the right is the new “T2” bullet pulled from a round of the 5.56 TAP.
The tests were conducted using an Oehler 35P chronograph with “proof screen” technology. All strings of fire for this report consisted of 10 rounds each unless otherwise noted. All of the velocities listed in this report are MUZZLE velocities and were calculated from the instrumental velocities using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software.
The three different barrels used in testing were:
A Colt 14.5” M4 barrel
A Colt 16” light weight profile barrel
A Colt 20” government profile barrel
All of the barrels used are chrome lined, NATO chambered and have 1:7” twists.
Here is a table showing the muzzle velocities of each load from each of the three different barrels, along with a column showing the difference in velocities between the two loads.
If you read the fine-print in the above table you’ll notice that the results for the 20” barrel were obtained using 20-shot strings of fire. This was part of a test to determine the validity of using 10-shot strings of fire when chronographing. I fired a 10-shot string of each load using the 20” barrel and then a 20-shot string of each load and compared the results. For the TAP FPD the difference in the average velocity between the 10 and 20 shot strings was ONE foot per second and the standard deviations were the same! With the 5.56 TAP the difference in average velocities between the 10 and 20 shot strings was only five fps and the standard deviations only varied by one foot per second. I think this shows quite nicely the validity of using 10-shot strings for chronographing.
The Hornady 75 grain bullets are considered to have a fragmentation threshold of 2200 fps +/- 50 fps. Based on the conservative figure of 2250 fps the table below shows the range (in yards) at which fragmentation can be expected to occur for the two loads being tested. It also shows the gain (in yards) before reaching the fragmentation threshold for the 5.56 TAP load.
Lastly, for all the O.C.D. types, here are the atmospheric conditions during testing:
Temperature- 84 degrees F
Humidity - 53%
Barometric pressure – 30.02
Elevation- 960 feet above sea level
Winds – variable
Skies – partly cloudy, Jupiter aligned with Mars
Here’s a little tid-bit I noticed when inspecting the 5.56 TAP and TAP FPD rounds. The meplats of the 5.56 TAP are incredibly uniform. The overall length of the 5.56 rounds only varied by .005" for the 20 rounds that I measured (2.240" - 2.245"). The TAP FPD had a variation in overall length of 0.014" (2.240" - 2.254").
5.56 TAP
TAP FPD
Here are a couple of close-ups of the T1 and T2 bullets as well as the extruded and ball powders used in these loads. (The squares of the grid measure 1/10th of an inch.)
Extruded powder from the FPD load.
Ball powder from the 5.56 load.
Accuracy Results - part 1
Normally when attempting to determine the accuracy (technically the precision) of a particular load, I use one of my stainless steel Krieger barrels for testing. However, since part of this test involves the 5.56 TAP round loaded to NATO pressures, I was just not willing to risk pressure issues from firing a NATO pressure load through one of my match chambered, tightly rifled Krieger barrels.
I could have used a Krieger barrel for the SAMMI pressure 75 TAP FPD load and a different barrel for the 5.56 TAP load, but I felt this would have given an unfair advantage to the TAP FPD. Therefore I decided to test both loads from a NATO chambered barrel. What I was most interested in gleaning from this test was the relative accuracy of the two loads compared to each other anyway. It has been my experience that NATO pressure loads tend not to shoot as accurately as loads that are downloaded by 150 to 200 fps (depending on the bullet weight.)
I have a 20” Colt HBAR with a 1:7” twist that shoots relatively well for a factory barrel that is chrome lined and NATO chambered. The barrel is free floated and is capable of shooting 10-shot groups from 100 yards that hover right around one inch.
All shooting for this test was done at 100 yards from a benchrest with the rifle resting on front and rear bags. (Remember, I’m trying to test the accuracy of the ammunition and not particularly my shooting skills.) As a control for this test, before firing the TAP ammunition, I obtained three 10-shot groups using Sierra 77 grain MatchKings. (In an effort to reduce the human error involved in this test, I actually fired four 10-shot groups of each load and used the best three for analysis.)
The three 10-shot groups using the Sierra 77 grain MatchKings measured:
1.05”
1.07”
1.10”.
Here is a snapshot of one of the 77 SMK groups.
Now here’s the good part. I obtained three 10-shot groups of the Hornday 75 grain TAP FPD load and the three groups measured:
1.08”
1.15”
1.18”.
Here is a snapshot of one of the 75 TAP FPD loads.
Next I overlayed the three 10-shot groups from each load on each other using the RSI Shooting Lab software program and obtained 30-round composite targets for each load. The mean radius of the 77 SMK control load measured 0.32” and the mean radius for the 75 TAP FPD load measured 0.37”! I consider this to be excellent accuracy for a factory load, especially from a chrome lined, NATO chambered barrel.
(See this thread for an explanation of the “mean radius.”)
Here are the 30-round composite targets for comparison.
Accuracy Results - part 2
Proceeding in the same manner as described in part 1, I conducted an accuracy evaluation of the 5.56 TAP load. Remember, all groups fired consisted of 10 shots each and were fired from 100 yards from a bench rest.
For this portion of the test, I fired a 10-shot group using the control load with the Sierra 77 grain MatchKing that measured exactly 1.00”. This is the smallest group obtained with the control load, with the largest being 1.10”. This group along with the three groups fired in part 1 of this test gives us four 10-shot groups of the control load fired from 100 yards that have an extreme variance of only 1/10th of an inch! (1.00”, 1.05”, 1.07”, 1.10”) I think this gives a pretty good indication of the capabilities/limitations of the barrel being used for testing and did not think that any more control groups were necessary.
Here’s a snapshot of the control load.
Now for the really good part. I obtained three 10-shot groups of the 5.56 TAP load that measured:
1.16”
1.38”
1.45”.
For comparison the three 10-shot groups of the TAP FPD load from part 1 of the test measured:
1.08”
1.15”
1.18”.
Here is a snapshot of the smallest 5.56 TAP group.
I compiled a 30-round composite target from the 5.56 TAP groups and measured the composite mean radius. The mean radius for the 5.56 TAP load was 0.46" while the mean radius for the TAP FPD load was 0.37". While the 5.56 TAP load is clearly not quite as accurate as the TAP FPD load (and we are only talking about a difference of 0.37” from the smallest FPD group to the largest 5.56 group at 100 yards in this test), I think the 5.56 load shows excellent accuracy for a NATO pressure load. As I stated earlier, it has been my experience that NATO pressure loads do not shoot nearly as accurately as loads that run 150-200 fps slower.
Here are the 30-round composite targets for comparison.
wow.
ask and ye shall recieve…
Thank you for the reply. The only question I could possibly have right now then, is does anyone know where the 5.56 round is in stock ?
again, thank you.
OUTSTANDING POSTS, MOLON!!!
Now, like Shawn stated, where can we find some of this??
My agency is supposed to start switching over to this soon. I already have some issued, and I will get more, but I doubt that they’ll give me all 300 rounds that I need to fill up my SWAY and Active Shooter loadouts.
In stock anywhere? Bueller?
The 5.56 T2 load is supposed to be LE only. I think you can order it direct for Hornady if you have credentials.
Otherwise ammo-to-go is the only place I know of that seems to have it in regularly but it goes quick. Right now the only Hornady 75GR stuff they have is all 223 loads- the regular match, TAP, and TAP FPD.
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Thanks much.