Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

[DosMeadowlandos]

Hey All,

Does anyone have any load data for the new 178 BTHP (30715) in .308 Winchester? Would anyone be able to send a picture of the Hornady 8th edition page for the 178?

I've got three powders in mind:

Ramshot TAC
IMR 4064
IMR 8208 XBR

Thanks!

- Jake

 

[DosMeadowlandos]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

Called Hornady and only got data for IMR 4064:

IMR 4064
34.0gn - 41.3gn (MAX)
2000fps - 2400fps
2.800" COAL

 

[turbo54]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JakeB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Called Hornady and only got data for IMR 4064:

IMR 4064
34.0gn - 41.3gn (MAX)
2000fps - 2400fps
2.800" COAL </div></div>

WEAK!

Why not Varget or RL15 or 2000MR?

I've tested Varget a good bit, and in my rifle, 45.5 is max with 175smk @ 2750. 46.5 is max with 178hpbt @ 2825.

4064 oughtta take about 1gr less than Varget.

 

[DosMeadowlandos]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

I'll move to another powder once I burn through the remaining 20lbs of 4064 I have...that is unless the 4064 keeps giving me great results with the bullets I'm using it with.

The TAC and 8208 are two other powders I have bulk lots in storage and could use.

 

[5R Milspec]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

you should be able to reach close to 43gn useing a 175gn bullet.just work up to it watching for pressure.and useing a 2.800 oal.

 

[NoFail]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

Lymans 49th lists the 178 Amax and 4064 starting charge is 39.5 grains, max is 44.3, Rem. Cases, rem # 9 1/2 LRP, OAL 2.810".
They have the Sierra 175 hpbt starting 4064 @ 39.5 & max at 44.0 gns.

 

[DosMeadowlandos]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

Just an FYI

These new bullets (new to me at least) are LONG! Longer than a 175 SMK. No calipers around at the moment or else I would measure them.

Talked to Ramshot/Western Powders and got some more data from them. They basically recommend loading them like the Hornady 180 SST.

 

[YAOG]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JakeB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just an FYI

These new bullets (new to me at least) are LONG! Longer than a 175 SMK. No calipers around at the moment or else I would measure them.

Talked to Ramshot/Western Powders and got some more data from them. They basically recommend loading them like the Hornady 180 SST. </div></div>

JakeB,

Yeah a 178gr H-Match measures almost 0.1" longer than a 175gr SMK. Pretty long, longer than a 155gr Lapua Scenar too. According to QuikLOAD none of the powders you list are ideal for the Hornady 178gr Match bullet. Depending on case capacity RL-17, IMR 4895 or BL-C2 are the best powders in terms of pressure, velocity and percentage case fill.

This correlates well with what I have seen loading the 178gr Hornady Match over 43.3gr IMR 4895 for 2,640fps through a PVM21 chronograph. I did not get great groups at 100 yards with these bullets but they work very well past 200 yards out to 800 yards which is as far as I have really tested them. This is likely a very good 1,000 yard load for my unmolested (24" w/Huber 2-stage trigger) 5R/AICS rifle. The 178gr H-Match rounds are just as accurate as my standard 168gr AMAX and 175gr SMK loads but with less drop than the 175gr SMK load which is 10fps faster.

HTH!


FYI the 178gr Hornady Match loads were in R&P brass with prepped primer pockets, deburred flash holes and Wolf large rifle primers. The cases were full length resized to net 0.001" headspace then trimmed to 2.005" and assembled to a 2.8150" COAL max.

 

[knife edge]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

Hope this helps:

All loaded to 2.81" OAL, FC brass.

178g Hornady Match

18" OBR 45.0 BLC-2
BC .288 G7 2494ft/sec

18" OBR 40.2 8208
BC .288 g7 2445 ft/sec

16" M1A 40.2 8208
BC .288 G7 2412 ft/sec

As far as the 8208 is concerned, I've found it to be fast, extremely temperature insensitive and as such likely engineered for .223/.308 with shorter barrels. For anything over 20" I'd run Varget or BLC-2 (not temp stable). 8208 seems to run about 50'/sec slower than BLC-2 in the same gun while exhibiting slightly more cratering of the CCI primers. For what it is worth, my most accurate 8208 load is the same velocity as 175g SMK Federal Gold.

 

[turbo54]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

To add to the 8208 topic:

In both my 24" and 26" 308 barrels, with both 175smk and 178hpbt, 8208 showed pressure early. Very early. Varget was good for over 100fps more with both bullets in both barrels.

8208 is too fast for the ~175gr bullets in a longish barrel bolt action 308.

Accuracy was great.

Metering was better than Varget, but not good. Varget throws +/- .35gr from a uniflow, 8208 throws +/- .25gr. I threw 80 samples of each.

 

[CrawDad338]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

I'm currently using 49.5 gr of RL-17 with the HPBT 178s, Winchester brass, 2.81 avg COAL, Federal 210M, 2,703fps avg through a 22'' gas gun w/12 twist, very accurate load. I'm going to try Power Pro 2000MR when I run out of RL-17, hopefully it gives the speed of RL-17 with the temp stability of Varget.

 

[DosMeadowlandos]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

I have not yet measured the bearing surfaces...but the 178 BTHP and the 180 SST are the same length.

 

[jac74]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

Underground skunkworks 308, 22" Bartlein barrel w/ 5r rifling.
178 HBTHP
42.5 grains 4064 with a slight crunch.
Winchester brass trimmed to 2.005
CCI BR2 primers
2.80 OAL
2625 fps.

 

[Deadshot2]

Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data

I just loaded some of the cousin to this bullet, the 178 A-Max. Got a pretty good first load group at 200 yards. Just over 3/4" vertical and about 1" horizontal (the wind was coming from different directions every two minutes.)

41.7 gr of IMR 4064 "crunched" slightly in new brass, no crunch in once fired, neck sized only.

Got far better results with 43.7 gr of Varget under the same bullet. .7" and fairly round groups, again at 300 yards. The wind was dead calm when I shot this load. I loaded the Varget to 2.820", the 4064 loads were 2.800".

Since I have lots of Varget left, and use it for my 168 gr bullets, I'll keep using the Varget with the A-Max's. Like this bullet better than the HPBT's.