Hornady 75gr HPBT accuracy

[Ishallbie O'Cullkillin]

I've been shooting the 77gr Noslers out of a RRNM AR15 and a DPMS, same setup for a couple of years now. I don't shoot matches, but this bullet has been really accurate out to 700yds, consistently. My stash of 77gr & Data 74 powder is almost gone, so I bought a few boxes of 100 Hornady 75gr hpbt to test. Using once fired, annealed, sized & trimmed Win brass, 40% of my finished rounds are showing significant tip wobble when I roll them across a smooth surface. The Noslers, with all things the same, are rolling true, with maybe 2% showing a barely perceivable wobble. I spent some time looking for load info in the National Match reloading forum, but don't recall a single post where someone used these bullets. I like the added B.C. over the Noslers, but not at the expense of accuracy. I shot less than 50 of them 5 years ago, before the AMP jacket, and wasn't impressed then either.
I will test them, But I just don't see how they can shoot well, after seeing this. Has anyone else seen this, or been successful at achieving MOA or better with them?

 

[bruddah]

I've been shooting the 77gr Noslers out of a RRNM AR15 and a DPMS, same setup for a couple of years now. I don't shoot matches, but this bullet has been really accurate out to 700yds, consistently. My stash of 77gr & Data 74 powder is almost gone, so I bought a few boxes of 100 Hornady 75gr hpbt to test. Using once fired, annealed, sized & trimmed Win brass, 40% of my finished rounds are showing significant tip wobble when I roll them across a smooth surface. The Noslers, with all things the same, are rolling true, with maybe 2% showing a barely perceivable wobble. I spent some time looking for load info in the National Match reloading forum, but don't recall a single post where someone used these bullets. I like the added B.C. over the Noslers, but not at the expense of accuracy. I shot less than 50 of them 5 years ago, before the AMP jacket, and wasn't impressed then either.
I will test them, But I just don't see how they can shoot well, after seeing this. Has anyone else seen this, or been successful at achieving MOA or better with them?

My Black Hole Weaponry barrels do NOT like these bullets (could BARELY get sub MOA groups @ 100 yds). I did get some better groups though with them out of my S&W M&P 15T @ 100 yds though. Don't recall the powder and charge at this time, but I was relieved as I had all but written them off as far as using them for any kind of accuracy.

 

[bruddah]

PS, the Nosler 69/77 gr Custom Competition Match, and SMK 69/77 gr pills work great out of both my BHW barrels. Easily sub MOA with groups often getting sub 1/2 MOA.

 

[Rattler56]

I have learned my lesson with Horandy, you get what you pay for.

 

[californiasushi]

I've been shooting the 77gr Noslers out of a RRNM AR15 and a DPMS, same setup for a couple of years now. I don't shoot matches, but this bullet has been really accurate out to 700yds, consistently. My stash of 77gr & Data 74 powder is almost gone, so I bought a few boxes of 100 Hornady 75gr hpbt to test. Using once fired, annealed, sized & trimmed Win brass, 40% of my finished rounds are showing significant tip wobble when I roll them across a smooth surface. The Noslers, with all things the same, are rolling true, with maybe 2% showing a barely perceivable wobble. I spent some time looking for load info in the National Match reloading forum, but don't recall a single post where someone used these bullets. I like the added B.C. over the Noslers, but not at the expense of accuracy. I shot less than 50 of them 5 years ago, before the AMP jacket, and wasn't impressed then either.
I will test them, But I just don't see how they can shoot well, after seeing this. Has anyone else seen this, or been successful at achieving MOA or better with them?

The Litz BC for the Hornady 75 is actually lower than the Nosler/Sierra 77 BC. Many High Power shooters, myself included, have used this bullet with no problems. The price is so good on them. I've gotten sub-MOA results with them out of something like 8 different stainless barrels (RRA, WOA, and Noveske). You might try searching for the term "Hornady 75BTHP" and "Hornady BTHP" without the quotation marks on the NM forum and it will pop up some results. If you need to find some powder you might consider Varget, RL-15, XBR8208, or Ramshot TAC.

 

[BoilerUP]

I've switched to 77gr CCs (cheaper and more available, believe it or not) but I used to run 75gr HPBT in a 1:9 26" Savage bolt gun and got consistent sub-half MOA 5-shot groups with 24.0gr Varget out to 200yd. Hitting 8" steel at 650yd was repeatable to the point of almost being boring (unless there was wind).

 

[Thebelly]

I've had pretty good results with these being pushed by TAC.

 

[Ishallbie O'Cullkillin]

My Black Hole Weaponry barrels do NOT like these bullets (could BARELY get sub MOA groups @ 100 yds). I did get some better groups though with them out of my S&W M&P 15T @ 100 yds though. Don't recall the powder and charge at this time, but I was relieved as I had all but written them off as far as using them for any kind of accuracy.

I have a 16" 1-8 Polygonal twist Ranier Arms "select" barrel that I heard was made by BHW. I have had a hard time getting it to shoot well with anything. It is stainless with some kind of black finish that looks like it is in the bore also. I have not given up on it. That's good news about the M&P, as I have yet to even come close to the accuracy I get with the 77gr out of rifle length, with a carbine, at any distance.
I'm gonna try to get out tomorrow and test. For powder, I've got all the usual suspects to test with, except CFE223. My last trip out with the 2000mr was a mind blower. Hey bruddah, where in Oregon are you at? Ive got a decent spot 20mins out of Eugene where we hang steel at 1000-1300 & many points in between. I did hit the 2moa steel once with Nos77gr at 1k, but pissed two mags away trying to do it again.

 

[Papagallos]

My and OG13's Accurate Ordnance .223 rifles are shooting 1/4MOA out to 338 yards with a load that was developed using the Hornady 75g HPBT. There is not doubt that they shoot outstanding out of our .223s. We are both running 1:8 twist barrels.

 

[Will Fennell]

I've actually had better luck with the Hornady 75gr BTHP than any brand of the 77 gr BTHP's. This is across several AR barrels including Noveske, Wilson Combat, and Rainer Select. The published BC worked for me all the way out to 800 yards. YMMV.

 

[sawgunner2001]

I've actually had better luck with the Hornady 75gr BTHP than any brand of the 77 gr BTHP's. This is across several AR barrels including Noveske, Wilson Combat, and Rainer Select. The published BC worked for me all the way out to 800 yards. YMMV.

I've had the same experience as Will. The Nosler's were close behind with the SMK's falling a distant last place in the 75-77 grain weight category.

 

[Xtremegunnr]

I use 24 grains of reloader 15. They do not shoot as well as the Sierra 77 grainers out of my rifle (3/8" or less) but they are below 5/8"

 

[bruddah]

I have a 16" 1-8 Polygonal twist Ranier Arms "select" barrel that I heard was made by BHW. I have had a hard time getting it to shoot well with anything. It is stainless with some kind of black finish that looks like it is in the bore also. I have not given up on it. That's good news about the M&P, as I have yet to even come close to the accuracy I get with the 77gr out of rifle length, with a carbine, at any distance.
I'm gonna try to get out tomorrow and test. For powder, I've got all the usual suspects to test with, except CFE223. My last trip out with the 2000mr was a mind blower. Hey bruddah, where in Oregon are you at? Ive got a decent spot 20mins out of Eugene where we hang steel at 1000-1300 & many points in between. I did hit the 2moa steel once with Nos77gr at 1k, but pissed two mags away trying to do it again.

I'd love to check that place out some time. I'm in the Portland area.

Try Varget and 8208 XBR for the sierra 69/77gr Match Kings, and Nosler equivalents. those powders and bullets got me easily to 1/2 MOA and sometimes better!

 

[skiutah02]

I used the Hornady 75-gr under varget in my Windham VEX-SS 20 in 1:8 to try F-Class at 600 yds this summer. I learn alot about ballistics and reloading in the process. After 4000+ rnds, traded it in for another one. These rifles can really shoot well, so I can highly recommend them. This was the test of the new VEX-SS rifle with the old rifles load as a starting point (upper corner, left corner). Granted, the temp the other day was 17oF and I usually shot this load at 75-90 oF in the summer. Will try this again in the summer, but since I just got some data related to this thread, I thought I'd post it.

 

[Rob01]

I have learned my lesson with Horandy, you get what you pay for.

Yup you get excellent bullets at a great price. That's what you get. Been shooting Hornady bullets in competition for many years in multiple calibers and never had a complaint and had no problems beating people with more expensive "better" bullets.

OP, this is how they shoot at 100 when loaded in Hornady Steel Match ammo from my Seekins AR I use in 3 gun.

 

[scudzuki]

My AR-15 with a Krieger 24" barrel shoots consistent .6 MOA with 75 gr Hornady match HPBTs over 23.3 gr. I4895 until wind enters into the equation.


Joe

 

[bobke]

I use the Hornady 75gr HPBT as my 'go to' load for two AR's, one an 18" Noveske 1:7 and a 16" WOA 1:7, both with similar results as Rob,Scudzuki and others above. Unless you got an older batch in the old style Hornady boxes with metal gusseted corners, which have two or three different base/ogive measurements in the 6-7 boxes I have put aside for plinking fodder, the new 75's are excellent at range. I use CCI 41's, 24.0 TAC and any brass I have, as long as sorted, trimmed and prepped properly.

 

[skiutah02]

I should have added that I could not get the 75 gr Hornady AMAXs to work consistently (After 400 rounds changing everything around I gave up), nor the 80 gr AMAX (100 rnds), nor the 80 gr VLD (25 rnds) (throat too short, could only try jammed 10 or jumped 30 and neither grouped well) or the 77 SMKs (100 rnds). The 77 SMKs showed promise, but considering price differential it was clear that the 75 gr would win the day.