Hornady 55g SX's

[remingtonman_25_06]

Hornady 55g SX\'s

I thought I would try this bullet out in my .222 rem. I am wanting more of a "pop" out of my .222, that is more often found in the the 22-250 or swift. As I understand it, these thin jacketed, lightly constructed Hornday SX's are just the ticket for rapid expansion out of smaller cased .224's like the .222 and .223.

Intended targets are anything from squirrels, rabbits, and coyotes. Anyone have any experience with these bullets and out of what caliber/velocity?? Hoping there as accurate as the plastic tipped bullets I"ve been shooting. I"ll be experiemtning with IMR-4198 and 4895 for powders, hopefully around 3100fps and at least .5" at 100 yards.

 

[screech]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

you know me. for yotes, nothing less than a 7stw shooting a 162gr. amax will work.

getting to your question, I have never tried them. I always use the 50gr. bt in either the 223 or the 22-250.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Ha ha screech, thank goodness my coyotes aren't as tough as yours. I think the 55g sx ought to work on coyotes, I dont see why it wouldn't. Just wanted to hear some insight on the bullet...

I usually use, well whatever I have loaded up I guess. I dont really have a standby bullet for anything. I try to use them all so I can base my own opinion and findings for myself /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I figure thats the best way to go about things usually.

I've never used anythign but vmax or NBT's in my varmint rifles, so I'm a little interested to see how these work out. Hopefully there as accurate, there BC isn't to horribly bad either compared to the 55g plastic tip bullets. The best thing is, there only $12.49 per 100 at Bi-Mart, whoo hoo!! 55g NBT's are like $17 per 100, ouch! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[MachV]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Having used a couple thousand 55SPSXs I have found them to be easier to work up a load for and cheaper than a plastic tip bullet.However they dont fly as well past 400 yards and are not quite as explosive as a plastic tip.
They do a great job of killing prairie dogs inside of 300 yards!!!

 

[Flybuster]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Awesome price definetly worth a try. 3 weeks ago I was in Baker with my pals shooting at the range. Alen was fireforming his 223 ackley with the 55sxts. Check this out, he has a 1-8 twist for the heavier bullets i cant remember his load. BUT half of them werent making it to the target. When he tried the v-max's no problem. Went back the the sxt's they would come apart. With such a radical twist I'm guessing that was too many RPM's for their thin jacket? I bet its just the twist rate.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

I've read/heard from many people not to push them much past 3600fps, so that pretty much takes the 22-250 and swift out of use. But yah I'm sure the 1 in 8" twist 223 AI was definately hard on them thin jackets. Probly at that upper limit for velocity as well. I have an old friend who said he shot them out of his swift as well, and he said 75% of them would end up in a poof of smoke. I figure I'll give them a try for a little bit. I figure for anything a .222 is killing, these bullets cant be that much different then a plastic tip.

There an awkward looking bullet to me. They are flat base, lead soft point, but with like a pinhole hollowpoint on top.

Next bullet I might try is the Speer 50g TNT. Anyone have any experience with this particular bullet?? There in the same price range as the SX, only bout $1 more. Might be worth a try at .222 velocities??

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Thanks, kind of info I was looking for.

I wont be shooting my .222 much past 300 yards anyways. Very rarely do I shoot it past that, if so its just practice at the gong at 400.

 

[Flybuster]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Remmy, I'm a fan of Speer TnT bullets. I have shot the 50 grain TnT bullets out of my 22ppc with amazing accuracy. Just look at them, they look like a benchrest bullet Ill be darned if they don't shoot like one too. My primary 25-06 ackley varmint load is a 87grn. TnT with 57grn. IMR-4350. Also, the Sierra 40 grain flatbase hollowpoint is Awesome. I shot a .557 group (5 shot) at 200 yards, 4 of them were in a cluster that measured .196". Cheap bullets are awesome.

 

[Flybuster]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Tony Boyer Eat your heart out. This is Eastern Oregon benchrest, that's right off the hood of a truck! 200 yards.

 

[roninflag]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

i have killed nearly 250 coyotes in az. one third of those with .222 and a 55sx and a heavy load of H-4895. my current load of i-4198 and 50 baltip i like bettter. they won't know the difference though.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Nice shooting there Tanner! Whats the specs on your little 22 ppc?? Ha ha ha, I like that slogan you came up with "eastern oregon bench rest, off the hood of a truck." Nothing but the truth there!

Yah I might have to pick up a box of those 50g tnt's to try out as well. My 222 usually isn't picky so I shouldn't have any trouble finding an accurate load with either bullet.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

roninflag- Great info! What were the results like on coyotes from the 55g SX's??? Why do you like the 50g NBT better on coyotes??

I've always stuck with 40g bullets in the .222 to try to get the "pop" I've alwasy wanted. However, I"ve finally come to my senses that its time to put a 50-55g through it. I worked up a nice 55g NBT load with IMR-4895. Its clocking right at 3000fps and .5 MOA 5 shot groups. I've only shot 1 coyote with it, but it sure did the job. A chest shot at 140 yards dropped him in his tracks and left about a 2" exit. I've never had any problems with the 40g vlc, vmax, or nbt on coyotes though out to 250 yards, plenty of bang flops with 40 grainers as well. I"ve had them exit and leave pretty good size holes two... Just want to try something different, as NBT's I think are getting a little pricey in the varmint calibers...

 

[Flybuster]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

Darn skippy. I think you'll love them as much as I do. My 22ppc is a Cooper Arms of Montana. I practically stole it from the guy (I feel so bad) I got it for $850.00 with Redding competition dies! And 100 peices of new Lapua neck turned brass. They told me there was a slight ding in the stock, when I got it I said "huh, where?".

 

[Hired Gun]

Re: Hornady 55g SX\'s

I have been shooting this little Bi-Mart jewel of a bullet since 1978. I buy them now from Midway 10 boxes at a time for half of Bi-Marts price. I like the 50 grain version Hornady SPSX in my 22-250 at 3800 fps. I'm well over 6000 of them and the only time I have ever lost one is the one time I stored my rifle really fouled from the year before. Under 100 yards they really take small things like digger squirrels apart. They do slow down pretty fast and at 300 yards just kills them with little fan fare. They do always make that satisfying "pop" sound for an audible report of a hit.

I have used them on raccoons' possums, skunks, and bunnies but never on a coyote only because they are very rare here. On the heavier animals they never exit but it does usually scramble their innards good enough to drop them on the spot. Some have reported that they work pretty good for brain shoots on deer out to 200 yards. They are very accurate out of my stock Ruger Varminter shooting regularly in the .2's. They are the best crow bullet you will ever try. Like a cheap down coat in a motorcycle wreck. Poof.... then parts raining everywhere.
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