75gr Hornady BTHP for coyotes???

[bullfrog]

My AR-15 shoots best with Hornady 75gr BTHP match bullets. It shoots "good enough" with the lighter (50-60gr) v-max bullets that I currently use for coyotes. The v-max bullet has had just about perfect bullet performance on game but I would like to use my most accurate load. Has anyone shot game with the 75gr Hornady match bullet? Did it expand well enough to kill the animal quickly. I don't want to try it out myself and end up losing a coyote to poor bullet performance. Thanks in advance.

 

[rdsii64]

My AR-15 shoots best with Hornady 75gr BTHP match bullets. It shoots "good enough" with the lighter (50-60gr) v-max bullets that I currently use for coyotes. The v-max bullet has had just about perfect bullet performance on game but I would like to use my most accurate load. Has anyone shot game with the 75gr Hornady match bullet? Did it expand well enough to kill the animal quickly. I don't want to try it out myself and end up losing a coyote to poor bullet performance. Thanks in advance.

I also have an AR 15 with an 8 twist barrel. The thing you have to remember is that the bullet you are inquiring about has a very thin jacket for accuracy purposes. If you can call the dog close enough, that bullet will act like a varmint bullet and fragment because of its thin jacket. At extended ranges, it will only poke a caliber sized entry and exit wound. match bullets aren't made to expand. If the dog is close enough for a heavy for caliber match bullet to fragment, its close enough for the light high velocity varmint bullets to work better. Out to 250 yards, liquify accurately describes what a 50 grain vmax or nosler ballistic tip does to a coyotes insides. Often times it does it without an exit wound so if you hunt fur there is less damage.

 

[tackb]

try the 75 grain amax?

 

[paphil]

75 A-max works well for me too, out to 900 yards out of 22-243.

 

[rdsii64]

try the 75 grain amax?

A 75 grain amax loaded to AR 15 mag length may cause dangerous pressure issues.

 

[tackb]

A 75 grain amax loaded to AR 15 mag length may cause dangerous pressure issues.

not in the uk as we cant have semi auto centrefire rifles and anyway why would the 75 bthp be ok but the 75 amax not ?

 

[rdsii64]

not in the uk as we cant have semi auto centrefire rifles and anyway why would the 75 bthp be ok but the 75 amax not ?

The 75 grain amax is MUCH TO LONG to fit in the the magazine of an AR 15. there would be so much of the bullet below the case neck that it would surely cause pressure problems. Maybe even unsafe pressure problems. The

75 grain bthp was designed to be shot from a competition semiautomatic rifle.

The amax was designed to be shot from a bolt gun.

 

[tackb]

The 75 grain amax is MUCH TO LONG to fit in the the magazine of an AR 15. there would be so much of the bullet below the case neck that it would surely cause pressure problems. Maybe even unsafe pressure problems. The

75 grain bthp was designed to be shot from a competition semiautomatic rifle.

The amax was designed to be shot from a bolt gun.

Oh right? I think I could get them to shoot from the mag , maybe not at a decent velocity but I reckon it's possible ? Bit of a moot point for me though as were not allowed semi here ? Which is why I'm currently having a Sako varmint with a 1in8 built for me.

The original post was about bullets to anchor game in the heavier ranges for a 223 and wether the author is willing to single load is really up to him ? I personally have shot a lot of game with amax's in various calibres and think they are hard to beat ? I've tried a few match kings and the like as well and with the exception of Bergers find them quite unpredictable killers?

 

[rdsii64]

Oh right? I think I could get them to shoot from the mag , maybe not at a decent velocity but I reckon it's possible ? Bit of a moot point for me though as were not allowed semi here ? Which is why I'm currently having a Sako varmint with a 1in8 built for me.

The original post was about bullets to anchor game in the heavier ranges for a 223 and wether the author is willing to single load is really up to him ? I personally have shot a lot of game with amax's in various calibres and think they are hard to beat ? I've tried a few match kings and the like as well and with the exception of Bergers find them quite unpredictable killers?

When used at a proper range the 75 grain amax bullet is an absolute nightmare on anything the size of a roe deer or smaller. the extremly thin J4 jacket was designed for accuracy but an unentended benifit is that is acts like a grenade when properly placed in the vitals of a game animal. If I were confined to shooting a .223 at a game animal I would launch the 75 grain amax out of a 26" barrel as fast as I could and still hold a 1" group at 100 yards. I have seen the aftermatch of a white tail doe head shot at 150 yards with that very combination. there wasn't much left. I'm not sure what your laws are in your country, but if you are able, give the 70 grain tripple shock a try. I promise you will like the result.

 

[tackb]

When used at a proper range the 75 grain amax bullet is an absolute nightmare on anything the size of a roe deer or smaller. the extremly thin J4 jacket was designed for accuracy but an unentended benifit is that is acts like a grenade when properly placed in the vitals of a game animal. If I were confined to shooting a .223 at a game animal I would launch the 75 grain amax out of a 26" barrel as fast as I could and still hold a 1" group at 100 yards. I have seen the aftermatch of a white tail doe head shot at 150 yards with that very combination. there wasn't much left. I'm not sure what your laws are in your country, but if you are able, give the 70 grain tripple shock a try. I promise you will like the result.

Personally I use a 260 rem for most of my stalking , but do intend to use my 223 for our smallest deer which is muntjac (google it if your not familiar) I like the Amax because it shoots so well in all my rifles and kills well so one bullet does all which has always got to improve your consistency/accuracy?

 

[rdsii64]

Personally I use a 260 rem for most of my stalking , but do intend to use my 223 for our smallest deer which is muntjac (google it if your not familiar) I like the Amax because it shoots so well in all my rifles and kills well so one bullet does all which has always got to improve your consistency/accuracy?

Something in 260 Remington is very high on my "guns I want list" when I have the financial means to build an AR 10 lower reciever, the first upper will probably be a 22" .260. When kept to a proper range, I don't know to many animals of any size that will get up from a well placed 123 grain amax.

 

[tackb]

I had my rifle built for the 140 amax but we've just got some 123's over here and i'm thinking of giving them a try?

 

[Steel City Archer]

TTT

 

[westcliffe01]

I have switched to exclusively using the 75gr HPBT match bullet in my 223 (Savage 10 PC 20" 1:9 barrel). It is the heaviest bullet I can shoot from this barrel. To go to VLD's would require going to a 1:7 or 1:8 at least twist.

The reason I went to the 75gr match bullets was twofold. 1) I had huge issues with wind drift at 250 yards and beyond with 55gr Vmax bullets. Many of the shots I needed to take were 250-350 yards.
2) The lighter and lower BC Vmax bullets bleed off their energy fast and have marginal killing power beyond 250 yards (from a 223), a fact not helped by the difficulty in getting a clean shot due to the previously mentioned wind drift.

So i made the switch to the 75gr "Superformance" load from Hornady and the trajectory needs consideration because I was using a 250 yard zero and missed some close shots due to the POI being about 3" high at about 100 yards. Meanwhile I had a custom turret made for my scope, so I just have to rotate the turret to the shooting distance and its dead on.

So far, the woulds have been devastating. The bullets seem to tumble after impact since the exit wounds have been over 2" in diameter. At 350 yards the bullet energy is double that of a 55gr Vmax.

So I am sure it is not for everyone, but that is what I use if there is not too much wind. I have taken to using my 243 with 95gr SST's which has even less wind drift and will kill out to even longer range and am in the process of doing a barrel swap to a 1:8 Shilen with a 243 AI chamber so that I can shoot the 95gr and 105gr Berger VLD's.

I also have another project in the works for upping the game to an 8x57 shooting late 70's and up to 99 head stamped M76 sniper ammo (196gr FMJBT) to build some skill in a heavier caliber without breaking the bank. I should be getting my Rem 700 long action back any day now with a McGowan match barrel in 8x57. Previously I found it really hard to be accurate with that rifle, but it had a crappy sporter barrel, crappy trigger and crappy stock (sound like a Remington ?). Now it will have a McGowan varmint contour barrel, a Shilen trigger and a Boyds thumbhole stock. Can't wait...