Hornady match bullets/big game

[ppro]

Ok...
Not intending to start any wars..I know there are numerous hunters that have used Sierra match bullets to hunt with..good, bad or otherwise and I don't want to rehash any of that.
What I would like to know, is if anyone has used the Hornady match bullets for big game i.e. 30 cal. 168's at moderate velocity etc.
I was wondering if results were similar to the Sierra's.
I don't ever recall anyone posting results using the Hornady match bullets and I thought it would be interesting to hear what (if anything) the Hornady match bullet users had to say.
I am a competitive shooter and I also hunt and select my bullets accordingly however I thought it would be interesting.

Paul

 

[Michael Eichele]

There are quite a few posts about this very subject. If you do a search under amax or a-max, there will be a wealth of info.

I have not used them yet, but am anxiously awaiting hunting season to try the Hornaday AMAX's in 308 and 300 RUM. 155's and 178's in both cases. Several guys that hang out here say they work spectacular on deer sized critters. Others can help better though.

Regards

 

[ppro]

Meichele
Actually, I had seen posts on the A max bullets.....
Just nothing on the regular Hornady match bullets....the regular Hornady match line not the Amax line.

I was wondering about the 168 gr. Hornady match and the 180 Hornady match in 30 cal. at average good .308 Winchester velocities.

thanks

Paul

 

[deergrunt]

I use the A-max in both my 308 and 223 and have taken everything from crows to deer. I have taken a black bear this season with a 155 grain A-max and Varget. I don't think that there is a magical bullet out there that will work in every situation. Nothing replaces good common sense. I like them because they are very accurate and have never let me down yet. They are also half the cost of Nosler. In my Hornady reload manual they suggest using them on thin skinned game. Unlike Sierra who suggests not using MatchKings for hunting. With any bullet shot placement is the key. Buy a box of A-max and give them a try. You will not be dissapointed. Good luck.

 

[ppro]

deergrunt
Thanks....
I shoot A max in my 22-250 A.I. (75gr.)
and in a number of .223 loads.

I have a Super Vepr in .308 Winchester that really likes the std. 168 Hornady match bullet and I was also worried that the Amax tip could get damaged (read broken) on the Super Vepr feed ramp. The Super Vepr has a heavy RPK bolt and slams home pretty hard. I don't get to much tip damage with the std Hornady match bullet so I thought to ask primarily about the std match bullet primarily.

thanks again

Paul

 

[Michael Eichele]

Sorry, I didnt realize you wanted to know about the HPBT Match line. AMAX is their other line of "match" grade bullets. Also, try the AMAX. I have never shot groups that were even close to as tight as the AMAX with ANY other bullet. Including the SMK and Nosler J4 or the Hornaday HPBT bullets. I regularly get 2" at 800 yards from my 308 and I just beat my personal best 1000 yard group this weekend with the 155 AMAX. My previous best was 7.5" This weekend I shot 2 back to back groups at 1k and the largest group was 4.5" The smallest was 3.5" The small group was the first group I have ever fired at 1k with the 155 AMAX.

Try the AMAX.

[ 01-26-2004: Message edited by: meichele ]

 

[H-BAR]

I have used the smaller Hornady match bullets in my 223 for deer. This includes the 52gr Amax, 52grHPBT,75grHPBT,and the 68grHPBT. They have worked much to my satisfaction. I haven't given the 168grHPBT bullets a try in my Ultra yet but might in the future just for yahoos. I have however used the 178gr Amax in my Ultra at 3300fps and it pretty much takes a deer's head off.

 

[LDO]

i have seen the 155 amax do well on on deer size game as well.i have shot alot of those bullets at 600-800 yds and have recovered many that were well intact[mushroomed or bent],these were shot at around 2900fps.[308win],i have also recovered alot of nosler b-tips at those ditances and they are always just jackets,cores are always gone ,im kind of leaning towards the 140g amax in my 6.5-284 as it is showing promise.as far as the hornady bthp's are concerned i dont have any experience with them.my-2-dave

 

[JD]

Ive heard good things about the A-Max in 6.5, 7, and 30 cal on deer, but have any of you used the 6.5, 139gr. Lapua on deer? Im having a 6.5x284 built, and wanted to try the Lapua and A-Max both.

Thanks in advance for replies. JimD

 

[LDO]

i have heard the scenar doents stay together as well as the others,but dont have first hand experience,they shoot very well in my 6.5-284.so i am also in more input as to how they perform on game-my-2-dave

 

[JD]

6br, how far off/in the lands are you shooting the Lapua? JimD

 

[Austin]

I have used a Hdy 168 HPBT in my 30-06 to take 9 deer, 3 3 elk, and 17 VERY large hogs. I have never had a kill that required more than one shot. If you have to use a match bullet, I would use Hornady over a Sierra. With the exception of 5 or 6 hogs and the 3 elk, the bullet has always penetrated completely. Every shot has always expanded reliably and done it's job. Though, on two of the hogs that I recovered the bullet from, I saw a core/jacket sep. Even then so, it was still a clean kill. As for any other Hdy A-Max, I cannot say as this is the only one I have ever used to hunt. IMHO, it's an excellent hunting bullet.

 

[LDO]

in my testing i found the scenars to like to be .003 in the lands and .006 off the lands-dave

 

[deergrunt]

I was with H-bar when he shot two deer in the head with his 300 ultra. He was using A-max bullets. Both deer was missing most of there heads. I have been using A-max bullets for some time now and have shot many deer. In the head or just behind the shoulders, it just don't matter. The deer travel straight down to the ground. The only problem I have with Hornady bullets is lack of freezer room!!