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Forum Index > Rifles general discussion > Hornady Match Bullet

Hornady Match Bullet

04 Mar 2015
@ 04:58 pm (GMT)

Rory Wilks

Does anyone know if the Hornady BTHP MATCH bullet is soft like the AMAX?
Or if it performs similar to the AMAX on game at long range lower velocity?
In .243 the BC is .530 and the AMAX is .500. So if it performs similar to the AMAX it can extend the .243 range just a little, which I would like.

Also does anyone know how the Berger Match Hybrid target bullet performs on game? Is it similar to the Berger hunting VLD?

Rory

Replies

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04 Mar 2015
@ 07:38 pm (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Stay away from these types of bullets please Rory. The meplats are very small and they require a great deal of energy or heavy resistance to open up etc. So in essence the answer is no.

The one Hornady match bullet that is showing promise is the 75gr .224 cal match. I have had a reader using this in an ongoing fashion, sending in reports of good results- but not at long ranges, just 0-300 work. Other Hornady match bullets can be asked to do the same work (close to moderate ranges) but as is common with this type of bullet, results can be hard to predict and vary from batch to batch. The Nosler custom competition can be like this too.
04 Mar 2015
@ 07:44 pm (GMT)

Jake long

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Nathan, I loaded 220gr Hornady Match BTHP up in a 300 AAC for hog hunting subsonic but have yet had the chance to try them out. At the time they were the only bullets in that weight I could find. So, not great but will they do the job for close work?

Jake
04 Mar 2015
@ 08:05 pm (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Unfortunateky Jake, it will be the same as using 7.62 FMJ ball ammo.

The slower you go, the wider you need to go. Think Black powder.

Try to break bone when using your rifle. Line up on the leg, then move forwards 1" to the front line of the front leg. Head shots will be useful too, but watch out for jaw shots with the steep trajectory. You don't have the energy to stun with a missed brain shot.

Don't opt for spine shots until you have a good understanding of the spine. There is a great deal of dorsal vertebrae, the spine curving below. I covered all of this thread and post in the cartridges book so if you have the book, go back through it and check up on these points.
04 Mar 2015
@ 08:08 pm (GMT)

Martin Taylor

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Being a subsonic load Jake l think some meplat trimming will be the go! You have the weight but with very low velocity, so expansion is the thing l would look for.
04 Mar 2015
@ 09:42 pm (GMT)

Rory Wilks

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Thanks for the info Nathan! I'll stick to the AMAX and hunting bullets. Should I still aim for the shoulder on a large mule deer with the soft little 105 amax?

I also have a Ruger 25-06 that I'm trying to sort out for longer range Mule deer hunting. If it doesn't do quite what I want then I might re-barrel to a 6.5-284 Norma or buy a Savage 111 6.5-284 Norma to shoot heavier bullets. In the KB it doesn't sound like the 6.5 gives much more lethal distance over the 25-06 though.
In 25-06 I was thinking about a dual load with the 120g Partition for closer shots and 120g Speer BTSP for the long shots. I usually hunt between 7,000 - 9,000 ft elevation, which helps retain some velocity.

I know wind is the biggest issue with the .25 cal bullets. But not including the wind, about what is the minimum velocity and energy levels needed for the Speer to work well on a large mule deer? And should I aim for the shoulder with the soft bullet?

I say large mule deer because that's when I will push my rifles to there max range. If a huge buck shows up and it's my only shot, but is still within that rifles effective range, that's when I will use it to that range. I will pass on a smaller deer a lot easier. So that's the reason I want to get an idea of my max range without wind for my rifles on game of that size. The more wind I encounter, the more I'll reduce the range for that day, but I'd like to have a good idea of performance for a windless day or just to know what it's capable of with my particular bullets.

Thanks
Rory
04 Mar 2015
@ 11:33 pm (GMT)

Jake long

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Nathan and Martin, thanks for the clarification. Looks like I'll be burning those rounds at the range and looking for some big flat hammers. A-max bullets have just started popping up back in the States. Thanks again
05 Mar 2015
@ 05:38 pm (GMT)

Rory Wilks

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Thanks again Nathan!
05 Mar 2015
@ 10:47 pm (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Hi Rory, thasts where the cartridges book comes into play. This has the info you need but also has the foundation you need for a deeper understanding of what is going on.

Yes, aim for the shoulder with the 6mm A-Max once you get past 200 yards. The further you reach out, the more imperative this is with this bullet and this level of retained energy. This cannot be put into comparison with other bullets / loads due to the energy levels and bullet design. It is a unique relationship.
06 Mar 2015
@ 06:09 am (GMT)

Rory Wilks

Re: Hornady Match Bullet
Nathan, some how I read your response and said thanks, but then it placed my post above yours. Anyways thanks!

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