Load Info For Hornady 75gr A Max BTHP Match For 223

Max Owner said:
Hey all.

My Hornady manual doesn't have any info for the 75 gr BTHP Match bullet for reloading.
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It's OK to use Hodgdon's data for the JLK 75 grain VLD.

You will likely need to use a different overall length than what they indicate.

If you need to feed through a magazine, then seat it out to magazine length - 2.26" for an AR, perhaps a bit longer for a bolt gun (you didn't indicate which).

If you are looking for single shot, high precision ammo, and are willing to single load your ammo, you are then free to have your cartridge's overall length exceed your magazine length. In this case you want to determine where your lands begin, and what overall length is required to touch the lands. Typically a good place to start your load development is at an overall length that puts the bullet about .015" clear of the lands. Later, after you determine the general range of charge weights that are safe for your rifle, you can try changing the bullet seating depth from this point. You might try .030" clear of the lands, .005" clear of the lands, and .010" into the lands (if it's a bolt gun; semis might not reliably chamber a round in which the bullet engages the lands).

Does anyone have a starting point that you would recommend?

This is my official first kick at the cat for rifle reloading.
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Enjoy!

As already stated, Varget is likely to give you good results.

If you are loading for an AR, it's possible that a good heavy load of Varget might cycle the action too vigourously. If this is a problem/concern, then go to a powder that is one or two notches quicker - Benchmark would be a good choice here.
 
JLK is the name of a smaller bullet maker. The founder was named "Jimmy L Knox", I think he has since sold the company.

OK, use Varget, and load so that you are .015" clear of the lands (this is assuming that there is a decent enough amount of the bullet still in the case mouth - there probably will be).

You will probably find the Hornady 75 BTHP to be relatively tolerant, accuracy-wise, of bullet jump. You may well find that seating the bullet shorter or longer doesn't really make much difference; this is good actually, it means that your load won't be critically sensitive to variations in seating depth.

Work your way from the start load up to the max load. Use 0.5 grain steps at the lower end, go to 0.2 or 0.3 grain setups after you cross the midpoint. Shooting your groups over a chronograph is useful, if this is possible.

Work your way up to a good hot (but still safe) load, you'll likely find good accuracy and consistency there.

F/L sizing your brass is fine.

Do your best to seat your bullets straight (if you have or can borrow a runout gauge, see if you can adjust your loading procedures in order to give you .005" or less of Total Indicated Runout).

Throwing powder charges is more than good enough for now. Later when you are fine-tuning your load, it might be useful to weigh each charge then.
 
rnbra-shooter,
I'm fairly noobish to the 223, but the only way I have been able to get my 223s to bughole is wind em up tight. Am I alone in this or is this common to the 223?

I'm running a Wilde chamber with an 8 twist for what that is worth.

The problem is that accuracy has become (withing reason) somewhat temperature dependent.
 
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Thanx again Rnbra-shooter.

I think I am gonna start my own precision reloading thread and start getting into the nitty gritty of things.

The 20 or so rounds I plan to load in the morning are once fired from factory loads that have been neck sized only.

Have an RCBS runout case thingy. No chronograph yet, but on my wish list.
 
X-fan said:
rnbra-shooter,
I'm fairly noobish to the 223, but the only way I have been able to get my 223s to bughole is wind em up tight. Am I alone in this or is this common to the 223?
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What do you mean by "wind em up tight", do you mean load them fairly hot, or something else?

I'm running a Wilde chamber with an 8 twist for what that is worth.
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Good choices, that gives you a lot of flexibility. The throat is a bit shorter than what you might choose if you were to shoot *only* the very long high performance target bullets, but that's a pretty minor quibble.

BTW, Bill Wylde is a member of Canadian Gunnutz, and even posts here occasionally.

The problem is that accuracy has become (withing reason) somewhat temperature dependent.
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Hmmmm.... I wonder what's going on with this????

Best of luck with your load development, have fun!
 
I've had super success using the 75 gr Amax bullets in front of 23.5gr WC735 Surplus Ball Powder from Higginson's Powders in Vankleek Hill, ON. Or someplace like that! Works out to about $ 20 a lb.

It's a pretty warmish/hot load out of my Winnie M70 Coyote 9" twist barrel. That was about 8 years ago. I shot this combination with great results at the NSCC (National Service Conds Championships) hosted by the www.dcra.ca. Yes, it was shooting very well at 800 meters! :D

:cheers:

Barney
 
Well.............

Finally sat down to load up 35 rounds to try. Was gonna start at 22.5 grains and work up to 25 grains.

Spooksar made up a dummy round for me at 2.480 overall length. While setting up my seating die, I goofed and ended up shortening my dummy round to 2.368 overall length. My first made round was the same.

I seem to have the base of the bullet into the body of the case. When I shake the loaded round, I can hear powder moving around.

I am wondering if this is loaded too short and may cause an high pressure factor? Should I pull the bullet and make overall length longer?
 
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