# Hollow point variability



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

As some of you know I switched from the 50gr VMax to 75 gr BTHP in my AR because I was loosing coyotes. Last night I loaded 400 rounds and noticed that 200 rounds had hollow points only about one half as large as I have had in the past. These are the Hornady bullets. The last 1/8 inch of the ogive is swaged at a steeper angle than the rest of the ogive and it swages the hollowpoint to a very small diameter. I'm concerned they will not open as they have in the past.

I called Hornady about ten minutes ago, and they checked the lot numbers for me. As far as the Hornady technician knew there had been no changes. I guess I can't order these on line anymore and will only purchase them if the sport shop will open the box and let me look at them. Meantime I'm going to go easy on the large hollopoints that I already have loaded. Small ones for target and larger for coyotes.

Have any of you run into this with Hornady bullets before?


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

I've actually had this happen on two different lots of my .338 cal 285grn match. The older boxes looked as if they were meplated and pointed. Where as the new lot has no pointing done to it. They look totally different. Trust me, i've complained to them already and they seem like they don't know anything about it. I've got 400 of those 75grn hornady match on my shelf that i plan on using also.

so what to do? Shoot them up and get another lot.

xdeano


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

I noticed this same thing, I think in Hornady .22 cal bullets, but passed it off as either lot to lot minor variations or minor upgrades in aparticular bullet design. To tell the truth, I've never worried about it and haven't noticed any accuracy or performance differences, but never looked for it either. I'll have to dig into my loading records, though I'm not sure I could tell anything from these anyways, as the loads are long since gone down range.

Heck Bruce, if you'd only wait till those Yotes are facing you at 25 yards or less, motionless, looking at you with their cute soft brown eyes, and use a .375 you'd have no problems killing.......oops....harvesting....them! :lol:


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> Heck Bruce, if you'd only wait till those Yotes are facing you at 25 yards or less, motionless, looking at you with their cute soft brown eyes, and use a .375 you'd have no problems killing.......oops....harvesting....them! :lol:


I have heard because of their diameter they lack the energy to penetrate a balloon. 

You know my old brain is running a day late. When I talked to the Hornady guy yesterday he kept saying our bullets have to meet our accuracy standards. I am guessing they test every lot that they make. I have shot with them in their underground range (1981) and those guys are testing all of the time. If for some reason they have bullets that will not meet their standards because of disfigured metaplate I'll bet they would swage them and not just chuck them.


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## macker13 (Nov 7, 2006)

This is a great testing opportunity. Can you make ballistic gelatin or something that would allow you to trap the bullet after firing? I'd love to see the results of a test of 5 shots from each of your lots. I'll bet you'd be surprised how closely they perform; that there would not be a significant amount of difference between them.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I just got a PM from a fellow who tested them on a dead cow. He shot into the hind quarters then used a hmmmm I think he said brass rod to follow the wound channel and find the bullet. He said penetration was about the same, but at 100 yards one hit an inch and a half higher than the other. He used the same brass, same primers, same powder and hit an inch and a half high at 100 yards which means you sure don't want a mixed lot in your 30 rd magazine. Not for shooting at 400 and 500 yards that's for sure.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

could get the whiden pointing die then you gain bc and have uniformed meplats i know alot of guys doing it with the 130 bergers with a significant gain


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

I'd thought about doing it with my 338 bullets for 1 mile + shooting. It would reduce one more variable. I already separate bullets in groups of .1grain variation, and bearing surface length. I also separate by water volume to get fewer variables.

every little things help the further you go.

xdeano


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## Delaware Devil (Jul 12, 2014)

Did you buy "Match" bullets by mistake. The only 75 grain BTHP Hornady lists is in it's match collection. The Amaxx in 75 grain has a red tip but is like the BTHP a match bullet. Vmaxx don't list a 75grainer, 60 is the heaviest in .224. Hornady does list a traditional HP varmint bullet, but it's 60 grain and a 70 grain SP. Hornady does make Their GMX in a 70 grain BTHP. 
I use to shoot Sierra bullets, the 52 and 53 grain bullets look very similar, but the 53 is a match king whereas the 52 grainer is a game king. Quite a bit of difference construction wise, but looked very similar except the 53 grain had a tiny hollow point.
The Hornady numbers are as follows 75 grain HPBT 2279 for 100 count and 22796 for the 600 count. the 75 grain Amaxx is 22792 for the 100 count and 227926 for the 600 count. The Vmaxx 60 is 22281. 
All right out of the current (2014) Hornady catalog.
Hope I helped in some way
Mark


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Yes, I knew they were match. I have shot deer with the 308 and 168 gr Sierra Match. They do good at 100 yards, but suck at 500 yards. The 75 gr Amax don't work in the AR15 so I was using the 75 gr to get my ballistic coefficient up.

The variable in size of hollow point makes a lot of difference when you hit a coyote. Even though the 75 is a match bullet it has a good size hollow point. Then I got 300 or 400, I can't remember, with the small hollow point. I called Hornady and asked if they changed bullet design. The guy said if their bullets don't meet their accuracy standards ?????? Now I forgot exactly what he said, but what I took away from that conversation was that they swaged the front if they didn't meet accuracy standards so they would meet accuracy standards. Now I look in the box before I buy.

So far I have not shot a coyote at long range with the 75 gr. I have shot them from 30 yards to 425 yards and they worked much better than the 50 gr VMax out of the 16 inch barrel. I don't suppose it hurts anything that I now have a 20 inch barrel. At 100 yards point of impact with the 50 and 75 is very close, but at 600 yards the 75 is hitting at least three feet higher.

I use Shooter and Strelok+ on my phone. Using Strelok+ this is the reticle on my Nikon for the 75 gr.


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