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Hornady 168gr A-Max?
- Thread starter KKM
- Start date
I get better results with them (in terms of groups) than with 168gr SMK's. Wouldn't hesitate to buy a bunch more.
They are first-rate in terms of quality, accuracy, offer better ballistics than the 168gr SMKs...how "good" they'll be for you depends on your intended uses/expectations/etc., but if I could score a load of them for a good price, I certainly wouldn't shy away from them for any reason.
I have used them extensively out to 1200yds, super accurate in my rifle out to that range. They are devastating on Texas White Tail as well.
The A-max 168's and 178's are my favorites. Consistent lengths, weights, and performance in my rifle. Too bad I can't find any. Maybe Hornady is too busy making bullets to send out free with their "Get Loaded" sales promotion and don't have enough manufacturing capacity to produce the A-Max's.
They work great in my .308AR. The factory Hornady 168AMAX TAP shoots around 1.5 MOA, my hand loads much better.
I've taken out of the box tap 168s to 1000 meters ( not yards) from my sig 716, I can only imagine hand loads will do even better.
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I ordered 5 boxes from SGAMMO.com a week ago and received them on Friday. They still have 93 boxes in stock. Here you go:
20 round box - 308 Win 168 Grain Hornady A-max MATCH Ammo 8096
20 round box - 308 Win 168 Grain Hornady A-max MATCH Ammo 8096
I tested match king, nosler bt and amaxs in my 308 and the amax was by far the tightest grouper. I was pushing them with 44 gr of Varget and getting 1/2 moa with 5 shot groups.
+1 on the greatness of the 168's! Best round ive found out of the box for both my bolt (AI) and semi auto (POF). I can only imagine how great they would be with a perfect hand load!
I had been shooting 175SMK's exclusively in my FrankenSavage until I tried a box of these, the exact same load (43.5gr of Varget, Win primers, Win brass, 168 A-Max seated to 2.815) consistently produces 5 round groups between .35 and .45 and the tips don't look like they were formed with a ball peen hammer unlike SMK's.
When you loaded the 178's did you load them to the same OAL as other good shooting bullets or did you load them with the same case head to ogive measurement?
In order to make the 178 A-Max shoot well in my rifle I have to load them .030" longer OAL but still have the same jump.
Someone quoted B. Litz as saying the 168 A MAX is what the SMK should have been.
Great results with the standard 4064 accuracy loads for the SMKs.
Great results with the standard 4064 accuracy loads for the SMKs.
Deadshot, according to what I measured in my chamber the 168's hit the lands at 2.86" which measured 2.225" on my comparator and the 178's hit the lands at 2.854" which was 2.219" on the comparator. I loaded both at mag length of 2.81" which put the 178's .006" closer the lands. I would need to shorten my OAL .006 to keep the same jump. I have not gotten around to testing any loads at different OAL's. As is, the 168's were averaging .75" and the 178's 1.1".
Play with the OAL's of both bullets starting from max magazine length down to minimum OAL as published for the bullets. You'd be amazed at what .005" inches can do to a group. My Remington internal box mag can handle up to about 2.825" and still feed reliably. My 175's shoot .300 MOA at a 200 Y Zero. Don't have enough 168 or 178 A-max to play much with right now. Won't be shooting them until Hornady finds the "Fast Control" on their bullet production machines
Awesome round.
I almost exclusively shoot amax these days and in my 1/10 SASS, Amax shoots like a dream.
I shoot 168/178/208 Amax and don't have a single complaint. (178/208 is more for the win mag)
I almost exclusively shoot amax these days and in my 1/10 SASS, Amax shoots like a dream.
I shoot 168/178/208 Amax and don't have a single complaint. (178/208 is more for the win mag)
You didn't state bullet weight but I have a fantastic load using IMR 8208 XBR and a 175 gr SMK. .300 MOA @ 200 yards. I've had good luck with 168 gr Nosler Custom Competitions using 46 gr of that powder. This is from a 24" 5-R barreled bolt gun.
Remember, like they say in all those ads for mutual funds, "You may not get the same results".
Always work up your own loads. I have had two different barrels on this rifle with the same "specs" but both had their own "appetites".
Does all this experience mean that the 168 A-Max goes through transonic and into subsonic without keyholing or otherwise getting unstable?
JBM and QuickLOAD say I should be able to stay above Mach 1.1 until almost 975 yards at a little over 3,000 ft ASL and at 59 degrees.
Altitude is everything beyond 700 yards. I could more fully evaluate these reports (like the 1100 meters or whatever) if altitude and temps were included.
One of the saddest things I ever saw on target were keyholes while pulling for a new shooter and his wife. Using borrowed M1 Garands, they were shooting decent M2 Ball but those flat base bullets couldn't make it to 600 at something like 1,700 ft ASL and 95°F. Still, they DID come back later with better ammo. Did MUCH better too.
JBM and QuickLOAD say I should be able to stay above Mach 1.1 until almost 975 yards at a little over 3,000 ft ASL and at 59 degrees.
Altitude is everything beyond 700 yards. I could more fully evaluate these reports (like the 1100 meters or whatever) if altitude and temps were included.
One of the saddest things I ever saw on target were keyholes while pulling for a new shooter and his wife. Using borrowed M1 Garands, they were shooting decent M2 Ball but those flat base bullets couldn't make it to 600 at something like 1,700 ft ASL and 95°F. Still, they DID come back later with better ammo. Did MUCH better too.
1200yds, .308 win, 168gr amax, 2810fps, 964' ASL, 62 F, wind was 1-3mph from 2 o'clock.
I hit a 100% IPSC with my cold bore shot and rang it pretty consistent from there on out.
I hit a 100% IPSC with my cold bore shot and rang it pretty consistent from there on out.
Well, JBM sez that Hornet Shooter's 2810-launched A-Maxes would have crossed under the speed of sound somewhere between 1050 and 1100 yards.
If we have data on total group dispersion for at least 5 shots, then this preliminary idea for me that H-168 A-Maxes stay stable through transsonic speeds could be verified.
Some definitions of transsonic are from Mach .8 through 1.2. My own experience suggests that .30 caliber boat-tails are all okay down to Mach 1.1. With the data given, Mach 1.1 would have been about halfway between 950 and 1,000 yards downrange.
If we have data on total group dispersion for at least 5 shots, then this preliminary idea for me that H-168 A-Maxes stay stable through transsonic speeds could be verified.
Some definitions of transsonic are from Mach .8 through 1.2. My own experience suggests that .30 caliber boat-tails are all okay down to Mach 1.1. With the data given, Mach 1.1 would have been about halfway between 950 and 1,000 yards downrange.
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