Re: Hornady 178 BTHP Match Load Data
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JakeB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just an FYI
These new bullets (new to me at least) are LONG! Longer than a 175 SMK. No calipers around at the moment or else I would measure them.
Talked to Ramshot/Western Powders and got some more data from them. They basically recommend loading them like the Hornady 180 SST. </div></div>
JakeB,
Yeah a 178gr H-Match measures almost 0.1" longer than a 175gr SMK. Pretty long, longer than a 155gr Lapua Scenar too. According to QuikLOAD none of the powders you list are ideal for the Hornady 178gr Match bullet. Depending on case capacity RL-17, IMR 4895 or BL-C2 are the best powders in terms of pressure, velocity and percentage case fill.
This correlates well with what I have seen loading the 178gr Hornady Match over 43.3gr IMR 4895 for 2,640fps through a PVM21 chronograph. I did not get great groups at 100 yards with these bullets but they work very well past 200 yards out to 800 yards which is as far as I have really tested them. This is likely a very good 1,000 yard load for my unmolested (24" w/Huber 2-stage trigger) 5R/AICS rifle. The 178gr H-Match rounds are just as accurate as my standard 168gr AMAX and 175gr SMK loads but with less drop than the 175gr SMK load which is 10fps faster.
HTH!
FYI the 178gr Hornady Match loads were in R&P brass with prepped primer pockets, deburred flash holes and Wolf large rifle primers. The cases were full length resized to net 0.001" headspace then trimmed to 2.005" and assembled to a 2.8150" COAL max.