I was thinking of loading up some 75 gr. Hornady A-MAX bullets for AR-15 shooting, but I noticed that Hornady's manual says the bullet it too long for an AR's magazine. Has anyone used it? Are there any tricks that I can use to avoid having to single load the rounds?
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Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
You can try cutting out the front of your magazines. Running them out of the magazine is hardly worth it, in my experience. Single loading them works great.
You can try cutting out the front of your magazines. Running them out of the magazine is hardly worth it, in my experience. Single loading them works great.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
I would love to do the same. I was told DPMS made a mag for the longer bullets a while back. I'm about ready just to load 75 Hornady BTHP's and just run them. Wanted the A-max for the BC and the explosiveness for varminting.
JamieD
I would love to do the same. I was told DPMS made a mag for the longer bullets a while back. I'm about ready just to load 75 Hornady BTHP's and just run them. Wanted the A-max for the BC and the explosiveness for varminting.
JamieD
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
I'm in the same boat Jamie...I got two boxes before I found that little tidbit of information...Just heard everyone rave about them and decided to give them a try. Single loading sort of defeats the purpose of having an autoloading rifle IMO
I'm in the same boat Jamie...I got two boxes before I found that little tidbit of information...Just heard everyone rave about them and decided to give them a try. Single loading sort of defeats the purpose of having an autoloading rifle IMO
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
I just seated them real deep for deer hunting this year. Worked fine.
I just seated them real deep for deer hunting this year. Worked fine.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tyler Kemp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just seated them real deep for deer hunting this year. Worked fine. </div></div>
That seems very irresponsible . . .
About a year ago I remember reading about a guy on AR15.com who tried seating 75 grain A-Maxs deep enough to feed from his magazine. He ended up blowing up his rifle.
It seems that seating the 75 grain A-Max deep enough to allow magazine feeding actually puts the bearing surface of the bullet too far back, meaning the neck no longer has proper tension on the bullet because the ogive is positioned too deep into the case. This guy had a few bullets slip through the neck into the case under the rifle's recoil. This increased the pressure to unsafe levels and resulted in a KaBOOM!
My advice . . . skip the 75 grain A-Maxs and get yourself some 77 grain Berger BTs. They are short enough to fit in an AR-15 magazine and their .389 BC does very well at long ranges. These are my bullets of choice for my 18" SPRish.
<span style="font-weight: bold">
(5-shots groups, 100 yards)</span>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tyler Kemp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just seated them real deep for deer hunting this year. Worked fine. </div></div>
That seems very irresponsible . . .
About a year ago I remember reading about a guy on AR15.com who tried seating 75 grain A-Maxs deep enough to feed from his magazine. He ended up blowing up his rifle.
It seems that seating the 75 grain A-Max deep enough to allow magazine feeding actually puts the bearing surface of the bullet too far back, meaning the neck no longer has proper tension on the bullet because the ogive is positioned too deep into the case. This guy had a few bullets slip through the neck into the case under the rifle's recoil. This increased the pressure to unsafe levels and resulted in a KaBOOM!
My advice . . . skip the 75 grain A-Maxs and get yourself some 77 grain Berger BTs. They are short enough to fit in an AR-15 magazine and their .389 BC does very well at long ranges. These are my bullets of choice for my 18" SPRish.
<span style="font-weight: bold">
(5-shots groups, 100 yards)</span>
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
Nice. Hey, whats that "ballistic calculator" image from? Where can I get ahold of that?
Nice. Hey, whats that "ballistic calculator" image from? Where can I get ahold of that?
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: orkan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice. Hey, whats that "ballistic calculator" image from? Where can I get ahold of that?
</div></div>
I knew someone would ask that . . .
It is a screenshot from some Internet Excel file I found last year. I actually ended up deleting it because the external ballistics formulas were horribly incorrect. The JBM calculations are much closer.
JBM Ballistic Trajectory
I'd recommend using JBM to calculate and confirm your drops, then build your own DOPE cards in Excel. You can make it as pretty as you want using the Shading and Font tools.
I've been doing this lately and then sizing the DOPE card with the copier at work;
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: orkan</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice. Hey, whats that "ballistic calculator" image from? Where can I get ahold of that?
I knew someone would ask that . . .
It is a screenshot from some Internet Excel file I found last year. I actually ended up deleting it because the external ballistics formulas were horribly incorrect. The JBM calculations are much closer.
JBM Ballistic Trajectory
I'd recommend using JBM to calculate and confirm your drops, then build your own DOPE cards in Excel. You can make it as pretty as you want using the Shading and Font tools.
I've been doing this lately and then sizing the DOPE card with the copier at work;
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
glock24-perhaps your excel got corrupted somehow, the one I got runs. within .1moa of JBM for my load.........PM me if you want me to email you a fresh copy.
glock24-perhaps your excel got corrupted somehow, the one I got runs. within .1moa of JBM for my load.........PM me if you want me to email you a fresh copy.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
Case full of Varget and 75 Amax yeild a "crunch". They cannot go back any further into the case in my experience.
Case full of Varget and 75 Amax yeild a "crunch". They cannot go back any further into the case in my experience.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ffl medic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Case full of Varget and 75 Amax yeild a "crunch". They cannot go back any further into the case in my experience. </div></div>
Of course, why rely on neck tension to hold the bullet when you can use the powder charge to hold it in position? I always miss that chapter when reading through my reloading manuals.
Good luck, and consider keeping that ammo out of the truck when driving down any dirt roads.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ffl medic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Case full of Varget and 75 Amax yeild a "crunch". They cannot go back any further into the case in my experience. </div></div>
Of course, why rely on neck tension to hold the bullet when you can use the powder charge to hold it in position? I always miss that chapter when reading through my reloading manuals.
Good luck, and consider keeping that ammo out of the truck when driving down any dirt roads.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">too much bullet inside the case for me, I like the 75bthp better </div></div>
+1
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">too much bullet inside the case for me, I like the 75bthp better </div></div>
+1
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Of course, why rely on neck tension to hold the bullet when you can use the powder charge to hold it in position? I always miss that chapter when reading through my reloading manuals.
</div></div>
Since my kid wasn't interested in shooting my ancient M1A over the course two years ago, we borrowed my Dad's HBAR to shoot in the nearest Regional. It was a recommended Varget load with 77s to mag length, crunch and all.
During the last practice session, some rounds wouldn't fit in the magazine. WTHey?!?!? I KNEW I had loaded them to 2.265 or so, plenty of room!!
Discovered that some cases had thin necks and loose tension and the powder was UN-crunching. All brass has been inspected again...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Of course, why rely on neck tension to hold the bullet when you can use the powder charge to hold it in position? I always miss that chapter when reading through my reloading manuals.
</div></div>
Since my kid wasn't interested in shooting my ancient M1A over the course two years ago, we borrowed my Dad's HBAR to shoot in the nearest Regional. It was a recommended Varget load with 77s to mag length, crunch and all.
During the last practice session, some rounds wouldn't fit in the magazine. WTHey?!?!? I KNEW I had loaded them to 2.265 or so, plenty of room!!
Discovered that some cases had thin necks and loose tension and the powder was UN-crunching. All brass has been inspected again...
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
I use to run the 75g Amax out of my AR.
Use to use the following
75g Amax
LC brass
24.5g of Varget
2.500"
CCI 400's.
Avg 2850fps.
I use to run the 75g Amax out of my AR.
Use to use the following
75g Amax
LC brass
24.5g of Varget
2.500"
CCI 400's.
Avg 2850fps.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: glock24</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used to drink and drive . . . </div></div>
What do you know? Me too!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: glock24</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used to drink and drive . . . </div></div>
What do you know? Me too!
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
played around with the 75 amax yesterday. It was just too long with the nifty red tip to seat to mag length.
the Hornady 75 hollow point works just fine.
played around with the 75 amax yesterday. It was just too long with the nifty red tip to seat to mag length.
the Hornady 75 hollow point works just fine.
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MAKO8551</div><div class="ubbcode-body">played around with the 75 amax yesterday. It was just too long with the nifty red tip to seat to mag length.
the Hornady 75 hollow point works just fine. </div></div>
Just keep pushing it into the case until it fits . . .
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MAKO8551</div><div class="ubbcode-body">played around with the 75 amax yesterday. It was just too long with the nifty red tip to seat to mag length.
the Hornady 75 hollow point works just fine. </div></div>
Just keep pushing it into the case until it fits . . .
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
Ok, I know I show get rid of my RCBS single stage and go with a Dillion, but I have tried everything to get these 75 gr. A max to work, but the tips keep getting buggard! Once the equipment is set up for the 75, then 24.5gr. of Varget is added I get the same Eff'd up results. any inside help would be greatly appreciated.
- Assistance from a distance. US Army
Ok, I know I show get rid of my RCBS single stage and go with a Dillion, but I have tried everything to get these 75 gr. A max to work, but the tips keep getting buggard! Once the equipment is set up for the 75, then 24.5gr. of Varget is added I get the same Eff'd up results. any inside help would be greatly appreciated.
- Assistance from a distance. US Army
Re: Hornady 75 gr. A-MAX for AR-15
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 500grains</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was thinking of loading up some 75 gr. Hornady A-MAX bullets for AR-15 shooting, but I noticed that Hornady's manual says the bullet it too long for an AR's magazine. Has anyone used it? Are there any tricks that I can use to avoid having to single load the rounds? </div></div>
Here's what will happen if you try semi auto from the mag with them with average neck tension.
They'll be seated so deep you'll have a very compressed load of powder.Also there won't be enough neck tension to hold the bullet properly because the whole neck is not holding the bullet,just 2/3s of the neck will be holding it.
So when the BCG slams forward it will push the bullet back in the case momentarily as it hits the feed lips then the compression and inertia will push the bullet out to various overall cartridge lengths.NOT GOOD!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 500grains</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was thinking of loading up some 75 gr. Hornady A-MAX bullets for AR-15 shooting, but I noticed that Hornady's manual says the bullet it too long for an AR's magazine. Has anyone used it? Are there any tricks that I can use to avoid having to single load the rounds? </div></div>
Here's what will happen if you try semi auto from the mag with them with average neck tension.
They'll be seated so deep you'll have a very compressed load of powder.Also there won't be enough neck tension to hold the bullet properly because the whole neck is not holding the bullet,just 2/3s of the neck will be holding it.
So when the BCG slams forward it will push the bullet back in the case momentarily as it hits the feed lips then the compression and inertia will push the bullet out to various overall cartridge lengths.NOT GOOD!
