Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

[blackraven1079]

Evening all,
I'm looking to shoot the above bullet through the following rifle.

.223 Remmington Steyr Pro Hunter mountain
20 inch barrel, 1 in 9 twist

Apart from magazine issue will the rifle stablize the bullet out to 500yds?

As I only see this bullet in the Hornady manual .223 service rifle section, will it be safe for me to use?

I have no load data at present and will have to have to look into C.O.A.L.

If you have any data then please share?

Regards

Carl.

 

[67rschev]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

I have shot a few in my 1 in 6.5 service rifle in a pinch when I couldn't find Match HPBT . 24 grains of Varget , and did well to 600 . Not as good as 80s , but could load them to mag length . Now I did throw a couple down range with a 1 in 9 16 inch Bull , and It wasn't pretty . Didn't keyhole , but looked like shot gun splatter

 

[jbailey]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

You will have to try it, but you are on border. I would imagine it will come down to your MV and your environment. I have a 1:8 twist 20" and doesn't seem to shoot the 75gr AMax great. And I had a 1:7 twist 18" and it shoot the 75gr AMax VERY WELL - crazy accurate at 600 and even 1000.

I was loading them with 24.0 grains of RL-15 (in LC 07 brass with CCI 41 primers). Was getting ~2600fps out of the 18"'er. No chrono data on the 20". No pressure issues that I can remember, but please work it up.

Don't remember my COAL.

Good luck w/ your development.

 

[blackraven1079]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

Thanks for all your comments so far lads.

Been experimenting today with the general physics of the weapon system.

The magazine is a no go as the bullets are far too long (was expecting this).

If I try and place the round in through the ejection opening to lay on top of the mag I then get issues with the round catching and not chambering properly.

If the round isn't fired and I eject it, the complete cartridge will be too long to clear the ejection port.

Ideally I would like to seat the bullet just of the lands like I do with other bullets. Would it be safe to seat the 75 grain A max deep, I may get higher pressures but at least I can chamber them correctly from the magazine and they will eject as wel?. If they are well back from the lands will this cause issues?

Any way I think I'm pushing the limits to much here. I'm still not sure if the rifle will stabilise the bullet. These bullets really belong in a bench rest action in my opinion.

Thoughts?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

In the Savage factory 10FP 24" 1:9" twist barrel, I found the A-Max wouldn't stabilize reliably, but the HDY 75gr HPBT usually would, and accuracy was very good.

I used 26.0gr of Ramshot Big Game in military brass, with CCI BR-4, 2.400 OAL, hand fed. This is a compressed load, with generally only moderate pressure indications.

I used moly for this load, your choice; if you do, you may have to tinker with the charge weight. Pressures indicated to me that there waas some leeway, just not a lot more room in the case for larger charges. Logically, deleting moly should correspond to a small charge reduction. Normally I don't use moly, but my shooting partner wanted to try it.

The OAL in my rifle was about .010-.020" short of contact with the rifling, and I'd strongly suggest you jump this bullet/load combination.

Greg

 

[bohem]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

I ran it in a 9tw upper and 9tw Savage bolt rifle for a while.

In the summertime by me where the average DA's are 2500-3500' ASL the Amax shot great.

When the DA dropped to 1000' or less it wouldn't shoot well at all. I switched to the Hornady 75 BTHP Match and that shot great all year around.

From my 7tw rifle they all shoot well.

 

[glocksig40]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

I'm working up loads for the 75 in my Rem 700 5R with 1:9 now. It's been changed to Stiller Precision bottom metal and AI mags. These mags are long and that helps with this bullet. I've not loaded any yet but will in the coming days. Mine will be pretty long but they fit the mag and the chamber.

SP

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

My experience with a 1-9 twist

 

[1lnbrdg]

Re: Safety/accuracy concerns 75 grain Hornady A max

I do not know of any safety concerns.

For 75gr bullets and up, I shoot a 1/7~something twist.

I had an issue with a 1/8 button rifled barrel that was closer to 1/9.5~ twist. Some days it would shoot knotholes and some days it was all over the place. It was driving me crazy until someone asked if it was button-rifled (looser twist tolerances).