Range Report Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

[pazzo]

Wasn’t sure where to put this...

I was just wondering which of these Hornady .223 round is preferred for Coyotes, the 53gr V-MAX Superformance or the 75gr BTHP Superformance? I will be using these in my CZ 527 Varmint Kevlar (1:9 twist) and will be shooting it out to around 600 yards, sometimes further if the situation arises.
Handloading is definitely something that I will be doing for this rifle in the near future, but for now I have to settle for factory loads.
I know that the heavier bullets are generally more stable at longer distances, but my .223/5.56 knowledge ends at my 10.5” LMT AR (1:7 twist) shooting 62gr FMJ no further than 250 yds at the local range.

Has anybody here used either of these two factory loads? How do they compare?

Here they are again:
http://www.hornady.com/store/223-Rem-53-gr-V-MAX-Superformance
http://www.hornady.com/store/223-Rem-75-gr-bthp-Superformance-match/

THANKS!!!

 

[tullius]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

Man up, buy a box of both, and try 'em out! No one can do this research but you.

Even if someone has the same gun & ammo, yours may still like different food.

I would recommend handloading as soon as possible.

 

[pazzo]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

I will get some of both and try them out.

I definitely agree on the handloading.

 

[rymart]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

FWIW, I like the 75 gr Hornady MHP for coyotes and long range work in general.

You running a gas gun or a bolt?

23.9 gr Varget, LC Brass, Rem 7 1/2, Magazine Length... Gets it done for me.

 

[pazzo]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TikkaSporter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">FWIW, I like the 75 gr Hornady MHP for coyotes and long range work in general.

You running a gas gun or a bolt?

23.9 gr Varget, LC Brass, Rem 7 1/2, Magazine Length... Gets it done for me. </div></div>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pazzo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I will be using these in my CZ 527 Varmint Kevlar (1:9 twist)</div></div>

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

My experience with the pre-Superformance 75gr HPBT match is that it's great stuff if you have a 1:9" twist and enough barrel to get it out there.

FYI, we tested it against Black Hills remanufactured 75gr HPBT match, and handloads and they all performed identically. Our rifle was a box-stock Savage 10FP, and 200yd bench groups were pretty much all in the 1/2" range. Amazing.

Mil brass, CCI BR-4, 26.5gr (C*) Ramshot Big Game, HDY HPBT Match (Moly). Our OAL was 2.400", but I suspect you could (very carefully) shorten it for a magazine.

Greg

 

[kyreloader]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

If you look at the two ballistically, it depends on what you are looking to do. According to the Hornady website, the 75g Superformance load produces 2930 fps and the bullet has a G1 BC of 0.395. The 53g Vmax load is listed at 3465 fps with a G1 BC of 0.290.

With a 100 yard zero with both loads, the 75g load takes 13.8 MOA elevation to get to 600 yards, the 53g load takes 11.2 MOA to get there. In regards to wind drift, with a 10 mph 90 degree wind, the 75g load has 4.9 MOA drift, the 53g load has 5.8 MOA.

If it matters, both bullets are recommended for impact velocity of 2000+ fps. I would suspect the Vmax would open easier than the BTHP, but the 75g load is going 1673 fps at 600 yards and the 53g load is going 1652 fps.

The 75g load has 466 ft/lbs of energy at 600 yards, the 53g load has 321 ft/lbs.

So the 75g load has 0.9 MOA(5.4 inches) less drift, 2.6 MOA(15.6 inches) more drop, 145 ft/lbs more energy and is going 19 fps faster than the 53g load at 600 yards.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

Gravity changes little; wind, a lot. You can adjust for elevation once and be relatively close in the vertical for most shots, with some deviation due to head/tailwinds. Ballistic solutions that reduce wind deflection have value.

 

[Playerz1337]

Re: Which .223 (53 or 75gr Hornady)?

Vmax is my vote for quick expansion. Handloading is a must for accuracy and save a lot of $.