Recent Impressions With Hornady Bullets - 01/19/15
I am re-assessing my policy of not going out of my way to use Hornady bullets in my Varmint Rifles.
Three main reasons that I would like to pass along to others so that it may save them some money, time or effort.
Last week I brought online a new to me Remington 700 Varminter - this is the stainless steel 26" heavy barrel model with the laminated thumbhole stock.
This Rifle is in 223 Remington caliber and I mounted a Leupold 6x18 variable scope on it.
The trigger appears to be factory stock and un-adjusted as yet.
Anyway I took the Rifle out for sight-in and to fireform some brass for "serious" load testing in the near future.
I get it sighted in and had enough ammo for a five shot group there at 100 yards.
I was just shocked when that group I fired was one roundish hole - the group later measured out at .389"!
I was using the Hornaday 40 grain V-Max bullets and W 748 powder and I guess my load development for this Rifle is about done.
This was a load I duplicated from the last 223 Remington I brought online last summer in which I found that Rifle to prefer Hornady 40 grain V-Max's as well.
That Rifle was a plain jane Remington 700 SPS-V in stainless steel - it has a Weaver V-16 variable on it and its best group (5 shots at 100 yards) to date, with those bullets is an amazing .307".
These two "accuracy" examples and a couple of other first hand experiences has me re-assessing my normal choices of Nosler Ballistic-Tips, Sierra Blitz-Kings and Berger Varmint bullets for my new Rifles.
Its not that I did not "like" Hornady bullets in the past - I just never used them.
Sierras and then Noslers were my first choices for Varminting and then Bergers when I could find and afford them.
Speaking of "affording" things I was at my local gun store a couple days ago and had occasion to do some "comparison shopping".
The Hornady V-Max 40 grainers (22 caliber) cost $18.90 per 100.
The Sierra Blitz-Kings 40 grainers were $25.50 per 100.
The Nosler Ballistic-Tip 40 grainers were $26.75 per 100.
The Berger 40 grainers were not in stock but I remember them being in the $28.00 per 100 range last time I saw them.
I have also been impressed with the lethality (explosiveness) of the Hornady Varmint bullets on Colony Varmints and Badgers.
I think from now on I will do my Varmint Rifle load development starting off with the Hornady V-Max's.
Might as well save some money while I'm Varminting with accurate and lethal bullets.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
Three main reasons that I would like to pass along to others so that it may save them some money, time or effort.
Last week I brought online a new to me Remington 700 Varminter - this is the stainless steel 26" heavy barrel model with the laminated thumbhole stock.
This Rifle is in 223 Remington caliber and I mounted a Leupold 6x18 variable scope on it.
The trigger appears to be factory stock and un-adjusted as yet.
Anyway I took the Rifle out for sight-in and to fireform some brass for "serious" load testing in the near future.
I get it sighted in and had enough ammo for a five shot group there at 100 yards.
I was just shocked when that group I fired was one roundish hole - the group later measured out at .389"!
I was using the Hornaday 40 grain V-Max bullets and W 748 powder and I guess my load development for this Rifle is about done.
This was a load I duplicated from the last 223 Remington I brought online last summer in which I found that Rifle to prefer Hornady 40 grain V-Max's as well.
That Rifle was a plain jane Remington 700 SPS-V in stainless steel - it has a Weaver V-16 variable on it and its best group (5 shots at 100 yards) to date, with those bullets is an amazing .307".
These two "accuracy" examples and a couple of other first hand experiences has me re-assessing my normal choices of Nosler Ballistic-Tips, Sierra Blitz-Kings and Berger Varmint bullets for my new Rifles.
Its not that I did not "like" Hornady bullets in the past - I just never used them.
Sierras and then Noslers were my first choices for Varminting and then Bergers when I could find and afford them.
Speaking of "affording" things I was at my local gun store a couple days ago and had occasion to do some "comparison shopping".
The Hornady V-Max 40 grainers (22 caliber) cost $18.90 per 100.
The Sierra Blitz-Kings 40 grainers were $25.50 per 100.
The Nosler Ballistic-Tip 40 grainers were $26.75 per 100.
The Berger 40 grainers were not in stock but I remember them being in the $28.00 per 100 range last time I saw them.
I have also been impressed with the lethality (explosiveness) of the Hornady Varmint bullets on Colony Varmints and Badgers.
I think from now on I will do my Varmint Rifle load development starting off with the Hornady V-Max's.
Might as well save some money while I'm Varminting with accurate and lethal bullets.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy