Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .224 Cal 75 grain hornady BTHP: Deer and Hogs?

Hi folks

Who has taken deer or hogs with the Hornady 75 BTHP bullet in either 223 or 22 250. My 1 in 8 twist 223 loves these bullets and based on the results I got shooting into dry phone books (they out penetrated 64 power powerpoint, 53 TSX, 60 horn SP, 63 sierra) it looks like a viable bullet for deer.

I heard some folks say they are really frangible but I'm not seeing that in the dry paper. If anythging they take a little longer to open up. The first few inches look like a drill hole and then they make a good wide channel. I didn't recover the two I shot into the phone books because they exited. The other bullets did not. MV was 2700 fps with the 75 gr BTHP and shot distance was 20 yards.

Any thoughts guys? Thanks a lot!

I don't know a thing about hogs but I'd sure light the torch on deer with them.

Looks like I'm gonna do a Swift AI, may be a good bullet to take a look at. I've got a 8 twist ready to be put into action.

Dober

I always wondered about the 68 Horn as well?

Did most of the bullets come apart in your test?

Thx for the good info

Dober

They were banged up pretty bad. I will weigh them this weekend. The TSX looked good but I would estimate somewhere between 30-50 % weight retention for the others

just read an article the other day on the new mossberg ar-15 style 223's. to test the rifles out they took it hog hunting and shot a hog with it. they were using a 75 grain bullet although I think they were using a partition bullet, not a hp

Colin_Matchett,

Everyone knows there are no phone books in the woods. In order for the tests to be valid, you have to shoot into water filled one gallon milk jugs. That's what I see in the Oregon woods so that's what I test with.

Let us know how they compare in water jugs. I think the best penetraters will go to the sixth jug. I believe you will see a marked difference in the destruction of the bullets by the .22-250 over the .223 with the same bullets fired at full throttle into the water jugs.

Colin, I have some 62 tsx if you want to give them a try.

Once I drilled a deer in on the point of the shoulder with one, I stopped looking for a better mouse trap.

let me know, Can post should only a take a week to get from me to you-

Thanks for offer MPWOLF! I am going to order a box of the 62 TSX. This rifle loves the 53 TSX and just about everything else I've tried in it except my beloved 64 PP. You shooting at RNBRA this summer? I was hoping to but with work and the kids schedule my time is limited.

Try a 75gr Swift. They are one slippery SOB and I have yet to catch one in a critter. Of course I love the 62gr TSX, but I could easily run one as well as the other.

Of course the Swift and Hornady swapola might be a snap. I know it is with the 75gr Amax and Swift. Just a thunk.

They are on my list too.

Glad to see you've never caught one -

If work ever slows down, I might get to work up a load for the 75 Swift's and my .22-250 Ackley, since it is my deer rifle...

How is the house doing Greg? Our AC took a [bleep] but thank goodness for the home warranty, new AC soon. I could go the rest of my life and never look at another paint roller though.

Call Hornady Tech first and see what they say. A lot of the current get of super accurate BTHP bullets are great on paper pucching, but actually TOO well constructed to perform on game animals. A bullet that can stand up to an 8 twist at the velocities we try to run them is one tough built SOB, and may not expand or transfer all of that energy. Just something to consider.

Amen on the paint roller Steely.I've workedd hard all my life but I can't say I've ever found a chore I hate more than painting. powdr

it's the damn scraping and sanding that chaps my a$$.

Bumping this back up. My T3 shoots the 75gr Hornady bthp into tiny tiny little groups, the 75gr swift Sicrocco II into ok but not great groups about 1.5moa.

Game is deer and hogs would you guys use the super accurate Hornady or the better constructed but less accurate Swift?

This pig was 200ish. 75gr BTHP at about 100 yards. DRT.

John

Thanks for the reply John, mind sharing your shot placement choice?

I’ve been doing some googling and found a few wet newspaper tests and other on game reports that have me feeling good about the bullet.

High shoulder, midway between elbow and ear. Likely hit the spine. That was my plan. I figure that bullet digging deep enough to do it on a pig that size is pretty good. I didn’t open him up as boars that size are nasty flavored. I just use them for coyote bait.

John