Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 77 grain SMK vs Hornady 75 BTHP?

I understand that the #41 has a slightly shorter anvil to make it less sensitive, along with the cup thickness. I may be wrong but that is my understanding.

Damn buddy, that was a hell of a sale. I wish I would have known about it!!!!!!

Here's a little info I can add on the 75gr Hornady BTHP match bullets and load. I was using AA2520 powder today and wanted to check speeds with my chrono. The last charge weight I stopped after 3 shots. I could tell pressure was peaking. That charge weight was 24.3 grains of AA2520. I'm going to show pics, as "pics are worth a 1000 words"...


I wrote down this info on the backside of a target I had from yesterdays rimfire shoot, so don't mind the bullet holes in it...

These loads were loaded to 2.240" OAL. Top speed was this reading on the chrono:


Don't mind the very old chrono. It still works great. That's a velocity of 2,872 fps. Smoking along. We don't even want to shoot anymore of those loads my buddy from the club told me about. Generally I work up a load, and that is the reason. His scale is reading differently than mine. I'm also running a 20" barrel on my Noveske, vs. the 18" SPR he has...

I used my hornady manual for 556 loads. My loads are a little faster than what you are running (@ "2630 fps"). Ill go back out next weekend and try a slower load for better accuracy. It was easy shooting moa 5 shot groups today with my least accurate ar. 10 shots opened the groups up though.

I get 2630 with RL15 other powders like AR comp, varget I get faster speeds. I’m at the range as we speak will report back what I got.

Awesome buddy. You know ill go back to AR Comp to get the best accuracy, if AA2520 doesnt work out.. 2520 runs them fast though. For someone looking for 1 1/4 moa and a fast load, that might just be the ticket.. hopefully you dont have the wind like i did earlier. Im trying to best rosts iron sight score in the black rifle challenge, but thats not going to happen with these gorge winds. When it calms down, i may have a chance.

Just thinking of all the issues we had with 2520 so many years ago makes me kind of queasy that folks still use it. LOL. But I don't get over things very quickly...

Ill likely burn up what i have and then go back to AR Comp. Im just experimenting with it right now. Check out that black rifle challenge. Im not too far off your irons score buddy.. im thinking if i cant beat your score with my crappy shooting noveske, ill buy another set of those sights and put them on my better shooting 6WOA.

2520 load 24.0gr cci 450 75gr hornady seated at 2.245
Velocity 2585
Varget load 23.7gr cci 450 75gr hornady seated at 2.245
Velocity 2612

The AR comp load of 22.5gr produce a 1.56 group velocity avg 2690
The RL15 with 24.0 Gr produce a 1.68 group velocity avg 2557




I’m dropped couple shots to open those groups up. I forgot my regular glasses. I also mounted a nib 10x swfa to shoot these groups. I’m probably going to run with that 2520 load for these reduced yardage matches. Varget so hard to find, I need to save what I have.

Last yr I played with this load but never bothered with it. BSA asked about fed 205 MAR primers. I found my notes and loaded up ten see how they do. Initial testing last yr 5 shot group shot .806. Anyhow looks like i pulled one high and screwed up the group.
24.5gr RL15, 205MAR primer, 75gr hornady, L-C brass, seated 2.255 OAL avg velocity 2634

Looking good j. Cool you had some 2520 laying around. Im surprised its going so slow, as compared to my chrono findings today. Looks like its printing pretty good though. You liking that 10x scope better than the 4x? Looks like your groups are a little tighter and on the orange. Should score well at the reduced yardage competition.

I like it because I can see a lot better at 100yds lol. I use the 4x for my service rifle setup. You should see what 600yds looks like at 4x.. I have 3 of these 10x I have one on my other rifle that’s set up for AR tactical. 600yds through a 10x ain’t so bad.. you do have a 20 inch barrel compared to my 18. I can’t believe velocity loss is so extreme in these AR. Looks like what 150 FPS an inch?

Could very well be a different lot too. The old guy was telling me today that you have to watch out for different lots and its bad because it was manufactured in different facilities. Israel, chech republic, Belgium and the US. So different velocities are to be expected. The bottles he gave me look old. I didnt check to see where it was made.

I think muledeer talks about that, one of the problems with accurate powder.

Also my target why the first two groups are off I was still sighting it in. I didn’t want to screw up a potential 10 shot group record. So i waited until i was done and make adjustments 😁

Yeah, i just checked mine. It was made in Israel

J. No biggie man. I know you know how to hit the x-ring. You wouldnt be shooting any kind of competition if you didnt. Some guys dont get it. You arent one of them. You shoot long distance of any kind and even 1 or 2" high and left or right at 100 makes a big fuggin difference way out there. Im always shooting for score, thats why most of the targets i post, the bullet holes are in the "orange". As i call it. If you notice, a lot of the 1/2 moa 3 shot key board commandos will post their 3 [bleep] groups way out in left field. Those guys will get lucky and kill a deer or gut shot one and think of themselves as mighty hunters. Others will strategically place 1 shot in the heart and think nothing of it..

Mine made in Belgium

That is probably the difference right there... One of the small gunshops across the river had 40 pounds of what looks like the older kegs of it, but if guys like rost and tyrone say there were issues with it, I may just burn up this 2 pounds i have and move back over to AR Comp. That powder seems to be very forgiving. It doesn't put out the fastest speeds, but it burns clean, meters nice and accuracy has been very good in everything from 223 ar's and bolt guns to my 308 AR10.