2aHawaii
Tools and Uses => Reloading => Topic started by: asinapple8805 on April 01, 2015, 08:28:10 PM
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I'm in the market for 168 grain 30 cal projectiles. I'm shooting for decent accuracy out of a match grade barrel.
I need opinions on:
- Hornady 168 grain HPBT match
- Nosler 168 grain HPBT custom competition
- Hornady 168 grain A-MAX
- Hornady 168 grain Z-MAX
Thanks in advance.
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I've only had experience with the Noslers and the AMaxs. Both from what I read had thin jackets and preferred seating close to the lands. Noslers had J4 jackets and I don't know what AMaxs use. Both shot well out of a 1-10 Douglas barrel.
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I'm in the market for 168 grain 30 cal projectiles. I'm shooting for decent accuracy out of a match grade barrel.
I need opinions on:
- Hornady 168 grain HPBT match
- Nosler 168 grain HPBT custom competition
- Hornady 168 grain A-MAX
- Hornady 168 grain Z-MAX
Thanks in advance.
projectiles
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projectiles
Gingivitus
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Gingivitus
how come my like button doesn't work?
:thumbsup:
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how come my like button doesn't work?
:thumbsup:
you must be flossin...
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a53/Kerig84/FlossinAintJustFoGangstas.png)
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Am I the only one who doesn't understand what's going on here ??? . . . Probably best not to try and explain it to me anyway :'(
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Am I the only one who doesn't understand what's going on here ??? . . . Probably best not to try and explain it to me anyway :'(
sorry
:stopjack:
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Ren, were you firing these out of a semi auto, or a bolt action?
I'll be using these in a AR style 308 so I'm limited to seating at mag length.
Macsak, are they called something other than projectiles?
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Ren, were you firing these out of a semi auto, or a bolt action?
I'll be using these in a AR style 308 so I'm limited to seating at mag length.
Macsak, are they called something other than projectiles?
sorry for derailing your thread, asin
inside joke
ren prefers we call them "bullets" or "projectiles" and doesn't like another term
sometimes we use the other term just to tease ren a little
:wave:
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projectiles
Heads..
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Ren, were you firing these out of a semi auto, or a bolt action?
I'll be using these in a AR style 308 so I'm limited to seating at mag length.
Macsak, are they called something other than projectiles?
Asin you might want to buy some of each and start an OCW test and see which bullets your rifle likes
Each rifle is different and yours might like a certant bullet compared to someone else's rifle
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I'm in the market for 168 grain 30 cal projectiles. I'm shooting for decent accuracy out of a match grade barrel.
I need opinions on:
- Hornady 168 grain HPBT match
- Nosler 168 grain HPBT custom competition
- Hornady 168 grain A-MAX
- Hornady 168 grain Z-MAX
Thanks in advance.
Are you stuck on Hornady bullets and Nosler or are you open to other brands?
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Are you stuck on Hornady bullets and Nosler or are you open to other brands?
I'm open to other brands as well, but I found these makes on sale right now. I was planning on buying in bulk.
I don't plan on competing with these bullets, but I'd like to take advantage of the match barrel that I'll be shooting these out of.
If you have any suggestions, I'm more than willing to hear them. I'm not stuck on the OTM type and I'd be willing to try FMJs if I can find them for somewhere in the 20 cent per bullet ballpark.
Here are the specs on the barrel:
Barrel Length: 18"
Gas Block Seat: .750
Rifling: Polygonal 5R
Stainless Steel: 416R
Feed Ramps: M4
Gas System: Midlength (DPMS Patern)
Chamber: .308
Finish: Matte Stainless - Bead Blast
Twist: 1X11
Thread Pitch: 5/8X24
Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz
Testing: MPI tested
Made in the USA!
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my advice isn't worth anything here on 2ahawaii as witnessed.
So here's some information from the former commander of the Army Marksmanship Unit:
"41.0 of IMR 4895 pushing a 168 Sierra Match King won Gary Anderson the Olympics in 300 Meter rifle.
42.0 of IMR 4064 pushing a 175 Match King is an "Index Load" -- if your rifle doesn't shoot it well there's something's wrong with your hardware.
44 grains of Varget will push most bullets accurately in a bolt rifle. Stick around 42 to 43 for autoloaders."
the above was copied from this thread: http://www.ar15.com/mobile/topic.html?b=16&f=10&t=12 (http://www.ar15.com/mobile/topic.html?b=16&f=10&t=12)
As always use loads from a published load data book.
My experience with the 168s were from a Savage 110 with a Douglas 1x10 twist, 22" barrel. My results will likely be different from anyone else's. I have found that the index load is very accurate in this rifle as well. But don't take my word for it. The poster of the above information is a very experienced rifleman.
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If one subscribes to the OCW (optimum charge weight) theory, then those charges aught to work pretty good in any rifle, if pressures are safe. I have heard that the gold standard is 168 Federal Gold Metal Match factory rounds, which I find is pretty much right on. In my opinion and experience SMKs are more consistent than any of the above stated projectiles, and proven in many competition matches. $0.02
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I'm open to other brands as well, but I found these makes on sale right now. I was planning on buying in bulk.
I don't plan on competing with these bullets, but I'd like to take advantage of the match barrel that I'll be shooting these out of.
If you have any suggestions, I'm more than willing to hear them. I'm not stuck on the OTM type and I'd be willing to try FMJs if I can find them for somewhere in the 20 cent per bullet ballpark.
Here are the specs on the barrel:
Barrel Length: 18"
Gas Block Seat: .750
Rifling: Polygonal 5R
Stainless Steel: 416R
Feed Ramps: M4
Gas System: Midlength (DPMS Patern)
Chamber: .308
Finish: Matte Stainless - Bead Blast
Twist: 1X11
Thread Pitch: 5/8X24
Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz
Testing: MPI tested
Made in the USA!
At 20 cents a piece it will be hard to go wrong with any of those bullets. But my personal experience is that the Noslers are more consistent than the A-Max. BTW, when the Z-Max first came out it was thought they were the same thing as the A-Max with a different color polymer tip. I don't have a lot of money to spend on reloading supplies. So for me I buy a box of each of the bullets I am interested in and test them to find the best for what I am looking to do with them. After that I look for a sale on what I know works well in my gun and then buy in bulk.
I am in the same camp as others here, My personal experience with Sierra Match Kings has shown better accuracy and consistency than Hornady and Nosler. But Berger Bullets can be even better but at a much higher cost. To get the most out of your match grade barrel you will want to use higher quality components.
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I second what Inspector said.
I would also like to add, in all of my rifles, Sierra match kings have been the easiest to get to shoot well and the least sensitive to seating depth in my experience. They are priced reasonable so I quit bothering with anything else. Berger bullets have been harder to tune but are outstanding when you get your loads tweaked. I have not had great luck with hornady amax or hornady match. Do not buy in bulk until you know your rifle likes the bullets. No sale will save you money on bullets that your gun doesn't like. And stay away from VLD's in autoloaders.
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Thanks for all of the replies and advice.
Does anyone know of a good place to get cheap 168 grain Sierra Match Kings?
Also, here's some info that I found on another forum.
http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3998745&postcount=13 (http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3998745&postcount=13)
For those interested I did receive a reply from Hornady Tech....
Here was my question:
Could you please let me know the main differences between the .30 cal 168gr A-Max and Z-Max? Also are the Z-Max bullets still current production or left over from ammo production?
Thanks, MIKE
And the reply...
Mr. W
The Z-Max bullets are copies of the A-Max bullets and are essentially the same thing. However, other bullets, in the Z-Max line, like pistol bullets etc. are not intended for use to replace FTX style bullets. You will see the Z-Max bullet line go away, probably this year, as they were part of an advertising that has come to an end.
Thanks,
Proof enough to me that they are basically the same bullet w a different tip..
Looks like those that may be in the ammo or component market could see some more bargains out there as the Z-product line and it's advertising comes to an end..
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Thanks for all of the replies and advice.
Does anyone know of a good place to get cheap 168 grain Sierra Match Kings?
www.brownells.com (http://www.brownells.com)
www.midwayusa.com (http://www.midwayusa.com)
www.brunoshooters.com (http://www.brunoshooters.com)
www.grafs.com (http://www.grafs.com)
www.cabelas.com (http://www.cabelas.com)
bruno shooters supply usually has the best non-sale prices on bullets and brass. The local gun shops have them sometimes but they can't compete with online prices.
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My favorite go to place for all bullets is Powder Valley. Their prices are about as good as you can get without a sale. And they will ship USPS Flat Rate so you can order 100 or 1,000 the shipping price is the same up to 60 pounds.
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My favorite go to place for all bullets is Powder Valley. Their prices are about as good as you can get without a sale. And they will ship USPS Flat Rate so you can order 100 or 1,000 the shipping price is the same up to 60 pounds.
+1 Powder Valley is the best! :thumbsup:
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Thanks for all of the advice. I couldn't find any Sierra MatchKings for less than about $0.30 a piece, even if i bought in bulk.
I ended up going with the 168 Z-Max because I found a bunch for just over $0.20 a piece. They were roughly the same price as the Nosler HPBT Custom Competition and slightly cheaper than the A-Max.
I figure that the Noslers will always be around that price and readily available whereas the Z-Max is a limited production run.
I'll report back later when I'm done with testing. I'll be using IMR 8208 XBR.
In the mean time, check these videos I found.
https://youtu.be/m8eL99p8ew0 (https://youtu.be/m8eL99p8ew0)
https://youtu.be/UDkO7BXX3WM (https://youtu.be/UDkO7BXX3WM)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vlwf9ansFY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vlwf9ansFY)
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Just curious where you got the z-max 168gr for ~.20 a piece.
Mahalo
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Thanks for all of the advice. I couldn't find any Sierra MatchKings for less than about $0.30 a piece, even if i bought in bulk.
I ended up going with the 168 Z-Max because I found a bunch for just over $0.20 a piece. They were roughly the same price as the Nosler HPBT Custom Competition and slightly cheaper than the A-Max.
I figure that the Noslers will always be around that price and readily available whereas the Z-Max is a limited production run.
I'll report back later when I'm done with testing. I'll be using IMR 8208 XBR.
In the mean time, check these videos I found.
https://youtu.be/m8eL99p8ew0 (https://youtu.be/m8eL99p8ew0)
https://youtu.be/UDkO7BXX3WM (https://youtu.be/UDkO7BXX3WM)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vlwf9ansFY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vlwf9ansFY)
Good choice of powder. I was using XBR when everyone else was saying it's 'too fast' a powder for .308. Just be careful with pressure and I am sure it'll work great!
Keep us informed. :thumbsup:
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Most high power competitors buy their bullet heads from okweber.com.
location is in Oregon. They use the USPS standard shipping boxes to save on shipping costs.
J u st keep order below shipping weight maximums.
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Most high power competitors buy their bullets heads from okweber.com.
location is in Oregon. They use the USPS standard shipping boxes to save on shipping costs.
J u st keep order below shipping weight maximums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IejpzbxKUZE&feature=youtu.be&t=154