|
Forum Rules | Firearms Safety | Firearms Photos | Links | Library | Lost Password | Email Changes |
Register | FAQ | Calendar | Search | Today's Posts | Mark Forums Read |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
November 13, 2007, 07:33 AM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 1, 2005
Location: USMC, Centcom
Posts: 214
|
Sierra Match King vs. Hornady A-Max
I loaded my first Hornady A-Max bullets last night. They are the .308, 155 gr flavor. My rifle is a Remington 700 VS in .308 Win.
My question is: Assuming I did my part in careful reloading, how can I expect the A-Max to compare to the Sierra Matchkings I've been shooting to this point? I have had fantastic results with Federal GMM, but I have been wanting to load these A-Max'es for a while. |
November 13, 2007, 02:02 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 13, 2006
Location: Washington state
Posts: 15,248
|
I don't shoot A-Maxes, but lots of people do and love them. Your rifle may or may not perform well with the A-Max bullets. They have a very long ogive (8r) and a very low angle boattail. Buy a box and try them to see if your rifle will shoot them well or not.
__________________
Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services |
November 13, 2007, 03:25 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 14, 2007
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 797
|
I have tried reloads using Hornady A-max bullets in my Remington 700 .30-06 and was not too impressed. By comparison, Sierra Matchkings and Gamekings offer greater accuracy at 100 yards from my rifle. Greater than 6" groupings with the Hornady bullets versus less than 1" with Matchkings and nearly the same with Gamekings. My hunting friends like the ballistic tip on Mississippi whitetails at ranges of 50 yards or less. I have tried to convince them that a hollow point bullet is inherently more accurate than a solid tip. They did not believe me until we had a shoot off at the deer camp and the Sierra hollow points came out as the local champions.
|
November 13, 2007, 08:35 PM | #4 |
Staff
Join Date: November 28, 2005
Location: Montana
Posts: 9,442
|
I've only shot the A-Max bullets in my .22-250. With that, the SMKs blow them out of the water as far as "precision" is concerned. My rifles in general love Sierra bullets for match grade target shooting. Is the Hornady bullets inferior? I don't think so. They just don't work well in my rifles...
__________________
If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting |
November 14, 2007, 07:13 AM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 23, 2006
Location: South Texas
Posts: 2,010
|
I have tried them in nearly all of my rifles and, in my experience, they just don't do as well as the SMK's.
|
November 14, 2007, 10:03 AM | #6 |
Member
Join Date: February 13, 2007
Posts: 69
|
I shoot 168 grainers A-max..........out of my Remington VLS 308 and I believe you will be happy................The 155 lapua shoot very wicked out of mine...
Should you want to trade around I would be interested in trying the 155 A-max I have 400 of the A-max in 168 grain ....... |
November 14, 2007, 10:21 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,486
|
The A-Max will be less accurate than SMK. Unless it is more accurate. Or maybe about the same. Pull the trigger and find out.
The only rifle I have shot them in is a .223. The 75 gr A-Max shoots about the same as 80 gr Sierra or Nosler. My loading and holding are not good enough to tell a difference. I CAN tell a difference by going up to JLK or Berger VLDs, though. |
November 14, 2007, 01:05 PM | #8 |
Staff
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,022
|
The A-max designs are typically a little longer than the Sierras, so stability is a little lower and, in principle, you would need a slightly faster twist rate with them. In practice, the twist rate usually matters less than the long ogive being farther off the lands for a given COL. The extra total length also means you will need to use a little less powder for a given COL, and a bit more if you seat them out where the ogives are the same distance off the lands. Like a VLD design, the A-max rounds often do best seated long and loaded singly, and their loads have to be adjusted accordingly.
One other problem with the A-max is that in some seater dies the long ogive tips more easily than other bullets. I recommend you sort A-max loads with a runout gauge. Use a Redding or Forster competition seater with them to avoid the problem. You can dedicate a Lee or other seater to the A-max by lapping the seating punch to a better fit, but that will use up a number of bullets.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle |
November 14, 2007, 02:34 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 12, 1999
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Posts: 2,682
|
FWIW, Hornady is using the 120 and 140-gr AMAX in their new long-range match round the 6.5 Creedmoor.
-z
__________________
Zak Smith . DEMIGOD LLC . THUNDER BEAST ARMS CORP . COLORADO MULTI-GUN My PM inbox full? Send e-mail instead.
|
November 14, 2007, 02:41 PM | #10 | |
Member
Join Date: February 13, 2007
Posts: 69
|
Quote:
This in a Remington 700 ......Without custom work (factory) Only thing custom is the reloads........... |
|
November 14, 2007, 04:16 PM | #11 |
Junior member
Join Date: May 31, 2004
Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A.
Posts: 12,451
|
6.5 creedmoor? What's that one all about?
|
November 14, 2007, 05:29 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 12, 1999
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Posts: 2,682
|
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...=315173&page=2
http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com...oor-cartridge/
__________________
Zak Smith . DEMIGOD LLC . THUNDER BEAST ARMS CORP . COLORADO MULTI-GUN My PM inbox full? Send e-mail instead.
|
November 14, 2007, 11:47 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 19, 2007
Location: Idaho
Posts: 205
|
Tuzo,
If you are getting 6" groupings with A-max bullets and 1" with SMK, start from scratch with the A-max. You probably worked up the single worst load on the planet for A-max bullets. No offense intended here, but while the SMK has proven more accurate for me the A-max is still a solid performer. you must have definitely been on the "what's not working" path.
__________________
Arm yourself, arm a friend! |
November 16, 2007, 11:13 PM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 11, 2002
Location: ALABAMA
Posts: 1,472
|
I have had slightly better luck with A-MAX's over SMK's too. I'm not good enough to shoot one group of each and see a big difference, but on average, my groups w/ A-MAX are better. That is in my Savage .308 12FVSS.
__________________
TROTAC.com |
November 17, 2007, 10:56 AM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 17, 2007
Posts: 680
|
Having shot both out of my Savage .223, SMKs just repeatedly outperform the Hornady bullets, so I'm sticking with Sierra.
|
November 18, 2007, 05:42 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 4, 2007
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,943
|
My old 222 just loves SMKs. If I shoot Hornadys, I have to shoot a flatbase to even come close to what the Sierras do. BLC2 and WW brass with a RP 7 1/2. Works every time. CB.
__________________
If you want your children to follow in your footsteps, be careful where you walk. Beware the man that only owns one gun; he probably knows how to use it. I just hope my ship comes in before my dock rots. |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|