Hornady .224 bullets

[rain164845]

Has anyone used both the 55gr .224 Sp super explosive (SX) and the 55gr regular sp? Was there a difference in point of impact of the 2? Could you tell the difference in how they behave on impact?

Has anyone used the .224 NTX bullets? Seems like you can get them moving pretty fast. How do they perform both accuracy wise and terminal destruction wise?

Thanks!

 

[K22]

I've used the SX bullets in my 223 and have not noticed any difference between these and standard 223 bullets on eastern groundhogs. Velocity was approximately 3,100 ft/sec.

I don't use them anymore since the VMax's and Nosler's BT's are considerably more accurate out of my 223 rifles.

 

[Gary in MD]

I have used the 55 gr SX bullets on numerous ground hogs and foxes over the years. I have not compared the point of impact change between them and other bullets. It never mattered because I always check and adjust the zero when switching loads. They have been plenty accurate out of several 222's and a couple 22-250's. They have been very explosive, as the name would suggest. You have to watch the velocity out of the 22-250, when pushed too fast, they start coming apart. Many kills with the 222, you would have thought the animal was hit with something larger. I use the plastic tips most of the time because they hold the velocity a little farther out. The SX bullets are cheaper than the plastic tips, can be just as accurate for varmint purposes, and do at least as much damage as the plastic tips in my experience...sometimes more. These comments would also pertain to the older Sierra Blitz.
Just my experiences.....good luck with them,
Gary

 

[boltfluter]

Used 50gr. SX years ago in an old Rem.722 in .222. They were accurate and
very explosive!!!. Paul.

WWW.boltflutting.com

 

[357Mag]

Rain -

Howdy !

IMHO... the Hornady 55SX is THE best .224" cal bullet there is, for use against " Soybeanus Digestus ".

I at first used the lighter 50gr SX on groundhog, then started to get "crawlers", on solid hits much past 235yd ( with both .22-250, and a larger-capacity .224" cal wildcat ). I switched to exclusive use of the 55SX, and never looked back. No more problems w/ crawlers !

With my .224" cal wildcat, I was running a combo "accuracty/field" load, which saw the 55SX's going 3,690fps out of a 24" tube.
More vel could be had, yes; but the load I settled on was both hyper accurate & deadly. This vel is well above the max level Hornady recommends, when shooting the SX.

The SX's exposed lead tip and FB, might be considered "old-school"; in this age of polymer-tipped BTs and aero VLD's.
But... they ( still ) work; and marvelously so ! Let's say a guy is speeding and using MORE gas... by the time he runs out of gas; he's already WHERE he was going ! By the time my FB 55SXs ran out of vel, they had arrived @ " where they were going ".
Perhaps a spurious analogy, but... understand my point.

For the shot that got me into the 500yd club, Steve Hornady had sent a handfull of prototype 55"V"-Max, which back then had a sizeable boat tail. These shot a tad faster/flatter than the SX, and were good enough to provide the groundhog kill @ 508yd; when shot from a
24" 5-groove 1-14 SS Hart.

But... all things have their limits. Both my conversation w/ Steve Hornady and the eventual 500yd shot convinced me that .224" cal 55gr varmint bullets are @ their practical terminal effects limit; much past 500yd. Theres' just NO performance margin left.
Moreover, there's not a lot of .224" cal cases that can " efficiently " put much more vel on a 55SX. Just-as-well, as the design probably couldn't tolerate it; anyway.

To my way of thinkin', something like a .224" cal 1-12 rifle discharging Sierra .224" cal 65SPBTs would be a better fit for the zone around 500+yd.

The next step in .224" cal: go to use of something on-the-order-of Hornady 75"A"-Max and a longer barrel for use on "Soybeanus Digestus" out as-far-as 1,000; or there abouts. That's the step-up in .224" cal varmint rifle capabilities that I took.
75 "A"-Max made for a great dual-role varmint/paper-punching bullet. I had one "shoot-through" @ 200. The groundhog was just as dead, and no damage resulted to anything in the back ground. But, I DID I have one shoot-through @ 200.

Best of luck in your endeavors !

With regards,
357Mag

 

[rain164845]

Thanks for the info guys. I am currently shooting a 60 Nosler Ballistic Tip, and the low price of the hornadys seemed like a good trade off. I was thinking also that I could interchange the SX and the regular SP 55 Hornady bullets depending on the target without having to change scope settings.
I think what I need to do is leave well enough alone and buy the 60 NBT in bulk...