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February 18th, 2011
Black Hills Ammunition (BHA) produces high-quality new and remanufactured ammo. Black Hills remanufactured .223 Rem and .308 Win ammo is popular with tactical shooters because it is cost-effective, yet very accurate since it is loaded with premium match-grade bullets. Black Hills has now come out with a line of hunting ammunition using the very accurate Hornady GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) lead-free projectiles. New loads include: 80gr .243 Win; 120gr .260 Rem; 120gr 6.5-.284 Norma; 130gr 270 Win; 150gr .308 Win; 150gr .30-06; 139gr 7mm RemMag; and 165gr 300 WinMag.
The GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding) bullets are constructed of gilding metal, the same material used for bullet jackets. GMX bullets expand quickly and reliably upon impact, and retain nearly 100% of their weight. These GMX bullets contain no lead, making them a good choice for areas that restrict use of lead-cored bullets. To learn more, contact Black Hills Ammunition at (605) 348-5150.
 New Black Hills 5.56 Ammo
For 2011, Black Hills is releasing two new 5.56mm offerings for commercial sale. First, it offers a new match load with 77gr Sierra MatchKings (SMKs). The new 5.56mm ammo pushes the 77gr SMKs at 2750 fps from a 20″ barrel. According to Black Hills: “this load delivers sub-minute accuracy consistently from 10-shot groups.”
Next, Black Hills is making its 50gr police 5.56mm load available to the public. The BHA 5.56mm 50gr TSX load was developed for U.S. law enforcement. This load utilizes a specially-built version of Barnes Bullet Company’s TSX bullet. It provides expansion to .50 caliber immediately upon impact and consistently penetrates to an ideal average penetration depth of 14″ in ballistic gelatin. Black Hills calls this “an ideal civilian defense or law enforcement patrol-rifle round” that works well through a variety of barrel lengths.
January 30th, 2011
Hornady has launched it’s latest “Get Loaded” Free Bullet Promotion. Now through 12/31/2011, if you purchase certain Hornady reloading products, you can get up to 500 free bullets. We think the best deal may be the 100-bullet offer. You can get 100 free bullets with purchase of ANY one of the following: Hornady New Dimension Die Set, Hornady Cam-Lock Case Trimmer, Hornady manual Powder Measure, or Hornady AutoCharge Electronic Powder Dispenser. We’ve purchased and used New Dimension dies for pistol cartridges and they work very well for those applications. They also work fine in our RCBS Progressive press.
500 Free Bullets with Reloading Kit or AP Progressive Press
To get 500 free bullets you’ll have to purchase something much more expensive, either a Lock-N-Load Classic reloading kit ($319.99 on sale now at Cabelas.com), or the Hornady L-N-L AP Progressive Press ($427.67 at MidSouthShootersSupply.com).
NOTE: Not all Hornady bullets are offered through this promotion. Your free bullets must be selected among the following types:
22 CAL .224 — 55gr SP W/C, $17.53 MSRP
6MM .243 — 100gr BTSP, $26.59 MSRP
25 CAL .257 — 100gr SP, $30.88 MSRP
270 CAL .277 — 130gr SP, $28.71 MSRP
7MM .284 — 139gr BTSP, $31.27 MSRP
30 CAL .308 — 150gr SP, $29.51 MSRP
9MM .355 — 115gr HP/XTP, $21.32 MSRP
38 CAL .357 — 110gr HP/XTP, $21.51 MSRP
10MM .400 — 155gr HP/XTP, $26.53 MSRP
44 CAL .430 — 180rP/XTP, $28.55 MSRP
45 CAL .451 — 185gr HP/XTP, $28.20 MSRP
CLICK HERE to download Free Bullet Promo Flyer
CLICK HERE for Free Bullet Promo Redemption Form
Story Sourced by Edlongrange.
January 24th, 2011
Hornady has a new, compact, one-station Case Prep Assistant for 2011. This handy, affordable unit easily fits on your benchtop. The dual-voltage (110v/220v) Case Prep Assistant can power inside and outside chamfer tools as well as neck brushes and primer pocket cleaners/uniformers. Included with the Case Prep Assistant are chamfer and deburr tools, with plenty of onboard storage for optional case prep accessories such as primer pocket cleaners, case neck brushes and other 8-32 thread tools. The unit is compatible with both 110V or 220V power. The Case Prep Assistant retails for under $90.00 — Midsouth Shooter’s Supply has it for $83.88 currently.
The new compact Case Prep Assistant complements Hornady’s large Case Prep Center, introduced in 2010. The large prep center performs all case prep functions, including case trimming which is handled by a vertical (drill-press-type) motorized trim station. Cases are held with a cam-lock shell-holder and then lowered vertically on to the spinning trimmer head. Hornady’s Dave Emary demonstrated both products for us at the 2011 SHOT Show. Dave then told us about the Vintage Sniper Rifle Matches which he has helped organize for the CMP.
January 11th, 2011
We know many of our readers shoot the 6 BRX, 6 Dasher, 6mm Rem AI, .243 Ackley and other “improved cartridges” that require case-forming. These wildcat designs move the shoulder forward, or alter the shoulder angle and/or body taper. Traditionally, these cases are fire-formed, i.e. a charge of powder is used to blow the shoulder forward and casewalls out. There are different methods of fire-forming. Some guys use a full load of rifle powder, with bullets seated hard in the lands (setting up a false shoulder helps too). Other shooters successfully fire-form without bullets, using fast pistol powders (and a much-reduced charge). Typically, with this bulletless fire-forming, a filler such as Grits is used, along with some kind of plug or wad to hold the powder in the case.
Fire-forming takes time, and consumes expensive powder, primers, and (typically) bullets. Unless you have a dedicated fire-forming barrel, the fire-forming process can use up a significant amount of your useful barrel life, particularly if you are a varminter needing hundreds of re-formed cases. What if you could form your cases at home, at your reloading bench, without burning powder or wasting barrel life? Well you can…
Hydraulic Case-Forming with Hornady Die
Now, thanks to Hornady, shooters who need to “improve” their cases have a bonafied alternative to fire-forming. Hornady’s custom shop offers a hydraulic case-forming kit that allows you to form cases just using water and a conventional reloading press.
Because fluids, such as water, are not compressible, you can use hydraulic action to change the shape of your brass in a die. As a ram or piston moves the fluid in the die, hydraulic pressure pushes the shoulder and case walls out to match the “improved” case profile machined into the Hornady die. What you’ll get is a re-formed case with a near-perfect neck-shoulder junction, but with slightly rounded edges where the case body meets the shoulder. However, the edges of the shoulder will normally sharpen up once you shoot the brass for the first time with a full load.
Tips for Hydraulic Case-Forming
The process works well… as long as you understand that it will take a final fire-forming stage to fully “blow out” the brass. The hydraulic process gets you 95% of the way there. Lonnie Hummel, technician of Hornady’s Custom Shop, uses a hydraulic forming die himself to produce his wildcat varmint cases. Lonnie recommends using regular water as the hydraulic fluid, but other shooters have used isopropyl alcohol, and some guys have used light machine oil. The different fluid choices have pros and cons. With water, you have to be careful to dry out the forming die so it doesn’t rust. With oil you have to make sure you remove ALL the oil from the case before firing. That’s very important for safety and to ensure you don’t “kill” your primers. Alcohol seems to work well, but again you want to make sure residues are removed, so that any residual alcohol does not contaminate primers or powder. The way the hydraulic die works is pretty simple. You fill the case with liquid and slip it into a special case holder. Then place the ram (hydraulic piston) into the case from the top, and hit the ram with a mallet or hammer. Lonnie prefers a use a lead-faced mallet: “Two or three good whacks does the trick.”
Ordering a Hydraulic Forming Die
Hornady hydraulic forming dies are produced on a custom basis. You need to supply a reamer print or some “finished” cases that have been fully fire-formed in your chamber. Then Hornady can build a die that matches your improved or wildcat chamber. Also, after heat-treating, each die is custom-honed so there is a super-close fit with the shaft of the hydraulic piston.
How much will it cost? Prices vary depending on the size of the parent cartridge: for cases up to 2.6″, the cost is about $175.00; for cases over 2.6″ up to 2.9″ the price is about $195.00 — but call for current pricing. These prices are for the complete Hornady Hydraulic Forming Kit, which includes Die Body, Lock Ring, Hydraulic Piston, and a special shellholder (without a center hole).
For more information contact Lonnie Hummel at Hornady. Call (308) 382-1390 and ask for the Custom Shop or email: lhummel [at] hornady.com. NOTE: You will NOT see this product listed or illustrated on Hornady’s website. Hydraulic form dies are special order items.
Photos courtesy Forum member SongDogHunter
December 31st, 2010
Graf & Sons is running an end-of-the-year “Blow-out Sale” with deep discounts on many products. Prices on many Close-Out items have been slashed by 50% or more. And, if you order $50.00 (or more) worth of merchandise, Grafs waves its customary $4.95 handling free. Grafs already gives free shipping on most products they sell (but hazmat fees and ‘heavy item’ fees may apply to some items).
Deals on Hornady Ammo, Components, and Gear
Graf’s has also knocked down the price on select Hornady items including the versatile Hornady Case Prep Center. You can get this at Grafs.com for just $279.99. Elsewhere the Case Prep Center sells for up to $100.00 more. Below are two good UltimateReloader.com videos showing the features and functions of the Hornady Case Prep Center. Note: Skip to the 1:30 minute mark of Part One if you’re in a hurry. The first minute or so is just spent depriming cases. After that, both Part One and Part Two Videos are well worth watching.
Hornady Case Prep Center DEMO Video (Part One)
Hornady Case Prep Center DEMO Video (Part Two)
Thanks to Forum member EdLongRange for spotting this special sale.
December 15th, 2010
Many folks have been anxiously awaiting the release of Hodgdon’s new Superformance and LeveRevolution powders, high-velocity blended propellants originally developed by Hornady. For select cartridge types, Hornady claims, these new blended spherical powders can deliver 80 to 150 FPS more velocity than other powders on the market.
 Well wait no more — Superformance and LeveRevolution powders are both IN STOCK at Grafs.com now. Both 1-lb and 8-lb containers are in stock. If you’ve been wanting to experiment with either of these new powders — get yours before it’s gone. Supplies are limited.
Here are the options:
Superformance 1LB, Item # HDHSP1, Price: $21.99
Superformance 8LBs, Item # HDHSP8, Price:$153.99
LEVERevolution 1LB, Item # HDHLR1, Price: $21.99
LEVERevolution 8LBs, Item # HDHLR8, Price: $153.99
November 22nd, 2010
 We recently had a chance to chat with Dave Emary, Hornady’s Chief Ballistics Scientist. Dave told us that varmint hunters should definitely check out two new .224-caliber bullets from Hornady, the 35gr NTX and the 53gr V-Max. Both bullets offer high-BCs for their weight class, along with excellent terminal performance.
New Lead-Free NTX “California-Legal” Bullet
First is the new 35gr NTX® BT plastic-tipped bullet. This is a lead-free California-compliant design. Designed with a boat-tail and extended ogive, the new 35gr NTX has better ballistics than most other bullets in its weight class. This bullet can be pushed to very high velocities by a standard .223 Remington cartridge. As you can see from the factory illustrations below, the new 35gr NTX bullet is far more streamlined that the previous 35gr flat-base V-MAX, and the NTX’s BC is much higher. So the NTX gives you a lead-free alternative, that has better ballistics to boot.
New High-BC, 53gr V-Max May Be a “Game-Changer” for .223 Rem Shooters
The second recently-released bullet is a new, High-BC, 53gr V-Max with a field-tested 0.290 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. That’s a very high BC for a .224-caliber bullet in this weight class. To demonstrate that point, the Berger 55gr BTHP Varmint bullet has a .210 G1 BC, while the Sierra 53gr FB MatchKing has a .224 G1 BC (above 2800 fps). How did Hornady achieve the higher BC? Emary tells us that this new bullet was designed with an extended ogive (nose section) to provide significantly better ballistics than other bullets in its weight class. Emary added: “With this .290 BC bullet and the higher velocities we get with the SuperFormance powder blends, the .223 Remington runs pretty darn close to a .22-250 with standard loads — you can run the ballistics numbers yourself.”
Taking Up Emary’s Challenge — Running the Balllistics
Given Dave’s challenge to “run the numbers” — we did just that. Hornady claims 3465 fps from its new SuperFormance .223 Rem factory ammo loaded with the 53gr V-Max. At 400 yards, this load will drop 20.8 inches from a 100-yard zero, and drift 15.6 inches in a 10 mph crosswind. (Figures calculated with JBM Ballistics, for 500′ altitude, 70° F.) To compare, Hodgdon’s Reloading Data Center says a .22-250 can deliver 3713 fps with a 55-grainer pushed by a max load of IMR 4064. So, for the .22-250, assuming a .220 BC for the 55gr bullet, the drop at 400 yards (from 100-yard zero) is 20.4 inches, while the 10 mph wind drift is 20.2 inches (again according to JBM). So, it looks like Emary is right, assuming his .223 Rem velocities are real. At 400 yards, the .223 Rem with the 53-grainer has nearly identical drop and much less wind drift than a .22-250 shooting a conventional 55-grainer. Here are the numbers:
| Cartridge |
Muzzle Vel |
Bullet BC |
Drop at 400 yds |
Drift at 400 yds |
| .223 Rem |
3465 fps |
0.290 BC (53gr) |
20.8 inches |
15.6 inches |
| .22-250 |
3713 fps |
0.220 BC (55gr) |
20.4 inches |
20.2 inches |
We asked Emary how the new 53-grainers hold up when driven at high velocities. Emary replied: “The 53-grainer has the tough V-Max jacket. You should be able to push it up to 4000 fps with no problems”.
November 17th, 2010
by Steve Cooper, CMP Writer
 Having passed muster at the 2010 CMP Eastern and Western Games, the Vintage Sniper Match has been approved as the newest match to be held at Camp Perry in 2011, where the Sniper Match will be sponsored by Hornady Manufacturing. As it turns out, a top Hornady staffer excelled at the 2010 Western Games Sniper match, held recently at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. The duo of Hornady’s Dave Emary, 52, and Bob Schanen, 62, placed first (out of 14 teams) with an Aggregate score of 559-11X out of 600 possible. Emary fired 141-2X and Schanen 148-4X at 300 yards and the tandem fired matching 135s at 600 yards with Emary scoring five Xs. Glendale “Don” Rutherford, 58, and Brad Donoho, 26, finished second with a 547-7X Aggregate. Emary, chief ballistic scientist at Hornady Manufacturing, said he proposed the idea for the match several years ago as a way to include the popular vintage sniper rifles which, until now, had no official competition format.
 Vintage Sniper Match Course of Fire
The Vintage Sniper Match is a challenging prone slow-fire, two-person team event, fired at 300 and 600 yards using scoped vintage military rifles of the Korean War era and earlier. Both team members shoot and spot, alternating roles throughout the match. The event requires good communication and marksmanship in order to score well. After firing sighters at the 300-yard line, both team members fire 10 shots at a target that is exposed for only 20 seconds per shot. Targets are pulled and marked after each shot and the target rises again after a 20-second period. The team’s observer/coach may call out sight adjustments or “Kentucky Windage” corrections as needed prior to the following shot, until firing is complete.
With targets 600 yards in the distance, shooters of vintage military rifles must rely on their observer/coaches and knowledge of shooting conditions to give themselves an opportunity to score well in the new Vintage Sniper Match. After the first 10 shots are fired the shooter and the observer/coach switch positions, make ready and repeat the same sequence. Upon completion of fire at 300, teams move back to the 600 yard line and fire the course again. Though non-scoped rifles will be permitted at the 2011 National Vintage Sniper Match, priority for squadding will be given to competitors with scoped rifles first. Marc Mustafa, 57, of Littleton, Colorado said he enjoyed the Vintage Sniper Test Match because “he likes to move.” Used to shooting elk across the canyons in his home state, Mustafa said the new match format is right up his alley.
Because the match was a test event, each team member was given 15 shots for record at the Western Games but that total will be reduced to 10 (20 total) in the official match in 2011. Achievement awards were not presented following the test match, but the top three teams were acknowledged for their efforts. A total of 14 teams participated and their results may be found on CMP’s online Competition Tracker. For complete results of the Vintage Sniper Test Match and all 2010 CMP Western Games matches, log onto the CMP’s Match Results Webpage.
November 8th, 2010
 In 2011, Hornady will be offering a new stainless-shell, heavy-duty Ultrasonic Cleaning machine, which fits nicely between the cheap, low-capacity machines sold on eBay, and the large industrial machines which can cost $1000.00 or more. Hornady’s new Lock-N-Load® Magnum Sonic Cleaner™, with a $317.08 MSRP, provides triple the size and twice the power of the original Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™.
 Dual Transducers for Faster Cleaning
The new machine, priced at $317.08 MSRP, features two transducers. This assuredly will improve cleaning performance and probably reduce processing time, compared to single-transducer machines in the same size range. The new Magnum Sonic Cleaner also has a heat-setting control, allowing users to set the correct temperature for best cleaning efficiency. Cheaper machines just have an “on/off” switch. The new machine comes standard with a durable metal-mesh basket.
SPECIFICATIONS
Magnum Sonic Cleaner Machine
3L Tank (3.2 qt)
Tank dimensions: 9.4″ x 5.5″ x 3.9″.
MSRP: $317.08
November 5th, 2010
 Big Volume Offers Nearly 1100 Pages of Info
With its massive new 8th Edition, Hornady has compiled its most comprehensive Cartridge Reloading Handbook ever. The 8th Ed. Handbook has data for many new propellants, including Superformance, LEVERevolution, Reloder 17, 4007SSC, 8208XBR, Hybrid 100V and more. The new Handbook also features the latest information for the newest Hornady bullets including: FTX, GMX, DGS, DGX, and favorites like V-MAX, InterBond, SST, InterLock and XTP.
New Cartridges Included in 8th Edition
Hornady’s Reloading Handbook now covers many of the popular new accuracy and hunting cartridges. New cartridge additions include the 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 30 TC, 300 RCM, 338 RCM, 308 Marlin Express, 338 Marlin Express, 375 Ruger, 416 Ruger, 450 Nitro Express, 470 Nitro Express, 500 Nitro Express and more.
Hornady’s New Reloading Handbook (item #99238) ships in December — just in time for Christmas. It will be sold through shooting gear vendors, such as MidwayUSA, as well as through book-sellers such as Amazon.com.
Online Ballistics Guide Offered
Supplementing the information in its new Loading Handbook, Hornady offers a web-based Ballistics resource, with an interactive Ballistics Calculator. Use this to plot your ammo’s trajectory and determine the terminal energy of your rounds. In addition, the Ballistics resource has easy-to-understand, authoritative explanations of internal, external and terminal ballistics. Check out the features of Hornady’s Ballistics Resource below:
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Click the above link to learn what physically occurs inside the gun barrel when a projectile is fired.
Click the above link to learn what happens to a projectile after it leaves the barrel.
Click the above link to learn how a projectile acts when it encounters the target.
Calculate trajectory and wind drift using Hornady’s interactive Ballistics calculator. Just click the graphic above and then fill in your cartridge information.
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