Hornady 75gr TAP vs Hornady 75GR OTM

[Jerik1m4]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this but I'll ask anyway. Is there a difference in the 75gr TAP and the 75GR OTM ammunition? I think the TAP uses a different powder mixture for lower flash and a nickel case vs brass but is it worth the few extra dollars?

[Molon]

Hornady 75 grain 223 TAP versus 75 grain MATCH





Hornady’s 75 grain BTHP Match ammunition (part #8026) is loaded with the same 75 grain boat-tail hollow point bullet that is available from Hornady as a reloading component (part #2279). The case mouth of the Match load has a slight taper crimp on it which puts a small crease in the bullet itself. The Hornady 75 grain 223 TAP load (part #80265) uses the same basic 75 grain BTHP bullet as the Match load with the addition of a cannelure. Unfortunately, the cannelured version of this bullet is not generally available to the public, although it can sometimes be found at reloading wholesalers.












Previous lots of both the Match and 223 TAP load have been charged with a short-cut, charcoal colored extruded powder, while the most recent lots that I have purchased (including the ones used in this test session) are charged with a greenish/yellowish colored short cut, extruded powder resembling those powders found in the Hodgdon lineup of powders. Both loads use traditional brass cases and the caseheads from both loads are head-stamped “Hornady 223-REM” and neither load appears to have sealed nor crimped primers. The case mouth of the 223 TAP load is crimped into the cannelure of the bullet.














previous powder





recent powder





Chronograph testing was done using an Oehler 35-P chronograph with "proof-screen" technology. All strings of fire consisted of 10-shots each. All velocities listed below are muzzle velocities, as calculated from the instrumental velocities using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software program.














Accuracy testing was performed using my 24” Krieger barreled AR-15. Shooting was done from a bench-rest at 100 yards. All groups were 10-shot groups. Prior to testing the Hornady ammunition, I fired a 10-shot control group using handloaded 55 grain Sierra BlitzKings. That group had an extreme spread of 0.63”.










Starting with the Hornady 75 grain 223 TAP load, I fired five, 10-shot groups from 100 yards and used the best three groups for analysis. Those three groups had extreme spreads that measured:

1.17”
0.87”
1.05”

for a 10-shot group grand average of 1.03”. The three 10-shot groups were over-layed on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to form a 30-shot composite group that had a composite mean radius of 0.32”.


best 10-shot group of 75 grain 223 TAP







In the same manner described above, I obtained three 10-shot groups of the Hornady 75 grain Match load. The extreme spreads of those groups measured:

0.89”
1.03”
1.16”

for a 10-shot group grand average of 1.03”! Over-laying those three groups on each other using RSI Shooting Lab yielded a 30-shot composite group with a mean radius of 0.36”.



best 10-shot group of 75 grain MATCH






For additional comparison, I obtained three 10-shot groups from 100 yards using hand-loaded Hornady 75 grain BTHP bullets. The extreme spreads of those groups measured:

0.78”
0.71”
0.52”

for a 10-shot grand average of 0.67”. The mean radius formed from over-laying those three groups on each other was 0.23”.


best 10-shot group of hand-loaded 75 grain BTHP






Here’s a pic of the composite groups side by side for comparison.






Lastly, in a tribute to the Internet Commando, I fired two, 3-shot groups in a row from 100 yards using the control load. Both groups were sub-QUARTER-minute-of-angle.

[Molon]

Hornady 5.56 TAP versus TAP FPD


For those interested in Hornady's 75 grain TAP loads, here are the results of a side by side chronograph test of Hornady’s 75 grain 5.56 TAP round (NATO pressure) and their SAAMI pressure 75 grain TAP FPD (For Personal Defense) round. The TAP FPD comes in a “black box” and uses “black nickel” plated cases. The TAP 5.56 comes in a “red box” and has brass cases with crimped primers and uses the new “T2” 75 grain bullet. Both bullets have a cannelure and both rounds have a crimped case neck.

The ammunition.










The cartridges.





The headstamps. Note the 5.56 round has a crimped in primer.






The 5.56 TAP uses "temperature stablized" ball powder...





...and the TAP FPD uses a short cut extruded powder.





The bullet on the left is a virgin 75 grain BTHP sold as a reloading component. The bullet in the center is pulled from a TAP FPD round and the bullet on the right is the new “T2” bullet pulled from a round of the 5.56 TAP.







The tests were conducted using an Oehler 35P chronograph with “proof screen” technology. All strings of fire for this report consisted of 10 rounds each unless otherwise noted. All of the velocities listed in this report are MUZZLE velocities and were calculated from the instrumental velocities using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software.
The three different barrels used in testing were:

A Colt 14.5” M4 barrel
A Colt 16” light weight profile barrel
A Colt 20” government profile barrel

All of the barrels used are chrome lined, NATO chambered and have 1:7” twists.






Here is a table showing the muzzle velocities of each load from each of the three different barrels, along with a column showing the difference in velocities between the two loads.






If you read the fine-print in the above table you'll notice that the results for the 20” barrel were obtained using 20-shot strings of fire. This was part of a test to determine the validity of using 10-shot strings of fire when chronographing. I fired a 10-shot string of each load using the 20” barrel and then a 20-shot string of each load and compared the results. For the TAP FPD the difference in the average velocity between the 10 and 20 shot strings was ONE foot per second and the standard deviations were the same! With the 5.56 TAP the difference in average velocities between the 10 and 20 shot strings was only five fps and the standard deviations only varied by one foot per second. I think this shows quite nicely the validity of using 10-shot strings for chronographing.







The Hornady 75 grain bullets are considered to have a fragmentation threshold of 2200 fps +/- 50 fps. Based on the conservative figure of 2250 fps the table below shows the range (in yards) at which fragmentation can be expected to occur for the two loads being tested. It also shows the gain (in yards) before reaching the fragmentation threshold for the 5.56 TAP load.






For additional comparison, I chronographed a few other factory loads “of interest.” Here are the results.






Lastly, for all the O.C.D. types, here are the atmospheric conditions during testing:

Temperature- 84 degrees F
Humidity - 53%
Barometric pressure – 30.02
Elevation- 960 feet above sea level
Winds – variable
Skies – partly cloudy, Jupiter aligned with Mars







Hornady 75 grain TAP FPD 2009




Since its introduction, Hornady TAP FPD ammunition has been loaded in black-nickel coated cases. According to Hornady these “revolutionary” cases “eliminate the potential for corrosion and improve feeding in all firearms.”

Now in 2009, TAP FPD ammunition is being loaded in “revolutionary” silver-nickel coated cases and according to Hornady these cases “eliminate the potential for corrosion and improve feeding in all firearms.” Hornady also states that these newest cases “are easier to see in low-light conditions and when checking for loaded chambers.”

[PA PATRIOT]

Molon,

Have you run this Hornady load against the others and if so what was the results? I understand it is considered a training load but I would guess it would be better then 55gr or 62gr FMJ in a SHTF world.


223 75 gr. BTHP TAP® TRAINING

Featuring our 75 gr. BTHP bullet, Hornady® 223 Rem. TAP® Training™ ammunition complements the current TAP® carbine duty rounds by delivering comparable, yet economical ammunition for law enforcement training. Utilizing efficient production processes and quality lacquer-coated steel cases, Hornady® Training™ ammunition delivers reliable functioning, accuracy, and point of aim / point of impact consistency when compared to comparable duty rounds.

[Belmont31R]

Not Molon but I have found the practice round to be accurate amongst its peers....meaning it will keep up with brass case ammo.



Im not one to keep hard data but Ive shot MOA groups with it, and think the cost savings is worth the money to shoot it over brass case for range use. Ive not noticed a huge difference in performance, if any, through a LaRue Stealth and Centurion barrel'ed Mk12. Ive been shooting 4-5" groups with it at 300Y through those guns.

[Molon]

Molon,

Have you run this Hornady load against the others and if so what was the results? I understand it is considered a training load but I would guess it would be better then 55gr or 62gr FMJ in a SHTF world.


223 75 gr. BTHP TAP® TRAINING

Hornady's 75 Grain Practice Ammunition

Hornady’s 75 grain practice ammunition uses a Berdan primed, steel case instead of a brass case to reduce the cost of the loaded cartridge. The round uses Hornady’s 75 grain BTHP bullet with a cannelure (referred to as the T1C here on AR15.com.) The round is charged with ball powder and has a muzzle velocity similar to Hornady’s 75 grain TAP FPD. Fired from my 20” Colt government profile barrel with a NATO chamber, a 10-shot string had an average muzzle velocity of 2,646 fps with a standard deviation of 9 fps.











The steel case employs the heaviest amount of bullet-pull I have ever encountered in a 223 Remington case. I was unable to remove a bullet from the case using Dillon’s kinetic bullet puller, so I chucked a Lee collet bullet-puller into my reloading press and attempted to pull the bullet. I still couldn’t get the bullet out of the case! At that point, I had to resort to more primitive means to get the bullet out of the case.







I tested the accuracy of the 75 grain practice round following my usual procedures. Using a free-floated 20” Colt HBAR and shooting from a bench-rest from 100 yards, I obtained three 10-shot groups and over-layed them on each other using RSI Shooting Lab. The 30-round composite group had a mean radius of 0.47”. While not as accurate as Hornady’s 75 grain TAP FPD, accuracy was on par with the 75 grain 5.56 TAP load.

[spr1]

I have been shooting multiple flavors of the Hornady TAP 75gr load since it was released. The last couple lots of TAP FPD I purchased had the bright Nickel plated cases. I chronographed the last lot and was shocked to see that the velocity was averaging 2400fps, a full 150 fps slower than the black Nickel lots I had chronographed and the TAP red box .223 pressure ammo I recently purchased. All readings were from a 16" barrel. The last lot of 5.56 pressure TAP I purchased was running just over 2600, IIRC.
Has anyone else observed this? Could this be related to the powder switch?

[Pumpkinheaver]

Can anyone explain to me the differences in the T1 and T2 bullets in the TAP ammo. It appears from the pictures above the T2 has a longer bearing surface. What other differences are there?

[Molon]

Can anyone explain to me the differences in the T1 and T2 bullets in the TAP ammo. It appears from the pictures above the T2 has a longer bearing surface. What other differences are there?

Some time ago, I asked Dave Emary (Chief Ballistician for Hornady) about the redesigned ogive on the T2 bullet. Here was his reply:

“We made the ogive radius shorter, makes the ogive a little fatter, on the TAP load because testing showed it fed better in the M16/AR. The sharper pointed match bullet would occasionally hang up between the feed ramp cuts in the barrel sleeve on some guns.”


.....

[Pumpkinheaver]

Some time ago, I asked Dave Emary (Chief Ballistician for Hornady) about the redesigned ogive on the T2 bullet. Here was his reply:

“We made the ogive radius shorter, makes the ogive a little fatter, on the TAP load because testing showed it fed better in the M16/AR. The sharper pointed match bullet would occasionally hang up between the feed ramp cuts in the barrel sleeve on some guns.”


.....

Thanks, I figured there must have been a good reason.