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Page AK-47 » Ammunition
AK Sponsor: palmetto
Posted: 2/22/2012 9:58:46 AM EDT
Has anyone done a review of the Hornady 5.45x39 yet?

I have not found the 7n6 to be accurate in my AK.  I was wondering if it was my gun.  If the Hornady is accurate stuff, I could use that as a control.
Link Posted: 2/24/2012 6:29:08 AM EDT
[#1]
I bought a couple 50 round boxes and shot some 10 shot groups at 50 and 100 in my Arsenal SGL31 and my Arsenal SLR105R.

The Bulgarian Arsenal SLR 105 shoots the ammo to POA/POI and is as accurate as 70 grain Wolf made by ULY which I have found to be the most accurate round in this rifle.  The Hornady shot about 1.5" at 50 and 2.5" at 100 with a Primary Arms micro on a Ultimak rail.  I can get about 7 rounds close and a couple rounds open it up just a bit but it is a very good shooting round and really the only non FMJ round that will actually expand in this caliber.

The SGL31 is not quite as accurate overall as the SLR but it is close.  The ammo shoots to the right and a little low in this rifle, but none the less shoots about the same size as the SLR, which is good for an AK.

In closing it is the best "defensive" round for the caliber out there, and could make a good coyote sized varmint round.
Link Posted: 2/24/2012 7:40:42 AM EDT
[#2]
Thanks.
Link Posted: 3/19/2012 10:27:46 AM EDT
[#3]
If you're thinking about it for defense, then you may want to dig deeper. It is my understanding that the Hornady 5.45 does not penetrate to 12"
 
Link Posted: 3/20/2012 8:27:28 AM EDT
[#4]
I wish Hornady had chosen the 52 gr. A-Max, instead.




Link Posted: 3/26/2012 1:08:28 AM EDT
[#5]
I would really like to use my ak74 for home defense, but the lack of suitable loads concerns me. Right now, it's stoked with 7n6, but I'd prefer something more up to date, I guess. Are there any rumors about other 5.45 loadings coming from Hornady?
Link Posted: 3/27/2012 10:55:24 AM EDT
[#6]
Have you tried Wolf 5.45 hollowpoints? Both of my SLR105's eat them like candy and there is a video on youtube of a pork shoulder getting demolished with the Wolf round.

As for accuracy, I live in the city and haven't found a 100m range that doesn't charge me an arm and a leg. I did have good success at 25m, best group was 5 rounds in a circumference the size of a dime.

Cheers-
Link Posted: 3/27/2012 12:20:29 PM EDT
[#7]
The Hornady V-Max will probably work in most situations besides windshield glass, and make someone have a bad day for sure.
It is a really accurate round-it's all there is right now.

The last Wolf HP's I saw were "stubby" and looked like they shoved 5.56 rounds into a 5.45 case.  Maybe they work ok, but I don't think they would be very accurate, the 5.45 is rifled for long streamlined bullets.  
Link Posted: 3/27/2012 1:28:17 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
The Hornady V-Max will probably work in most situations besides windshield glass, and make someone have a bad day for sure.
It is a really accurate round-it's all there is right now.

The last Wolf HP's I saw were "stubby" and looked like they shoved 5.56 rounds into a 5.45 case.  Maybe they work ok, but I don't think they would be very accurate, the 5.45 is rifled for long streamlined bullets.  


All of my Wolf HP's are the standard "long bullet" you see with 7N6, it just happens to be hollow point. Barnaul makes a shorter projo that is "stubby" and has the appearance of 5.56mm.
Link Posted: 3/30/2012 8:01:01 AM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
If you're thinking about it for defense, then you may want to dig deeper. It is my understanding that the Hornady 5.45 does not penetrate to 12"  

There are alot of 223 rounds out there that don't reach a full 12" but I wouldn't discount any of those rounds at all. Even some of the .223 64gr soft point loadings barely reach 12".
The 5.45 hornady should be a good, I would like to see some gel test.

Link Posted: 3/31/2012 8:07:38 AM EDT
[#10]
Non scientific test I found on Youtube.





Link Posted: 4/1/2012 7:25:53 PM EDT
[#11]
if you watch that video, im pretty sure your sd question will be answered.. you could put your arm through that cavity!!
Link Posted: 4/1/2012 9:40:12 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
if you watch that video, im pretty sure your sd question will be answered.. you could put your arm through that cavity!!


The newspaper looks pretty crazy after that shot, but I wonder if that's just a temporary cavity that would normally spring back in ballistic gelatin (or real life gelatin).
Link Posted: 4/2/2012 8:24:18 AM EDT
[#13]
I know its not the same thing, but I have been using my Adams Arms 5.45x39 AR-15 loaded with these Hornady 60 gr V-max rounds for hog hunting. I do find that it lacks in penetration. But on the smaller hogs (~100 lbs) its a 1 hit kill to the front half. Bigger boars I have not been able to bring down by myself consistently (even with multiple shots) but this may be due to poor shot placement by me. Just my 2 cents.
Link Posted: 4/4/2012 5:03:18 AM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
I know its not the same thing, but I have been using my Adams Arms 5.45x39 AR-15 loaded with these Hornady 60 gr V-max rounds for hog hunting. I do find that it lacks in penetration. But on the smaller hogs (~100 lbs) its a 1 hit kill to the front half. Bigger boars I have not been able to bring down by myself consistently (even with multiple shots) but this may be due to poor shot placement by me. Just my 2 cents.


And of course as soon as I say this I bag another hog with this Hornady V-max 5.45. This was a very quick shot, as I could only see the hog run through a clearing of very dense foliage for a fraction of a second, but I was either lucky or that practice paid off and got a neck shot. Hog was DRT.

Did not stick around to recover the bullet, but did not see an exit wound and it looks like the pig was only about ~9 inches wide at that point.

Link Posted: 4/4/2012 11:48:32 AM EDT
[#15]


Shot this group at 50m with it in my SGL 31.  0 failures or issues so far in 100 rounds.
Link Posted: 4/4/2012 5:22:27 PM EDT
[#16]
Did you eat the pig?
Link Posted: 4/5/2012 6:47:40 AM EDT
[#17]
plouffedaddy keep practicing, my SGL 31will put 10 into about an inch at 50 yards with a cheap Primary Arms red dot and UltiMak mount.  At 100 it is a bit more challenging as their is no magnification, but I shoot at a 2" black square and put the dot inside it at 50.  At 100 I shoot at the larger black shoot n see and I get about 2.5-3" groups.

The heavier 70 grain ULY manufactured Wolf shoots really well in this rifle too-
Page AK-47 » Ammunition
AK Sponsor: palmetto
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