Hornady 6.8mm SPC 110 grain TAP versus 110 grain V-MAX









The test vehicle for this evaluation was a custom upper built around a 16” Noveske Recon barrel chambered for the 6.8mm SPC cartridge.  The barrel is stainless steel and has polygonal rifling with a 1:10” twist.  








As the title of this post states, this initial comparison is between Hornady’s 110 grain TAP load and the 110 grain V-MAX load. Upon visual inspection, the two loads appear to be identical.  Both loads use the 0.277” 110 grain V-MAX bullet with a cannelure.  Both loads have a crimp at the case neck (no case mouth sealant.)  Both loads have a similar charge of a charcoal colored, short-cut extruded powder.  The head-stamp of both loads reads, “Hornady 6.8mm REM SPC”.  Both loads have a crimped primer (no primer sealant.)  If you were to place a few rounds of each load on a table in front of me, I wouldn’t be able to tell the two loads apart.  The 110 grain V-MAX bullet is pictured below along with other bullets of the same caliber produced by Hornady.



















The evaluation began with chronograph testing.  Since I already had the chronograph set-up, I also chronographed two other 6.8mm SPC loads from Hornady; their 110 grain BTHP TAP load and the “Custom” 110 grain BTHP/WC load.  (Other than the different box that they came in, these two loads also appeared identical to each other.)

An Oehler 35-P chronograph with “proof screen” technology was used in testing.  All strings of fire consisted of 10 shots each.  All velocities listed are muzzle velocities, as calculated from instrumental velocities using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software.








Accuracy testing was performed from a bench-rest at 100 yards using a Leupold Vari-X III set at 25 power for sighting.  Wind conditions were monitored using a Wind Probe.  All groups consisted of 10-shots each.  Prior to testing the Hornady ammunition, I fired three 10-shot groups in a row using a control load that utilized hand-loaded 115 Sierra MatchKings.  The extreme spreads for those groups measured:

0.99”
1.00”
1.12”

for a 10-shot group grand average of 1.04”.  Following my usual procedure for evaluating the accuracy of ammunition, I overlayed these three 10-shot groups on each other using the RSI Shooting Lab software program to form a 30-shot composite group.  The mean radius for this 30-shot composite group was 0.37”.


best 10-shot group of control load





In order to remove as much of the operator variability as practically possible and to give the Hornady ammunition every opportunity to prove itself, I fired five 10-shot groups of the Hornady ammunition from 100 yards and used the best three groups for evaluation.  Starting with the Hornady 110 grain TAP load, the three 10-shot groups used for evaluation had extreme spreads of:

1.73”
2.08”
2.14”

for a 10-shot group grand average of 1.98”.  As above, these three groups were overlayed on each other to form a 30-shot composite group with a mean radius of 0.69”.



smallest 10-shot group of 110 TAP






The three 10-shot groups of the Hornady 110 grain V-MAX load obtained for evaluation had extreme spreads of:

2.43”
2.59”
2.74”

for a 10-shot group grand average of 2.57”.  The mean radius for the 30-shot composite group was 0.75”  The composite groups are shown below side-by-side for comparison.



smallest 10-shot group of 110 V-MAX






30-shot composite groups







Additional 6.8mm SPC chronograph data.







6.8mm SPC gel shots
110 TAP

courtesy of Dr GK Roberts

nice comparison... you should test these against the SandB version as well:
Sellier&Bellot Plastic tip ammo
In my tests they shot to the same POI as the hornady Vmax..

this is 10 rounds of Hornandy Vmax and 10 rounds of SandB shot from the same rig right after each other to the same point of aim...
You should also update that noveske to their new 1-12 rig...

Interesting. I'd have expected much better accuracy, honestly.

I wish I had kept the target from where I shot the WOA 6.8 with the V-Max load at 100 yards.

I was quite dissapointed with the Hornady 6.8 factory loads; especially since with just a little load development my 6.8 Noveske barreled AR-15 turned in the groups pictured below.

Those "developed loads" look much better.  I'd be interested to see if an SPC II chamber with ~1:11 twist might make a difference.  I assume those factory Hornady loads were developed using the older chamber/twist specs as well.

I hope my loads turn out better. I'm using the 110 bthp. I got 2750fps out of them but the best looking groups I've gotten so far have been loaded to about 2710fps. From a 16" recon from AR Performance the best I could do was just over 1/2 inch for 5 shots at 50yds, which isn't bad, but the ones loaded to 2710 I got a best of .44 at that range. I'm going out to a friends farm this week where I'll test the two best loads so far at 300, and 500. The loads are all new SSA brass, CCI #41 primers, and 29.2 and 29.4 grains of H322, with a coal of 2.300.
 
I plan to load some of the other Hornady's such as the V-Max 110s soon. So many people have been getting great results with the 85 TSX and 95 TTSX that I thing that will be my next thing to try out. Every gun is different though. That's the fun of it.

That's a great report you've given, and lot's of good info, nice stick too there.

Great job.

Thanks for the report

I do believe that I'm going to have to try me some of those 115 SMKs. Great shooting.

I'm curious.  Which barrel/type of rifling?

The 110gr Vmax is not a good bullet for the 6.8 SPC for some reason.  There are very few people who have gotten that particular bullet to do well.  I've had good success with the 110gr OTM from Hornady, however.

I shot both the the vmax loads custom and tap out of my mrp 6.8 and was not at all impressed with how it grouped,
My results were that it grouped like q3131a  5.56 ammo


but then again it's not match ammo, and I was using a regular trigger and I am an ok shot on my best day with my mrp


on a high note the lowest I chrono'ed tap was like 2586 and the highest was 2613

I have had reasonably good luck with V-Max's in my CMMG 1/11 gun and when I had my 1/10 it was super accurate.
I load them about 2.25 and 29 grains of H322 and they will shoot 5 shots into an inch.  They are not as accurate as say .223 V-Maxes though, I have seen those go well under MOA in Rock River varmint rifles.

Molon,  Mind sharing your 115 smk recipe?  I plan to work up loads for 115s for my LMT MRP 14.5" Stainless 1x10 with SPC II chamber.  Thanks

Chrono type?

I bought this one - will be here Thursday

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=852429

Buttoned or single point cut rifling?

very cool.



Have you done any of these threads on the various SSA ammo offerings?  I would be interested in seeing those.  My bison barreled 6.8 shoots the pro hunters and OTM very well, and I haven't even bothered to try anything else.

Awesome write up.  As far as Hornady,  I have been pretty disappointed with not only the ammo, but various and sundry reloading items.