BTHP?

[upstate88]

knowing that not all hollow points are created equal are rounds that are marketed as BTHP match going to give me any kind of expansion worth hunting with? I am specifically looking at the .223 hornady BTHP for coyote.

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[No_Regerts]

knowing that not all hollow points are created equal are rounds that are marketed as BTHP match going to give me any kind of expansion worth hunting with? I am specifically looking at the .223 hornady BTHP for coyote.

My experience with match bullets on animals is that I wouldn't hunt big game with them. I've seen people use them and expansion can be harder to predict. With so many hunting-specific bullets, I'd never use a match bullet on big game.

I have however, used the Hornady 68gr BTHP on coyotes and it worked just fine.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

some people kill big game using hornady ELD-M. its not a BTHP as its a poly tip bullet. i would use a "hunting" bullet for hunting.

 

[gmerkt]

I believe the manufacturers recommend that they not be used for most hunting purposes. Link to what Sierra says, for example:

.30 Cal / 7.62mm 168 Gr. HPBT MatchKing - Sierra Bullets

MatchKings® are the pride of the Sierra bullet family, unmatched worldwide and truly world class in all respects. Competitive shooters have relied on the consistent accuracy of Sierra's MatchKings® for decades, resulting in a history of state, national and world records that is the envy of our...

www.sierrabullets.com

Third paragraph down.

This is a bullet that I use a lot. But not for hunting.

 

[rcnpthfndr]

IIRC BTHP is really a OTM bullet and not a "true" hollow point.

 

[upstate88]

And this is why I like this forum, thanks! Now I need to find a hunting bullet that flies the same as a hornady frontier match.

 

[tac]

The 'HP' in a match bullet is not designed as an expansive device to kill your paper target any deader. It is nothing more than the mechanical closure point of the J4 or J4-style jacket over the bullet core.

 

[gmerkt]

Now I need to find a hunting bullet that flies the same as a hornady frontier match.

If you are trying to replicate the bullet used on Hornady Frontier Match ammo, those use the Hornady ELD Match bullet, see here:

Rifle Bullets - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Even an average hunt can become a memory that will last forever with Hornady^® bullets.

www.hornady.com

 

[ferret427]

BTHP bullets are primarily designed to provide a higher ballistic coefficient for shooting long distance.

Boat tail refers to a projectile shape that has a taper at the back end of the bullet as opposed to a flat base. Muzzle velocity, distance to target and sectional density of the bullet, as well as other factors determine POI probability. A boat tail bullet will not necessarily provide a high hit probability by itself. Generally, BT projectiles are advantageous for longer distances where velocity decay becomes a factor (BC for a given bullet changes based on velocity). When choosing a basic BC profile, the G1 model tends to work better for flat based bullets, with the G7 model favoring boat tails.

As far as the HP (hollow point) description of a projectile is concerned, there are different types and uses for a hollow point. Most of the time when people refer to a projectile characteristic as hollow point, people think about the terminal expansion properties of the bullet where the desired characteristic is a rapid and efficient transfer of kinetic energy to the target, q.v. self-defense pistol amminition.

In the case of match grade or otherwise precision purposed projectiles, among other aspects of the bullet construction, the reason for a hollow point is different.

For precision shooting, the hollow point is very small, with an empty area below it. Part of this cavity is to enhance the balance and thus the ability of the bullet to remain stable over distance. The other part is that when making a bullet with a small HP is to help keep meplat consistency. The meplat is the point of the bullet, and consistency of the meplat from round to round can enhance consistent POI at distance.

If external ballistics interest you, I highly recommend going to the Applied Ballistics website. In their menu, you can access a bunch of articles in their library for free, that can provide insight into external ballistics and how they factor into making hits at range.

 

[JuglansRegia]

Hollow point match bullets are hollow up front so they don't nose dive at long distances and then start to tumble, you want them pointed at the target and flying level, that is why they are hollow up front. That being said, match bullets usually have thin jackets and the hollow cavity up front will collapse when it hits something.

 

[KKG]

knowing that not all hollow points are created equal are rounds that are marketed as BTHP match going to give me any kind of expansion worth hunting with? I am specifically looking at the .223 hornady BTHP for coyote.

Head Shots, even with BTHPs will do the Trick Nicely on those 4 Legged Critters!

 

[BWH]

almost anything hollow point ruins the value of a nice pelt....if you're into selling winter fur! big nasty tears on the exit!
for song dogs, always reloaded with spire points...30 years back. Evolution and marketing have many folks shooting "cool" factor and not practial factor for the application.

my $.02.

 

[flashpan]

I've had very good accuracy and expansion with Hornady V-Max, both in 22 and 6mm caliber. Happy hunting

 

[ferret427]

Hollow point match bullets are hollow up front so they don't nose dive at long distances and then start to tumble, you want them pointed at the target and flying level, that is why they are hollow up front. That being said, match bullets usually have thin jackets and the hollow cavity up front will collapse when it hits something.

Not exactly. The tiny hollow point in Match bullets improve aerodynamics, and can help with consistent performance from projectile to projectile in a group, pointing and trimming can enhance this. Given a projectile with a given sectional density, and a twist rate appropriate for the length of the projectile, tumbling is a non issue for supersonic bullets until their velocity reaches trans-sonic. At supersonic speeds, a BT projectile is most efficient. At trans-sonic velocities, a flat based projectile is more stable. Basically, when crossing the sound barrier, projectiles that are long for caliber and featuring a BT base will begin to try to flip over so the blunt edge is forward. This is counteracted by the spin of the bullet which will increase oscillation of the projectile around it's central flight path, increasing as velocity decreases. This happens because at subsonic velocities, a fat side forward profile is more efficient, while a point side forward is better for supersonic speeds.
As far as level flight, to reach a target at 1000yds, a standard .308 cartridge will travel almost 5 stories in height. Keeping a bullet level is NOT what is desired, rather the bullet's orientation needs to stay in line with the flight path along it's curve and is a function of the bullet's length, center of gravity, rate of spin and velocity at whatever distance you measure it.
As far as reason for the thin jacket, match bullets use a thin jacket for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is that it is easier to maintain uniformity of the jacket thickness around the core, which provides a more repeatable and consistent center of gravity from one projectile to the next during production. In addition, a match projectile is designed with maximum consistency for accuracy, and not with consideration about mass retention or any controlled expansion characteristics which are evidenced in hunting or self defense ammunition, where terminal ballistics are a factor.
In addition, as far as the hollow point of a match grade bullet collapsing, the cavity behind a match bullet's meplat is very small, the projectile is not designed for expansion on impact and is known for pass-through penetration in hunting scenarios, with little overall deformation to the projectile as a whole.

 

[DLS]

The US Dept. of Defense legal eagles have determined many years ago that match type hollow point bullets are non-expanding projectiles and legal for use against enemy personnel. This is because these projectiles in fact do not expand and act virtually the same as a FMJ. Other NATO nations and Russia have all come tot he same conclusion.

So, as has been well stated already, do not use OTM bullets as hunting projectiles, choose a ballistically similar hunting bullet for game.