500 Rounds of 68gr BTHP Match 5.56×45 Ammo by Hornady

This cartridge is loaded with a boat tail hollow point (which Hornady brands as an “HPBT Match”). “Boat tail” simply refers to the bullet’s tapered base, which stirs up less drag than a flat base and promotes greater velocity retention at long range as a result. The BTHP does indeed have a hollow point, but it doesn’t serve the same function as a JHP pistol bullet’s nose cavity. By leaving a little aperture in the jacket’s tip, Hornady was able to pour in liquid lead that hardened to create a voidless, balanced and rearward situated core. That’s why the HPBT exhibits such good rotational stability.

This round’s bullet is heavy. That makes it conserve more momentum, which helps it resist wind deflection as a result. Its muzzle velocity is relatively low (2,960 fps out of a 20” test barrel), but steeper bullet drop is the price you pay for a more predictable trajectory. You’ll want a 1:10” to 1:7” barrel twist to correctly stabilize a 68 grain bullet. When everything comes together, this round exhibits a 0.355 G1 ballistic coefficient.

This ammo’s noncorrosive Boxer primers are seated in brand new brass cases. The case necks are darker than the rest of the brass because they weren’t polished after they were heat-treated. They weren’t reloaded, but they are reloadable!