A Genuine Question : Why Is Hornady So Hated?

[Major Khan]

1. Ayatollah
2. General Suliamani (scratch that)
3. Hornady
4. Crabs
5. Adam Shxxx

I like Hornady best of the bunch. Had great dollar value with them when culling 40 years ago. Their .458 RNSP 500 grainer was a gem. So too .264 140 Spirept.
................FWB

I know ! Speaking from personal experience, back in the 1960s , my American clients used to LOVE Hornady ammunition. The jackets on their solid metal covered bullets were made from a very good strong steel , especially in the .458 Winchester magnum calibre. They were extremely effective for heart shots on gaur through the shoulder , Bill. It is sad to see them deteriorate over the years.

 

[Bullthrower338]

The way that Hornady stood up to a tyrannical government is something extremely commendable , Bullthrower338 . It shows that they care more about standing up for what they believe in , rather than taking a lucrative contract. However , yes. Just like you , l would not trust their modern dangerous game ammunition at all .

I should note:
I do shoot some of it, building brass supply the fun way! I have never experienced a failure of any kind with the ammunition and the accuracy is typically very good. I do think they should have changed the name of the DGX though, way to much negative association with the line.

 

[35bore]

It's just my personal experience but i have NEVER owned a rifle that shot hornady ammunition worth a crap. In there defense, I primarily own Remington 700s in some configuration and the way i understand it hornady is in bed with ruger. I don't know or could care less if thats true, i just know i have had shit for luck with them getting to group with my rifles (even with the match ammo). I've read some have had great luck with them (my business partner actually) shoots a bolt action TC in 7mm Remington mag and has had great luck with groups and performance on game.

 

[AB2506]

To my knowledge, the DGX projectiles is the primary cause of any grievances about Hornady products. Theoretically, they have resolved said issues with their new bonded DGX lineup.

I have no personal knowledge as I have not hunted dangerous game, but if I were, I would likely be using Barnes bullets. So I am unlikely to ever be using Hornady bullets on dangerous game.

 

[Tony485]

I have no experience with bigger bore rifles being that I just bought my first 375h&h. My experience with Hornady is mixed feelings my tikka 30-06 that I’ve been using since 2004 on everything from moose, deer and black bears loved Hornady sst 165gr bullets but recently I decided to switch to and bullet with no lead so naturally I chose Hornady gmx. I tried 165gr with horrible groupings so I bought 180gr gmx even worse. This is from a gun that at 100yds has no problem enlarging the previous bullets hole. I was all but going to give up on a lead free but decided to try Barnes tsx 168gr with great results.
My conclusion is I really feel that some guns are just not made for certain bullets and vice versa. I will still buy Hornady but probably won’t be my first choice. That’s my 2cents on that.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

@Tony485
I've had exactly the opposite results. The 165gmx is the most accurate bullet I've tried in my sako 300 so far.
Ttsx and tbbc didn't even come close.
Like you said, different rifles like different bullets

 

[AB2506]

The VMax is my go to coyote bullets.

 

[Hank2211]

I've previously reported this in a hunt report a few years ago.

I was hunting buffalo, hippo, etc. and using a .404 Jeffery, loaded with both DGS and DGX. I found I was having issues with the bolt jamming when I was trying to reload for a a second shot. My PH and I thought there was something wrong with my rifle, but we couldn't figure out what. Then my PH asked me for some cartridges from my belt. He compared these to those from the gun, and those from the gun were all clearly shorter than those from my belt. As the cartridges were sitting in the magazine, the recoil, it seems, was pushing the bullet back into the brass. I'd have called that a seating issue.

When I returned to North America I sent Hornady an email outlining the issue and sending pictures of the two cartridges in different lengths. They asked me for lot numbers, and then emailed back a week later to say they had checked, and those lots were fine. No other discussion or explanation as to how this problem had happened!

I don't hate Hornady. They do lots of good things. I just don't trust their ammo in a dangerous game situation.

 

[Royal27]

Do send me the photograph as well if you ever receive it from your friend , Ridge Walker. If a DGS solid metal covered bullet can fail on a giraffe , then l would be pretty hesitant to use it on dangerous game.

How about a DGS that looks like this and was removed from a lion?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Do you think it tumbled and expanded from the rear?

 

[Major Khan]

How about a DGS that looks like this and was removed from a lion?

View attachment 325772

Oh , my. This is a serious matter . I always trusted @Ridgewalker and his judgement , but l never actually envisioned things to be THIS bad.

 

[Major Khan]

It's just my personal experience but i have NEVER owned a rifle that shot hornady ammunition worth a crap. In there defense, I primarily own Remington 700s in some configuration and the way i understand it hornady is in bed with ruger. I don't know or could care less if thats true, i just know i have had shit for luck with them getting to group with my rifles (even with the match ammo). I've read some have had great luck with them (my business partner actually) shoots a bolt action TC in 7mm Remington mag and has had great luck with groups and performance on game.

Ah , an accuracy issue . You are correct . That is unacceptable. It is not like everyone uses Ruger rifles and that Hornady only caters to Ruger rifles . A good brand of ammunition should produce satisfactory results in a wide variety of bolt rifles .

 

[Major Khan]

To my knowledge, the DGX projectiles is the primary cause of any grievances about Hornady products. Theoretically, they have resolved said issues with their new bonded DGX lineup.

I have no personal knowledge as I have not hunted dangerous game, but if I were, I would likely be using Barnes bullets. So I am unlikely to ever be using Hornady bullets on dangerous game.

Self preservation is a man's 1st duty . Your reasoning is pretty sound . I would also highly recommend the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft point bullets and Trophy Bonded Sledge Hammer solid metal covered bullets . I saw them in the 1980s and was really impressed by their performance on American large game .

 

[Major Khan]

I have no experience with bigger bore rifles being that I just bought my first 375h&h. My experience with Hornady is mixed feelings my tikka 30-06 that I’ve been using since 2004 on everything from moose, deer and black bears loved Hornady sst 165gr bullets but recently I decided to switch to and bullet with no lead so naturally I chose Hornady gmx. I tried 165gr with horrible groupings so I bought 180gr gmx even worse. This is from a gun that at 100yds has no problem enlarging the previous bullets hole. I was all but going to give up on a lead free but decided to try Barnes tsx 168gr with great results.
My conclusion is I really feel that some guns are just not made for certain bullets and vice versa. I will still buy Hornady but probably won’t be my first choice. That’s my 2cents on that.

Your insight is greatly appreciated , Tony . From the reports which l am reading here , it would appear that Hornady bullets are associated with more problems than just bullets breaking apart.

 

[Major Khan]

I've previously reported this in a hunt report a few years ago.

I was hunting buffalo, hippo, etc. and using a .404 Jeffery, loaded with both DGS and DGX. I found I was having issues with the bolt jamming when I was trying to reload for a a second shot. My PH and I thought there was something wrong with my rifle, but we couldn't figure out what. Then my PH asked me for some cartridges from my belt. He compared these to those from the gun, and those from the gun were all clearly shorter than those from my belt. As the cartridges were sitting in the magazine, the recoil, it seems, was pushing the bullet back into the brass. I'd have called that a seating issue.

When I returned to North America I sent Hornady an email outlining the issue and sending pictures of the two cartridges in different lengths. They asked me for lot numbers, and then emailed back a week later to say they had checked, and those lots were fine. No other discussion or explanation as to how this problem had happened!

I don't hate Hornady. They do lots of good things. I just don't trust their ammo in a dangerous game situation.

This is actually pretty unnerving when dealing with dangerous game , Hank. Were you using factory loaded DGS and DGX ammunition or hand loaded DGS and DGX bullets ?

 

[sestoppelman]

I am not mad at Hornady. They do great things for the industry and keeping a lot of calibers going. I have no issues with their brass but for one time. I had some factory ammo brass exhibit severe cracking in the neck shoulder area, forget the caliber. I think I posted pix of this here some time ago. I sent pics to Hornady and they opined that I had placed my brass near ammonia solvent and that caused the issue. No amount of explanation would sway them, it was my fault.
However I am past that and continue to purchase brass, bullets and dies from them. I believe it was a Hornady steel jacketed solid that I used to dispatch my avatar buffalo with one shot from my .375 Whitworth. Older bullet though, 1990.

 

[Major Khan]

I am not mad at Hornady. They do great things for the industry and keeping a lot of calibers going. I have no issues with their brass but for one time. I had some factory ammo brass exhibit severe cracking in the neck shoulder area, forget the caliber. I think I posted pix of this here some time ago. I sent pics to Hornady and they opined that I had placed my brass near ammonia solvent and that caused the issue. No amount of explanation would sway them, it was my fault.
However I am past that and continue to purchase brass, bullets and dies from them. I believe it was a Hornady steel jacketed solid that I used to dispatch my avatar buffalo with one shot from my .375 Whitworth. Older bullet though, 1990.

That is very interesting , Sestoppelman. In another thread , it came to my knowledge that you and l both own 1 same book - " Ballistics in Perspective " written by an elephant culler in the 1980s. For all of their culling , the cullers were issued .458 Winchester magnum calibre FN Mauser bolt rifles . The ammunition were 500 grain solid metal covered Hornady bullets , loaded by a company named A Square . From my impression by reading that book , the Hornady solid bullets of the 1980s were really good.
Personally speaking , in the 1960s , when l used to guide clients for shikar in Nagpur , India , Hornady ammunition was greatly praised by my American clients. Their .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre and .458 Winchester magnum calibre solid metal covered bullets used to have very strong jackets made from a very thick steel.

 

[Ryan]

Ah , an accuracy issue . You are correct . That is unacceptable. It is not like everyone uses Ruger rifles and that Hornady only caters to Ruger rifles . A good brand of ammunition should produce satisfactory results in a wide variety of bolt rifles .

They do work with Ruger concerning new calibers they have created. The 375 Ruger would be one of their more succesful collaborations with Ruger. But they also work with others. The 6.5 Creedmoor was a collaboration with Creedmoor Sports.

While each firearm performs differently with different ammo Hornady ammo isn't meant for only one manufacturers firearms. Heck I'm not actually sure how they could even do that concerning standardized ammunition. And it wouldn't be conducive to good business. Personally I used to use Hornady Interbond ammo in my Thompson/Center Encore with very good accuracy and effectiveness on two different sheep before I switched to Barnes.

 

[Newboomer]

That sounds like a serious problem , Edster . It essentially means that Hornady cartridge cases would not be compatible with bullets from other companies.

I use Hornady brass for most all my calibers and load other brand bullets with no problems. I have found it necessary to full size new brass because many are out of round at the mouth from dings, probably from handling and shipping. I haven't used Hornady bullets for dg. I like Barnes TSX. I did use Hdy ELD-X 6.5 CR 143g for pg last year. One shot kills out to 286 yards and great accuracy. All were thru and thru so no recovered bullets.

 

[Wheels]

Oh , my. This is a serious matter . I always trusted @Ridgewalker and his judgement , but l never actually envisioned things to be THIS bad.

If you look through the Hornady threads, there are a couple of photos of DGS that are flattened where the lead came out the back end. This probably happened through tumbling and hitting a large bone. The question then to research for yourself is, are round headed solids more likely to tumble than flat headed solids? When you answer that question, you can start to choose a solid that works great for you.

I would encourage you to read all the Hornady/DGX threads. Look at the photos where the bullet has separated or split up. Look at the bullets that look to have mushroomed perfectly, yet sloughed off 25+% of their weight. Ask yourself, is this what you want your bullets to look like if shooting DG?

Is the new bonded DGX a good bullet and better than the old DGX? Hopefully. With A-Frame, TBBC, TSX, etc available, why even consider looking at a bullet that has proven inferior in the past? When you travel around the world. When you spend big $$$ on a DG hunt. Why skimp a few dollars on cheap ammo?

Most people that I know don't have a problem with all Hornady ammo. Just the DGS/DGX. I have used GMX with no problems.


Hornady reintroduced DGS/DGX ammo for the 404 which I appreciate. I use it for practice. It is cheap. I don't hunt with it however.