HRNDY BLACK 556NATO 75GR SBR 20/200

Description

Hornady Black 75gr InterLock HD is built around one specific problem: standard 5.56 ammunition was designed for longer barrels, and short-barreled carbines expose every weakness in a conventional load. Unburned powder exits the muzzle as blinding flash, cycling becomes erratic as pressure curves don’t match the gas port timing, and many expanding bullets fail to perform reliably at the reduced velocities that short bores produce. This load addresses each of those points directly.

The propellant is chosen to reach peak pressure earlier in the bore, so the bullet arrives at the muzzle with more of its work already done. That faster pressure curve serves two purposes: it preserves velocity from barrels in the 10.5- to 14.5-inch range, and it reduces the volume of unburned powder that would otherwise exit as muzzle flash. The result is a cleaner sight picture on follow-up shots, whether the rifle is running suppressed or not. Hornady also notes that the powder burns cooler, which lowers operating temperatures by up to 20 percent — a meaningful consideration for sustained use.

The InterLock HD projectile carries a mechanical taper that locks the jacket to the lead core. Where a bonded bullet uses an adhesive process and a standard cup-and-core relies entirely on geometry, the InterLock uses a physical groove to keep the two components together through expansion. That retained weight is what allows the bullet to penetrate to useful depth after initial expansion, rather than shedding jacket fragments and losing momentum. Muzzle velocity from an 11.5-inch barrel is 2,321 fps, producing 897 ft-lbs of energy. Brass cases and high-sensitivity primers round out a load designed for consistent ignition and reliable function across direct impingement and piston-driven gas systems. Each box contains 20 rounds.