Hornady says its BLACK line is designed to fit, feed and function in a variety of platforms. It uses a 62-grain full metal jacket bullet, rated at a G1 BC of .274, and leaves the muzzle at 3,100 fps.

Compared with Hornady's Frontier 55-grain, the Black starts 140 fps slower but handles wind a little better: at 500 yards, a steady 10 mph wind blowing across the range pushes the Black about 34 inches sideways and the Frontier about 38. The heavier bullet kicks about 20 percent harder in the same rifle. Compared with Federal American Eagle 55-grain, the Black gains nothing in the wind: the same wind pushes the American Eagle about 33 inches at 500 yards. Zeroed at 100 yards, the American Eagle drops about 51 inches at 500 and the Black about 56.

Buy the Black if you want a heavier full metal jacket bullet with a little less drift than Hornady Frontier 55-grain, and you can take the extra recoil. Pick American Eagle 55-grain if you want about the same drift with less drop and lighter recoil. Winchester USA 55-grain sits close behind the American Eagle in the wind and also kicks less than the Black. For hunting, Federal's Fusion MSR 62-grain carries a Fusion soft point at the same bullet weight; Federal markets it for hunting with modern sporting rifles, and it leaves the muzzle 350 fps slower.