Anyone had Problems with V-Max Bullets?

[Mack]

I've used 75 grain 6mm V Max bullets for years in my .243 but recently have had two episodes where the bullet appears to have passed completely through the quarry without expanding or breaking up.

 

The first was last week, when I shot a crow off a fencepost at about 250 yards, the crow dropped but showed two small holes where the bullet had entered and exited its body.

 

The second time was last night when I shot a Roebuck at 200 yards with a side on heart shot. I Heard the bullet strike but the buck just stood there as though completely missed. I was about to give him a second shot, when he dropped like a stone. Inspection of the carcase showed the bullet had entered as aimed, hit his heart and exited via the opposite front leg, breaking it in the process. Again, with no obvious sign of any expansion.

 

Anyone else come across this recently?

[Alycidon]

Occasionally using 65s I have had hardly a mark on foxes but usually magpies etc are done big time, sometimes in 4 or 5 parts.

 

I did have a 50gr Berger (20cal) go through a pigeons crop I think at about 150 yards last autumn, pigeon flew off but I supose the bullet could just have grazed the skin.

 

If you hit a bone as you tend to most times then you will get good expansion, try a few at water filled plastic bottles, they should explode big time not keel over with a hole through them.

 

Cant say I would recommend VMAX for deer though.

 

A

[Mack]

Bullet choice is a personal opinion and I don't want to start a thread on what is and what isn't suitable for Deer. The point I was raising was that I've used 75 grain V-Max on Roe deer for years and can't remember the last time I had a pass through. Usually the bullet breaks up in the body cavity, causing numerous fatal wound channels, hence my question to establish if anyone else had come across this?

[Ratwhiskers]

l'm minded of a post a few years back where a few said they'd had v-max's pencil through. l've seen it with a couple of 87's but due to placement the shots were instantly fatal.

[ejg223]

I wouldn't be totally convinced of 87gr vmax,

on fox I've had one or two pencil through.

A simple soft point seems more reliable in my 243.

 

edi

[Hitmanandson]

l'm minded of a post a few years back where a few said they'd had v-max's pencil through. l've seen it with a couple of 87's but due to placement the shots were instantly fatal.

i ve come across this a few times with v max and nosler .stil awsome bullets dont lose confidence .i woundnt hessitate to use em again /what i will say tho is they aint be all and end al bullet wise /sierra and berger make awesome bullets to /and also depending what your bullet hit is how it behaves mes wise /the big bullets seem to hold together well travelling slower so need to be pushed hard /little corks fast and explosive

[Hitmanandson]

i ve come across this a few times with v max and nosler .stil awsome bullets dont lose confidence .i woundnt hessitate to use em again /what i will say tho is they aint be all and end al bullet wise /sierra and berger make awesome bullets to /and also depending what your bullet hit is how it behaves mes wise /the big bullets seem to hold together well travelling slower so need to be pushed hard /little corks fast and explosive

it would be easy for me to say who doesnt use v max or nolser/popularity ses they good and fashionable /but what did foxers use before them to good effect

[sauer]

i remember my brothers old mannlicher model L .243

 

i shot amazing with speer 100grn soft point boat tails and H380

 

 

never used to #### bout with loads or different bullets for deer or fox

 

 

one load , one zero

 

and i never saw him miss with that combo for a long time

 

good on roe and charlie they were

 

 

 

 

sauer /paul

[Andrew]

This discussion came up on a deer stalking forum recently and people were having identical problems. I won't use them for anything larger than prairiedogs, but this is my take on V-Max and A-Max bullet.

 

The long plastic tip is not built to aid or cause expansion. It was designed to raise ballistic coefficient with out adding weight to the bullet. The term "ballistic tip" was coined by Norma back in the 1960's (or at least that's when I remember using them!) to describe a bullet with a small plastic tip that was designed to keep the bullet nose from deforming in the magazine during firing. I don't think "expansion" was ever the strong suit for the Hornady offering.

 

I have had these tips break off using 17HMR rounds, and have seen competent shooters lose prairiedogs using them at close range. For big game give me an exposed lead tip or a hollowpoint. JMHO.~Andrew

[Alycidon]

it would be easy for me to say who doesnt use v max or nolser/popularity ses they good and fashionable /but what did foxers use before them to good effect

 

 

Softpoints, some still do.

 

A

[Gandy]

I've not had any problems but then I'm fairly new to re loading.

[Guest richness]

I never had any probs with consistency of expansion in maybe 300 87gr vmax and also nothing but perfectly consistent expansion/explosion with 105gr amax, perhaps 800 of them

[Gandy]

Not trying to hijack the thread but a problem that I have been experiencing is availability is anyone else struggling to get hornady ammunition?

[shrek]

i had a really bad batch of .224 55gr v-maxs in the 223, had 5 consecutive foxes run off only to find them dead the next day anything fron 50 to 100 yards away from where they were shot! i really lost confidence as i thought it was my shooting and it actually got to the stage that i started missing foxes!

 

I gave mike norris a call and he told me to section one and have a look, so i did, low an behold there was no hollow cavity behind the polymer tip and so it was equivalent to a ballistic tipped full metal jacket!

 

I really loast faith in them, i bottled up the courage to buy one more box of 55grainers to see if it was a bad batch, and this new box is expanding well!

 

Im still playing with 32gr barnes varmint grenades tho, once i can get them to shoot im switching, as i can push them at nearly 3800 in the 223, and i dont shoot long range foxes with the 223. i just like em at reasonable ranges and dead!

[Ratwhiskers]

I've just that which promotes growth and vigour canned my 110 v-max load in the .308. Not due to bullet failure, but rather excessive coppering in the bore and the poor following shots of my 155 loading if I don't clean it first.

Let's see how everything likes 110 sierra HP's @3100f/ps instead, as this shows no dramatic loss of accuracy with my other loadings if I change out without cleaning.

[Guest Scotland Rifles]

running 40gr v max in my 20 tac and they are just to good to be true.

 

i will cut one in half tomorrow and see whats what,

 

The only issue i have had is they have made a mess,

 

i did use 6mm 75 Gr's on 2 foxes last Friday night, the first fox was at 265 yards and he fell over with a great hole in the back of his neck. just 15 minuets later i got a young vixen at 212 yards and you don't want to see here face,

 

bob.