53 gr vmax at 3400 fps good coyote medicine?

204 AR

204 AR

Well-known member
I worked up a load today in my 1-12 twist 223AI ar15, accuracy was 3/4" groups at 200 yds, multiple 3 shot groups from my 24" pencil barreled ar. Average velocity was 3414 fps using 8208. I don't think there is a lot of room left to go higher with this powder and r-p brass. Perhaps some tougher lc would get me to 3500+, but I was pretty happy with the results on target.

I just wonder how well these do on coyotes? It's been beaten to death on here what bullets work best, etc, but how much does twist rate have to do with explosiveness of a bullet? Maybe with a slow twist things aren't as messy?
 
They work,,,,, good. Not magical.

The 53 is more frangible than the 55gr, but a bit tougher than the 50gr. That said, you will, on occasion still see a splash, on bone, and a complete pass through or exit, but all in all the 53gr in a 12 twist is money as much as any.

3900fps from a 12 twist is good when it's good and bad the rest of the time. From a 9 twist at around 3300fps is real good, but not consistent. I played with this bullet a bunch. It does shoot well, but performance on coyotes has been about the same as any tipped bullet. On paper they are sweet. I finally went back to my roots. Started shooting the 60gr sp. I'm much happier with the terminal performance, but not as impressive on paper. It's not sexy, but the 60gr sp is the best coyote bullet that I have re-discovered.
 
I agree with Smokeless, they will work well, you just have to watch where you shoot. I switched away from 53 Vmaxs and went with SP also because I was getting so many shots at coyotes quartered to me, I was destroying a lot of hides and tracking down a lot of poorly hit coyotes, even thought I hit right were I was aiming.

Vmaxs are great for coyotes that are facing right at you, if you are pushing the bullets fast enough to get pass throughs on broadside coyotes it can be a mess.

I started shooting 65gr SGK and wont be looking back.
 
That's kind of what I expected to hear, spotty performance. Honestly I was hoping they'd shoot well, but wasn't expecting them to do as well as they did. I bought 1k each of them and 55 gr vmax when I was at the Hornady plant in GI for really cheap. I've had such good luck with the 6mm's and 87 vmax it will be hard to switch this fall anyway. Any shot, any angle, nothing escapes when hit with the 87.

Thanks for the info.
 
I shoot the 53s in three different .223 Remingtons. I havent had any of the issues that have been mentioned. Im pushing mine pretty hard out of 22”-26” (3450fps-3590fps) bolt rifles and all three are1:12 twist barrels
The 53 Vmax has been my go to bullet in my .223s
I havent had any splashes, pass thrus, or severe hide damage.......yet I guess. My shots have ranged from 85yds to 441yds
 
Originally Posted By: DAAI pretty much would just about always use just about anything else than a Vmax on coyote.

- DAA

+1

55g Nosler ballistic tip, 55g Sierra btsp, flat base, 53g Match, 52g bt Match, and the 55g Hornady sp with the cannalure are my go to bullets. If you could find any, the 55g Winchester is a great bullet for coyotes. 55g Sierra BTHP is tougher than them all.

In a Rem 700 223 sps stainless, I shoot a load of 27g of Benchmark with a 55g Nosler bt, cci 450, in IMI brass for 3475-3500 fps, tiny groups for a factory sporter, bedded and floated action/barrel. This load is safe in my gun, probably is not in yours, work up to this load in your gun if you try it.

I like bullets that are tough enough for quartering shots, breaking hips and shoulders if need be.
 
Shot 53 V-max for coyotes for one season. Pushed them at 3250 fps. Never lost a coyote, but I had some torn up fur on exits. If shot was head on or broadside in shoulder not a problem. I went with Speer 52 gr. FBHP and never looked back. Really like the 53 V-Max on P.D.'s though. Rudy
 
I appreciate the input. That's pretty much what I suspected. And I wouldn't doubt 3500 is achievable with different brass. R-P wouldn't hold up to any more than what I've got it at now.

I'm not looking to use another bullet, it's either use this rifle with that bullet, or use a different rifle all together. Just because I have so many and bought them stupid cheap and they shoot so well. I can use this one on pdogs or rockchucks if I ever get to do that again.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 ARI appreciate the input. That's pretty much what I suspected. And I wouldn't doubt 3500 is achievable with different brass. R-P wouldn't hold up to any more than what I've got it at now.

I'm not looking to use another bullet, it's either use this rifle with that bullet, or use a different rifle all together. Just because I have so many and bought them stupid cheap and they shoot so well. I can use this one on pdogs or rockchucks if I ever get to do that again.


Slow them down to 3000fps or below. Will kill much better. You just lose that coveted trajectory. Faster will not help the v-max in performance. Assuming shots under 350yds or so.
 
Ive used the 50gr Vmax at a little over 3500 for years. I have lost one coyote. Pigs, cats, coyotes, crows...works well on all of them, and shoots great out to 500.
 
Before turning my 22-250 into a fast twist target rifle it started life as a 12 twist 22-250.
I loved the 53 grain vmax. Highest bc of any bullet up to 62 grains and with cfe223 it achieves 100ft/s per grain of powder. Love that stuff in multiple cartridges.
As long as I put it in the boiler room I’d get no exit wound. Which is important because pelt harvesting supplements my winter income.
Rifle is now a 7 twist with a 26” Shilen in an inexpensive boyds at-one stock and a savage model 12 action. The barrel is a savage pre-fit.
I sling 90 grain bergers usually but decided to try out 1000 sierra 90 grain since my supplier has a heckuva time sourcing anything berger during the spring as guys are stockpiling for the season.
I’m using superformance powder and fed mag match at nearly 100% fill density and 3200ft/s. I coat my bullets with hbn. It lowers total pressure. Figured I should disclaim that.
There’s no data that I could find using this powder/projectile combo. So I looked at what powders did have data. I found data for h4831 and h4831 is right before superformance on the burn rate speed chart so I used the h4831 starting load and worked upward. As is commonly done when doing load development.
 
I'm just not a Vmax fan, they seam to work fine but I use a 53gr Berger and have better luck killing coyotes, and there more accurate out of my TC predator.
 
Back
Top