Thoughts on 53g vmax.

G

gtoad

Well-known member
Interested on some thoughts using the 53g vmax on coyotes. (Handload )
Using it in 22-250 going 3760 give or take 10 fps. Shooting very good groups at 100.

Have been using 50g vmax with no real issues in the past going 3800 and change.
I changed out barrels this season going from 14 twist to a 10 twist, with the 53 in mind.

Could be an interesting topic. 👍
 
Never used it in the 22-250 but do use it in my 223/5.56 (in 8 and 9 twist) . I like prefer it over the 55 & 60 grain V-Max, because it's just as accurate and effective in dropping predator's plus it has a higher BC too which is a plus shooting past 300 yds.
 
The Hornady 53gr Vmax is one of my favorite bullets and pretty much all I shoot coyotes with in both my 223AI and 22-250.

As to it being "an interesting topic" you'll likely hear bad things about them from those that don't like Vmax bullets and good from those that do. Personally, I could care less who makes it or what kind of bullet it is. If they shoot well, have a good BC, and consistently kill yotes for me that's all I care about.
 
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I haven't had much luck with .224 Vmax mainly getting them to shoot accurately in my rifles but I've only shot the 50 and 52gr. Plus I started with Noslers and they worked so well for me I never pursued .224 Vmax on game after no luck with accuracy. The 58gr Vmax has been great in my 6s And 75s in my .257s

I do have a box of 53s that I'm going to try in my new 222 Rem target barrel.

A couple of the guys I hunt with shoot the 53s of n their .223s and they work well for them.

One thought, if you can't find them dont blame the bullet to until you see what's gone wrong with the bullet not your shooting.

I'm a pelt hunter and most of the time that I abandon a bullet is due to too much damage to the pelt. It is a lot faster to just put a pelt on the stretcher than to have to sew it back together first.
 
I prefer the 60gr V-Max in the .223 1/8 or 9 barrel. Groups are sub MOA in every rifle I've worked up a load with. I like that they are a little heavier and punch deeper with more than adequate tissue damage without splashing. Since I do not save hides the exit wounds on coyotes are impressive. They are devastating on rock squirrels.
 
I find that the Vmax on-game (coyote) varies considerably between the 22cal and the 6mm/243 versions. I found differences between the 55gr Nosler Btip in 22cal and 6mm/243 as well.

The 75gr Vmax out of my 243 went 33-34 coyotes straight without an exit or any pelt damage, but the 22cal 60gr out of a 223wssm at 3,700fps causes serious damage.

I've got really accurate loads for the 53gr Vmax in both the 223wssm and the 222RemMag, but have not used that bullet on a coyote, yet.
 
TXCOONDOG said:
Barrel length, twist, powder, accuracy and anything you would like to add is welcome? I don't have a 22-250 but that's about to change.
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I ran them out of a 26" 1-12 twist Savage factory barrel for many years. Using H4895 I was getting like 3860 or so FPS.
Now I have a 24" BHW 1-9 twist on that rifle. Using Leverevolution, she's smoking them at 3915 FPS. I'll admit I haven't shot as many coyotes with this new barrel as the original, as it's no longer my primary coyote rifle, but they have all been DRT.

The only bullet I've ever had "splash" on a shoulder was an 87 vmax out of a 6 Grendel. -- That sounds odd and it was, but I discovered (a bit later) that the feed ramp / lug area on a new (AR) barrel was so sharp that it was scoring the bullet bad enough to create a burr big enough that the bullet made a buzzing sound that you could hear distinctly on the way to longer (like 500-600 yards) targets.
 
A while back, I bought one of those Cabela’s Savage FV specials chambered in .22-250, specifically for the 12-twist barrel to stabilize the 53 V-Max. Got lucky first try with some RL-17 pushing them accurately at 3850 fps. Haven’t shot any coyotes yet with that combo, just a couple of 300-yard groundhogs; they were flattened instantly, surprisingly with no exit and barely noticeable entrance holes. Must blow up inside them which is fine, but I expected more fireworks.
 
I know many have had great luck with them. I bought some to load in a 223 that I had and never could get acceptable accuracy. Too many other bullets shot fantastic, so I never revisited them.
 
I will never use Vmax or any other soft varmint bullet for coyotes again. I used them in 223 from a 16" barrel but loaded hot. They will regularly fail to drop a quartered coyote if shot in the shoulder and those angled shots are large splash damage if you find the dog. When you have them loaded hot to try to get them through a coyote bone they will destroy fox and bobcat pelts.... At 22-250 velocities you end up in some different dimension of physics and there are less problems but in a 223 they are a huge handicap. 53gr TSX can do so, SO much more than a Vmax can, coyotes and fox DRT with consistent damage no matter what range, angle, bones dont matter, fox, coyote or bobcat size animal... Vmax were literally developed to pop rodents. I love the 65gr SGK also, the first coyote i got with one of those and I litertally mag dumped the last of my Vmax into my berm for some fun close up practice.

Not my video(it was just posted, it could be someone here, I hope it helps with views and doesnt get taken negatively out of context, this video shows exactly what happened to me also) but this guy is using 53Vmax and having clear failures on a coyote shoulder because the dog wasnt just quite perfectly cooperative. I tried 52 berger varmints before 53 Vmax and theres almost no difference, poor, poor handicapped performance. I night hunt in MN with a bright moon, most my shots are under 100 yards. TSX and SGK shoot great for me but even if they shot 1.5moa, even 2moa I would chose them over a .5moa Vmax.

I just found the pic of the last coyote i hit with Vmax, sorry, old camera wouldnt do night shots, probably for the better on this one.

Just like in the video at 10:12 the coyote was quartered towards me, 30 yards away looking eye to eye and I aimed for vitals behind the angled shoulder. This coyote went 300 yards, pelt ruined, literally blood SOAKED from neck to tail on the side he is laying on. Ive had others completely get away. When im calling in coyotes 90% of my shot are coyotes coming into the call, heading towards me at an angle, shoulder quartered towards me and the varmint bullets cant do it. Most my broadside shots are on spooked coyotes heading away or quartered away shots on coyotes heading away at high speed.

Any other .224 on the market beside these soft gopher varmint bullet and these are DRT hits without the pelt damage. 65gr SGK and 53gr TSX are 5 times the bullet vmax and 52 berger varmint is, TSX expand well and can penetrate more oak wood than Vmax can penetrate GEL! Hunting aside as well, its my AR ammo so I consider emegency deffensive type stuff. Ive seen 53gr vmax 223 gel tests that show 70% of Vmax damage in less than 3.5 inches of gel, the gel BB calibration of 650fps with a pump up kids BBgun is 3.5 inches! A kids BB gun im sure cant even penetrate most thick winter jackets or a coyote shoulder. Handicaped to the point my conspiracy brain is worried it could be the industry trying to neuter AR 223 users any way they can(ban green tips, push red tips), its as close to a bean bag round as you can make for centerfire. Im serously curious how much good soft pistol armor can stop Vmax??? You can see in the video the direct hit of the Vmax stopped the 30-35lb(?) coyote for under a second then it runs off, whats it going to do to an armored 230lb badguy??!!! And the 22-250 and wildcat guys are going to run into the same thing at longer range.

I hope ANTIFA loads vmax.
 
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Rock Knocker said:
I tried 52 berger varmints before 53 Vmax and theres almost no difference, poor, poor handicapped performance.
65gr SGK and 53gr TSX are 5 times the bullet vmax and 52 berger varmint is
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Your Berger problem is using the 52 Varmint bullet rather than the 52 Match.

When Kirsh was here, the 52 Match is/was his bullet of choice in his 22-250. Killing 3-400 coyotes a year is a pretty good testament.

I've used it exclusively in my 22 DTI at 3550, and have found it works fantastic.

Watching the Predator Quest shows, Les Johnson shot Hornady 52 Match ammo out of his 22-250's too. Even though Hornady was a sponsor, he chose the Match over any V-Max for a reason.
 
I always get a chuckle out of the "Vmax sucks" crowd not trying to offend anyone but it seems like Everytime it comes out that they are taking marginal shots or shooting at running coyotes.
I run VMAX in various calibers and at various speeds and will fully admit that a glancing shot or a hit in the guts is going to mess it up or not cleanly kill. Heck I just recently had a stand where I shot 2 runners. Hit em in the guts and made a huge mess with one of them running 50 yards before piling up. Even in the video rock knocker posted you can slow it down and watch as the shooter dips the crosshair ever so slightly at the shot and the round hits low or back.
My VMAX I shoot 50's at 3800fps and as long as the bullet is opening up inside the ribcage of the coyote it is drt with zero mess.
I have even shot 40's in 222 at minimum load velocities (3000fps) and had zero issues besides wind and drop of course.
If you have splashes shoot just behind the point of the shoulder instead of on it and Id bet splashes go away.
 
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