Texas Hunting Forum

That dang A-max just keeps killing things.

Posted By: J.G.

That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 03:53 AM

Exit side



Entry side.



She was quartering a bit, exit side.



7mm-08, 162 gr. A-max, 2635 fps MV


stir stir stir
Posted By: bigjoe8565

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 03:58 AM

I've killed plenty of pigs with the 168 grain Amax. The wounds are typically nasty
Posted By: bobsumner

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 12:38 PM

All I has loaded was the Berger 130 VLD's (hunting) in the 6.5x47 when I got the call to go hunting. All deer died, but I can see from pics the AMAX probably would have been a better choice.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 12:44 PM

Not a better choice than a VLD Hunting, just another option. Those Berger's are bad medicine too.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 03:51 PM

Killed 4 deer this year with A-max's in the Grendel. I got to see a fifth one from another Grendel. I'll keep using them.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 03:52 PM

Any idea what they do when pushed hard? Like 3200 fps, or so.
Posted By: poisonivie

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 04:02 PM

Dang, JG. You almost missed! grin
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 04:11 PM

Originally Posted By: Sneaky
Any idea what they do when pushed hard? Like 3200 fps, or so.


I run a 75 gr. A-Max exactly that speed out of a .22-250. But I only shoot prairie dogs with it. It does tend to make a very impressive exit on those little critters. I don't know of that helps you, but that's all I got for that velocity. In a larger animal, such as coyote of even whitetail does I would expect good results even running that fast.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 04:12 PM

Originally Posted By: poisonivie
Dang, JG. You almost missed! grin


Which one?
Posted By: Dien

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 04:20 PM

Amax in 6.5CM and 308 did quite a few one shot one kill ranging from 50-300 yards on hogs before New Years. One head shot was nasty.
Posted By: JTPinTX

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 06:01 PM

My son smoked a doe at 325 yards with my Creedmore and a 140 AMAX last week. She fell so fast he didn't see it and thought she ran off with the rest of them. All the way through, great wound channel.
Posted By: Buzzsaw

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/11/16 10:55 PM

Nice chootin BRO!!!!
Posted By: Mike Honcho

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/12/16 12:08 AM

Absolutely it does, on thin skinned game i dont hesistate usong match bullets at all. Nice shooting.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/12/16 12:40 AM

Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Originally Posted By: Sneaky
Any idea what they do when pushed hard? Like 3200 fps, or so.


I run a 75 gr. A-Max exactly that speed out of a .22-250. But I only shoot prairie dogs with it. It does tend to make a very impressive exit on those little critters. I don't know of that helps you, but that's all I got for that velocity. In a larger animal, such as coyote of even whitetail does I would expect good results even running that fast.


I suspected they may be a little soft for big game at velocities like that, but I don't know. If my ELD-X bullets show up and work out, it won't really matter, but I like to have options.
Posted By: stxhunter

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/12/16 01:03 AM

Good shooting!

That looks a lot like the performance of a hornady SST I used on a doe this past week.


Posted By: bobsumner

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 02:05 AM

Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Not a better choice than a VLD Hunting, just another option. Those Berger's are bad medicine too.


Ooops what I meant was VLD match, the Hunting VLD were on order smile Can't wait to try them.
Posted By: Brother in-law

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 02:47 AM

More guts
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 03:11 AM

Exit side mOron. It was literally to see what a vitals shot would look like with the A-Max. I had neck shot two the day before.
Posted By: DStroud

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 03:49 AM

80gr AMax working for me too.
Today at 238 yards... Was checking out my coyote howls.


Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 04:24 AM

They're working up

I thoroughly enjoy how Hornady tells us they aren't for huntjng, yet so many hunters have photos of fast, ethical kills with them. I personally wouldn't use one on large, heavy animals, but they have done a fine job on whitetail and smaller.
Posted By: daniel1381

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 04:34 AM

Only bullets i shoot
6.5x55 140 amax
308 178 amax
300 win mag 208 amax
338 lm 285 amax
Posted By: dee

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 12:02 PM

Very nice Jason.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 03:25 PM

Thank you. Where you been?
Posted By: dee

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 04:36 PM

Been around but haven't posted much.
Posted By: redchevy

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 04:43 PM

I know you know how to shoot and can shoot and load circles around me, but that second doe aint nothing to brag about to me in shot placement or bullet performance imho. Its dead that's all I get from it.
Posted By: J McCoy

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 04:53 PM

How far was the 162amax kill?
Posted By: JTPinTX

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 05:01 PM

I had a 1-8 twist Swift for a while, and that was bad medicine for coyotes with the 75 AMAX. Like others have said, not the bullet I would choose for big game, but deer size and down I have no problem with an AMAX at all.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 07:02 PM

Originally Posted By: redchevy
I know you know how to shoot and can shoot and load circles around me, but that second doe aint nothing to brag about to me in shot placement or bullet performance imho. Its dead that's all I get from it.


You are right and wrong at the same time.

Shot placement was perfect had she been perfectly broad side. But since her hip was quartering away slightly, I should have shot closer to the elbow, or gone through a shoulder.

How was bullet performance bad? A 7mm entry, and a three inch exit. Are you just saying that because I wasn't using a Nosler Partition? grin
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 07:05 PM

Originally Posted By: J McCoy
How far was the 162amax kill?


All of those are 7mm, 162 gr. A-Max. Neck shots 97 yards, and 115 yards, vitals shot 225 yards.
Posted By: redchevy

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 07:40 PM

Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Originally Posted By: redchevy
I know you know how to shoot and can shoot and load circles around me, but that second doe aint nothing to brag about to me in shot placement or bullet performance imho. Its dead that's all I get from it.


You are right and wrong at the same time.

Shot placement was perfect had she been perfectly broad side. But since her hip was quartering away slightly, I should have shot closer to the elbow, or gone through a shoulder.

How was bullet performance bad? A 7mm entry, and a three inch exit. Are you just saying that because I wasn't using a Nosler Partition? grin


Just my thoughts from the outside looking in, I didn't poke my finger in the bullet hole, but I assume that bullet wasn't moving fast at all and probably didn't hit much in the way of resistance/bone and left a 3 inch exit as you say. If you would have hit shoulder no telling what it would do or at least I have no experience with them, what do they typically do if you put one into the shoulder? I don't follow the dump all the energy into the animal and no exit theory, I hunt heavy brush and 3-6 foot tall grass, I want something to produce a blood trail. By no means am I saying they don't/wont work, ive killed plenty of deer with a 223 and 55 grain v-max and 45 grain hp's.
Posted By: kmon11

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 08:06 PM

Have shot a few critters with A-Max bullets and they work about like I expected from having shot lots with the older Nosler Ballistic Tips in hunting weight bullets. Both are basically cup and core bullets with a hollow point filled with a poly carbonate tip. They will behave much like a soft point cup and core bullet. The faster the impact velocity the faster they will expand and come apart. On game the size of out Texas deer they will work fine but might be more destructive than some would like on meat shots.

Fireman that was certainly a kill shot on all those deer obsessively but I would have much rather field dressed 2 of them over the other. very little meat damage from any of those shots though.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 08:50 PM

Originally Posted By: redchevy
Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Originally Posted By: redchevy
I know you know how to shoot and can shoot and load circles around me, but that second doe aint nothing to brag about to me in shot placement or bullet performance imho. Its dead that's all I get from it.


You are right and wrong at the same time.

Shot placement was perfect had she been perfectly broad side. But since her hip was quartering away slightly, I should have shot closer to the elbow, or gone through a shoulder.

How was bullet performance bad? A 7mm entry, and a three inch exit. Are you just saying that because I wasn't using a Nosler Partition? grin


Just my thoughts from the outside looking in, I didn't poke my finger in the bullet hole, but I assume that bullet wasn't moving fast at all and probably didn't hit much in the way of resistance/bone and left a 3 inch exit as you say. If you would have hit shoulder no telling what it would do or at least I have no experience with them, what do they typically do if you put one into the shoulder? I don't follow the dump all the energy into the animal and no exit theory, I hunt heavy brush and 3-6 foot tall grass, I want something to produce a blood trail. By no means am I saying they don't/wont work, ive killed plenty of deer with a 223 and 55 grain v-max and 45 grain hp's.


At 225 yards the bullet was 2318 fps, and delivered 1392 ft/lbs. If you want to call that "not moving fast at all" that is your prerogative.

I've never hit the shoulder on a deer, I avoid the shoulder because I don't want to ruin the meat. It is a massive hit on a coyote though.

You can not subscribe to the "dump all the energy" theory, especially since you are a die hard Partition man. But I will tell you that myself and many of my friends have piled up elk, Mule deer, whitetail and a host of smaller animals with A-maxes and Berger VLDs. It is difficult to argue with a pile of dead bodies in their wake.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 08:52 PM

Originally Posted By: kmon1
Have shot a few critters with A-Max bullets and they work about like I expected from having shot lots with the older Nosler Ballistic Tips in hunting weight bullets. Both are basically cup and core bullets with a hollow point filled with a poly carbonate tip. They will behave much like a soft point cup and core bullet. The faster the impact velocity the faster they will expand and come apart. On game the size of out Texas deer they will work fine but might be more destructive than some would like on meat shots.

Fireman that was certainly a kill shot on all those deer obsessively but I would have much rather field dressed 2 of them over the other. very little meat damage from any of those shots though.


The vitals hit deer had me saying "shoulda stuck with high neck shots". I cut off about two mouth fulls of jellied meat from the right shoulder. So yes, minimal meat damage, which is half the point of shooting does.
Posted By: Buzzsaw

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 09:20 PM

Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
Originally Posted By: J McCoy
How far was the 162amax kill?


All of those are 7mm, 162 gr. A-Max. Neck shots 97 yards, and 115 yards, vitals shot 225 yards.


you sure it wasn't 115.5 yards? banana2
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 09:46 PM

I shot a doe with the Grendel square in the shoulder socket. It blew right through it and dumped her where she stood. There was no exit, but I didn't really need a blood trail to track that one.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 09:57 PM

Originally Posted By: FiremanJG
They're working up

I thoroughly enjoy how Hornady tells us they aren't for huntjng, yet so many hunters have photos of fast, ethical kills with them. I personally wouldn't use one on large, heavy animals, but they have done a fine job on whitetail and smaller.


I noticed this the other day while ordering ammo. I've never seen Hornady claim any Amax as a hunting bullet until I saw this. Possibly, they are referring to the SST, since they didn't specifically mention it in that paragraph, but that wouldn't make much sense to me. And you've got to figure that the 6.5 123 grain Amax is built like all the others, so....

Posted By: kmon11

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 10:05 PM

Sneaky, I have read that before as well. That 123gr A-Max works very well from the Grendel, then again it was "designed" for that cartridge.
Posted By: dee

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/13/16 10:29 PM

I have shot a few critters with the 162gr Amax and all but a very very large pig has nice 2-3.5" exit wounds at distances from 40yrs out to 520yds.
Posted By: Sneaky

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/14/16 01:17 AM

Originally Posted By: kmon1
Sneaky, I have read that before as well. That 123gr A-Max works very well from the Grendel, then again it was "designed" for that cartridge.



I sure do like it.
Posted By: LFD2037

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/14/16 07:37 AM

From what I've seen/experienced/read, AMAX does just fine for .308 velocities from ~100-500+yds on pigs(head shots), deer & goats/aoudad/sheep. It's when they are pushed faster, or closer, that they don't perform as expected for a 'hunting' bullet. It IS a trade-off of terminal ballistics vs. blood trail BUT when you have the proper terminal ballistics (totally gelled innards) then you won't need a blood trail. YMMV.
Posted By: daniel1381

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/17/16 02:16 AM


285 amax 338 lm did well tonight on a doe


Posted By: JTPinTX

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 02:06 PM

Friday evening I needed another meat doe, and conditions were perfect. I slipped out and used the 6.5 Creedmoor to put this girl down. Load was 140 AMAX with 42.3 of H-4350. MV about 2750 out of a 22" barrel. Range was 410 yards, she was slightly quartering to me, I dialed 1.8 MIL from a 100 yard zero. I hit her a touch high, she ran about 40 yards dead on her feet. Lungs were a mess, exit was behind the shoulder.

Entry side in this picture:


Exit in this picture:
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 03:58 PM

410 on a doe with an A-Max beats my farthest on a deer by 150 yards. Thanks for sharing, the bullet did a fine job with fine shot placement.

up
Posted By: JTPinTX

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 05:37 PM

The shot wasn't much high, maybe 1.5"-2". That AMAX had no problem opening up, or going all the way through. I think about 200-600 is where that bullet is really in the zone. 600 IMO is about the limit for a Creedmoor as a hunting round anyways. Past that you really need more energy, and should step up to a bigger cartridge. Honestly at this point I limit myself to about 500 on game anyways. And for sure there are days I wouldn't try that either. But this evening it was nearly dead calm, uncommon up here on the plains. I was prone out in a wheat field, hiding behind a pivot tower tire. The doe was at our feeder by a fenceline (other side of the fence belongs to my sister-in-law, so no problem there). Calm target, zero wind, known dope. Pretty much just dial and shoot. Not a difficult shot with that rifle.
Posted By: J.G.

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 06:00 PM

We're on the exact same page!!!
Posted By: LFD2037

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 07:28 PM

Originally Posted By: JTPinTX
Friday evening I needed another meat doe, and conditions were perfect. I slipped out and used the 6.5 Creedmoor to put this girl down. Load was 140 AMAX with 42.3 of H-4350. MV about 2750 out of a 22" barrel. Range was 410 yards, she was slightly quartering to me, I dialed 1.8 MIL from a 100 yard zero. I hit her a touch high, she ran about 40 yards dead on her feet. Lungs were a mess, exit was behind the shoulder.

Entry side in this picture:


Exit in this picture:



Right handed rifle w/a left handed stock pad/pouch?
Posted By: JTPinTX

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 08:44 PM

Yep, good catch.

I am right handed but left eye dominant. I have shot lefty my whole life, but we never had left handed rifles, so I made do. Now that I could actually afford one if I wanted one, I am to old to change. Plus my kids shoot righty anyways, and the rifles will go to them someday. If they are going to take one of "my" rifles out, they can just pop the stock pack off real quick.
Posted By: Big Fitz

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/19/16 09:40 PM

Originally Posted By: daniel1381

285 amax 338 lm did well tonight on a doe




Dang Daniel, did you have a grudge against that doe? I think maybe you need to move up to the 50 BMG...go big or go home! cheers

What was the range on that shot?
Posted By: daniel1381

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/29/16 01:31 PM

100 yards.. lol

couple days earlier i had doe stepping out at 250-300 yards.. this day she came out at 70 and i let her get to 100 yards then boom!
Posted By: redchevy

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/29/16 02:55 PM

Im glad my meat doesn't go to the process or to get mixed with the likes of that. They are dead alright though.
Posted By: daniel1381

Re: That dang A-max just keeps killing things. - 01/29/16 03:31 PM

im sure we have ate worse at fast food cheers
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