Hornady Amax as a Deer round?
- Thread starter belowaverageiq
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Tamus
Well-Known Member
Hornady A max "bullets"... why not?
They can expand a bit quckly at the upper end of impact velocities/lower end of range to target but apart from that they're fine.
As to the "Law". If memory serves correctly the wording goes along the line of "designed or intended to expand in a predictable manner" there is no clarification on who might have said intentions or create such design, ergo it is perfectly reasonable to assert that the home loader is the person in charge of such.
I predict that my A max loads will expand very rapidly at impact velocities approaching or exceeding 3000fps and will still perform adequately and reliably, for the purposes of humane dispatch, at impact velocities of less than 2450fps. My experience in the field confirms my own loads behave as I predicted. Having said this, I prefer fast SSTs for longer shots and slower (or heavier) interlocks for the closer ones. ie. SSTs for the hill and foxing and interlocks for the woods. High seats?... takes your pick.
They can expand a bit quckly at the upper end of impact velocities/lower end of range to target but apart from that they're fine.
As to the "Law". If memory serves correctly the wording goes along the line of "designed or intended to expand in a predictable manner" there is no clarification on who might have said intentions or create such design, ergo it is perfectly reasonable to assert that the home loader is the person in charge of such.
I predict that my A max loads will expand very rapidly at impact velocities approaching or exceeding 3000fps and will still perform adequately and reliably, for the purposes of humane dispatch, at impact velocities of less than 2450fps. My experience in the field confirms my own loads behave as I predicted. Having said this, I prefer fast SSTs for longer shots and slower (or heavier) interlocks for the closer ones. ie. SSTs for the hill and foxing and interlocks for the woods. High seats?... takes your pick.
Ballistics??????????????????????????
JabaliHunter
Well-Known Member
And from Collins: 1.a. a small metallic missile enclosed in a cartridge, used as the projectile of a rifle
I have shot countless Red and Sika deer with the 7mm 162g A-Max in New Zealand, at distances from 10 yrds to 1326yrds. From a Sako 85 7mmrem mag @ 3260fps. A 7mmSaum @ 3040fps, and a 7mm rum at 3225 fps and they are very effective with at least 70% of the game hit dropping where they are. The other 30% stumble and roll off the cliff face to plummet to the rocks below, either way they get sent straight to the freezer!
Softer than Nosler's Ballistic Tips and Sierra's Matchkings and about the same terminal effect as Bob Cautericio's and Berger's VLD projectiles they are perfect when launched at 2900 to 3300fps. I am sure you would want the impact speed to be between 1000fps and 2900fps for best results. Very damaging to meat and smaller deer.
oldest to latest model 162g 7mm A-Max
The G1 BC is .625
The G7 BC is .307 as measured by Brian Litz.
If I ever find the projectile it often looks in between the extreme mushroom of the Ballistic Tip and near total destruction like the Berger VLD. The deer is still dead.
Softer than Nosler's Ballistic Tips and Sierra's Matchkings and about the same terminal effect as Bob Cautericio's and Berger's VLD projectiles they are perfect when launched at 2900 to 3300fps. I am sure you would want the impact speed to be between 1000fps and 2900fps for best results. Very damaging to meat and smaller deer.
oldest to latest model 162g 7mm A-Max
The G1 BC is .625
The G7 BC is .307 as measured by Brian Litz.
If I ever find the projectile it often looks in between the extreme mushroom of the Ballistic Tip and near total destruction like the Berger VLD. The deer is still dead.
N.F.W.M
Well-Known Member
I would not use Amax for boiler room shooting, too messy, but have happily used them for neck and head(park deer) shooting. I purchased some Hornady TAP ammo using 168g Amax BULLETS in .308 they were stupidly accurate, almost no point home loading.... ALMOST but not quite.
I have shot countless Red and Sika deer with the 7mm 162g A-Max in New Zealand, at distances from 10 yrds to 1326yrds. From a Sako 85 7mmrem mag @ 3260fps. A 7mmSaum @ 3040fps, and a 7mm rum at 3225 fps and they are very effective with at least 70% of the game hit dropping where they are. The other 30% stumble and roll off the cliff face to plummet to the rocks below, either way they get sent straight to the freezer!
Softer than Nosler's Ballistic Tips and Sierra's Matchkings and about the same terminal effect as Bob Cautericio's and Berger's VLD projectiles they are perfect when launched at 2900 to 3300fps. I am sure you would want the impact speed to be between 1000fps and 2900fps for best results. Very damaging to meat and smaller deer.
oldest to latest model 162g 7mm A-Max
The G1 BC is .625
The G7 BC is .307 as measured by Brian Litz.
If I ever find the projectile it often looks in between the extreme mushroom of the Ballistic Tip and near total destruction like the Berger VLD. The deer is still dead.
Am I the only one who spotted that four digit number starting with 1 and ending in 6?
www.yorkshireroestalking.
Distinguished Member
With all due respect PLK you don’t know what you are taking about,ethically there is no issue with using A-Maxs for deer, legally that depends on the interpretation of the law and whether you are shooting in Scotland or England. In England the bullet must only be of Hollow point or soft point design (ballistic tips are classed as hollow point, the hollow point is filled with the plastic tip) in Scotland the projectile (head for Brit) must also expand in a predictable manner.
Hornady in edition 6 of there reloading manual used to recommend the use of A-Maxs for thin skinned game, they have now changed that, and are non-committal. I have sectioned A-Maxs and SST bullets, the Jackets are the same thickness and the size of hollow point is identical. The only defence is that the hunting bullets have a cannelure for crimping.
The UK is only a small market for hunting bullets and most nations do not have the same restrictions on the type of bullet they can use, 1000s of deer world wide fall the A-Max no problem.
ATB
Tahr
you may find the antimony differs thus making expansion different.
otherwise why produce the same bullet twice.
not fact just input.
night stalker
Well-Known Member
This is off the bottom of Hornady's HITS calculator
A-MAX™
Rapid, explosive expansion with limited penetration.
Recommended muzzle velocity range: 2000+ fps.
These bullets are not recommended for hunting medium and large game.
HITS calculator - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc
Hornady's own words "RAPID EXPLOSIVE EXPANSION" does that not indicate that they are expanding? they may be marketed to us in the UK as target grade bullet but the words are there for all to see.
It also states that they are "NOT RECOMENDED FOR HUNTING MEDIUM OR LARGE GAME" which of the deer we have fall into small game as the Yanks see it.
As for the designed to expand criteria there is nothing on Hornady's website to Indicate if they were initially designed to expand.
Rick
A-MAX™
Rapid, explosive expansion with limited penetration.
Recommended muzzle velocity range: 2000+ fps.
These bullets are not recommended for hunting medium and large game.
HITS calculator - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc
Hornady's own words "RAPID EXPLOSIVE EXPANSION" does that not indicate that they are expanding? they may be marketed to us in the UK as target grade bullet but the words are there for all to see.
It also states that they are "NOT RECOMENDED FOR HUNTING MEDIUM OR LARGE GAME" which of the deer we have fall into small game as the Yanks see it.
As for the designed to expand criteria there is nothing on Hornady's website to Indicate if they were initially designed to expand.
Rick
As I said in reply to the op, gonna get many on this one,
I'm pretty sure Hornady alter the info to suit themselves, I'm also sure they dont bother altering the original specs of bullets one iota, A max originally touted for deer in the states............. don't reckon they changed owt at the factory end.
I'm pretty sure Hornady alter the info to suit themselves, I'm also sure they dont bother altering the original specs of bullets one iota, A max originally touted for deer in the states............. don't reckon they changed owt at the factory end.
flytie
Well-Known Member
As I said in reply to the op, gonna get many on this one,
Steve, you are spot on!
I have posted the reply from hornady which I recieved when I asked this very question, it's no 16 in this thread for those who cannot be bothered to read everything before posting.
Simon
Back in February, I posed this question to Hornady by email:
'I have a query about Amax bullets. I use the 52gn .224" version in my 223Rem to great effect on varmints.
I also have a 6.5x55 and 308, and was wondering if Amax bullets would also be OK to use for deer? '
I received this reply:
'The Hornady A-MAX bullets are designed for match target shooting. These bullets could possibly be used on deer sized game at moderate ranges beyond 300 yds'.
In my experience, they also seem to work well at ranges less than 300 yards.
'I have a query about Amax bullets. I use the 52gn .224" version in my 223Rem to great effect on varmints.
I also have a 6.5x55 and 308, and was wondering if Amax bullets would also be OK to use for deer? '
I received this reply:
'The Hornady A-MAX bullets are designed for match target shooting. These bullets could possibly be used on deer sized game at moderate ranges beyond 300 yds'.
In my experience, they also seem to work well at ranges less than 300 yards.
Might kick up a stink with game at moderate ranges beyond 300 yds'.Similar threads
