Hornady .223 problems

[Pellet Pinger]

Still cant get my head round 4 shots needed to kill a fox.
I shot another last night with .223 53grn SuperPerformance, dead before it hit the ground.
I dont claim to be a crack shot but using 55/53 grn Vmax ive not had a single fox or Muntjac lift its head after being hit anywhere in the right place.

 

[Deanot2000]

2ps worth. I've been running my .223 wirh 50 gn Z-Max (Yes you read it right... its the green tipped anti-zombie round they marketed in the US a while back... I got f*#k ton when I was there. Its just a V max with a green tip and a zombie on the box....) over 24.2 gns of N133 giving a fairly pedestrian mv. I use it on charlie year round and on the black and whites during the obvious. I have maybe 1 in 50 run on me after solid engine room hits at up to 250yds. Always dead within 30 secs as these things are savage on the inside. I don't think an unfortunate relatively small number of failures is something to change the universe over. Its good that we care for the welfare of the tgt and I applaud to OP for that but 'sh1t happens'

Stay safe gents.

 

[Eddie P]

Did you look further into this to determine what was going wrong?

 

[old 30-06]

I have a Sako 75 in 222 which I use for foxes. I have tried a wide variety of bullets in this gun and most of them have worked very well. However, the V-Max is King. Nothing that I have used has beaten the 50gr V-Max for foxes. I have shot an awful lot of V-Max bullets purchased over many years from different shops and never experienced any problems. Could it be the powder to blame? If the powder was damp/faulty and was not delivering the horse power it should normally deliver the shot would lack its usual penetration and be a little on the low side.

 

[jb1]

There used to be a monthly shoot at Catton Derbyshire that would see loads of marksmen.
A FB group turned up one day, I think it was a fox shooting group.
The accuracy was entertaining to say the least.
But they were all the best shooters on the planet.

 

[Heym SR20]

I think the big problem here is that Foxes, like Deer, Buffalo and host of other animals haven’t read the manual that they should fall done dead when hit by such and such a bullet. And when the adrenaline flows anything can happen.

I don’t shoot many foxes - mostly when out stalking. But I have had both foxes and deer run a long way after taking a well place shot that has destroyed the heart. They were dead, but they didn’t follow the rules.

 

[Rewulf]

They were dead, but they didn’t follow the rules

Consistently? Like the OP insinuates?

 

[Heym SR20]

Consistently? Like the OP insinuates?

No, but I have had occassions when I seemed have had a number of runners within a period of time and other times not.

I have certainly found that when I sit and wait and deer and completely undisturbed they drop on the spot. But if I am stalking and they are aware of me, and especially if I have bumped one and its run and then stopped and looked back it will run again. I have shot hinds that have been culled hard at night on neighbouring ground. They are very nervous and skittish and will pretty much always run after being shot.

I will let the statistics experts give the statistical answer, but a few foxes running may well be nothing more than a coincidence or behaviour, or them learning that the light or sound of vehicle is not good news thus adrenaline gets up.

 

[antsa]

2ps worth. I've been running my .223 wirh 50 gn Z-Max (Yes you read it right... its the green tipped anti-zombie round they marketed in the US a while back... I got f*#k ton when I was there. Its just a V max with a green tip and a zombie on the box....) over 24.2 gns of N133 giving a fairly pedestrian mv. I use it on charlie year round and on the black and whites during the obvious. I have maybe 1 in 50 run on me after solid engine room hits at up to 250yds. Always dead within 30 secs as these things are savage on the inside. I don't think an unfortunate relatively small number of failures is something to change the universe over. Its good that we care for the welfare of the tgt and I applaud to OP for that but 'sh1t happens'

Stay safe gents.

Z-Max projectiles came in bulk packs of 500 count. Not always available and discontinued nowadays I think, but when they turned up I'd stock up. I'm running 50gn Z-Max in my .222. Have about 100 left. Always worked well on foxes. When these are done I'll change to 50gr V-Max. I also have 500 55gr Z-Maxes waiting for for a chance to perform .
In my .223 Varmint I'm using 50gr Sierra BlitzKings. These start out at 1009m/s (3310fps). Devastating doesn't enough describe the results.

I use a domestic brand of factory .223 in my Sporter. 55gr Sierra BlitzKing. Foxes, kangaroos, fallow (head shots on the latter two).

Recently I test-loaded some Sierra 55gr BK's over ADI BM8208 (IMR 8208 XBR). Extremely accurate out of the Varmint - on paper. Haven't used them in the field yet.

Cheers

 

[User00036]

Someone better qualified than me might be able to answer this, but, is it possible the bullets are breaking up before they hit the target? Sounds the most likely?

 

[User00053]

Used superformance in both 222 and 223 on fox’s and had nothing out of ordinary, hit drop or hit turn and run few yards and drop.
Out the other night as changed nv on a rifle and wanted to check zero etc and sacrificed some superformance 223 53 grain on some peters out to 250 yards, very messy compared to other stuff in general and pleasing results.

 

[bluesako]

ive used 55gr vmax in my 22.250 since they were offered for sale in the uk all those years ago same with 50 gr vmax for my 223rem ive shot wagon loads of fox and other beasties never had a problem with them they are a fantastic bullet and wouldnt use anything else bs

 

[Kevgun]

I just run a 40 grain Vmax in my 223 with a 24 inch barrel running @3750fps Not had any runners in the 3 years I've used it, always good expansion with no exit wound, I used 60 Vmax to start with until I rolled my own, I just don't think the .223 has the legs for any thing bigger than a 50 grain, that's what I use the 22.250 for, Just my opinion though, Also shot placement is Key.

 

[David.evans]

I think a post mortem is in order, to answer the question of inadequate penetration or pencilling through, my guess is poor penetration.

As others have said, varmint bullets were designed to expand in the near side of a prairie dog.

Post-mortem is right , first thing is the scope holding zero

 

[Rewulf]

I have certainly found that when I sit and wait and deer and completely undisturbed they drop on the spot. But if I am stalking and they are aware of me, and especially if I have bumped one and its run and then stopped and looked back it will run again. I have shot hinds that have been culled hard at night on neighbouring ground. They are very nervous and skittish and will pretty much always run after being shot.

Adrenaline.
Its happened to me a few times, but with heart and lungs in tatters , they arent going far.

Like Ive said , blaming the bullet is just silly, unless its coming out at a 3rd of its usual velocity, or err... his shot placement is not as described...