Hornady v-max for deer

[Sakoodin1]

I used them in my brothers .25-06, results where dramatic, had a couple nearly blown in half. But then you are burning 3x the powder load of a .223 for the same kind of bullet!

To be honest I twonk everything in the front shoulder anyway and always chuck the front end out so that wouldn’t be an issue to me. I was just curious to see if they worked

 

[Oh6]

I was thinking of using the 75 vmax in the .25.06

My experience so far is that if you are shooting them from chest to head, and anywhere in between that they drop in their shadow (you're taking the blame if I have jinxed myself in saying that!)...

I only use them in a couple of places on Muntjac and Roe where I don't want them running off and accept that sometimes them damage on chest shots can be emphatic...

 

[Rafter]

I've used the 87g 6mm vmax out of my 6xc and killed Fallow, Reds and Sika, as well as a boat load of goats. I really rated it, and if I built another XC that would be my first choice to test in it.

 

[Hoppy]

my father used to use 110gr Vmax loaded in factory norma rounds for his .270 put red stags and hinds down well and they never complained about meat damage at the larder.

 

[Heym SR20]

Of course you can use a V-Max on deer, but you have to be very aware that a VMax is designed to expand very rapidly if not disintegrate on small vermin sized targets. Shoot a crow with one correctly and you end with five bits going in opposite directions.

Shoot a fox with one and insides turn to liquid.

Put one into the shoulder even on a smaller deer and you end up with a shoulder turned to mush. The deer may well be stunned and collapse to the floor as if dead, only to regain consciousness as you approach it and then run off into the next county.

If you are going to be head shooting put one in the back of the head on the atlas joint and no knife needed to remove the head. But what if you need a follow up body shot, because you have taken the nose off a deer.

For specific use they have use in the armoury, but as an all round general stalking bullet that you don’t have to think about there are much better options.

 

[@theroedeerguy]

Just some real world reference, 6.5 Creedmoor Federal factory 95gr Vmax. Chest shot, quartering Roe buck circa 120 yards. Extremely accurate and effective bullet on Ror and the carcass damage is within an acceptable limit for my needs.

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

Just some real world reference, 6.5 Creedmoor Federal factory 95gr Vmax. Chest shot, quartering Roe buck circa 120 yards. Extremely accurate and effective bullet on Ror and the carcass damage is within an acceptable limit for my needs.


View attachment 362701

What’s with all the shrapnel holes?

I hate the Vmax and the sst with a passion, their vermin projectiles!

Absolutely perfect if you’re writing the front end off, which to be honest I do quite a bit of because my mates who comes stalking us SST’s and the front end is just annihilated and not worth the hassle or time to trim out

 

[Bowland blades]

Are v-max bullets too violent for deer..?
I like to process a number of deer myself so excess meat damage is something I like to keep in check.
Looking specifically at 6.5mm, 95 grain. Mainly shooting roe and muntjac, some fallow, ranges within 200yards.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

A fast expanding bullet is actually often a better choice for longer range shots , where heavy bonded or mono bullets often fail to expand ( i do mean longer than most will shoot)
Meat damage is worse with fast expanding at short range fast impacts and you have more beasts without exit wounds , this effects a visible blood trail and the value / viability of the venison .
People who feel the frangible bullet means safer ? Should think more about having a good back stop and backdrop to the shot.
I shoot mainly Copper 100 grain tTSX now , its good from muntjac close in to Red stags at greater ranges than most can shoot . Its scary money to practice much with so imho use the V-Max stuff on vermin and practice , in not so long we wont have lead anyhow

 

[@theroedeerguy]

What’s with all the shrapnel holes?

I hate the Vmax and the sst with a passion, their vermin projectiles!

Absolutely perfect if you’re writing the front end off, which to be honest I do quite a bit of because my mates who comes stalking us SST’s and the front end is just annihilated and not worth the hassle or time to trim out

I’m quite happy to right off the ribs when I’ve taken a chest shot with an Vmax and appreciate that copper does work differently.

I’ll have no issues moving to copper in due course but for now the Vmax is doing what I want it to do.

 

[@theroedeerguy]

Another chest shot from the 95gr 6.5 Creedmoor, Roe buck at 200 yards, dropped to shot, acceptable level of meat damage for my needs.

 

[Cyres]

Use 75 and 87 vmax in 6mm. They work. Awesome on neck and head shots.
They will make a mess if you shoot centre shoulder.
Previous pictures are just what I got when I used to chest shoot roe.
D

 

[ben powell]

I used to shoot 95g vmax through my 6.5x55, amazing when head and neck shooting but messy when it comes to rib shooting, not so much with the meat damage as long as you don’t hit any bones in the shoulder, more the shock and the blood splatter it creates, several deer were which were shot just behind the shoulder had blood splatter right from the inside of the haunch right up to the neck, very rarely was the any kind of exit (which isn’t t expected of a varmint bullet anyway I suppose) unless no ribs where touched on the way in then you normally got a big fist sized exit hole, no deer ran on more than around 10 yards

 

[ben powell]

I used to shoot 95g vmax through my 6.5x55, amazing when head and neck shooting but messy when it comes to rib shooting, not so much with the meat damage as long as you don’t hit any bones in the shoulder, more the shock and the blood splatter it creates, several deer were which were shot just behind the shoulder had blood splatter right from the inside of the haunch right up to the neck, very rarely was the any kind of exit (which isn’t t expected of a varmint bullet anyway I suppose) unless no ribs where touched on the way in then you normally got a big fist sized exit hole, no deer ran on more than around 10 yards

 

[ASl sniper.177]

I've recently started using 120 grain Eld-m bullets in 6.5 creedmoor for both foxes and deer. I've found them to be the perfect mid ground for both foxes and deer. Neither pencilling through foxes,or blowing deer to bits. Obviously,a lot depends on where you hit any animal as to the damage done. I'll stick with my choice for an all round bullet.

 

[ASl sniper.177]

I used to shoot 95g vmax through my 6.5x55, amazing when head and neck shooting but messy when it comes to rib shooting, not so much with the meat damage as long as you don’t hit any bones in the shoulder, more the shock and the blood splatter it creates, several deer were which were shot just behind the shoulder had blood splatter right from the inside of the haunch right up to the neck, very rarely was the any kind of exit (which isn’t t expected of a varmint bullet anyway I suppose) unless no ribs where touched on the way in then you normally got a big fist sized exit hole, no deer ran on more than around 10 yards

You're talking about hydrostatic shock to the carcass well beyond the initial bullet impact. T.his never looks good when you're trying to sell a carcass to a butcher,or,even to a general member of the public. To put this into context,I've shot many deer with V-Max or NBT in the past,but I don't do it now because of the damage to the carcass if you hit the deer wrongly. And just to make sure that I've been there and done that,and have learned the error of my ways,I once shot a gold medal Fallow buck with a 55 grain NBT in 243 Ackley.

 

[ASl sniper.177]

You're talking about hydrostatic shock to the carcass well beyond the initial bullet impact. T.his never looks good when you're trying to sell a carcass to a butcher,or,even to a general member of the public. To put this into context,I've shot many deer with V-Max or NBT in the past,but I don't do it now because of the damage to the carcass if you hit the deer wrongly. And just to make sure that I've been there and done that,and have learned the error of my ways,I once shot a gold medal Fallow buck with a 55 grain NBT in 243 Ackley.