A-Max Hunting?

[Kilco]

I cant speak for any of the .264 AMAX bullets, but in my r700 308 ive harvested three northern maine whitetail with the 178 AMAX with much success. All have been within 300 yards, but the terminal effects were devastating. Only odd-ball experience I had was when I took a front shot with my .243 loaded with the 105 AMAX. 213 pound 10 point, looked at me and flagged his tail, so I took the shot before he ran. He jumped and bolted into the woods. I inspected the grounds where he was hit and there was absolutely no blood trail. Walked into the woods where he ran and almost gave up until I saw him dead under a tree. No blood trail even to that spot. The bullet went right into his chest and completely vaporized his heart and kept going back into the lung area. Blood had just started to seep out the tiny .243 entrance hole.

[LRRPF52]

Nope don't have the book yet, where can i get one? Does it have low velocity tests or test on min velocity required to expand each round? ie what im looking for?

And i should back track, its not that it wont expand below 2000fps its that it's below optimum. My only concern is if you get out to 600 with it will it just punch a hole?

That was exactly the purpose of the Terminal Ballistics Testing that was done for Volume II of the 6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks, and is one of the main reasons why these resources are so useful even for those who don't reload.

There are pages of examples like this in Volume II:


The cartridges were loaded with different charge weights to create a spread of different velocities, all shot and measured, with recovered projectiles.

The 123gr AMAX, however, was shot at high speed, without a full velocity spectrum work-up on it, since we had the 123gr SST, in addition to many other hunting bullets, but the 123gr AMAX behaved almost identically to the 123gr SST at higher impact speed.

If you have a rifle and set-up that is geared towards long-range hunting, I would consider the 129gr SST as well, since it has a better BC than either the 123gr AMAX or 123gr SST, and from a longer barrel with LVR, you can really get that bullet going fast. All of them have proven to be great killers on medium game though.