6x223 87 V-Max experience

[Louisiana Shooter]

Looking for y'all that have actually used this. I know it groups great. But how does it perform on animals? Explosive? Or more like a big hunting bullet at 6x223 speeds?

Don't need to hear from the Google-experts..........looking for those with actual experience.

 

[JB10]

I too would like to know. I want to build one but dont want to blow things up.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Well, it will perform as well as everything else with an 85g bullet at 2700/2800 fps. While I have not shot a 6/223, I have hunted goats extensively with a 25/303 pushing a 90g at 2700 and none survived. The medium speed cartridges perform well with careful bullet selection ie one that expands at the speed/range, rather than bullets suited to the fast 6mms, well over 3000fps. They are popular down here with guys that use a silencer, due to the low powder capacity and good performance on smaller deer and goats.

 

[boltfluter]

I used them extensively on long range coyotes and rockchucks. Shooting them at about 3100 fps. Always great expansion at any range. My feeling is that at 2700 - 2800 fps they would be a great deer bullet.

Paul

 

[deadidarren]

I put 9000 rounds through my 6x45 over a 12 year period on everything from pidgeons to kangaroos out to 400 yards i used mainly 65 grain Vmax and about 20% 75 grain Vmax the heavier you go the slower it will go and the 87 I would suspect at anything past 100 yards it would behave like a hunting bullet not a varmint bullet .

 

[SmokinJoe]

I use 90 gr Nos BT in mine @ 2750 and it has been a hammer on white tail deer. I use the 87 V-Max as a long range varmint bullet but would be a little reluctant to use it in my 6X45 since most of my shots are fairly short, in the range of 70 to 150 yards.

 

[ChrisNZ]

I initially tried 87 VMaxs out of my 6BR and while they shot OK, the red mist factor was pretty unimpressive. I was centre-hitting large hares at under 200yds and some didn't expire immediately. My buddy with his .204 shooting 39s was more impressive. Changed to 75 VMaxs and much improved on the terminal performance. Shot about 20 bunnies last weekend out to 358yds and you weren't left guessing if you'd connected.

 

[Louisiana Shooter]

Thank y'all.........my question was geared toward if it is a possible light game bullet at this point. Possibly even a deer bullet for around here........our hill deer are generally on the small side. A big one goes 150 on the hoof. Our swamp deer get big though.

This load is extremely accurate.........the best load I've found for it by far. One hole to clover leafs most of the time..... But I'm unsure how it would perform on deer or varmints. At 6x223 speeds - as I suspected and was verified here - there's not a lot of red mist factor with it......I guess now I'm just wondering what this load is good for except for targets at this point.

 

[AWS]

I shoot 58gr V-max for coyotes out to 300 and they work well as do 55gr NBT's. I find anything over 70gr to be too heavy for my 6x45 I like to hold on fur as far as possible for me dialing sucks. I use 70gr Match bullets for competition and the 58's for hunting.

 

[Mark W]

I initially tried 87 VMaxs out of my 6BR and while they shot OK, the red mist factor was pretty unimpressive. I was centre-hitting large hares at under 200yds and some didn't expire immediately. My buddy with his .204 shooting 39s was more impressive. Changed to 75 VMaxs and much improved on the terminal performance. Shot about 20 bunnies last weekend out to 358yds and you weren't left guessing if you'd connected.

Try you some 55 or 70 grain Blitzkings in that 6 BR.

 

[swd]

Thank y'all.........my question was geared toward if it is a possible light game bullet at this point. Possibly even a deer bullet for around here........our hill deer are generally on the small side. A big one goes 150 on the hoof. Our swamp deer get big though.
I use a 6x45 for deer. Ours are about the same size as yours. I use the 95gr Nosler Partition. They blow about a quarter size hole in the heart/lung area and exit for massive blood loss out both sides at 2600-2650fps. It just works!

 

[waterfwlr]

Shot a LOT of prairie dogs and woodchuck with the 87gr vmax. Very explosive at 6br and 6 dasher and .243 velocity. It’s my go to varmint bullet and I’ve tried them all

 

[Tommie]

As I recall hunters using Contenders, XP-100’s etc sometimes use varmint bullets for game. Especially with lower intensity cartridges like the 30 Herrett. Whether that theory applies to the 6x45 is unknown to me. I have shot many many PD’s with the 87 V-Max at 3300 FPS muzzle velocity. I suspect the bullet would be effective for medium game when launched at reduced velocity.

 

[Mark W]

Shot a LOT of prairie dogs and woodchuck with the 87gr vmax. Very explosive at 6br and 6 dasher and .243 velocity. It’s my go to varmint bullet and I’ve tried them all

I like 70 grain Blitzkings out of my 6 BRA, but those 87 Vmax out of a .243 are like dropping bombs in comparison.

 

[waterfwlr]

87 vmax out of a 6 Dasher

 

[ND shooter]

87 vmax out of a 6 Dasher

Hit him again! I saw him move.

 

[deadidarren]

Thank y'all.........my question was geared toward if it is a possible light game bullet at this point. Possibly even a deer bullet for around here........our hill deer are generally on the small side. A big one goes 150 on the hoof. Our swamp deer get big though.

This load is extremely accurate.........the best load I've found for it by far. One hole to clover leafs most of the time..... But I'm unsure how it would perform on deer or varmints. At 6x223 speeds - as I suspected and was verified here - there's not a lot of red mist factor with it......I guess now I'm just wondering what this load is good for except for targets at this point.

If this is for medium sized to small-size deer id bite the bullet use the Sierra Hollow Point boat tail 85-grain game King and a good charge of benchmark and have at it .

I used to and still do head and neck shoot most of my deer as I am a meat Hunter not a trophy Hunter the 6X45 out to 200 yards in this context the 6X45 is quite impressive for what it is .

 

[deadidarren]

87 vmax out of a 6 Dasher

Range

 

[waterfwlr]

Range

Don’t really remember after so many but I think only around 150.

 

[Oso]

Looking for y'all that have actually used this. I know it groups great. But how does it perform on animals? Explosive? Or more like a big hunting bullet at 6x223 speeds?

Don't need to hear from the Google-experts..........looking for those with actual experience.

I don't have a direct answer for you, but an indirect one. VMax shot at slower velocities start acting more like a traditional hunting bullet. A 110gr VMax shot out of 308 is definitely a varmint round and is immediately frangible at +3000fps. However, in a 300BO doing 2200fps it doesn't immediately explode on surface contact, but rather penetrates before it begins to break up. Works fine on hogs and deer.

There may be some better 6mm bullets geared for hunting (greater velocity so better expansion), but the VMax should do just fine for typical smaller southern deer. You can always shoot at a few water jugs stacked up and see what happens.