.224 53 Gr. VMax... WHY???

[urbanrifleman]

Brad

Just ordered 10 Boxes of your .224 55Gr. Blitz Kings. Looking forward to trying them in my Remington 700 VSSF II 26" TW: 1/12.

Thanks

Steve M.
sstkmkrr

I bet that is going to be the ticket ️

 

[AckleymanII]

All 14 Twists I have had stabilize the 55g Nosler ballistic tips, 223 and 22/250, 700's and 788's.

Big difference between the Nosler 55g Ballistic tip and the 55g Sierra blitz kings. The 55g Blitz kings are more explosive and they have a match grade jacket, tiny groups abound on 12 twist barrels. Nosler ran into a problem on the first 55g Nosler ballistic tips that were too long for a 14T, they pulled them from the market and re designed the bullet.

55g Sierra blitz kings with a hot load of IMR 8208, cci 450 are a beautiful thing in a Rem 700 223 with it's 12 Twist! 3450 fps is the target number!

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If you ever get any 39gr 20cal blitzkings let me know

 

[Ackman]

I've always liked 50's or 55BT's in the .223. However years back it was "common knowledge" that the 55BK wouldn't shoot in a 14 twist,so I tried it. Barrel at that time was 26" Shilen 14 twist. Groups wer not good until a certain speed and then it tightened right up. Don't know if that barrel is just an anomaly, haven't messed with them again. The 55BK is .010 shorter than the 53Vmax.

 

[searcher]

I think the 55 Blitz King and the 53 V-max are not only very close in BC - but in overall accuracy, though I'd give a slight edge to the BK. Very slight. That said - I found myself instead favoring the 50 V-max due the (then available) 500-pak "Z-max" packaging which was sold till just a year or two ago. Only five years ago - one could pick those up for $40.00 on sale for the 500 pack. They are just as accurate as the 53's, just a shade lower BC. Not enough of a difference to pay 40-50% more for the 53's or the BK's, though. Shooting nearly 1,000 rounds a day would have cost up to $200.00 or more per day as compared to the BK's and 53's. So - cost can be a consideration - but depends also on what you are using the bullet for. I still use both of the others (especially the BK's), but thankfully, I'm stocked on the 50 V-Max and 55 BK's to last me till I croak or until they make lead outright illegal everywhere I might shoot. Seems we are headed there awfully fast. I just saw another State is looking to ban lead. Nosler also makes some decent bullets in the Ballistic Tips - and even their cup-and-core variations found around. Bottom line - in that 50-55 grain range of varmint bullets - it really might just come down to what shoots best in your rifle - and it could be any of them, BC be damned.

 

[screaminweasil]

Initial load workup @ 100 yds with 55 blitzking. Ramshot TAC. 27.0gr .010" off Jam seems like good enough place to be. Worked up in 1/2 grain increments from 25.5gr to 27.0.
25.5gr load produced sub 1/2 MOA, but not as good as 27.0
Rifle is a factory Bergara Premier 20" heavy barrel .223

Point of impact shift (up) on one group was due to magneto speed. Velocity was AVG 3231 out of the 20" tube.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I'm trying to tell you guys. 55 bks for $19.99. hahaha

 

[AckleymanII]

Absolute SCREAMING DEAL on those bullets, Urban!!!

 

[sw282]

lt takes a 40gr to make a prairie dog ''POP''...

 

[1lessdog]

Probably marketing… match BTHP are 52/53 gr so it has to shoot well , right ?

For fur … 50 Vmax gave me splashes and spinners. 55 did a better job of anchoring the coyote but 55 lost a bunch of velo I needed for a 300 yard Point Blank Zero. Haven’t run the math but 53 may be the sweet spot.

Build yourself a 22-6MM AI and shoot 50 gr Blitzkings. At 4350 FPS I hold on fur out to 475 yds. And they just do a real good job on Coyotes.

 

[urbanrifleman]

lt takes a 40gr to make a prairie dog ''POP''...

We used to shoot 55 vmaxs in 22-250 at 3950 fps and the pdogs would literally rip in two pieces and the ass would fly 30 feet one direction, and the head 30 feet the other direction.

We called that 22-250 "The Splitter".

 

[tommeboy]

I have had better luck with the 52gr AMAX shooting way better across multiple guns. Then they quit making them and started on the 53gr vmax. I have tried them in 5 different guns and they shoot ok at best.

I am down to my last 100rd box of the 52gr bullets. I am going to set them aside as I have enough other bullets to keep me busy for several years.

 

[B23]

I have had better luck with the 52gr AMAX shooting way better across multiple guns. Then they quit making them and started on the 53gr vmax. I have tried them in 5 different guns and they shoot ok at best.

I am down to my last 100rd box of the 52gr bullets. I am going to set them aside as I have enough other bullets to keep me busy for several years.

The new 52gr ELD-M is the same as the old 52gr Amax but with the new heatshield tip.

Those 52gr Amax/ELD-M always seem to shoot extremely well in 14tw barrels.

 

[sw282]

53 gr Nosler Varmigeddin has a higher bc @ .303

 

[JLT]

53 gr Nosler Varmigeddin has a higher bc @ .303

That number, like so many others, is a bit optimistic, I think.

 

[jlorenzo]

It depends on how you define "better".

Over 40 years of shooting a lot of prairie dogs, I have shot enough of most everything else to form an opinion.

Two years ago, when I shot out my two 22-250 barrels, I chambered up two 12 twist to try the 53 Vmax and the 60 gr. STMK. After testing there was only one bullet in the 53 weight range that was slightly more accurate, and that was the 52 gr. Berger. But the 53 has better BC so there was no decision to be made for my 250s. I know the BC of the 53 Vmax is not what is advertised, but it is better than anything else I have tried.

I like the Berger from my 223s, but they are shot at shorter distances.

The 60 gr. STMK is real joy to shoot. I take some with me and shoot at longer distances with them, and am very happy with the results. Just make sure there is a back stop. They will open up on a pd, but they can also skip if the ground is hard packed and bare.

From now on, all my 22-250s will be 12 twist.

Jim

If you were to pick one of the more commonly available 224 bullets for general varmint use what would it be?

 

[pdhntr]

If you were to pick one of the more commonly available 224 bullets for general varmint use what would it be?

Varmints being prairie dogs and small critters. Not predators.

I'm not sure how to answer your question, but I will try and hope it helps.

All of my rifles I use for pds will shoot the 53 V-max and so I have "transitioned" over to buying large lots of those bullets and don't have to look for anything else.

If on the other hand you are asking what would I buy to use across all different rifles with the likelihood that they will shoot well regardless of twist it would be the 55 Blitzking.

Jim