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7mm A-MAX or VLD for deer???

DCRYDER

Silver $$ Contributor
Which would be the better all around bullet for deer out of a 280AI, 8 twist, 27" tube.

Shots between 70 and 450 yards on a windy ridge. I want enough expansion on a broadside lung shot at 400yds, and also have enough penetration for a quartering towards or straight on shot at 100yds.

I have been practicing at 500 yards. My rifle shoots both the 162 AMAX and 168 VLD pretty good (3"-4" for 3 shots) and BDC works perfectly with them at 2970 fps.

Am pretty impressed with others experiences with VLDs, like to hear some 162 AMAX feedback.
 
My buddy shoots the 162 amax's outta his 7 mag and they are impressive. He shot two antelope last year one at 762 and 851 and they were both bang flop! The doe he shot last year in PA rifle season was destroyed the first six inchs of the back straps were ruined from the blood clotting. Even tho he hit her in the front shoulders we found coppers pieces in the hind quarters.

Hillbilly
 
My experience with 162 A-max's is that they make one hell of a mess. I wouldn't use them on anything bigger than mule deer. I have used 168 VLD's out of my 7wsm to dispatch elk and every time it's the same thing, DRT! The A-max's shoot better for me and carry two minutes flatter at 1000 yards but I just don't trust them like I do the Bergers. I have yet to be let down by either but have only limited experiences hunting with the A-max.
 
I love the whole a-max line. The 75gr 22cal is fantastic on varmints
The 150 243cal is a good all around slug
The 162 284 is my favorite. It will destroy varmints and i have
never had a deer or antelope go anywhere other than stright
down.
 
I'm shooting the 162 A Max out of a Rem 700 7mm RM 26" stainless with 71.0g of Retumbo with a Fed 215 in Rem brass with a MV of 3100+ fps, tiny groups. Work up to that load in your rifle because you have a 8" twist and a very different lot#.

I can tell you that the 162g SST is a very tough bullet. Two lucky guys I know went to Africa with a pair of 7 STW's with the 162 SST's loaded at 3150 fps and they both killed 6 plains game each including Kudu and Eland. All their game dropped on the spot...their PH was so impressed that he wrote an article on the bullet and caliber.
 
I'd personally run a 160 SGK or 162 BTSP, likely much more 'retained venison' to eat :) A 150 BTip is a nice bullet for that round as 7RM. I think they all will do fine in the wind, and on impact, from any angle, and whatever is between onside hide... and vitals.......
 
I've decided to go with the VLD's. I did a very sophisticated 5 gallon bucket test on both. ;D Recovered bullets were almost identical, both came completely unglued (only 60 yards) but the deciding factor was that the AMAX bearly exited the first bucket, leaving the second bucket unscathed. The VLD did make it into the second bucket. The AMAX weighed 42gr and the VLD 55gr, both expanded to .725".

Thanks for the opinions

Dave
 
WOW!!! Just killed a deer this morning at 569 yards with the 168gr VLD's. BANG-FLOP. No kicking, no head thrashing, DRT. Pretty stiff wind from 9 oclock held for about 12" drift and put the 500 yard circle on BDC top of back, bam right through the shoulders. Pretty small exit and only 2 drops of blood, it died that quick, never knew what hit it. Penetrated both blades and internals were mush. I too was a skeptic, now it will be my go-to bullet until I see a reason to not trust it.
 
Good Shooting! Both slugs are a great chioce, only difference would be for the longer range hunting the amax has a little better BC. 162 amax is .625 and the 168 vld is .617


Hillbilly
 
The down sides for me on the a-max was lesser penetration on my bucket test at close range and the tips were so soft that they deformed during recoil in the magazine.

The a-max will definately be my go-to bullet for paper punching and varminting. Both for the cheaper price and extra explosiveness!!!

About all of my 20 years of shooting has been 100-200 yards and I still enjoy it, but I'll tell you this long range stuff is ADDICTIVE!!!

Thanks for the props guys!!!!
 
Nosler Ballistic tip, 150 Gr, 69-70 grains of 7828 in 7Rem Mag,(ok in my rifle) 625 yards and 545 yards, both deer dropped with solid chest/bone hits, both went thru with fist sized holes, and neither one twitched more than once. What is not to like about that? ;D :o
This combo is on a 700 with Sendero Barrel, 6.5-20 EFR Leupold, MCMillan sillouette stock and shoots under 1/2 inch all the time.Snert
 
Hornady AMAX is THE bullet for me when it comes to killing deer. Works very well; shot 25 deer with it the last couple of weeks.
 
Have no experince with the Amax. Seems that others have got good results from it. From what has been posted on this thread and many others. Me I have always leaned toward Nosler for my hunting bullets. The Accubond is one of my favorites. All tho Berger seems to be proving itself so far! The Berger hunting vld seems to respond as well as the Accubond but with better accuracy. Next week will truely tell the tell for the Berger hunting bullet. I like what I see so far. I'm just the kind of hunter that likes a bullet that will enter exprand but retain the core and push all the way threw! Leaving a nice exit wound and cause massive bleeding for tracking if needed. Many bullets will do this! The Berger seems at this point does it and shoot more accurately! Just my recent experience!
Mark
 
Both are good bullets. the a max in all calibers shoot amazingly for me and are not not picky at all for seating depth but I tend to seat 5 tho into the lands. On game the amax are awesome as well went 8 for 8 this past weekend culling hogs and deer at a friends ranch this past week with the 140s out of my 260. And have always had good luck with them. They are my go to non dangerous game bullet.
 

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