Best 243AI long range prairie dog/gopher bullet

[montana_native]

I have a 1:8.5 twist barrel. What would be the best bullet choice for 7-800 yard shooting? Been working with the A-max a bit in 105 gr. The 105 Berger has a bit better advertised BC than the A-max but would add about $0.11 to every trigger pull.

I'd like to have a little explosiveness at longer range too if that would be possible.

Thanks.

 

[cmillard]

107 grain sierra. tell us a little about your rifle

 

[montana_native]

28" Krieger #17 Contour, custom remington 700 in a 5r HS Precision stock.

Thanks.

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

Whats difficult about this scenario is that the bullets you mentioned are all target bullets. I've heard of some splat factor with A-maxs, haven't heard anything with the 107 SMKs. If you want tremendous splat, try some 88gr Berger match/varmint. A little less wind bucking capability but, they'll do the job.

Mike

 

[TAC]

My experience is that the 105gr A-Max's come apart better than other bullets in that weight class. Try them for yourself... My current 243AI doesn't shoot them that well, so I shoot what it likes despite the splat factor of the A-Max's.

 

[RJinTexas]

I've been a long range p-dog shooter for about 10 years and last year purchased a 6x47L to use out past 500yds. When load developing I found that my rifle wouldn't shoot 87gr V-max's very well but loved 88gr FB Berger Match/Varmint bullets and would shoot sub 3" - 10 shot groups at 500yds with them so I thought I'd found the answer for a fairly consistent long range bullet for this rifle, but the results were less then satisfactory in the dog towns. Yes the bullet shot great but there was no spat factor it did manage to leave em DRT but provided little or no impact noise unless you had a dog facing you and you hit it in the stomach then you'd hear a thump. Most of the dogs I shot just fell over and started kicking the bullet just seemed to pass through w/o expanding. When we went to examine the dogs the exit hole wasn't much bigger then the entrance hole. So I was wondering what cartridge and varmint Mike was shooting to get TREMENDOUS SPLAT with this bullet?

Regards
RJ

 

[montana_native]

I was thinking of trying that Speer hollow point TNT bullet. We use them in 52gr out of my friend's 22-250 and they are unbelievably devastating on gophers. They have a pretty low BC though. I am probably asking too much to be honest but I wanted to hear other's advice.

Thanks.

 

[LWolken]

Been shooting the 105 Amax for several years now. It is the only VLD bullet that expands at extended ranges even better up close. I tried the 107 MK's and Berger 95's and 105's which both shot marginally better but it sucks to see a hit and then watch them get back up and crawl to their hole again and again. The only other one I'd consider is the 87gr VMax but it does not offer quite the wind bucking that the 105 will at extended ranges but it sure opens up. I shoot them out of 243 Ack's I just built a second gun with a BAT 3 lug 1.350" shilen 1-8" Jewell BR trigger Walnut with carbon fiber sheet laminate.

Lance

 

[Iamsignal3]

Man that is a pretty gun!

 

[aitrble]

88 Bergers all the way Push them faster!!!

 

[North Fork]

I use 70 grain nosler ballistic tip but i don't know if they would work in 1x8 twist barrel

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

In my defense, if a bullet manufacturer lends its bullet as a "varmint" bullet, then one would "assume" it is highly frangible! As thats what "varmint" bullets are! Now I have no personal experience with them and therefore shouldn't recommend them. Once again, I have assumed and made an ass out of u and me!

Mike

 

[RJinTexas]

Mike, that's not always the case read gun of week #93 article. You'll see that while testing the Berger 88fb varmint match grade bullets Stan Stewart stated that he found that the 88gr FB Bergers expanded very little on groundhogs although they displayed excellent accuracy. I had the same experience with the 88's in the prairie dog towns. Over the years I've found Hornady, Nosler and Sierra to consistently perform very well giving you the best splat effect for your buck regardless of what speed you choose to shoot them. Let your rifle tell you which brand it prefers.

Regards
RJ

 

[jerrschmitt]

I think that the problem is that by the time that bullet gets out to 700-800 yard it slowed down to where it just will not open like it does at higher velocities. My standerd .243 is only getting around 1800 FPS at 800 yard with the 105 AMAX when it starts at 3000 FPS. I havent found any bullet that will give much of a splat at longer ranges.

 

[RJinTexas]

Being I've only made a couple of confirmed p-dog kills in excess of 800yds and have only witnessed a couple of dozen more at such extreme range I'd be incline to agree with you that your not going to see a lot of devastation at 800 plus yards. I once shot a p-dog at 819yds with a 55gr NBT and flipped it into the air blowing it's right shoulder completely off. Now I have killed numerous dogs between 500 to 600yds and have observed that over 50% of those dogs were flipped into the air shooting 75gr V-Max's while when shooting the same dog town with my 6x47L using 88gr FB Bergers the dogs just seemed to fall over and started kicking. Upon examining the kills we found that the Bergers just passed through where the V-Max's actually blew up and produced much more damage.

Regards
RJ

 

[mbianchini]

105gr. A-Max's

 

[LWolken]

Mike,

Don't knock it till you try it. 105 Amax is the long range VLD Bullet to shoot. It will expand at 1000+ yds. I would like to try out the David Tubb 111 MJPT to see if it expands like the AMax. Anyone know where I can buy them?

Lance

 

[cliffy]

70 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip! Keep shots within 500 yards, and they will work for what you want them to do. For me, they are 350 yard miracle workers. Cliffy