Hornady A-Max
- Thread starter waterdog
- Start date
The Amax is an excellent long range bullet for deer. I use the 105 in my 243 win and the 162 gr in my 7mag. I've killed several deer with the 243 at 300 yds with complete pass thru both shoulders. In the 7 mag I've shot one at 630 yds and 657 yds this season. Both the 243 and the 7mag made jello of the internal organs. Exit wounds were small, but no tracking was necessary in any case. The Amax will fragment at velocities as low as 1400 fps. My 7mag will shoot 1.5" at 600 yds and 6" at 1100 yds and very effective on deer size game at these ranges. At close ranges you may want to consider head and neck shots. Good Luck.
civil82
Gold $$ Contributor
Had an experience with a 178 A-Max today... My dad shot a broadside whitetail today with one in a 300 H&H, estimated MV of 2,850, deer was lazed at 200 yards even. It did drop the deer in it's tracks. We got up to the deer with the entance side up, small hole, little trickle of blood. Expecting to see a horrendous exit wound, I flipped the deer over and to my surprise, there was no exit! I'd call the shot as center mass of the body. Feeling the opposite side to for a wound or hole that wasn't visible through the hair, I felt a small lump, and sure enough, the bullet stopped inside of the hide.
One lung and the liver was hit. I don't recall damage to the ribcage and didn't check it when we hung it up.
The bullet did make a picture perfect mushroom. I plan on weighing the bullet and measuring expansion just for a mental note. I'm assuming that hitting heavier bone would have fragmented the bullet, but at the same time was shocked that the bullet didn't pass through soft tissue. I have no complaint of the efficiency of the kill, though.
Have any other A-Max users had this happen?
One lung and the liver was hit. I don't recall damage to the ribcage and didn't check it when we hung it up.
The bullet did make a picture perfect mushroom. I plan on weighing the bullet and measuring expansion just for a mental note. I'm assuming that hitting heavier bone would have fragmented the bullet, but at the same time was shocked that the bullet didn't pass through soft tissue. I have no complaint of the efficiency of the kill, though.
Have any other A-Max users had this happen?
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
civil82,
My brother shot a white tail buck two years ago with a 105 gr AMAX out of a 6x47 Lapua. Shot was 100 yards and had same experience as you. Bullet found under off side hide and also formed a nice mushroom.
My brother shot a white tail buck two years ago with a 105 gr AMAX out of a 6x47 Lapua. Shot was 100 yards and had same experience as you. Bullet found under off side hide and also formed a nice mushroom.
#1-Hog at 128 yards from 7MM Rem Mag with 162 grain A-Max. Quartering away, shot for far shoulder, DRT w/no exit.
#2- Whitetail at 58 yards from .264 LBC AR/6.5 Grendel with 123 grain A-Max. Shot broadside just below ear w/ exit opposite side and expected results. Exit shown-
Graphic image. View at: http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc505/majesticcnc/111111NCDoe264LBCAR123grA-Max.jpg
#3- Whitetail walking at 60 yards from .308 Win. with 168 grain A-Max. Broadside at back of shoulder/ lung area, DRT, no exit, lost shoulder due to hole and red jelly!
Graphic image. View at: http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc505/majesticcnc/111211NCSpike308168grA-Max.jpg
#4; Whitetail at 40 yards from .308 Win. with 168 grain A-Max. Shot in the face just below eye w/ exit at base of skull/high neck, expected results.
#5- Whitetail at 30 yards from .223 AI with 80 grain A-Max. Shoulder shot quartering towards heading behind far shoulder. Lost entrance shoulder due to hole, secondary wound channels and red jelly. Deer traveled 35 yards before expiring.
#6- Whitetail at 400 yards from .243 AI with 105 grain A-Max. Broadside forward shoulder grazing heart with exit opposite side. Deer reacted as if to DRT however regained and went 100-125 yards. Shot placement was less than ideal.
#7- Whitetail at 85 yards from .243 AI with 105 grain A-Max. Shot in the face from downward angle and no exit at neck. Results were expected with no tracking required.
#8- Whitetail at 50 yards from .243 AI with 105 grain A-Max. Slight quartering away with shot placed behind ear and bulged eyes. Exit was not determined however no tracking was required! :
A-Max results are still a work in progress for me when Medium-sized game are the fare. I am aware that large bones coupled with reduced ranges are not your friends. My Zombie Whitetail experiences have eliminated my "less than stellar" tracking! :
#2- Whitetail at 58 yards from .264 LBC AR/6.5 Grendel with 123 grain A-Max. Shot broadside just below ear w/ exit opposite side and expected results. Exit shown-
Graphic image. View at: http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc505/majesticcnc/111111NCDoe264LBCAR123grA-Max.jpg
#3- Whitetail walking at 60 yards from .308 Win. with 168 grain A-Max. Broadside at back of shoulder/ lung area, DRT, no exit, lost shoulder due to hole and red jelly!
Graphic image. View at: http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc505/majesticcnc/111211NCSpike308168grA-Max.jpg
#4; Whitetail at 40 yards from .308 Win. with 168 grain A-Max. Shot in the face just below eye w/ exit at base of skull/high neck, expected results.
#5- Whitetail at 30 yards from .223 AI with 80 grain A-Max. Shoulder shot quartering towards heading behind far shoulder. Lost entrance shoulder due to hole, secondary wound channels and red jelly. Deer traveled 35 yards before expiring.
#6- Whitetail at 400 yards from .243 AI with 105 grain A-Max. Broadside forward shoulder grazing heart with exit opposite side. Deer reacted as if to DRT however regained and went 100-125 yards. Shot placement was less than ideal.
#7- Whitetail at 85 yards from .243 AI with 105 grain A-Max. Shot in the face from downward angle and no exit at neck. Results were expected with no tracking required.
#8- Whitetail at 50 yards from .243 AI with 105 grain A-Max. Slight quartering away with shot placed behind ear and bulged eyes. Exit was not determined however no tracking was required! :
A-Max results are still a work in progress for me when Medium-sized game are the fare. I am aware that large bones coupled with reduced ranges are not your friends. My Zombie Whitetail experiences have eliminated my "less than stellar" tracking! :
Shot a doe last year at about 200 that had a broken leg, probably due to a less than pleasure meeting with a car. The local "Gammie" said to dispatch it and don't make any money off of it. One round from a 155 gr. Hornady TAP round and she was DRT on the spot. Angled shot from behind the ear and traveling forward. Very lethal for what they are intended for.
Lloyd
Lloyd
123gr A-max at ~2750fps performs perfectly on small and medium deer, no major meat loss.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
Headshot stories are BS when it comes to bullet performance, that's just stroking your own ego. I've never seen a deer walk off from being hit in the head with a 22WMR either (and I've seen way more than I'll ever admit to) but that doesn't recommend the bullet or the round for hunting.
Personally I shoot target bullets at paper and hunting bullets at animals and don't waste my time trying to do both with either.
Personally I shoot target bullets at paper and hunting bullets at animals and don't waste my time trying to do both with either.
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Lot of merit to the last comment.
Why anyone would judge bullet performance based on a head shot makes no sense to me.
I am also curious as my 260 AI seems to only shoot A-Max's and literally nothing else. Kind of afraid to use one on deer. Guess it's worth a try but what if I hit bone?
That seems to be the issue and it's unresolved.
Why anyone would judge bullet performance based on a head shot makes no sense to me.
I am also curious as my 260 AI seems to only shoot A-Max's and literally nothing else. Kind of afraid to use one on deer. Guess it's worth a try but what if I hit bone?
That seems to be the issue and it's unresolved.
Waterdog
There is one thing you have to remember is that the Amax as well as the Berger were designed for paper punchers. Hunters who honed their skills at long range proved that these bullets will flat out kill deer before the bullet designers had a clue as to their devastating effect on deer and elk. The Amax is easy to load and economical to shoot and deadly. That's a hard combination to beat!
There is one thing you have to remember is that the Amax as well as the Berger were designed for paper punchers. Hunters who honed their skills at long range proved that these bullets will flat out kill deer before the bullet designers had a clue as to their devastating effect on deer and elk. The Amax is easy to load and economical to shoot and deadly. That's a hard combination to beat!
Shot a nice buck at 130 yards this year with my.243 and 105 Amax. It rolled over, DRT, just like my .300 Ultra would do, with the exception of not blowing him back as far. Little trickle of blood on entrance and no exit wound, this I did not like. I shot 2 bucks and a doe in 40 minutes 2 years ago with my .260 and 140 Amax's, now was a different story. They all had decent exit wounds, 2 dropped where I shot them and the 3rd went about 25 yards. All 4 deer were broadside shots.
I haven't used them yet on deer either, but then again I am still bowhunting too. When in doubt, just check with the maker. The Hornady manual, 8th edition, lists the 6.5mm 140 grain amax bullet as a medium game, varmint, and match bullet if you look on page 99. The 120 & 123 amax are only listed as target & varmint (pg 98). the 30cal amax bullets are on page 104, 105 & 106. they list the 150, 168, 178, 208 grain amax bullets as all suitable for medium game, varmints, and match. So maybe since they class them the way they do, they are not a concern when hunting.
I can verify the 100grain, G5 montec S.S broadheads, if anyone has questions on those!!! HA Ha Ha!!! ;D they tend to not mushroom out very well unless you drill a big enough rock, but you can re-sharpen and use them again.
that is all I have had the chance to use this year. the only deer that ran out of sight when just over a rise, and I could hear them crash.
I can verify the 100grain, G5 montec S.S broadheads, if anyone has questions on those!!! HA Ha Ha!!! ;D they tend to not mushroom out very well unless you drill a big enough rock, but you can re-sharpen and use them again.
that is all I have had the chance to use this year. the only deer that ran out of sight when just over a rise, and I could hear them crash.CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Fryeguy...You are right.
Figured you were "blowing smoke". Grabbed my Hornady manual and lo and behold - there's charts with applications on the bullets.
Quite a surprise they endorse the A-Max for hunting. They do and now I will.
Figured you were "blowing smoke". Grabbed my Hornady manual and lo and behold - there's charts with applications on the bullets.
Quite a surprise they endorse the A-Max for hunting. They do and now I will.
civil82
Gold $$ Contributor
I'm quite surprised that their manual lists for hunting purposes, yet the website and their own customer service department still advises against. I sent an e-mail to them a few months ago asking why the website advises against hunting use, but the customer testimonial pages were filled with successful kills using the A-Max. I'd use them regardless of what the manufacturer states, but was hoping to get some good input from the horse's mouth so to speak. They have me some reply about they can't control what the consumer does with a specific bullet, they just post the stories and pictures if someone sends something in.
Thanks for pointing out the manual information. If I get bored today maybe ill ask the same guy that responded to my last e-mail why the website and reloading manual show conflicting information. It's a serious pet peeve of mine to see a huge manufacturer speak out of both corners of the mouth.
Thanks for pointing out the manual information. If I get bored today maybe ill ask the same guy that responded to my last e-mail why the website and reloading manual show conflicting information. It's a serious pet peeve of mine to see a huge manufacturer speak out of both corners of the mouth.
I figured no one would believe me, that's why I gave the page number. It's no worries. I had looked it up when I first bought my 6.5 creedmoor. I couldn't find brass, but the shop had 140amax factory ammo, and it would group tight! so I picked up a box of the 140's amax. Not sure why, but I never could get the reloads w/ amax to group as well ( I didn't try too hard either). The 100hp sierras are real tack drivers in it. I am playing with bergers now. I ran out of 130's, and couldn't find them anywhere, so I picked up a box of 140vld hunting. still haven't shot them, but expect them to do well. now if I could find a place nearby where I could actually hunt with a rifle, and not a bow, I would be delighted. ;D
Before I started building hunting bullets for my brother .243 with a 105 Amax I went to Longrange Hunting .com site. I asked the question about using Amax's for hunting and was told by many to use them. I also did a search and found 100's of 1 shot kills with no chase involved, not 1 story of not harvesting what was shot. My brother has shot many deer, some big ones to boot all but 1 dropped right where they stood. The 1 that did not went 25 yards it was a nice 6 point. I load them for others, all deer have been put in the freezer, not a 1 has traveled over that 25 yards, most shot with a .243 105 Amax, all of us own them.
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