new hornady 53gr Vmax has a better BC then any 60gr

[Ring31]

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-Cal-.224-53-GR-V-MAX/

Ballistic Coefficient .290
Sectional Density .151

and at 3400fps in a 223, it has better wind and drop over a 69gr or a 55gr 22-250 past 400

i just picked up 600 to test... this may be my new bullet out to 700....

 

[StraightTimeStirrups]

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-Cal-.224-53-GR-V-MAX/

Ballistic Coefficient .290
Sectional Density .151

and at 3400fps in a 223, it has better wind and drop over a 69gr or a 55gr 22-250 past 400

i just picked up 600 to test... this may be my new bullet out to 700....

And the results are?

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Not the OP, but I've just started testing them at 100 in a 12 twist 223. They group good, and the bullets are stable at sea level and 32 degreed F, but I need to do more load development. I only shot a few, and I had a flyer in the first group opening it to 3/4". I'm intending to shoot them at 600 yards for F-class practice. They should have similar wind drift (in MOA and score) to my 1000 yard load. It is an idea that I just hadn't thought about before. Wish me luck!

 

[jasonf]

I've been using them for a few months. They are now my default varminting pill, replacing the 50gr v-max. Same accuracy and better wind handling. I dropped 135 fps in the switch but the 50gr load was on the warm side.

 

[Cowboy Tom]

To all of the above,

Please keep us posted on your results with this bullet. It sounds like just the ticket.

 

[LRPV]

I tried them in a 14 twist 22-250 Tikka T3. They went through the target sideways at 100 yards in this rifle. I had tried Berger 64 grain bullets in this rifle before and they would stabilize and group well with perfect round holes.
It is rumored that at least a 1 in 12 is required to stabilize the 53 Vmax but I have not gotten around to working on load for my Savage yet. I have shot some of the Superformance Varmint ammo in AR rifles and have found it to be
very accurate for factory ammo in 4 different rifles although the carbine length gas system seems to be very hard on the Hornady brass. I have a 223 load with H4895 and the 53 Vmax that I am happy with for Varmint use.
I have had excellent accuracy with the 50 Vmax and haven't seen that the 53 will be any less accurate so far with the exception of needing more twist of course.
Jason

 

[Keith Glasscock]

In the 12 twist 223, I'm getting nice, round holes in the target all the way to 600 (the farthest I can shoot here). Unfortunately, my scope doesn't respond well to being dialed up that far, so the accuracy work was done at 300 yards.

I shot several groups with 27.5 Varget and jammed anywhere from .001" to .015"

It really seemed to like .003 with two flat groups. The .009 group showed just under 1" all vertical. The .015 groups showed some tendency toward flyers with groups of about 1.5"

Not bad for a factory Remington varmint rifle that is over 20 years old and an unknown round count!

Now all I need is a better scope. This one does all kinds of funny things when dialed up for 600 yards... On two different rifles much less!

 

[birdog]

Any new test results. How do they shoot at say 600 yds?

 

[jasonf]

I am running them with 5 thou jump in a 12" twist Rem 700 SPS varmint 223. The barrel has been cut to 24" and I am getting 3330fps with 26.0gr of Benchmark in Lapua cases and Fed 205m primers. I tried AR2206H (H4895) which gave similar speeds and good accuracy but was lightly compressed which I personally prefer to avoid.

They shoot at least as well as the 50gr Vmax and are highly explosive on varmints. I find them much easier to shoot in the wind than the 50s.

 

[birdog]

Voldoc shoots the 53 V-Max in his 22 BR.
He sent me the following info on his experience
with them in the dog fields.

Voldoc:

I found out about the 53 grainers
22 cals last year just before
PD Safari 2011=
I already had my 22BR fodder loaded
(550) so I just took about 500 of the new 53's
with me and as I shot the 50's up =
I reloaded with the 53's=
They are the go-to in light wt. 22 cal
Red Misters=
had many kills over 500 yds and many doubles
and triples=
simply awesome=
I think my 22BR is a 14 twist=
I'm pushing them pretty hard =
around 3,800 fps = I think=

This is my 22BR Remy 700=
Premier boosted Leupy with Gene Davis 3X lens=
'Johnny Reb"=
shootin' those 53 grainers=
This was our initial set-up in the Gulch for 2011
and Ole volDoc reeled off 23 straight
kills w/o a miss=
all 350 yds in=

 

[Rock Knocker]

How should these bullets do on coyotes?

 

[Phil]

I`m putting together a 22BRX to use these little buggers in.



Hopefully i`ll have the same results as Voldoc... ;D

 

[Nomo4me]

I've got a box of them to try in my 8 twist rock river 24" heavy varminter. I'll pair them with some benchmark and lake city brass and see how the 8 twist treats them.