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I am trying to put my son in the hunt this year for whitetail deer and the best rifle he shoots is the AR. I am planning on using the 75 Grain AMAX in a PMAG and was wondering if anybody had used them in a PMAG and were you able to get them to shoot decently loading at mag length? Thanks..
Due to the long ogive, the 75 amax won't do well in an AR mag. I love the bullet & use it at the 600 yard line in Hi Power competition, but I have to single load it. You'd be trying to crimp it into the curve of the ogive if you seat it mag length. I've used the Nostler 60 gr Partitian one time in the 223 with good results (standing neck shot at 65 yds). I normally use a 7-08 improved or 243, but that year I had rotator cuff surgery scheduled the 2nd week of deer season (yeah my timing left something to be desired, but that's when the surgeon could do it), and any recoil wasn't worth the discomfort.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Al
Well, as much as I try to research before buying I simply fudged up on this decision. I guess I have a good reason to put a 223 bolt gun in the safe now.. Thanks for letting me know anyhow..
So use a round nose flat base heavy hunting bullet (if you can find one) that is a lot shorter than a 75 amax designed around a high BC. You aren't going to shoot more than 100-150 yds, correct? High BC and a sexy shape doesn't really matter for short range hunting.
65g Sierra Gameking is .850" long. 75 amax is 1.080" long. Gameking is a boattail. Might work for you at 2.260" OAL where the 75amax won't.
Nosler makes a 64g hunting bullet specifically for AR mag length restrictions-
https://www.nosler.com/bonded-solid-base-bullet
The 65gr Sierra Game King is an excellent hunting bullet. It was specifically designed for shooting Kangaroo's in Australia which are a lot tougher than our wimpy little whitetail deer.
Amaxes aren't a hunting bullet anyway. With all the excellent hunting bullets out there why do people insist on hunting with a target bullet?
Because I love tracking dead animals... LOL
Because they work very well, and have been for decades.Quote:
Originally Posted by 243LPR
If the mfr suggests they not be used for hunting applications,why push it? Sorry,just don't understand the thought process.
If you haven't actually USED an amax on a critter, you are making assumptions.
They work very well.
I'm going to tell you straight. I've seen a lot I'm talking about ALOT of deer and hog shot with the 223. And I have seen ALOT of deer lost and shoulders splattered from them And stop the bullet too where we couldn't find it for a few days until buzzards started. If your going to hunt with a 223 and there is nothing wrong with one for deer IF it has a Barnes in it. I don't allow any 223 on my place unless it has a Barnes or a partition in the tube. Those are the only two bullets I have seen really perform on deer. I've seen lots of others work. But eventually you will wish you listened. A 223 is good deer medicine to out to about 200 yards with a Barnes or a Partition. Now I'll hear well I did this or killed that with whatever bullet. But hit that shoulder on a real humdinger buck and see if I'm bullskating you.
Its funny you mention that, because if a real humdinger buck came out on my son trying to take him with the 223 I'd be nervous as hell... i'd really hate to see him lose a nice buck to such a small caliber, but at this point in the game we are just trying to get him on the hunt with something he can manage... If we lose a deer, so be it.. I think maybe for Christmas we may set him up with a 243 or something.
I don't get the appeal of the Amax. If my sons were young and could only hunt with a 223 it would be loaded with a 50-55gr TSX. Either size would ensure enough velocity for complete expansion and total penetration, thus ensuring a good blood trail.
I know a 223 will kill deer but one would be well advised to get the most penetration. The TSX will out penetrate bullets much heavier. Just look at comparisons of FINAL bullet weights. That is what will be most effective.
You won't loose him.. If you put a Ttsx or a Tsx in the front end. Amax ?? not so sure.. And you surely don't want that to be his first experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by cowtownup
I actually ended up loading some 77 TMK for the job and we're gonna give it a go here in the next few days.. I'll keep you posted on how far it ran....
I got a chance to see how the Sierra 69 MK performs in the field. Shot a 180 lb boar through the shoulder at about 80 yds under the full moon last Saturday. The bullet expanded in the shoulder, shattered a rib and blew a 3 inch gaping hole in his ribcage. He ran about 30 yds and that was it.
I was shooting Australian Outback ammo. Shoots very well out my 12FV in 223. The Vortex Crossfield II FFP, Dusk to Dawn scope worked perfect. Cross hairs were perfectly clear under the moon light. Forgot to turn on my illuminated target Dot, but that made no difference to the pig.
Good to know... 80-100 yards is the longest shot My son will have out of his stand...
We got the chance to put the 77 TMK to the test this evening.. My son had about a 75 yard shot and and we had to track the deer about 30 yards into the woods.. He was super excited as well as myself. As we were coming out of the woods there was a nice 6 pointer standing out in our food plot. My son is going to need some work on shot placement. He likes using the red dot sight but he is going to have to start using a scoped rifle and work on putting that shot in the right spot..
Did you get a pass through? The Mk is a very thin bullet. I was asking because 77 gr might have enough lead to get through. I had a kid shoot a nice 3-1/2 year old 8 point Saturday at about 80 yards with a 223 with the factory loaded Remington Hog Hammers. The bullet did a perfect job. Buck was around 150 pounds. He hit it in the left high shoulder it destroyed everything between and left a perfect exit hole about as big as a nickel. The buck Sat right down and tipped over. My little buddy 11 years old got so emotional he started to cry. I said are you ok? He stutters Yea yeah yes. Then he said this is the best thing I ever have done. And gave me a big hug. I almost lost it myself. I got a New best friend. Lol I couldn't charge his mom for taking him hunting. I think I like taking kids hunting more than I like shooting them myself now.
Thats awesome swamphonkey. I never found an exit wound on the doe my son shot. I'm sure he was pretty nervous, but he ended up shooting the deer in the hind quarter instead of the front shoulder like I instructed him to do. We had to finish the deer off in the woods. As eager as I was to get him in the hunt and on his first deer, I learned that when using a smaller caliber as such, shot placement is KING. I think he needs a couple years and be able to easily shoot 1 to 1.5 MOA groups at 100 yards before he goes for that humdinger buck. By that time he should be able to handle a 243 or something more stout.. As far as the 77 TMK goes, I'll probably not take another deer with them.. I may have jumped the gun a little on getting my little man in the hunt. Live and learn... lol...
Nah.. It's good you started him. I started my kids real young also. And my grand baby at 6 he shot his first buck but he had been going with me for a year sitting in the shot house. Sometimes we want something for them more than they do. But every once a while one really wants it. Those kids turn into real woodsmen. I have a young black man I started hunting when he was 10 but for 5 years that boy asked me if I would take him to get a deer. He really wanted it his daddy said when he was 10 he could go. Lol the week before his 10th birthday he called me to remind me he was turning 10. Lol. And I schooled him right I didn't just take him and put him in a stand and shoot one. I showed him how to read sign what kind of woods to look for just how to be a Hunter. And that man is a very skilled woodsman now. To many have lost the real skill of hunting. Now it's pour a bag on the ground put up a stand ,buy the scent control clothing or whatever New thingies. When I started at 6 it was a 410 with a slug and a green army jacket that went to my knees and walking behind my granddad or Mom and they schooled me on how to find deer. We had tree stands but it was some old boards up in a white oak. Mostly we walked and shot off the ground. Deerhunting has come along way but a lot has been lost.