A-max kills

[Luke45]

Anyone killed anything with an amax? I keep hearing how good they work on game for in heavy for caliber rounds.

Please no opinions , just if you have ever used them on game and how they worked?

[binadu]

This site has a lot of info on bullets including the AMAX on game

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Know...ady+A-Max.html

[stomp442]

Helped a friend of mines wife kill a whitetail last year with a .260 Remington at 682 yards with a 120 Amax. Full penetration of both shoulders and a nice quarter sized exit. Deer dropped in its tracks. I also killed a deer at over 1200 yards with a 6.5-284 and 140 Amax. Same result as above. I would say they work just fine on deer anyways.

[bootsmcguire]

I have had mixed results but all gave me DRT. I have used them in my 308 in the past, and like stomp said full penetration through the vitals and exit. However I have had them blow up like a V-Max when they encounter heavier bones.

I hit a deer at around 250yds, and just as the trigger broke she turned and the bullet struck the lower part of the rear hip and then exited the hip/leg to the inside and crossed through the rear torso area. When I got to hear she had completely bled out and I though "a leg shot made her loose this much blood?" Once I positioned her for field dress I could see what it really was and found more evidence when I butchered. The bullet struck the top section of the leg bone and fragmented continuing on through where it passed out the other side of the leg and then re-entered the body in the torso as fragments. It looked like Freddy Kruger had given her a good slicing on her underside and that is where the massive blood loss came from. When butchering I found lots of long sliver-like shards of the bullet jacket inside the rib cages, and most of the guts looked like she had been eating razor blades.

Now I was using the 155 A-Max at about 2850fps, and had I been using a heavier one like the 208 A-Max I may not have had that, I don't know.

[scooterf79]

Im curious to see the posts on this topic. Ive thought about trying them sometime but havent gotten around to it.
Boots...sounds like quite impact lol.
Sounds like some good shootin stomp!
Scooter

[guhunter]

I shot an antelope buck last year right at 200 yards with a 140 amax from a 6.5x55. I pulled the shot a hair and hit dead on the shoulder. Bullet punched straight through and the buck dropped I his tracks. Tiny entrance wound and slightly larger coming out.

[243LPR]

It always amazes me with all the good "hunting" bullets out there people still insist on hunting with "target" bullets that are not intended or designed for it. First time they lose an animal they'll blame it on their bullet. Rant over.

[tomme boy]

I have shot a bunch of squirrels with 53gr AMAX in my 223. Not having a head helps bleed them out really fast.

[tomme boy]

And for the record, Hornady recommends the AMAX for thin skinned game. Guess what a deer or antelope is?

[JCalhoun]

A buddy swears by the 178gr Amax in his .308W.

[Luke45]

It always amazes me with all the good "hunting" bullets out there people still insist on hunting with "target" bullets that are not intended or designed for it. First time they lose an animal they'll blame it on their bullet. Rant over.

ive heard from alot of people the killing performance of amaxs, and ive never heard of anyone loosing an animal to one. but i have heard tons of people loosing animals to "hunting" bullets

[Jeremy B]

I got a nice whitetail buck last year using A-Max in my 30-06, it was a good chest shot but didn't drop the deer in it's tracks. The one thing I like about them is that they don't damage as much meat as the old remington round nose core-lokt bullets I liked to use and they dropped on the spot

[lcq01]

A-Max like the SST are very explosive when driven fast or hit bone. I wouldn't take a shot unless completely broadside

[BoilerUP]

It always amazes me with all the good "hunting" bullets out there people still insist on hunting with "target" bullets that are not intended or designed for it. First time they lose an animal they'll blame it on their bullet. Rant over.

I used to have the same mindset...then it dawned on me that medium game don't wear SAPI plates.

Put a bullet where it should be placed (ie. CNS or heart/lungs) and it'll kill just as quickly and cleanly as a TSX, Partition, or Core-Lokt. Modern bullet design has seen WONDERFUL advancements, but the end all/be all will ALWAYS be shot placement (FMJ not withstanding).

I have killed one deer with a .224 80gr A-Max; approx. 65yd shot, bullet entered just under and in front of the left ear and vacated the skull, leaving a fist-sized exit wound from the deer's inner right eye to the ear canal.

I have also killed a deer with a .224 77gr Nosler CC; deer was 70yd, facing me but slightly quartering, head down. Bullet entered top of the skull in the "right/center" quadrant and exited on the bottom/left of the neck, roughly under the left ear. Exit wound was large enough for me to put a lightly gloved thumb into but quite clearly bullet-shaped, indicating the bullet had begun tumbling.

While I'd never attempt a shoulder shot with either bullet, I would not hesitate to take a heart/lung shot inside of a reasonable range (I call that 200 yards) as I'm confident in the wounding/tumbling/fragmenting/penetration of each bullet based on experience.

[243LPR]

And for the record, Hornady recommends the AMAX for thin skinned game. Guess what a deer or antelope is?

I checked their site and don't see that.

[bootsmcguire]

Here an section from the Hornady page giving bullet over view, and a link to said page below:

A-MAX®

Designed by match shooters for match shooters. With an ultra-low drag tip, our A-Max match bullets feature an aerodynamic secant ogive that delivers flat trajectories with excellent uniformity and concentricity. Find out more...

• Rapid, explosive expansion with limited penetration.
• Recommended muzzle velocity range: 2000+ fps.
• These bullets are not recommended for hunting.

http://www.hornady.com/bullets

[Luke45]

Guys, I understand it's not "recommended" by hornady for hunting.

I've still never heard of a single person loosing an animal with an AMax, just looking for first hand results, all I've heard from multiple people is praise on how well they work in heavy for caliber offerings(105 6mm, 140 6.5, 162 7mm, and 208 30 cal)

[bootsmcguire]

No I'm with ya, as posted above I have used them and not lost an animal shot with one yet. I was just clearing up the last post on page 1. They do work, but how reliably is debatable.

[Luke45]

No I'm with ya, as posted above I have used them and not lost an animal shot with one yet. I was just clearing up the last post on page 1. They do work, but how reliably is debatable.

Exactly! Agree 100%, trying to hear the flip side of a negative experience.

Bottom line is I have some laying around and can't decide if I'm going to use them for hunting, but so far I haven't been convinced against them other than hornady not recommending them for big game

[FEENIX]

And for the record, Hornady recommends the AMAX for thin skinned game. Guess what a deer or antelope is?

I have never seen that recommendation, other than ...

A-MAX®

Designed by match shooters for match shooters. With an ultra-low drag tip, our A-Max match bullets feature an aerodynamic secant ogive that delivers flat trajectories with excellent uniformity and concentricity. Find out more...

• Rapid, explosive expansion with limited penetration.
• Recommended muzzle velocity range: 2000+ fps.
• These bullets are not recommended for hunting.

As already noted by bootsmcguire above.

My only game harvest with the A-Max is with a muley doe (similar distance as the antelope but do not have pictures) and an antelope at 338 yards



(http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=410736&SearchTerms=antelope)

[earl39]

Not the A-Max but something to compare and think about. The Berger hunting bullets WERE target bullets to begin with and NOT recommended for hunting. After many kills and hunters talking about how well they worked in bringing down game Berger decided to say they were hunting bullets also. Now they have made target bullets with a thicker jacket because of complaints by shooters and have two lines of bullets. In short if it works why not use it?

[DanSavage]

I have never had a white tail deer take 1 step after being struck with a 178 A max out of a .308 PERIOD

[JackinSD]

At one point, the Hornady site did mention the "think skinned" animals. It has since been removed. I have used many different bullets on "thin skinned" game and will continue to use the AMAX. Why? In my experience, they have provided excellent results. Results are what count and they do the job for me extremely well.

[Jamie]

Jack is correct. At one time they were recommended by Hornady but with the introduction of the more costly SST line the A-Max is now a "target only" and the SST is the hunting bullet.

[thermaler]

In my Hornady 8th edition only the 6mm 105 gr is rated to take medium game. I think it's a mistake to assume that one instance of it "working" means it's the same across all calibers/weights. I know guys that hunt with matchkings in 224 for deer because they like the fact it goes off like a grenade inside the deer--I wouldn't trust myself with the right placed shot enough to do that though.

Velocity and energy are everything. (just ask Deano) : )