168 TMK v A-Max: advice on the range and hunting needed

[gordonl]

Just finished breaking in my X-Bolt 30-06, shot around 3/4 MOA (outstanding!!!!!) with 165r SSTs.

2 Questions:

What would you guys recommend in 168 for plinking/ target out to 600y, occasionally 900 at my buddy place?

Also I know they are not intended for use for hunting but...which one is better.
My own thought is that maybe the TMK because it has a little thicker of a jacket than the A-Max which explodes in game out to like 500 yards or so.

 

[gordonl]

A-Max's are on sale as well.........

 

[Jud96]

A few years back, before my cousin's moved up with bigger long range rifles, they both were using .308 Winchesters. I helped them work up a good load and they both used a 168gr A-MAX with 44.0gr of IMR 4064 going 2700fps. They dropped a lot of critters with those rifles including deer, groundhogs, and anything else that was legal from 200-600yds. The 168gr A-MAX is an amazing bullet and I would not hesitate to use them in a .308 or .30-06! My Dad shot a deer with a 168 A-MAX out of his .30-06 going 2900fps at 15 yards and the bullet went in and blew the internals apart, DRT. We never had a failure and they just worked on everything.

The A-MAXs are cheaper than the Sierras and the true BCs of both bullets are very similar. I don't know about the 168gr TMKs, but the .224cal 69gr TMKs have a super thin jacket and are more suited for varmints than deer because they burst when the hit anything and that's out of a .223 at 2800fps. Typical 168gr A-MAX performance on deer is a .30cal entrance, complete destruction of the vitals, and a golf ball size exit. I hope this information helps! gun)