208 A Max terminal results

[Idaho Trecker]

Just thought I would share my experience using a 208 grain A Max this fall.

So far I have taken a small whitetail buck and still have a couple more tags that I hope to fill while using the A Max.

The buck was broadside at 560 yards with his head turned towards me when I took the shot. After getting my drop calculated and wind accounted for I sent the round downrange which connected with the deer about 4 inches further forward (towards the head) than I wanted for windage but elevation was perfect. The bullet impacted at the front point of the shoulder and dropped him in his tracks.

Rifle
Sako 85 Finnlite
300 Dakota
208gr A Max
83.8gr Retumbo
MV 2897
NF 3.5-15x50

Looking back I wish I had taken more pictures but live and learn I guess.

The entrance hole was nice 30 cal and the offside exit was golfball sized with shards of bone, copper and lead just inside the wound.

The impact velocity was 2150 fps and energy was 2155 ft-lbs.

All in all I am pleased with this and am hoping for a try at something a bit further with the 285 A Max out of 338 RUM.

The one picture here is the offside view with the shoulder cut off.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I've been thinking about putting a .300 WSM together and using 208 Amax bullet for some long-range hunting.

 

[jpd676]

I hunt everything with the 208 Amax now (or Amax in other calibers). I use them in a 308 and 300wm. I killed an elk this year at 300 yards with a 208 out of a short barreled .308. I have killed elk from 60 yards to 725 yards, as well as deer and antelope. Everything just dropped and nothing has taken a step yet. The 208 Amax rules!

 

[gohring3006]

I hunt everything with the 208 Amax now (or Amax in other calibers). I use them in a 308 and 300wm. I killed an elk this year at 300 yards with a 208 out of a short barreled .308. I have killed elk from 60 yards to 725 yards, as well as deer and antelope. Everything just dropped and nothing has taken a step yet. The 208 Amax rules!

I agree, and the price per 100 is hard to ignore.

 

[Idaho Trecker]

The prices sure are hard to beat. From what i've seen on LRH with the 215 Berger results they look similar to what some people are getting with the 208. Since the Berger are around $15 a box more I'm not going to switch anytime soon. I'm in no way against any of the Berger bullets though. The little extra boost in BC is nice but until I rebarrel to a longer tube with a 10 twist I will not be shooting them. My 11 wont quite stabilize the Berger.

Glad to hear others have had similar results.

 

[Idaho Trecker]

Another hunting year almost gone so I thought I'd do an update.

This year I was fortunate enough to get some of my own data for up close use of the 208 A Max on some whitetail. I always heard people dont use them up close for big game but I have had 2 excellent results this year.

The whitetail were plentiful last friday and presented some great opportunity for seeing the terminal results up close.

The first deer (which I shot) was about 120 yards and walking swiftly away at a hard angle. I leveled my 300 Dakota on him, squeezed the trigger and let the bullet fly. It entered the back of the rib cage where it destroyed the last 4 ribs, went through the some of the guts, center punched the heart, then destroyed one lung and came to rest between ribs on the far side. The amount of destruction and terminal performance was very impressive. The deer somehow managed to run about 30 yards even with all the destruction before he tipped over.

I was able to recover the bullet and it weighed 78.7 grains still.




After I dropped my deer I handed my rifle to my friend and the smaller buck came back out (females can cause bad decision making for a buck in Nov). He shot his just slightly off broadside at the same distance (120). The bullet entered just behind the shoulder and made about an 1" exit in the center of the off-side shoulder.


From my personal experience the A Max has worked up close to long range for me and great results. I wish they had a little better BC and shorter bearing surface but I cant complain with my results. I'm definitely going to continue to shoot them for hunting.