A-max's for hunting?

[rickdavis81]

I've seen several say they use their A-max's for deer hunting. How do they perform. I'll be using them in a 7mm RM Sendero. I'm used to my Sierra gamekings in my 308 but would like to try the Amax's for the reported accuracy at longer distances.

 

[elkaholic]

I've seen several say they use their A-max's for deer hunting. How do they perform. I'll be using them in a 7mm RM Sendero. I'm used to my Sierra gamekings in my 308 but would like to try the Amax's for the reported accuracy at longer distances.

I haven't personally used the A-Max for hunting, but as a bullet maker, I think the construction lends itself to consistent expansion at longer ranges i.e. thin jacket and ballistic tip. I have heard good reports and am thinking of trying some in my 6.5 as I don't make that caliber........Rich

 

[winmagman]

I use the 162s in my 7mm SAUM, they work like a charm, everything they hit drops right there.

However, I don't use them inside 250 yds. I put a round loaded with 160 gr Accubond in the chamber for anything that might come by relatively close. If something "out there" presents itself I just switch to the Amax, squeeze the trigger, and go get my deer. usually

Chris

 

[elkaholic]

I use the 162s in my 7mm SAUM, they work like a charm, everything they hit drops right there.

However, I don't use them inside 250 yds. I put a round loaded with 160 gr Accubond in the chamber for anything that might come by relatively close. If something "out there" presents itself I just switch to the Amax, squeeze the trigger, and go get my deer. usually

Chris

I like your post. I think you know what you're talking about!........Rich

 

[winmagman]

I think you know what you're talking about

Well.......My wife would disagree with that, but I appreciate it.

Chris

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I've shot several deer with the 162gr A-Max from my 7STW. I think the closest was about 200 yds. High shoulder impacts dropped them on the spot and rarely exited. Traditional hits behind the shoulder always exited and left silver dollar size exit wounds. These deer went from a few yards to maybe 35yds but not any farther.

I've got nothing but good things to say about the A-Max bullets for whitetail hunting.

 

[Oliveralan]

was just pondering this myself. Talked to a friend who said A-max's arent good for hunting saying they are like the sierra MK and since he's a lot more experienced than I and i don't have any scientific data to back up what i think i accepted it.

However, I used 178 A-maxs at 2550 fps from my .308win in texas last fall on a hog hunt and was very happy with performance. 5 shots, 4 DRTs 1st ran off a little ways. One head shot at 80yards, began to expand and took chunk out of the opposite side of the skull, hog dropped with a piece of corn still between the teeth. Second, third and fourth all dropped on the spot with spine shots at 240-260yards, last one took a solid hit through the shoulder and disappeared into some impassable brush, spent 1.5hrs looking for bugger but very hard to follow a blood trail when you have to keep going left and right around massive thorn bushes... no luck there... But by the looks of the blood spray on the opposite side of where i shot him, he couldnt have gone far...

Conclusion:
On pigs, the a-max has worked ok, but i did hit spine 3 times and brain once, shoulder shot got away. Blood spray looked promising however. Will try to recover a bullet next time.

-Oliver

 

[ol mike]

I intend to employ Winmagmans method to the T ,except i'm shooting a 280ai .

 

[dwm]

My 13 year old shot his first deer this year at 75 yards with a 6.5 WSSM and the 140 grain AMAX. The doe dropped right there where she stood, never made a step. Doe had her head down, bullet went in slightly behind the leg and came out in fragments through the neck ahead of the far shoulder. What was interesting was you could see where the bullet fragments came out through the skin as there was red fluid leaking through a bunch of small holes in about a 6 inch circle.

Personally, I think they are fine for close range shots, I would not aim for hard bone though, like the shoulder. Behind the shoulder - through the heart, neck shot, spine shot, head shot, no problem at close range.

At longer ranges - lower velocity they have less chance of blowing up on impact and are fine also ...

 

[Michael Eichele]

was just pondering this myself. Talked to a friend who said A-max's arent good for hunting saying they are like the sierra MK and since he's a lot more experienced

-Oliver

I have had the opposite experience. IME, the AMAX react nothing like the SMK. If anything, they open too easily. This makes them great for the 308 and 708. At 300 RUM speeds to 500 yards they detonate violently. They are great for hunting up to deer size critters at medium velocities.

 

[Oliveralan]

Thanks Michael, value your opinion a lot on anything that vaguely conserns the .308win That was also what i experienced in my limited testing on hogs. Forgot to mention i shot a raccoon at 110yards, and the bullet expanded a bit, about a grapefruit sized exit, in the head out the stomach.

But like i said, i dont have any scientific data on jacket thickness etc so i can't really argue either way. I will see what the 210s do in my .308 and my 300 wm in march when im back hunting hogs.

-Oliver

 

[winmagman]

This makes them great for the 308 and 708.

M E

That is a very good point. I shoot the 162s in a 7-08 as well as my SAUM and at 7-08 velocities I don't worry about range, just aim and shoot.

Chris

 

[elkaholic]

M E

That is a very good point. I shoot the 162s in a 7-08 as well as my SAUM and at 7-08 velocities I don't worry about range, just aim and shoot.

Chris

+2 on the velocity issue.......Rich

 

[Kiwi Nate]

I have shot about 300 animals with the Amax in 6.5, 7mm and .30 cal. Animals- Goats, deer and pigs. I agree with winmagman, better past 250 yards when used in the magnums but excelent allrounders in the smaller 6.5x55/7x57/7mm08 etc. They do work ok in the magnums at close range, just a bit shallow penetrating and in some cases, bullet blow up on the surface of the animal has allowed a long death run before the internal bleeding finally caused death. In other words, the bullet made it through to the vitals but did most damage on the onside shoulder- I recently had this result in the 7mm RUM, 3275fps, 50 yards on billy goats. In the 7RM, the 162gr Amax is pretty lack lustre till velocity falls down below 2700fps. The .30 caliber is more forgiving in this regard, shooting heavier Amax bullets that produce heavier, deeper penetrating fragments.

I don't understand how somebody could conclude the the Amax is in any way, even remotely similar to the SMK. They are the extreme oppostites. The Amax is very similar to the Berger but at low velocities, tends to shear lengthways rather than (for want of a better word) disintegrate. Regardlesss, the end results are similar in many instances. Wounding from the Amax at low velocities, particularily in 6.5 and 7mm on medium game can be extremely violent. Exit wounds can be very large, clearly visible through the scope after recoil. There is only one problem with the Amax- its not available in .338 or .375.........