Hornady 208 A-Max

[Varmint Hunter]

I'm having no luck what-so-ever getting the Berger 210 VLD's to shoot well in my recently built 300RUM w/ 27" Broughton 5C barrel. Groups around 2" @ 200 yds are the norm regardless of powder or seating depth.

I can get the 190 SMK's to reliably shoot .3 moa @ 200 but would rather not shoot SMK's @ game. I know-I know lots of guys use them but I'd just prefer not to.

The Hornady 208gr A-Max looks good with a BC of .648 but I rarely hear anyone on this board using them. Hmmmmm?

I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone who has used this bullet in the 300RUM. I'd like to hear about paper accuracy over distance and terminal performance on thin skinned game.

Thanks - Charlie (VH)

 

[Tex3030]

I used the A-max over the last season to take some pigs. I am shooting them out of a 300 RUM with a muzzle velocity around ~3050 (that is what the chrono spit out and I don't know how accurate it is). I killed 6 pigs total, with a range varying from 50-150 yards (will grant that this is not long range). Every pig was killed with a head shot, except one piglet which was hit in the neck. This bullet pretty much exploded on impact.
The bullet did pass through all of them, but on the pig which was shot in the neck it destroyed the back shoulder, and the front shoulder was damaged by shock. I will try it out in a 30-06 just to see how it will work at distances beyond 500 yards in the 300. I cannot comment on anything other than extreme velocities, and it is not a fair judgment of the bullet.
I decided to try this bullet because of hornady claims that it is intended for target-light game (I think they even have a picture of a deer next to it). With all of this said it did its job (everything died), but too much meat is damaged at high velocities.
Accuracy wise it is the most accurate bullet I have loaded with that gun. I have gotten groups under .5 MOA on a fairly consistent basis.