Who is hunting with the A-Max?

[RuffHewn]

I began using the moly 178 in my .300WSM last season after seeing the effect of the 7mm 162 gr on whitetails. I have not seen one deer take a single step after impact. Next deer season will be the first I have began with the bullet I used the previous season since my rifle was built 5 seasons ago. I only plan to change bullets should Hornady offer a 188 gr version.

The A-Max is a very soft bullet but father and son hunters who live a few miles north of me used 178 on an elk hunt in Colorado last season, each taking a bull and each with only one shot, these straight through the ribs to the lungs.

I am having a 6mm built for my wife to use tgt shooting to 1000 yds and intend on working with the 105 A-Max. My nephew already stated he might want to try it on whitetails and my intent is to stay with the same bullet, unless you all here feel the .243" A-Max should not be depended upon.

 

[James Jones]

For deer the A-max is a good bullet especialy at longer ranges , at short range it will blow up pretty bad causing a good bit of meat damage. I would not use the A-max on anything bigger than deer though from the deer I've shot it appears that the penitration is just getting what larger fragments are left out the other side , and if a monster bull comes out at 100yds and doesen't give me any other shot than a rear end I know that a 180gr Nosler partition is gonna make it to the vitals.
At 243 velocities the 105 A-max will get you to 1000yds , I don't think I'd shoot a deer that far but the accuracy is their.

 

[Ian M]

Ruff,
We have had many clean kills with the .30 cal 155's and 168's. Dumps them down right now. Some close shots and not too bad for damage, but mostly longer shots with the .308's out to 600-650. Also dropped four mulies last year with the 140 in the 6.5-284 with one shot each.
Did you know that Black Hills Ammo loads them now.

 

[Ernie]

I have had a 1-shot 1-kill with the 140 AMax in my 6.5-284 XP. Range was right at 260 yards. It was a medium sized buck.

 

[JCFORD]

I used the 105 A-MAX on two antelope last year out of a 6mm Remington. One broadside at about 200 yards, high through both shoulders, dropped where he stood, exit wound like golf ball. The other was bedded facing away at a little over 100 yards. Put the bullet under his tail and it came out thru his shoulder, it did miss the shoulder bone and it did exit. Seemed to work real well for me. I do not know if I would shot a real big deer with one in a bad spot, but it worked ok on the antelope.

 

[biff's reloading]

will the 105 work in a 10" twist barrel? maybe worth a try?

 

[300win]

The 178 a max is a great long range white tail bullet. It would be great if Hornady would step up and make a 190 or 200 gr a max. After shooting the 178 a max for years I have moved on to something heavier with a higher BC. The 168 a max has performed well in my 308 and this year I plan on testing the 155 on white tails. I loaded some 105 a max for a 6mm rem in a 26" 1:10 barrel and they shot and performed well. I have seen several deer shot with the 95 gr sst and(6mm) nosler partition (both good 6mm white tail bullets) but would have to say the a max caused the most tissue damage. Remember there is no meat in the chest cavity or shoulder blades so hit them hard. I like looking at horns not blood trails. Hope this helps.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Took my first Wyoming pronghorn with the 162gr A-Max launched from my 7STW. Distance was a laser 465yds. Terminal performance was outstanding on a quarting away chest shot.

 

[älg]

I´ve shot a good deal of mt goats from 80 to 700 yds with the 162 7 cal amax out of a 7rm, worked always well, one shot was enough in every animal, but as someone already said, I would not use this bullet in heavier game.

 

[yellowjacket]

I have been using the A-max for 4 or 5 years now and it has become my favorite bullet for targets and deer. I really love the 162gr 7mm and 155 and 168gr .30cal. This year I am also going to try the 178gr 30 cal. I really love the way they dump a whitetail deer. I have not gotten my 6mm rifles out in a few years, maybe that will be my next project. Good luck

 

[RuffHewn]

I am glad youall are also having fine results with the A-Max. Very quick to instant kills seem to be the norm for everyone using the A-Max, regardless of caliber. I just talked with a friend of my brother-in-law who used the A-Max in his .22-243 wildcat on a few deer and one hog thus far and he could not be more satisfied, "better at longer range than the Scirocco" according to him.

Penetration of the A-Max 178 seems to be consistantly better than the Sierra Game King 130 from .270 Win that I used on everything in my latter teen years and as a young adult. Everything includes moose and one griz. The SGK130/.270W was always just as efffective as the SGK250/.338WM that I used as a young teenager, but I cannot extend the comparison to bear as I never took one with the .338WM. I am glad someone was used the A-Max on an elk hunt as I now have a lot more confidence in the bullet. I will use it myself when available free-time allows me to head west for elk or northwest for Caribou. From my experiences and observation moose do not require blood trailing so I would consider the bullet adequate on a broadside shot behind the shoulder from across a wide clearing or along a waterway.

In reference to the Partition, I have seen other hunters use it when my dad took me on hunts out west with him. I have seen it's front core stripped on elk shoulders from both .270Win and .300WM with the remaining rear core leaving a too-small hole through the vitals. Death was always certain but not very quick. It inspired me to never use one on game.

Chemo every Monday for my nephew's Leukemia causes his hands to tremble unpredictably so he will not be shooing deer till the season following the upcoming one. He will be 11 yo then and will be a year younger than when I took my first deer. He definately will not be shooting to 1000 yds on deer right away and most likely not at all with the 6mmXC. My favorite field begans about 580 yds from the tower and the back edge is 738 with a couple of gaps in the trees that might allow a shot to near 750 yds. I found reasons not to shoot in every instance there was a deer I wanted towand the back of the field and never took any beyond 640 yds. I have taken several feral hogs between 650 and 700 yds and one at just over 720 but environmentals were not an obstacle on any of the LR hogs.

Ian, I had not heard that BHA was loading the A-Max. I called them several times inquiring about a SMK190 load for the .300WSM so I would have something to compare my handloads using that bullet to, but that 190 load has never become available. I have fired some A-Max loaded by HSM and it was outstanding.

 

[Cheaha284]

Shot a few Whitetails last season with the 155gr A-Max/300 WM combo and they all dropped @ the shot. Really like the combo and I'm now thinking about trying a few 162's out of my 7mm-08 this coming fall. Anyone think they'll open up good with such a smaller case?