Hornady 60 grain v-max performance

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

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I have been using Black Hills ammo with hornady 60 grain v-max in my AR for several years now. They have been very accurate, and I have had good results on all the animals I have shot.

I have shot about 20 deer with it and all were recovered. 3 of those were shoulder shots and they didn't go more than 30 yards but as you can expect, not much blood. The head and neck shots just dropped as expected.

I have also shot a lot of hogs with them with similar results. I have lost 2 or 3 big hogs on shoulder shots, but I have killed several too. The head and neck shots just drop them.

On nearly all the coyotes, fox and bobcats they don't move. The fox often get tore up, but the bobcats usually don't even exit. I shot a bobcat last week right in the should at about 50-60 yards and it dropped and bullet never exited or made a visible mark on the off side when skinned.

Some coyotes exit, but a most don't.


So, more times than not, they never exit. BUT several times I have shot hogs behind the shoulder and had them exit. This you wouldn't expect seeing as they are so much thicker and denser than say a bobcat.

Day before yesterday I shot a hog at about 20 yards facing me and it went in right below the eye. Blew up the back part of the jawbone and part of the skull. No exit and he never left his tracks.

This morning, I shot a 142 pound sow at about 150-170 yards right behind the shoulder. It was before daylight and she ran off with the rest of the herd, so I went on deer hunting and went back to the pasture to look for her when I got back. She had made it about 50-60 yards.

Due to the distance and using my xlr-250 I elected for the shoulder shot. It turned out to be a very slightly quartering away shot but it completely exited.

I took a couple of pictures of the results.

Ivysow12-12.jpg


100_5365.jpg


This was the entry side. A little back, but quartering away.

100_5364.jpg


This was the exit side.

I guess what I am wondering is how come I more times than not get no exit on smaller game, and then get exits on hogs?

Just the law of averages?

I will definately keep using them because like I say they are accurate and whatever I shoot is usually laying close by.
 
No, I didn't gut it, just quartered hanging so I did not have a way of getting pictures of the inside.

I have shot through a few before and this one was at least a foot or more through.

The bobcat that is less than 6 inches through didn't exit as many before did not.
 
Interesting. Did you hit a rib on the hog?? Iv noticed the same thing using 40-53gr v max. Had them not exit on groundhogs taking body shots wich are very thin skinned with a body cavity that is very soft i guess you would say. I think they absorb more energy than a denser animal. Effecting bullet upset. On one yote i had a few small pieces of jacket exit on a small female, but all the rest broadside shots dont exit.
 
Sounds like you have the perfect bullet. I shoot 55 v max and they always exit. Most look like a golf ball exited their off side. (I do a lot of sewing during fur season.) Until your luck changes, run with it.
 
Its surprising to me that they exit a large hog. My suggestion to to keep shooting hogs, and show us the results.
Interesting topic, thanks for sharing.
 
Got a 92 pound sow this morning. Shot at about 80 yards in the shoulder. Did not exit, but not surprised since it hit the shoulder blade. Dropped her in her tracks. Did not make it into the off shoulder, but damage was visible on the off side when I removed that shoulder, so it made it through the chest cavity.

Ivyhog12-12.jpg
 
That is crazy I can't believe it exits big hogs. I used 62 gr tsx black hills and it exits.

When you see this sort of stuff from a .223 i think it crazy that people suggest 3006 as a minimum for hogs.
 
I use the Hornady 60gr V-max's with similiar results. Here's the crazy thing though. A couple weeks ago I shot a small buck on the property at 230yds. I wanted right behind the shoulder but hit a little bit in the shoulder and little high (not much). On the entry side I had an exit also, and on the exit side I had two exit wounds. They were not big wounds though, but more like slits or cuts. Best I could figure is the bullet fragged at some point and pieces of it scattered. The deer dropped it's tracks and took a head shot to finish it when I walked up. Killed two hogs in Texas at 250yds with the Hornady also. One dropped dead, the other ran a short distance. Not trying to hijack the post, just sharing. The 60gr V-max is a great bullet in my opinion.
 
My SD upper w/ 1-8 will shoot both 55 & 60 gr v -max well under MOA.


PS: congrats on the hogs and nice shooting. Most people under estimate the v-max!
 
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