DANG IT! No moreBlack Hills blue box

Yellowhammer

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Staff member
Called to order some more and found out my favorite .223 Black Hills blue box 60vmax is no more. Not sure they are even going to have the red box. Cabela's, Midway and most everyone else doesn't carry it.

What happened? Those were my go to predator round.
 
Yellowhammer you were the one that got me into reloading the 60 grain vmax over a decade ago! Benchmark with 25 to 25.2 grains in my POF and LRT will both shoot dime size groups at 200 yards. My LTR is 2975 FPS and POF is 2850 FPS with the above loads. I remember that was the recommended velocity range of getting fur friendly loads and luckily both rifles drive tacs at these speeds. Hammer of Thor on coyotes out to 200 yards. I haven’t tried them any further yet. The slower load of 2850 FPS out of my 1/8 twist 14.5” POF leaves quarter sized exit holes. The 125 extra FPS out of my 1/9 twist LTR either doesn’t exit or leaves a bullet size exit most times. I have to say the 60 grain vmax is a finicky bullet to load for but when you find the correct powder charge it’s a tac driver. I loaded up about 500 rounds a couple seasons ago for my POF using virgin LC brass and vacuum sealed them for future predator use. I bought about 600 projectiles a few years back when the 60 grain vmax came off of back order so I wouldn’t run out of them.
 
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After googling unloaded 60 grain vmax unloaded projectiles it looks like they are nonexistent as well. Good thing I stocked up from the last run right after a long dry spell of them.
 
I contacted Hornady via email, and they replied that the 60 vmax is still in production. They did not say why they can't seem to be found anywhere. I guess it is just like a lot of stuff that you can't seem to find.
 
Originally Posted By: YellowhammerI contacted Hornady via email, and they replied that the 60 vmax is still in production. They did not say why they can't seem to be found anywhere. I guess it is just like a lot of stuff that you can't seem to find.

Hmmmm.... I've been thinking about selling a few things. Might have to put those on the list.
 
A few years ago that blue box ammo was hard to get around here so I jumped online and ended up getting some HSM ammo in the 60 gr. vmax and it shot the same exact poi in my ar as the Black Hills ammo.
 
A substitute you may consider is something loaded with Nosler 55 grain Ballistic Tips. The construction of that bullet differs quit a bit from the V-Max.

I have only fired that round from 1 rifle, and it shoots .4 MOA groups.

The reason why the groups are so large is because i can't consistently shoot any better than that with a bi-pod, and a sandbag rest.

Unfortunately i must admit, that i have never killed anything with that rifle/bullet combo. It is not threaded for a muzzle device. And these days i only hunt suppressed.

So it sits in the safe as my most accurate rifle that never gets used.

I found a Coyote killing load back in 2014 using the Sierra #1390's. I would love to do a full Nos 55gr BT work up in my suppressed hunting rifle.....

I just don't have the time to fiddle fuss around when a "sure thing' exists.






 
I concur with arlaunch. The 55 B Tip is a bit lighter weight (goes a bit faster) but a bit heavier constructed with it's solid base. I consider it equivalent to the 60 V-max in terminal performance (punch). Fortunately for me both my 60 Vmax & 55 B-tip loads shoot to the same POI @100yds in the same rifle. YMMV
 
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