.204 bullets- Blitzking vs. V-max?

rowney

rowney

New member
I was at cabelas the other day, andthey have an assortment of "factory handloads" i.e. factory loaded but not a big manufacturer, for sale. Besides the 39 gr berger, they also have the 39 gr sierra blitzking. How does the sierra compare to the v-max?
 
My experience in .224 cal have been the Blitzking are not quiet as frangible as the v-max. However, shoot just as well, better in my 250.
 
Quote:
I prefer the Blitzking over the v-max in my .204.



I find that unusual. I shot the V-Max bullets all last year in my VLS 204 and wished that the 40 gr would give me the accuracy that I was getting out of the 32 gr. Everyone was telling me to try the Sierra Blitzking 39 for accuracy. MAN! they were dead on right, very-very accurate. But the terminal performance of the 39gr Blitzking on these fat ole lard harden groundhogs was less than desireable. Once out beyond 200-250 yards I was getting way to many splash hits. Surface detonations and crawling away groundhogs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. Sometimes they don't just provide you with the perfect profile for a head and neck shot or chest shot and you have to take what they offer for posture, I couldn't do that with the Blitzkings. I had to wait to see if they would provide the profile for a chest a shot. I called Sierra and talked with their tech folks who were extremely helpful and understanding. Even to the point where they stated they wished the 39 gr Blitzking 204 was a little tougher. They steered me toward the Berger 40 gr BTHP for more effective kills on groundhogs. But I will admit, if I was the type to go to the range and showoff the "accuracy of my 204" it would be with the Blitzking 39 grain bullet, one holers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
The Sierra guy told me the Blitzking would be simular to the V-max, for coyote, too explosive. I use the Berger, but I think the Nosler .20 maybe a good coyote bullet, too. I want to order a box and try some out, can't do it yet.T.20
 
So for temrinal performance would I be better with the berger's? And for accuracy, the blitzking would be better? I just have an issue with the v-max's blowing a hole I can stick my foot in, which is pretty cool, but i want to take a bobcat here soon, and i need something that leaves him in one piece for the taxidermist! The v-max's work great on yotes, but the smaller game is what I am concerned with.
 
Sonny,
What are you stuffing your 39 gr BK's with? I'm just starting R&D on my LVSF. The factioy 40 gr Vmax left a whole lot to be desired, to the point where if that was the best the rifle would shoot, I'd rebarrel it. I tried some handloads with 39 BK's, 40 Vmax's, and 40 Bergers. I used both RL 15 and 10x. I seated the bullets as long as the mag would allow, and that's still nowhere near the lands. Remmy put a real "lawsuit avoidance" throat in my rifle. All three shot sub moa, but barely for the Vmax. The BK's shot the best of the three at around 3/4" or a little less.
There seemed to be some stress in the bedding. Remmy's idea of pillar bedding in that rifle is a joke, nothing more than a sales gimmik. So I hogged it out, ground out the speed bump, centered everything up and gave it the Marine Tex treatment for the whole action and about 1" of barrel. Now all I have to do is wait for the monsoon to stop!! I have some 40 gr NBT's, but havn't loaded any yet.
If you don't mind sharing, let me know what you're loading to get your best groups with the 39 BK's.
Thanks,
F1
 
I use the Sierra Blitzking bullets in my 222,223 and 243 and found them all to have good results after getting a good load, my one 243 has a good twist and accepts the short stubby 243 Blitzking 55 grain bullet. And the results are explosive.
 
PRUSON have you tryed the new hornady 45 grain SPFB bullets. A friend of mine has a .204 remington XR100SS and his shoots the 32gr.,39 gr. and the 45 gr hornady way under 1/2" groups. He's using H4895 CCI BR-4 primers, all other primers did not work in his gun. He also tryed benchmark, X10, Varget, with no luck. The gun had to be free floated, 2 pounds on the trigger, and a few other things. Sunday was his first time out for rock chucks and he had a blast.

He's doing loads on R15 with the 45 grain hornady,CCI BR-4 but hasen't tested all the loads yet. GENE'O
 
I am shooting both the 32 BK and the 39 BK in my 204. Both are under .250" groups, but I started with the 40 gr. Nosler B-Tips and they never seemed to group under .500"? I have a great load with 32 BK and H4895, and 39 BK shot the same with Reloader-10X. However, will be moving to the 35 gr. Berger come Coyote season.
 
Quote:
And the results are explosive.



African Predator, "that was our whole problem." They are way to explosive, as in "right on the surface, no penetration."

Geno, no we haven't tried them. But haven't ruled that out either.

With the 39 gr Blitzking, the .250" to .300" inch group was pretty routine at 100 yards off the bench. Just couldn't live with that premature detonation on the surface.

Flyrod you're getting a PM.
 
The .204 .40 V-max are bang flop on Sod Poodles but just not as tight on paper as the .39 greentips so I chose the .39 green tips
 
I found the v-maxs would blow a crater the size of an orange, that was it.The Berger, or pieces of it will travel about 7-10" into a coyotes body, depending where it was hit. The first coyote I shot with a v-max, never even freckled the other side of the body, it ran 50yds, before dying. I had a bad hit on a shoulder, I won't discribe it, he was not found. I never shot another with the v-max. I shot 25-30 with the v-max, maybe more I didn't keep track. T.20
 
I am shooting the 39gr. BK's in both my .204's......Pruson, if you would back off some on the velocity, I believe you will find they donot "splash" detonate as badly! I have seen no difference in 100yd. kills and 300yd. kills on groundhogs...3650fps is what I'm getting out of Reloader10X and the 39grainers.....gobblr addict
 
addict,

My problem is out there a ways, where the velocity should have backed itself off already. Anything inside 200 yards is not a problem at all.
 
So far they have been good for me also. I shot a mangy female a couple years ago with the 40gr Berger, maybe I placed it too low, it put a big hole on the bottom side.T.20
 
Quote:
I was at cabelas the other day, andthey have an assortment of "factory handloads" i.e. factory loaded but not a big manufacturer, for sale. Besides the 39 gr berger, they also have the 39 gr sierra blitzking. How does the sierra compare to the v-max?



The rounds are made by HSM out of Montana. We did a segment that features their operation in our new video.

We shot their 39 grain blitzkings, along with 2 other loads. They were as explosive on pdogs as Vmax, IMO. Accuracy from my Savage was good, @ 3/4 moa. I have not handloaded for this caliber yet, so I can't meaningfully compare VM's to BK's.
 
I have personally had a much easier time getting V-maxes to shoot well in both of my Remington 700s (.22-250 and 6mm). Tigher groups with a lot less load development from the V-Max, which countered everything I expected from the Blitzkings based on the stories I had heard about them. Every rifle is different, so this is not a knock on Sierra's product, it's just that my rifles love V-maxes over Varget more than they do Blitzkings over Varget. That's my powder of choice and quantity, so it's what I go with.
 
Back
Top