.223 handloads in 36 gr varmit grenades and 55 gr varmageddon

ming

New member
Fixing to load some 36 grain grenades and 55 grain varmageddons, my question is this, has anyone used either of these on small pigs (100lb) or less. I've killed a 125 lb sow wiyh a 36 grain hollow point in .22 lr. I've searched the net looking for info on the 2 I'm fixing to reload. All my shots are always in the ear.
 
I experimented with 35gr V-Max and 40gr V-Max in .223 and didn't find any benefit to the 35gr...For what it's worth...40gr is about as light as I'll shoot in a .223 of any bullet, but then, I'm not doing any close range shooting like you must be..
 
If you only shoot them in the ear, it really doesn't matter. If I was targeting hogs with my AR (which I do) I would go heavier. I use the 60 grain v-max with very good success.

I most often go for the neck myself.

Last week.

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I usually hunt with my .308 loaded with 165 gr nos partitions. love the bullet and the power and have harvested alot of table fare with this caliber. Alot of people use 55gr or higher in .223 but I know people who have used less grained bullets in smaller calibers and was a complete humane harvest. Just wanted to know what to expect mostly with the varmit grenades due the the "explosion" from the thin jacketed bullet on what it will do to a hog sized animal vs a ground hog. I will find out within a month or 2. Thanks for the input. Safe hunting!
 
Put one of them right behind the ear and it doesn't matter. My .204 with 40gr vmax's has accounted for 3 pigs now and all didn't take another step.
 
Varmint Grenades are frangible. They turn to powder on impact. The pigs will probably die just not the day you shot them. Even the 50gr VGs in .223 have a hard time killing a coyote. They run forever even with a boiler room shot.
 
Go with the Barnes from 50-62 grain TTSX(blue tipped) or the TSX in 45-70 grain. Not that the grenades won't eventually kill them but there are better choices.
 
I kill hundreds of hogs each year ( except last year I had a total of 1) and the most of them are shot with a 22 hornet and 45 gr sp or 223 with 55 gr bullet I just pick my shots and make them count. The only ways size matters are big hogs have big heads which are larger targets
 
After shooting both loads at 100 yds into a foot and half of phone books, the V.G passed through all except the last 20 or so pages. The Nosler went through all the books and was not able to retrieve the bullet. Also did the same with 4 milk jugs full of water. Both passed through 2 jugs and stopping inside the 3rd. After doing this, I feel safe taking head shots on hogs with either of these loads. It's not necessarily the size of the bullet, but the placement!
 
Please share the load of the Noslers if you are reloading them. A target showing accuracy would help as well. I have a Guy In Cali trying the same bullets. What kind of groups are you getting? A 7 inch wide milk jug for one shot would not convince me that this is the way to go. Thanks.
 
Originally Posted By: rem-700-3I kill hundreds of hogs each year ( except last year I had a total of 1) and the most of them are shot with a 22 hornet and 45 gr sp or 223 with 55 gr bullet I just pick my shots and make them count. The only ways size matters are big hogs have big heads which are larger targets

Here ya go....Lots of ear shots.

I gotta ask this question....after the first shot in the ear with these light calibers what about the other hogs? IMO....The fun starts after the first one is dead.


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Gman
Your right on there.. As with coyotes I believe you should use the heaviest bullet you can that shoots well and expands on the hit! If you cant get expansion,then you better be a good tracker!!!LOL!!

Orny
I have changed my coyote bullet for my AR's to the Nosler 55 Grain Varmagedons(thanks to advice from my friend KKilla in NY)
He uses the 55 Nosler Varmagedon with 26 grains of Varget,I have been using that load and it shoots bug holes at 100 yards..
The last seven coyotes I have shot with that load were DRT first shot hits with the tell tale Twack!!

As for the Varmint Grenades,I love them for chucks in my .204,but they should not be considered for tough animals like the hog or coyote.. In my opinion..

When the shoot starts and coyotes are running around, its awfull hard to rely on head shots!
 
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Bay State, thanks for that info. The only non lead variety's that I have tried were from Barnes in 223. Hornady in .243. Never could get near the accuracy that I got with lead. I may look at those .6mm Varmageddon to see. I still have a full box of Varmint grenades for .223. I doubt that I will use them.
 
Orny
The Nosler Varmagedons are a lead alloy core, if your needing a "green" bullet I don't think it will do... I thought California was the only ones pushing that?

I just bought some 6mm Nosler V's for my buddy to try.
 
Sorry. I never researched the Varmageddon bullet. I thought that it was a Greenie Treehugger type Bullet. Thanks for that info. I am now in NV. And as for now have no desire or reason to switch from lead based bullets. Maybe this will be short lived as the Cancer from Kommifornicate grows? Again I thank you for the response.
 


I gotta ask this question....after the first shot in the ear with these light calibers what about the other hogs? IMO....The fun starts after the first one is dead.


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you hit the nail on the head,, I run 75gr smk because the shooting starts after the first
 
The best pills in my 5.56mms are the 62 and 70 grain Barnes TSX in .224

All the Nosler, Hornady, Swift, Privi 75-77 grain OTM completely fragment and do not penetrate worth a [beeep].

The only pill that gets through a thick shield & bone is the Barnes with a 5.66mm.....


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One shot kill of 450 pound hog @ 125 yards, handloaded 70 grain Barnes TSX weighs 69.9 grains AFTER bullet recovered....
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Originally Posted By: mingAfter shooting both loads at 100 yds into a foot and half of phone books, the V.G passed through all except the last 20 or so pages. The Nosler went through all the books and was not able to retrieve the bullet. Also did the same with 4 milk jugs full of water. Both passed through 2 jugs and stopping inside the 3rd. After doing this, I feel safe taking head shots on hogs with either of these loads. It's not necessarily the size of the bullet, but the placement!


That has been my experience too with Varmint Grenade bullets. They are not as explosive as most people think they are.

Good lead varmint bullets expand much more reliably than the Varmint Grenade bullets do.

Why shoot lead free varmint bullets if you don't have to?

I would rather put a good heavier lead bullet in a pigs ear than a little light lead free varmint bullet in a pigs ear.
 
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