# V-Maxes in 6mm



## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

How many of you use the Hornaday V-Max in 6mm, if so, what do you use them on and what do they do to a hide in your expiriences. The coyotes I have shot with my 6PPC have been very good, but wondering what other people have had as results. Are the varmint gernades any better/worse? Thanks


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

I'm shooting a 243win. I know it's not a 6MM but it has the same bullet selection and close to the same velocity.

Stay away from the varmint grenades, they did not do a good job for me. I shot the first one and thought it was a fluke, then the second was the same, after a few more I called it quits. The VG's open up way to quick, I was seeing an extensive amount of splash with these bullets, having to shoot a coyote twice isn't a good thing. They would go down, but when you get up to them they are still moving quite a bit.

The 87g v-max in 243 work very well on coyotes, it puts them down like a bolt of lightening. I did have some issues with larger entrance holes when hitting the front shoulder on quartering shots, but that's hitting bone. On broad side shots they do very well.

This is just my experience, I'd say give them a try and you'll see. 

xdeano


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## deadyote (Nov 17, 2008)

I shoot the 65gr.vmax with varget for yotes does a good job for me have shot this load for a long time groups 1/2" or better on my good days I shoot a 243 win. REM.700 VLS. I tried 58gr.vmax dont like the killing power of the 58gr. on yotes. have shot yotes from 20 to 400 yards and dont have a exit but the inside is mush. with the 65gr.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

Don't stay away from the Varmint Grenades. I shoot them in my 22-250 and will very soon in my 5.56 and my 6mm. They are the most accurate bullet I have found in the 250, and they perform superbly. While I can't tell you from personal experience how they perform in the 6, I have a guy I work with that uses them all the time in his and he absolutely loves them. He says they never exit and he has never needed to shoot a second time. At least not when the first shot was on the mark. I am not sure if xdeano is shooting longer ranges or closer or what to give the different performance, but I would suggest you try them for yourself.

The no exit hole thing is worth a shot, but I would agree, not worth a second shot if they don't work for you!!


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

Right now I am shooting the 65 gr. bullets. The velocities on the 243 and the 6 PPC are very similiar. I shot one the other day and it worked like a charm. I might try a few of both and see. Thanks for the replies


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

Laite319,

I'm not saying that they didn't shoot well. Yeah they shoot great for some reason. I was easily hitting basketball sized rocks at 400 without a glitch. But when it comes to coyotes, they just didn't do it for me. Shot placement was on the money. I'm not saying this because I heard a buddy of a buddy that was shooting them and they didn't work. I've shot a lot and I know where my bullet is going, this isn't my first rodeo.

They'd be great on prairie dogs, if you want me to stoke your ego, I can tell you they work great on elephants too. But a coyote is a different critter. For some they work well, others have a different opinion, my OPINION they are not my first choice.

Give them a shot, I'm just trying to save you some money.

xdeano


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

Hey, xdeano, no need to get upset. You don't like the bullets as well as I do. No big deal!!



> I'm not saying this because I heard a buddy of a buddy that was shooting them and they didn't work.


If you read the post, it was just one buddy, not 2. I have a bit of experience with the bullets also, as I said in the post, just not the .243's....yet.



> I've shot a lot and I know where my bullet is going, this isn't my first rodeo.


I never said it was. I said that when my buddy got a good hit on the yote he didn't need to shoot them again. I also said that I was not sure why you were getting different results. Quite honestly yours is not the first negative I have heard on the VG's. I have heard there may be a difference in performance from lot to lot. I have read a lot more good than bad though.

You have a lot more experience and knowledge than I do. That was never up for debate.



> They'd be great on prairie dogs, if you want me to stoke your ego, I can tell you they work great on elephants too.


This has nothing to do with MY ego. The bullets work well for me and for my co-worker, but I don't have an infatuation with the bullet. If they don't work well for me on yotes out of my 6mm I will be more than happy to tell any and every one.

You say don't try them, I say give em a shot. I hope that doesn't bother you too much.


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

Naw, just trying to push buttons, I was in a special mood yesterday and figured i'd take it out on you.

There is no better learning than trying it yourself. How many coyotes has your buddy shot with this round if you don't mind me asking. Not trying to be a di{k, I'm truly curious. After 5 I pulled the rest. I did shoot a couple **** a porcupine and a few jack rabbits with them and they did just fine. I think they would be really well suited for prairie dogs.

This is just like the 204 discussion on the coyote/fox board a while ago. All it was was a pissing match. No one was truly right of wrong. I was giving my opinion, for what it's worth, no need to get defensive.

I to have heard a lot of good and a lot of bad things about this round. Not all of my experience has been bad by any means, Just on coyote.

xdeano


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Hard to beat Nosler ballistic tips.

Ive also heard horror stories on the varmint grenades when it comes to targets larger than a p'dog. Their terminal ballistics by the sound of it sucks. They dont transfer energy well to the target and "splash" on the surface.
From what ive read on them, they are very picky about what velocity their shot at for optimum performance.
I cant remember if guys were saying they performed better at the lower end or upper end of a given calibers velocities, but that seemed to be a big deal.
They shot well, but alot of bullets shoot well if you take the time to experiment.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

> Naw, just trying to push buttons, I was in a special mood yesterday and figured i'd take it out on you.


No big deal. I just hate to see guys I get good info from get kinda cranky like that. No telling with some folks how they react.

The VG's have been great at top velocities from my 22-250. I am right around 4100-42000 fps(according to the book). I have also shot a good number of porcupine, and many jacks, and a lot of prairie dogs too. No exit on the porkys, but the dogs and jacks exploded. I have yet to get a shot at a yote with the 250.

I will talk to my co-worker and ask him about his yotes. I work at 1400 today, so I will post his reply tonight when I get home. He sent me phone pix of 3, so I know he has that many, but I would guess he has many more than that. He is out quite a bit, has some pretty good areas to shoot.

I just got turned down by Barnes for any info using H4350, Varget, H4831SC, RL-15 or RL-19 for the GV's in 6mm. So I am going to have to start loads on my own. Hopefully I can get some first hand info on yote killing performance very soon.


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## Heavy Hitter (Dec 10, 2004)

Have been pleased with the 75 gr V-max's in my .243... I don't care about holes as coyotes are not in demand this year. So, instead of $10 you get $5-6.

Heck one guy is very reluctact to take any in that aren't the very light prime furs, the market just isn't their this year.


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

Laite319, 
When I was using them I was pushing them with 40.5g Varget @ 3498fps over a chrono. I was using win brass, Fed 210M primers.

Sierra's load manual has a starting load of:
Varget 39.7 to 43.0g
RL15 39.5 to 43.5g
H4831SC 48.0 to 49.0g

I didn't have anything for the H4350, but IMR4350 was 44.9 to 46.7g. Just to get you in the ballpark.

Let us know what you end up with when you kill a few dogs with that load. I'd really like to know.

Heavy Hitter,
I agree with you, the prices are not good this year so, shoot them for the practice. 

xdeano

xdeano


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

xdeano, thanks for the info! I got info from my Hornady, Sierra, and Nosler books. The Sierra 60gr and the Hornady 65gr are very similar, so I will probably just split the difference and start from there. I am a little shy of using other books for loads since I used the one book one cal manuals for a few loads. Some of their starting and max loads were way off what the bullet manufacturer's loads said.

I talked to my co-worker today, he said he still really likes the VG's. He has killed 6 yotes to date with that load in his .243. He is shooting H414 at 3675fps(if I remember correctly), but I didn't ask about brass or primer. He said they leave the hide quite good for skinning as he usually sells them. He also said yotes are not bringing much so he hasn't done any lately. He said the closest laser measured one he shot was 75yds, and that left a few very tiny holes in the hide when some of the fragments exited. The farthest laser measured shot he took was 197yds. He said he didn't find any exit holes in that one. That has been his experience with them.

I hope to get out a few times in the coming weeks, but I don't know if I can take sitting in the snow while it is -45 windchill. I will let you know how it goes when I do shoot a few.


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## Heavy Hitter (Dec 10, 2004)

Laite,

Give RW a call up to the N of you. It would give him something to do this winter.

If I make another trip up there this winter I'll let you know.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

I will definately do that! I haven't talked to him in quite a while. I hope you make it up here, and I am on days off.


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