timmyatnop
Well-Known Member
Long Time Long Ranger, would u share your 300 rum 208 a max load with me. I have one good load for my 300 ,but I would sure like to shoot the 208s also.
? accuracy and performance of Amax in LRH
- Thread starter drpbroun5
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B23
Well-Known Member
LTLR, I'm sure there is more to the story but those pics make it look like you're hunting in someones backyard. lol From 1000yds away no less... 
Eaglet,
I thought they would fly almost alike. With the recommendation on this thread to use the Amax only on thin skin animals, I am hopeing that someone has shot elk or moose with both to be able to compare them at high and low terminal speeds.
Also does anyone have any loads for either bullet in a 300 Win Mag?
Thanks.
Paul
I thought they would fly almost alike. With the recommendation on this thread to use the Amax only on thin skin animals, I am hopeing that someone has shot elk or moose with both to be able to compare them at high and low terminal speeds.
Also does anyone have any loads for either bullet in a 300 Win Mag?
Thanks.
Paul
Michael Eichele
Well-Known Member
My take on the AMAX bullets are that when you use the right size of AMAX for the job, they work great on up to deer size game.
The fact is, AMAX bullets will shed alot of material inside a critter. You need enough material to make it from one side to the other. In other words, 155 AMAXs dont work so well on deer where on wolves, they work great. The 168 and larger have performed very well on deer size game.
I did harvest a moose this last season with a 208 AMAx and it wasn't very pretty. I would have used my edge but my cousin grabbed it and went after a bull which he got. Just before he got his I spotted a bedded bull and went after it. All I had available was my sheep rifle. The 308 running 208s. It did the job but was not pretty.
I dont recommend any AMAX for anything larger than a deer unless it is the 208 on SMALL elk. I am sure you can kill a 1000 pound bull with them but 9 times out of ten you would be asking for trouble where an ACCUBOND or INTERBOND bullet would be so much more optimum and keep you out of trouble most of the time.
One thing I do like about them is that they do expand very nicely at lower velocities making them a great choice for very long range shots.
As far as accuracy, AMAX bullets are the most accurate bullets I have ever shot. All of my personal best groups and shots were made using a variety of AMAX bullets in several rifles. My only complaints are that they dont offer a 190ish grain 30 cal bullet or a 300 grain 338 bullet.
M
The fact is, AMAX bullets will shed alot of material inside a critter. You need enough material to make it from one side to the other. In other words, 155 AMAXs dont work so well on deer where on wolves, they work great. The 168 and larger have performed very well on deer size game.
I did harvest a moose this last season with a 208 AMAx and it wasn't very pretty. I would have used my edge but my cousin grabbed it and went after a bull which he got. Just before he got his I spotted a bedded bull and went after it. All I had available was my sheep rifle. The 308 running 208s. It did the job but was not pretty.
I dont recommend any AMAX for anything larger than a deer unless it is the 208 on SMALL elk. I am sure you can kill a 1000 pound bull with them but 9 times out of ten you would be asking for trouble where an ACCUBOND or INTERBOND bullet would be so much more optimum and keep you out of trouble most of the time.
One thing I do like about them is that they do expand very nicely at lower velocities making them a great choice for very long range shots.
As far as accuracy, AMAX bullets are the most accurate bullets I have ever shot. All of my personal best groups and shots were made using a variety of AMAX bullets in several rifles. My only complaints are that they dont offer a 190ish grain 30 cal bullet or a 300 grain 338 bullet.
M
Thanks, Michael. I gather it took more than one bullet on the moose. Was the terminal velocity high or low (range)?
Has anyone any experience with 208 gr 30 cal Amax bullets on elk? What results did you see and at what kind of range (higher or lower terminal velocities)?
Thanks.
Paul
Has anyone any experience with 208 gr 30 cal Amax bullets on elk? What results did you see and at what kind of range (higher or lower terminal velocities)?
Thanks.
Paul
Michael Eichele
Well-Known Member
Impact velocities were right around 2600 FPS. All I had available was a 20 yard head/neck shot. I hit him in the upper most vertabre and while it did knock the snot out of him and dump him, he clearly was not dead. Before he could get up I ran over to him and hit him in the head. That still didnt do the trick so I put one in his ribs at point blank. Just far enough away not to get kicked. The neck bone was cracked a bit but not penetrated. I didnt cut into the head area so I dont know if it penetrated the skull. Knowing how thick a mature bull's skull is, I doubt it. As far as the ribs, there was no exit and only some bullet fragments.
This was not the first moose I took with an AMAX. The other, again was not planned. I was sheep hunting and my buddy was moose hunting with his rifle. He wounded one which ran off to 441 yards. After he missed at that range, I asked him if he minded if I ended it for him because the bull was nosing into the alders minutes before dark. He said take him and I sent a 155 on the way. My mentality was shoot for the upper neck. It wont break the shoulders, may not make it to both lungs, a neck shot is either a miss or a drop. The bull dropped in his tracks. As we got closer, he made it to his feet for a few more yards where we finished him off with a head shot. Another very messy situation involving an AMAX. Again, the vertabre was fractured but not penetrated.
Having harvested several moose using a variety of bullets including AMAXs, Barnes and Nosler Accubonds, I prefer the Accubonds all the way around. The X bullet did awesome, I just prefer a higher BC bullet for the longer shots such as the 200 Accubond. Now that I use a 338, I use the 300 Berger for the long stuff and the 225 Accubonds for the close up stuff. I hate carrying two loads, but in LRH, there are very few if any at all bullets that work equally as well at 20 yards as they do at 800 yards. Unfortunately, that is our reality.
M
This was not the first moose I took with an AMAX. The other, again was not planned. I was sheep hunting and my buddy was moose hunting with his rifle. He wounded one which ran off to 441 yards. After he missed at that range, I asked him if he minded if I ended it for him because the bull was nosing into the alders minutes before dark. He said take him and I sent a 155 on the way. My mentality was shoot for the upper neck. It wont break the shoulders, may not make it to both lungs, a neck shot is either a miss or a drop. The bull dropped in his tracks. As we got closer, he made it to his feet for a few more yards where we finished him off with a head shot. Another very messy situation involving an AMAX. Again, the vertabre was fractured but not penetrated.
Having harvested several moose using a variety of bullets including AMAXs, Barnes and Nosler Accubonds, I prefer the Accubonds all the way around. The X bullet did awesome, I just prefer a higher BC bullet for the longer shots such as the 200 Accubond. Now that I use a 338, I use the 300 Berger for the long stuff and the 225 Accubonds for the close up stuff. I hate carrying two loads, but in LRH, there are very few if any at all bullets that work equally as well at 20 yards as they do at 800 yards. Unfortunately, that is our reality.
M
blygy
Well-Known Member
I can only speak to accuracy. My buddies will put 3 rounds inside 2 3/4 inches at 750 yards. this is on a stock Savage action and stock with a shillen select match barrel..
We will have to see what it does when he builds his BAT actioned 300 winnies to shoot the same bullet.
We will have to see what it does when he builds his BAT actioned 300 winnies to shoot the same bullet.
Nomosendero
Well-Known Member
Impressive!
