AMAX for hunting?

[Elkslayer1]

Hi,

I am loading 162 AMAX and 168 Berger VLD for my 7mm Rem Mag. Can any of you tell me how the AMAX bullets have done for mule deer and elk? Can you also tell me any load information you may have for these bullets and how far off the lands you are loading them? Thanks!

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Those shoot great in all my 7mm's but they are a very thin jacket. Maybe for deer but not for elk at all. I nearly cut an antelope in half with one out of my 7mm STW. Very explosive, like hitting it with a varmint bullet.

 

[R.C.Saul]

I have been looking for the same info. Hope you get lots replys.

 

[Oliveralan]

I would not use for elk, no way. Maybe mulies if your real far away. Close range they are real explosive.

Do a search, there are a few other really long threads disussing the Amax for hunting.

 

[new shooter]

Those shoot great in all my 7mm's but they are a very thin jacket. Maybe for deer but not for elk at all. I nearly cut an antelope in half with one out of my 7mm STW. Very explosive, like hitting it with a varmint bullet.

Long Time Long Ranger would you mind talling me whats the longest you shot a deer or a antelope at with the Amax IN THE 7STW? What vel. are you getting and what powder are you using ? Thanks for your time. Joe

 

[liltank]

Well, what I have heard from our brother down under, they load A-max's in their 7mm's for shots over 500 yards. For anything shorter, they load 160 Nosler Accubonds. They say it shoots to the same POI to that distance. The A-max seems to work better at longer range. There is one guy on here a few years ago dropped and Elk at 1300 yards with the 162 A-max.

Tank

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

My best accuracy load with 7stw and 162 is 83 grains of 7828 at 5 shot average of 3349 fps. Extreme velocity spread of 12 fps. The antelope it devastated was about a quarter mile away. I can't remember the longest shot with it but I do remember shooting a large buck mulie right at 700 yards with it. A buddy shot a very nice mulie at about 150 yards out of his 7mm rem mag and lost the deer. Hit it right in the shoulder he said and had quite a bit of blood for a while then lost the deer. He was sick because it was a 30" class deer.

 

[kiwi3006]

I have used the a-max and berger in my 7mm mag on red deer and tahr out to 630 yards. Do a search on my username and you will see some of the animals i have taken. They both work great and there is no real difference between them. Can't tell you about elk as there are not many down here in NZ.
As Liltank said I use the 160 accubond inside 300 yds and the a-max berger past there. Closest shot with a-max is 358 yards, complete pass through on shoulder shots with only ribs hit. At 600 + yds they also completly passed through with similar shots.
I use 73gr H1000, federal brass, federal 215 primer 3115 fps with 26" and berger. This load is slightly hot and I will reduce to 72 or 72.5 gr.

I seat the berger so there is a slight mark on the proj when chambered. The a-max was seated slightly deeper so that there was no mark on the proj when seated.

Stu.

 

[300WSMMAD]

I agree 100% with KIWI3006

For what it is worth, Im in the throws of building a 284 WIN for shots out to 5-600 yrds,soley for our smallish light skinned game goats,fellow, sika.

I will be shooting either the 162 AMax or 168 Berger around 2900 fps, for shots past 300 depending on which one it likes and if I can get AMaxes,under 300 will be the Accubond no question, depending on game,Feral goats will get anything I can lay my hands on .

I shot two good sized goats a few weeks ago with my 6.5-284 140gr AMax MV 2920 at 455 yrds, both shoulder shots both pass throughs one took two steps and died, the other just dropped on impact,a fantastic result.

AMaxes do kill and do it well, just not at close ranges. BUT this is a Long Range Hunting forum after all

300WSMMAD

 

[load]

amax bullets are thin skinned non bonded core bullets they work were hunting bullets fail but fail were hunting bullets work. bonded core and partition style bullets have a hard time expanding below1800 fps. at these low speed they tend to just pencil threw the animal. at speeds above 1800 fps they mushroom out nicely creating cavitation inside the animal.
amaxs tend to come apart violently when impacting at speeds above 2000 fps but mushroom nicely as low as 1000 fps creating the same cavitation as bonded cores but at nearly 1000 fps slower.
if you are a long range hunter it may be nessesary to carry and be proficiant with more than one type of ammunition. i'd keep both in your bag of tricks. i have both sst and amax loaded when hunting for elk