Thoughts on 53g vmax.

Here is some real world data. I know there is always going to be the fellas saying, shoot more runners, anyone can make a standing broadside shot. My goal is to get them where I want them, how I want them, I want it to be an easy shot, that's how I know I've fooled natures most astute predator.
If it's marketing, wouldn't it be smart for fellas who make this gear, try and get it into our hands, who make sets like us, who try and get the animal to present itself like us, fellas who shoot all year round, reloading, practicing, building sub 1/2 MOA rifles, passing legislation to advance our agenda, fellas who do this for a living, guys who implement precision into every angle of work that they do?
I don't care what you use, I don't care how you use it. I try to be as respectful as I can to my quarry, and to my fellow hunters. Have fun, be safe, and God Bless.

 
I dont care what happens broadside with a perfect shot presentation, a 17HMR will work, and I dont care what the hole in the animal looks like as long as its not a splash crater. I dont care about an exit hole, thats what bullets are made to do. On the other hand frequent runners, tear damage and questionable stuff is not acceptable at all. Im talking about 223 after all so im no talking a total blowout exit so, exit hole, ok, that makes sence. Explosive splash right where i aim, wounded dog getting away, that doesnt make sence.

The bullet just has to go through a quartered coyote shoulder. Hornady knows this, on their podcast they talk about themselves stepping up to larger calibers night hunting because you dont get the same shots, you cant exactly judge the angle, the shoulder is just part of the blob coyote silhouette, you get more runners at night(I dont anymore).

Everyone talks about the sound of when Vmax and varmint bullets hit sounded like hitting them with a baseball bat, I agree, ive used the same analogy. When you hit them with a SGK it sounds like an M80 huge firecracker went off inside them. The whole stopping the bullet right inside the coyote is the whole handicap craze, thats not what guns are made to do, its a fad, a fashion, pelts arent worth anything anymore. Start shooting SGK and only take quartering to you shots and head on shots, you wont get an exit, you will still have the opportunity to shoot broadside and get an exit but you will get more shot oportunities than Vmax.

I wonder if there was any way they could thicken the jacket only at the nose of the Vmax, leave the rest just as soft, try to delay that explosiveness just a fraction.
Are you(related) to Mr. Tim Anderson? You act like him.
Anyway, ive shot hundreds of coyotes/fox with both 22cal 50gr and 6mm 58/65gr and have yet to have an issue running them. If I make a poor shot/placement/etc, it's the indian not the arrow.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure who Mr. Tim Anderson is, he sounds like a cool guy though.

Hornady themselves say that Vmax should not be used on coyotes, they designed them for gophers.

Hornady themselves say they switch to larger calibers at night because of run offs.

Hornady knows the Pdog market has died and coyotes taken its place, the only thing Hornady has done for coyote hunters is the ELD VT which is just a longer gopher bullet and cant be loaded at magazine length in 223.

Coyote hunters have a chance to ask Hornady to make a new .224 50-55gr coyote bullet. Things have gotten carried away if you go hunting with a 4pm rifle and a 7:30pm rifle just because the hunter insists on shooting a Vmax and only a Vmax for its gopher effects. Hornady themselves know they havent offered anything new in .223 for coyotes since the Spire Point(copper CX they advertise for coyotes, they look cool but never seen or heard of any available or being used.) Vmax is everywhere, if you like them then shoot them but if you insist Vmax are the best bullet possible, only make archery shots, carry a golf bag of rifles for times of day and insist Hornady shouldnt offer anything else you're just on the red Cool-Aid.

Some guys just dont want to possibly think their gear could have some flaws. You know the guys; if their rifle doesnt group it was always because of their flinch.... etc. If a bullet vaporizes on coyotes skeleton thats the shooters fault.,.. thats the Cool-Aid buzz speaking. Im a life long archery hunter, more than any other hunting by far, i know what shot placement means.

Skinney, thats a great hunting video, seriously, top notch. Thats not how coyote hunting works around here on northern MN public land though, ive got more homes and people around, more dense cover, more wolves and no open rolling hillside prairies. I just turned 39 and Ive seen less than 10 coyotes in day light, that includes my childhood, driving up and down the road, working, deer hunting, trying to day call coyotes.... A few days ago I called in a coyote that got under 30yards away, I heard it but never saw it and it never stopped moving. The longest Ive waited to take a shot on a coyote was under 8 seconds and they were 60 yards away when i shot. I hunt with a 223 at night... Im not bashing Hornady, I have lots of their stuff, i listen to the podcast, their competition long range bullet line is 10x better than it was 5 or 8 years ago. Hornady just got super lucky the Vmax caught on like it did way past its Pdog roots and at this point any reasonable coyote hunter would be asking for a new coyote bullet, thats what Hornady is doing right now, designing bullets for the coyote crowd for the first time, give them suggestions.
 
Last edited:
Have shot 2 coyotes with 65 grain Vmax 2 splashesThey were close.A Vmax slowed down some works a lot better.Now shoot 85 grain Vmax and have not had any problems.First splash with 65 grainer was head on in chest knocked him down and 5 minutes later he got up and was staggering off.22 Creed stopped him/
 
I'm not sure who Mr. Tim Anderson is, he sounds like a cool guy though.

Hornady themselves say that Vmax should not be used on coyotes, they designed them for gophers.

Hornady themselves say they switch to larger calibers at night because of run offs.

Hornady knows the Pdog market has died and coyotes taken its place, the only thing Hornady has done for coyote hunters is the ELD VT which is just a longer gopher bullet and cant be loaded at magazine length in 223.

Coyote hunters have a chance to ask Hornady to make a new .224 50-55gr coyote bullet. Things have gotten carried away if you go hunting with a 4pm rifle and a 7:30pm rifle just because the hunter insists on shooting a Vmax and only a Vmax for its gopher effects. Hornady themselves know they havent offered anything new in .223 for coyotes since the Spire Point(copper CX they advertise for coyotes, they look cool but never seen or heard of any available or being used.) Vmax is everywhere, if you like them then shoot them but if you insist Vmax are the best bullet possible, only make archery shots, carry a golf bag of rifles for times of day and insist Hornady shouldnt offer anything else you're just on the red Cool-Aid.

Some guys just dont want to possibly think their gear could have some flaws. You know the guys; if their rifle doesnt group it was always because of their flinch.... etc. If a bullet vaporizes on coyotes skeleton thats the shooters fault.,.. thats the Cool-Aid buzz speaking. Im a life long archery hunter, more than any other hunting by far, i know what shot placement means.

Skinney, thats a great hunting video, seriously, top notch. Thats not how coyote hunting works around here on northern MN public land though, ive got more homes and people around, more dense cover, more wolves and no open rolling hillside prairies. I just turned 39 and Ive seen less than 10 coyotes in day light, that includes my childhood, driving up and down the road, working, deer hunting, trying to day call coyotes.... A few days ago I called in a coyote that got under 30yards away, I heard it but never saw it and it never stopped moving. The longest Ive waited to take a shot on a coyote was under 8 seconds and they were 60 yards away when i shot. I hunt with a 223 at night... Im not bashing Hornady, I have lots of their stuff, i listen to the podcast, their competition long range bullet line is 10x better than it was 5 or 8 years ago. Hornady just got super lucky the Vmax caught on like it did way past its Pdog roots and at this point any reasonable coyote hunter would be asking for a new coyote bullet, thats what Hornady is doing right now, designing bullets for the coyote crowd for the first time, give them suggestions.
If my family plans work out, I plan on being up in northern Minnesota on my father in laws property. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. If that happens, I’ll bring my bow hunting, prairie, red cool aid vmax bullets up with me and see how they do, again.

I’ll have to say, I’ve already been up there and had success with the .224 vmax bullets previously though. In 3 days this past summer, I saw 5 daylight coyotes up there in the woods.

I’ll keep you posted if it happens.
 
Back
Top