Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles What's the scoop on the 53 VMax?

The Hornady 53 VMax looks like it ought to outrun the 50 given the chance due to such a higher BC.

Who's used them and what results did you get?
Do they work in a 12 twist 223?

I have a few hundred, and I keep meaning to try them. The BC is very, very good...but the 50s shoot so good, its hard to change anything.

I've been using since they came out on p/dogs...BC is .290

compared to the .242 for the 50 V....they are wicked to say

the least....but why will Hornady not package them in 250-500

or even 1000 pc cartons ? I run them in a 28" 223 AI 9 twist

I bought about 2500 of them this season...been running them in a 1 in 12 twist batch of 223s, with a load of 25 grains of H 322... hot by current standards, not by older reload data.... brass nor rifle seem to notice.. but sure gives both real nice velocity and are VERY VERY flat shooting, and hang a lot of terminal performance on what gets in their way....

with all the choices in 223, I have to admit on settling on the 53 V Max with the H 322 load, and then the 40 grain VMax and Varmaggeddons behind a load of 17.5 grains of SR 4759 or 14 grains of Blue Dot...

A varmint shooting friend of mine uses them in an 8 twist Tikka 223 with absolutely eye opening results.......your eyes when you watch and the groundhog's eyes when they connect at 450-600 yards!! With regularity!! I know it sounds like a hunting tale but I have seen it time and time again. Same guy has a VSSF in 22-250 that doesn't like them.
I just bought 900 today(all the store had) to use in my Cooper 22PPC. That 14 twist barrel is putting them (5shot groups) into the .2-.4" category and getting them out the tube at 3325fps. The performance and killing effects have been good also. It's a pretty darn good projectile for us. Charlie (GHD)

This year when I went to Wyoming I used H322 and Blue Dot. I only wish I would have taken more Blue Dot loads as the shooting was fast and furious from morning till dark. The dogs never went under, barrel heat is the only thing that slowed us down.

Carry an extra rifle to shoot while your Number One Gun is cooling�.

53' will NOT stabilize in my 14" twist Hart 226 that is 26" long.

In my rem 700 SPS stainless with it's 12 twist, they shoot tight groups with 25g of H322, thick cup primers, jammed on the lands!

Keith, the reason for twist is to spin the bullet and therefore stabilize it. (yeah, yeah, we know all that).

Sometimes (not always) you can make up for a lack of twist with higher velocity.

Most bullets like a certain RPM range and if your 14 is not delivering what the bullet wants in RPM velocity will fix it.

Calculate RPM with this formula:

Muzzle velocity times 720
------------------------- = RPM
Twist rate in inches


HM

I love 'em. They are my do-all in 22 cal now. They far outstrip common 55 and 60 gr bullets for flat trajectory. I use CFE at a max load out of a 24" 1:12 and get 3415, and right at half-inch 5 shot groups. Have taken to using them in a 1:14 Bee Contender as well, using Lil Gun, for 2740, and they are as accurate as I can hold. It is my grouse-getter, and I neck-shoot to silly ranges.

As stated, they are my favorite 22 cal now. Don't buy them all.

Thanks Halfmile! I recently tried them in a 223 AI that I thought was a 1-12 twist, the 53's shot 3' groups, then I checked the twist on this barrel...it was a 14" twist.

I like a 4 rifle rotation.

Fire 3-5 rounds. Open the bolt, set the rifle in the rest, record chrono results, pick up next rifle and repeat.

I've shot a ton of these both in 3gun competitions as well as in the varmint fields, and they have always shot great. Unfortunately, I've only shot them out of 7-9 twist barrels, so I'm not of much help to that question. My normal load for them is 26.5gr of TAC.

I shoot them for prairie poodles. 26.5 grains of H4895 produces little tiny groups out of my Cooper. I will shoot about 1,000 of them in a 3-day weekend.

I have left all other mid and light weight .224 bullets behind and only shoot the 53gr Vmax. I love this bullet and get great performance with it and 27gr H4895 in an 8" twist 26" Shilen 223 Wylde. It is an absolute killer.

Just tried some out and couldn't be more happy with them, I'll probably be phasing out my 55's since these offer better bc ......