Anyone have experience with the 55 grain Dogtown bullets or the 55 Varmageddon? I’m shooting a 1-9 .223 which really likes 55 Blitzkings and Xterminator. It also likes the 60 VMAX over H4895.

I was thinking to trying the Dogtowns or Varmageddons this year for cost savings. I know that Nosler makes the Dogtowns, but was wondering how they perform. I’ve also thought about going to the 55 Horn Sp as a do all in the .223.

I have used the 50,55,and 60 VMAX, 60 Horn SP, 55 Blitzking, and the 52 Match HP. The Blitzkings are on another level in terms of “explosiveness” and are the most expensive as well. I got a good deal on 60 grain VMax bullets and have 250 or so loaded up.

The gun does well with X-Terminator/55 BKings. X-Terminator is much easier to find and costs less than H4895 I thought that might be the way to go for cheap pdog rounds. If they do well enough I might stay with 55s for Coyotes as well. I went back to the 60 VMAX and Horn Sp as I was worried about splashes with Blitzkings.

Been very happy with the Dogtowns on the buck toothed colony varmints... Havent used Varmageddons.. and 55s should shoot just fine in your 1 in 9

Thanks…do you prefer the HP or SP Dogtown?

I've shot both and both are excellent.

It's my belief the Dogtowns hollow points are just rebranded HP Varmageddons.

The soft point varmageddons are rebranded SHOTS that Nosler makes for the Australian market. The SHOTS also shoot really well.

One of my favorites is the 50gr dogtown HP (non-tipped). In the AR, I find the non-tipped version bring the ogive closer to the lands and for me, tend to shoot better than the tipped version. Not that the tipped versions shoot bad, because they don't. The 50gr HP version just shoots really good when you can get them. Right now they are out of stock at Midway and I'm not seeing the 50gr VG on the Nosler product list.

Buy either, which ever you can get the cheapest, and load with confidence.

I really liked the 40gr tipped VG in a 9 twist 223 I had. Was great on crows, probably 20-25 pigs, and even a deer.

I've shot a lot of both...

My preference is the Tipped Varmaggedons...I shot a lot of the 40s and 53 grain ones..

I found them more accurate in my 223s... I compare them to V Maxes, instead of SP varmint bullets

I also order a couple thousand of the Speer 50 TNTs in the 1000 round pack.. as well as the 52 HPs they sell also in the 1000 pack.....I've still running thru the 55 SP Speer also in the 1000 piece box... I got a real screaming deal on them at a sale Grafs had... and bought like 8000 of them at the time...they aren't as accurate as all the above bullets...

the Hornady 50 and 55 grain SP are also cheap enough for volume shooting, I go thru a lot of those also each year..

I probably shoot 6,000 to 8.000 rounds of varmint bullets each year...so ya play around with them and stock up when they are on special etc...

For a cheap bullet the Speer 50gr TNT is hard to beat in the 1000 pack, you wont find a more accurate 22cal bullet at a fraction of the cost of my beloved Blitzkings

Lots of shooting there seafire..!!!! I tried the 50 TNT s years ago, and had a lot of bouncing bullets when fired on the dry prairie.. Speer sent me a new lot... The were better, but never bought another lot of them..

I also have about 3000 of the 52 gr. Speer hollow point.. I really like that bullet, but one lot gave me a lot of fouling in my rifles.. I returned them to Speer and they replaced the entire lot.. The new batch were a bit better but still fouled more than they should, so they are sitting on the bench.. I pulled about 500 from my .223 cases and put them in a jar.. Haven/t fired a bullet from any of the 52 s that I have since that time.. Must just be unlucky..

Most of your shooting at gophers???

yeah, we don't have prairie dogs over this way....

but we have sage rats all over the place east of the Cascades...

I don't drink alcohol, I have never done drugs, I have never smoked anything...

but I am an ADDICT.... Addicted to red mist...

a lot of those rounds are powered by Blue dot...which is awfully easy on the 223 barrels...

Sounds awesome...

I shot the varmint nightmare x-treme and the varmagedons side by side on the same day with Blue Dot and H322. . I believe the varmint nightmare are Mid Souths version of the dog towns. I didn't shoot past 400 yards and accuracy from both was good. I was very surprised at the splat factor generated by the soft points. The next year I took more of the varmint nightmares vs the tipped bullets. And of course more loaded with Blue Dot than the previous year.

WOW can’t even imagine that, they blow up at 22-250 velocities,most frangible bullet I have ever used. That is why I only shoot them in 223 at prairie dogs and smaller

I was over at the range today, and shot a Stevens 22.250, loaded with 17.5 grains of Blue Dot., and the bullets were some 55 grain Varmint Nightmares...

this rifle has been fed 17.5 grains of Blue Dot with 40 grain VMaxes for the last several months..just for going to the range and putting some rounds down the barrel....usually 10 rounds of this combo, the 40 grain VMaxes, give me dime sized hole at 100 yds...

The same load today with the Varmint Nightmares in 55 grains, were all over the target ( 8/ 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, targets down loaded off the internet...)..that concerned me.. the 10 rounds loaded with the 40 V Max did the usual dime sized hole...

Loading up the same load with 55 grain VMax tonight, just to compare to see if it is the bullet weight or not...

was also going to load up 10 rounds with a Speer 50 grain TNT...just to compare...

was surprised to see the Varmint Nightmare not having that good of a showing...it was out of a batch of 500 bullets, bought in bulk....

who knows....what's going on...gotta put that Timney trigger in that Stevens I have had for 6 months now...

Either...take your pick..

Let us know what you find causing this. Doesn't sound normal

Something weird and not usual, has a way of always finding me...

I'm sure its something stupid...always seems to be...

Maybe its because you’re the Sherlock Holmes of varmint caliber mysteries?

Nah Cliff...

its more like I'm the " NOW WHAT??" of varmint caliber mysteries....:)

I've probably shot easily over 10,000 17 and 20 cal v- nightmares from midsouth and have been able to get .5 m.o.a or close to it in several different rifles. For sage rats and P.D's there a good cheap bullet.
They may not have the splat factor as a Blitzking but there half the price.

Have shot thousands of the 50 gr Varmint nightmare extremes and they shoot real good. no problems ever. The prairie dogs don't seem to like them much tho.

Guys,

I have shot zillions of the Varmint Nightmares myself...

this is the first time in memory I've had issues with them grouping..

and the rifle has the right twist...

could be the powder, but its performing well with other loads and rifles..

and the primers are S& B which are pretty consistent.. even tho, I see more frequent duds with it
than say CCI, or WIn or Federal...

Last time I had that kind of an issue it was loose scope mounts.....

Naw the scope mounts were checked...they are tight....

I don't think the scope checked out either... its a Weaver V 9 on top..

I have not shot Blue Dot loads but I question using a bullet almost 40% heavier but you did not reduce the powder. You couldn't make that kind of change using standard loads.

Well since you have not shot or used Blue Dot loads, one could understand your logic in stating your question..

however, Blue Dot does not perform like normal rifle powders perform...

Max charge with Blue Dot in the 22.250, the max safe load is 19.5 grains, regardless of the bullet weight, from 30 grains to 63 grains....I've worked up each bullet weight, from minimum to maximum loads.. and they are all over the internet and have been for 15 years or more now... especially starting with the 223, and then the 22.250...and they have been tested extensively...

Although you are new here, you may well be a very accomplished handloader. But if you will stand still and listen, you will learn from the years of work guys like Seafire have put into specialty loads like with Blue Dot.