So my buddy Big Al comes by yesterday to get me out of the house (cabin fever bad) and take me to his ranch for some UTV pig hunting. I have a very accurate load in my RAR with the 105 AMAX I've been whacking gongs with, so I figure I'll try them out on some vermin. Big Al put my on 7 hogs in the 50-120lb range, and I killed them all easily with this load. Impacts were your basic behind the shoulder shots, 100-140 yds, and every pig died quickly, with one shot, and every bullet exited. I was shocked at the 105's performance on these pigs.

Does this surprise anyone but me? These were my first kills with this bullet.

Must have pics for proof

They stabilize with a 9" twist? I read here you have to have 8".

Why no ELD?

No ELD because the Amax were available locally and it was too easy just to try these. It's not much problem to get a 3 shot 3/4" group with them at 100.

JG,

I'm not especially surprised by your experience. They typically expand well, dig deep enough, and are very accurate. Hard to fault a heavy-for-caliber, slickery bullet that expands and does a bunch of damage when it hits.

The 105AM will sometimes stabilize from a 10" twist, 9" is nearly always enough to get them stable, but 8" or faster is a good idea in order to super-stabilize the 105 and maximize its potential BC value.

Have had good results with the 105 A-Max on deer and pigs, not so good on coyotes and bobcats, they blow a big hole in them, to big to sew up. my rifles are both 1in8s. Rio7

The 105 Amax is superbly accurate in my 1-8 243, but I had one shatter into tiny bits on a behind the shoulder shot on a pronghorn buck at 200 yards.

At Jordan's recommendation I tried the 105 HPBT. Its accuracy is stellar, and it does seem tougher (though it's a sample of only one antelope so far). They're reasonably priced too.

I've pondered building a 6x45 to use up the rest of my Amax bullets.

Sounds like a good plan.

The HPBT does hold together a bit better than the AM, IME.

Have you tried the 105 Scenar??? Rio7

My son-in-law shot an antelope with a .30-06/168g A-MAX at about 100 yards. Hit it high and facing. The A-MAX destroyed the left strap and most of the ham. We've found TTSX and AB kill just as reliably but with far less destruction.

I'm running the 105 amaxes a touch over 2900 fps in my .243.

I have complete confidence in them for any deer I'll be shooting at.

From what I've seen, in the handful of deer I've shot with them, they have performed very similar to the 95 gr NBTs I used for years.