I went groundhog hunting this am and I had some erratic results with the 50 grain Remington factory ammo I was using. I shot three groundhogs and only anchored one. The other two made it to their holes. The first was about 100 yards and I hit him in the head neck junction. He went down and by the time I got the hole he was down in the ground looking back at me. I was 12 feet away. He was looking at me with blood around his face. I shot 3 more times as he slowly moved or was pushed back by the impact. It looked like it wasn’t doing much too him.

The second one was along a fence row maybe 20 feet way. He was sitting up and I put it right on his shoulder. He jumped in his hole and I saw nothing to indicate a hit. I know I hit him, but I thought he should have been done that close.

The third was about 100 yards and I hit him quartering away through the shoulder. It went down and stayed right there. The bullet made a dime sized entrance and never exited.

What are your experiences and what do you think?

Here is a pic of the one we recovered:

The 50 gr Vmax will solve some of those problems.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the 50 grain Vmax is the bullet used in this factory loading, right?

Gold polymer tip?

Yes, gold polymer tip. The Remington box calls it an Accutip.

Yes it is a V-Max.

I have used the 50 grainer in 223, 22-250 & 220 Swift but never had any issues killing stuff, mainly coyotes.

Shot through quite a few of em too.

Learn something new every day...

Do you handload for the 221?

No reason those V-Max shouldn't work fine but if you wanna try something different get some 40 grain Ballistic Tips.

I second the motion!

I tried 40 grain Acutips in a 22.250 and while they are supposedly a V-Max I never found them to be as frangible or destructive on crows and groundhogs as the red tipped V-Max. The 40 grain V-max at those ranges should have blown those groundhogs to doll rags.

I have dies and some brass. I picked up some factory loads to try in it. After this disappointment I will definitely load some 40 grain bullets to try.

The Poobah has spoken and it will be done

I am glad you mentioned your experience too. In my gut I know there is something "off" with these bullets.

I pulled some of the 50 grain Accutips in the factory ammo to compare with some 50 grain Vmaxes. I don't think they are the same bullet, what say you?

Is length pretty close to the same?

I measured several and they vary a bit in length. The Vmax measures about .007 longer.

They sure don't look like the same bullet...

Would need to know if those bullets were made at approximately the same time.

If the Accutips are actually Hornady they could have changed shapes of bullet over time.

I have no idea when they were made, but you are right. If Hornady made them, they are different. Whether it was a design change or maybe a different specification for Remington.

Have killed bunch of stuff with the 40g Nosler BT out of my 527 221FB.

Give it a go. Although I cant imagine a groundhog walking off a properly placed 50g vmax.

You can???

Groundhogs are tough.

Nervous system spasms can propel a dead one down the hole if hes pointed thataway.

.243 win w 70 gr Nosler BT has been stellar.

I have a pile of Fiocchi 50gr BTs in .223.
Have a rifle and contender pistol. This thread has me wondering out of the TC.

Beans too tall now.

At least he isn't running off.

Typo lol. Gimme a break.

I like 40 gr Sierra Blitzkings and 40 gr Ballistic Tips in my Fireball with IMR 4227.

I used the Hornady factory ammo (years ago) 50 Vmax in a CZ carbine 221 FB and it was awesome on crows. It shot right with my handload of 50gr Barnes XLC I used on a 80 pound pig. I think "maybe" the Remington's crimp groove slowed down the expansion, plus the base looks different to me. We also don't know the core "hardness" of it.

Yup, crows aren't real tough to bring down and my larger supply of the Remington .221 50 grain stuff works well enough, but when my sadistic I'll get even with you for pecking that baby rabbit side comes out, those 40 grain Ballistic Tips make way bigger holes and more feathers.

Not to hijack..but a played with a 17/22 K Hornet in a Bullberry carbine a bit, back in the late 90s. Wind messed with it, but it made chipmunks "vaporize" and any kind of bird a "puff" of feathers! ha That little 20gr Vmax was wicked. I shot a couple coyotes back in Texas with the 40 vmax in a 223 CZ Varmint. I was not as "decisive" as the 50. Just a small example. It was wicked on Prairie dogs in WY though!

The 52 grain SP works real well

Barm: I have only shot a few Rock Chucks with my two Varmint Rifles in caliber 221 Remington Fireball and as I recall they were DRT.
I use the Berger 40 grain hollow-point in my heavy barrel Kimber of Oregon Ultra-Varmint - and then I use the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips in my Remington 700 Classic.
I mostly use these Rifles on Prairie Dogs and Ground Squirrels and these bullets sure shine there!
Best of luck in finding a more reliable "pill" for Ground Hogs.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

They shot great in my .221, but I never connected with fur with those bullets. Given how they performed in my .222 Sako on groundhogs, I’d have no reservations about using them on varmints, or predators at reasonable ranges.

Whatever you decide to use, you won’t be able to “eat right up to the hole.” 😁

I've used a lot of 50gr. VMs for prairie dogs at distance, and they ripped them open just as easily as the same bullet out of a .223. I couldn't tell any difference, both rounds scattered sod rats like busting a water balloon. Since I was loading for .223, and .22/250 also, I liked the heavier 50gr. bullets better than the 40s. But that's just me....

Splat factor will increase nicely if you use Hornady SX bullets. Just don't run them over 3400. That's the upper end for this caliber.

HM

My 221 is a Model 7 with a Schneider 14 twist barrel. 40 grain B-tips or Bergers just don't work with it. 52 grain Bergers or my own 52's work great and I use H4198.