07-14-2022, 01:44 AM
8Crow, I loaded up some 95 grain VMAX's for last deer season. I was in search of something that would do good tissue damage at longer ranges with the Grendels lower velocities. My load was 30 grains of IMR 8208 XBR in Starline brass with CCI 450 primers and an overall length of 2.230". My chrony showed 2693 to 2715 from an 18" Bartlein barrel (fouled) at 65 degrees F. Was getting about .65" 5 shot group at 100 yds.
My wife and I shot 7 does with that load last season, 6 dead and one that got away (one of mine). I'm going by memory but I'll try to descibe each of the shots. The first was a mature doe I shot broadside at about 100 yards. Double lung hit, she traveled about 80 yards. Not any blood where she was when hit. I ended up seeing her before I ever saw a good enough blood trail to track. There was a decent amount of blood where she was laying and I didn't back track the trail due to fading light. When I field dressed her there was a lot of dammage in chest cavity and it was full of blood and lung tissue, bullet did not exit.
The second deer, a yearling doe,was shot by my wife at approximately 25 yards quartering away. Deer made it about 5 steps and DRT. No exit on that one either, shrapnel in off shoulder.
The third deer was a yearling doe I shot at 237 yards that was slightly quartering away. She made it about 25 yards and had the same wound caracteristics as the last doe, no exit.
The fourth doe was a mature doe shot by my wife at about 125 yards broadside. That doe ran about 60 yards. She didn't leave an immediate blood trail and I could see her before I did pick up any blood. She was double lung shot with no exit hole and a lot of blood in the chest cavity upon field dressing.
The next doe shot was a mature doe facing me at about 100 yards. At this time I decided to see if that bullet would work on a shot that had more and tougher body mass to penetrate before it got into vitals. I placed the shot in the chest while she was facing me hoping bullet would make it into the chest cavity. Shot was a rested shot and I felt like it was a good shot when the trigger broke. Upon going to where the deer was standing when shot there was a good blood trail starting 5 yards from where she was standing. Long story short I never recovered her and lost blood trail about 200 yards into the track.
The next two does I shot were neck shots at about 30 and 40 yards. Both were mature does and both were DRT. Later that year I gut shot a coyote that ran by me at about 40 yards. There were intestines sprayed into the brush where he ran past. He made it about 10 yards serious damage to coyote.
I will not be using the 95 grain VMAX's for this up coming deer season because I don't think it can be trusted with any shot. Works great for a perfect broadside and quartering away, but I wouldn't try a quarteing to shot after my experience with the frontal shot. None of the recovered does that ran left great blood trails due to no exit hole.
Previously I have used 123 Hornady SST's and have had good luck but don't feel like they will open up well at around the 300 yard and beyond. I'm going to try 100 and 123 ELD's next hoping they are a little more destructive at longer range than the SST, but not so explosive I don't get an exit.
Hope this helps!
My wife and I shot 7 does with that load last season, 6 dead and one that got away (one of mine). I'm going by memory but I'll try to descibe each of the shots. The first was a mature doe I shot broadside at about 100 yards. Double lung hit, she traveled about 80 yards. Not any blood where she was when hit. I ended up seeing her before I ever saw a good enough blood trail to track. There was a decent amount of blood where she was laying and I didn't back track the trail due to fading light. When I field dressed her there was a lot of dammage in chest cavity and it was full of blood and lung tissue, bullet did not exit.
The second deer, a yearling doe,was shot by my wife at approximately 25 yards quartering away. Deer made it about 5 steps and DRT. No exit on that one either, shrapnel in off shoulder.
The third deer was a yearling doe I shot at 237 yards that was slightly quartering away. She made it about 25 yards and had the same wound caracteristics as the last doe, no exit.
The fourth doe was a mature doe shot by my wife at about 125 yards broadside. That doe ran about 60 yards. She didn't leave an immediate blood trail and I could see her before I did pick up any blood. She was double lung shot with no exit hole and a lot of blood in the chest cavity upon field dressing.
The next doe shot was a mature doe facing me at about 100 yards. At this time I decided to see if that bullet would work on a shot that had more and tougher body mass to penetrate before it got into vitals. I placed the shot in the chest while she was facing me hoping bullet would make it into the chest cavity. Shot was a rested shot and I felt like it was a good shot when the trigger broke. Upon going to where the deer was standing when shot there was a good blood trail starting 5 yards from where she was standing. Long story short I never recovered her and lost blood trail about 200 yards into the track.
The next two does I shot were neck shots at about 30 and 40 yards. Both were mature does and both were DRT. Later that year I gut shot a coyote that ran by me at about 40 yards. There were intestines sprayed into the brush where he ran past. He made it about 10 yards serious damage to coyote.
I will not be using the 95 grain VMAX's for this up coming deer season because I don't think it can be trusted with any shot. Works great for a perfect broadside and quartering away, but I wouldn't try a quarteing to shot after my experience with the frontal shot. None of the recovered does that ran left great blood trails due to no exit hole.
Previously I have used 123 Hornady SST's and have had good luck but don't feel like they will open up well at around the 300 yard and beyond. I'm going to try 100 and 123 ELD's next hoping they are a little more destructive at longer range than the SST, but not so explosive I don't get an exit.
Hope this helps!