"Explosive" Varmint Bullets

[Twud]

2 of my best ground hog properties are starting to have houses built within gun shot range. Accordingly, I'm looking for an explosive 6MM bullet to load. Don't want exit wounds and deformend bullets flying off into the ether. I've been shooting Berger varmint bullets for years, but they are too heavily constructed. Thinking about Blitzkings or V-Max's. Something even more frangible would be good. Anyone know of a custom bullet smith that might make such an animal?
Mark

 

[Jim Sr]

40gr V-Max's works for me! (223 Rem)

 

[SavageShooter]

I load Hornady V-Max, Nosler Ballistic Tip and Sierra Blitzking 55 grainers for my .22-250. All three bullets are basically the same. When I hit a ground hog it usually explodes inside, devastation. My longest kill is 315 yards so far.

 

[Archeryrob]

I agree with above. I stopped using them on deer because I hit one in the shoulder and saw the mess it makes.

 

[4g64loser]

2 of my best ground hog properties are starting to have houses built within gun shot range. Accordingly, I'm looking for an explosive 6MM bullet to load. Don't want exit wounds and deformend bullets flying off into the ether. I've been shooting Berger varmint bullets for years, but they are too heavily constructed. Thinking about Blitzkings or V-Max's. Something even more frangible would be good. Anyone know of a custom bullet smith that might make such an animal?
Mark

Don't know your twist rate or throat length but the berger 88s shoot like they have eyes in my 8twist 6br. I've never had a slow twist br so I can't comment on precision but the Nosler ballistic tips in lighter weights are absolutely explosive. Stay below 80gr for the higher speeds. 55 or 70 is where you want to be. They shoot ok in the 8 twist but not as well as an 88 or 95. At those high rev counts though, they make a big mess and rarely exit. To get a blow up, it's all about impact velocity and rotational velocity. The 88s are great but at over 300 are likely to exit. In my 22-250ai barrels, the 40s are amazing, til they slow down. They are still good but they do tend to exit groundhogs past 400 depending on size of groundhog and angle of shot.

 

[4g64loser]

This is all that's left of a .224 55gr blitzking that was recovered from inside the second water jug. Barely made an entry wound on the second jug. Tore the first jug up completely. The top right fragment is the largest (bullet base) and was the only jacket piece to still have lead attached. Calculated velocity at impact based on radar captured muzzle velocity was a little under 3100fps.

 

[teratos]

I use ballistic tips in my HD gun.

 

[4g64loser]

I use ballistic tips in my HD gun.

Good call. I run 40-50gr varmint loads. All work about the same at extremely close range. The solid base of the Nosler BTips is more likely to retain some core mass and exit as impact velocity decreases.

I just accept that my shots are not likely to penetrate through the vitals with such loads. Testing on a deer carcass suggests that jackhammering multiple shots into the same tight area will work but I consider this anecdotal at best til duplicated by others.

The energy transfer is impressive on small to medium game from these bullets. A good friend uses 85 sierra hpbt gameking in his 6AI for deer and usually 80 bergers or Nosler BTips for varmint. With me backing up in case it didn't work, he used a berger 80 on a deer. Broadside just aft of the crease. No exit, had hell finding the entry til it was skinned, but it went down and never twitched.

 

[Rockzilla]

Sierra 50-55 Blitz out of 220 Swift "puff" (have to download the them though)
they work rather nice out of a 223 Rem 788

-Rock

 

[boule]

Accordingly, I'm looking for an explosive 6MM bullet to load. Don't want exit wounds and deformend bullets flying off into the ether.

Mark, I hate to say it but if you cannot be sure of your backstop, you should not be shooting there. Yeah, 99% of the bullets will end up as small metal pieces but there is no guarantee that you won't have a larger fragment flying around.

That said, I am partially to the Nosler Varmageddon or midsouth bulk.

 

[lazarus]

View attachment 406516


This is all that's left of a .224 55gr blitzking that was recovered from inside the second water jug. Barely made an entry wound on the second jug. Tore the first jug up completely. The top right fragment is the largest (bullet base) and was the only jacket piece to still have lead attached. Calculated velocity at impact based on radar captured muzzle velocity was a little under 3100fps.

55gr Blitzkings run .6MOA 5 shot groups out of my Howa 22” .223 on top of, I think it is 27.6gr of CFE223. I’d have to look at the velocity, but think it’s around 3150fps.

 

[lazarus]

Mark, I hate to say it but if you cannot be sure of your backstop, you should not be shooting there. Yeah, 99% of the bullets will end up as small metal pieces but there is no guarantee that you won't have a larger fragment flying around.

That said, I am partially to the Nosler Varmageddon or midsouth bulk.

For that matter, it might not be a bullet that goes down range. Miss and hit a rock, and it could be a small rock or piece of a rock that goes flying down range at a few hundred miles per hour. Don’t shoot in the direction of a house or people unless there is a safe and high enough backstop or it’s well out of range of a ricochet. I’ve seen a varmint bullet ricochet off the ground and hit a hillside 150yds away. That’s not hundreds of yards away, but the bullet was for sure carrying a lot of its energy still.

 

[4g64loser]

55gr Blitzkings run .6MOA 5 shot groups out of my Howa 22” .223 on top of, I think it is 27.6gr of CFE223. I’d have to look at the velocity, but think it’s around 3150fps.

It's a good quality bullet. I happen to favor Noslers but the blitzkings are solid options. The test that resulted in the above picture was part of my attempt to compare several quality varmint bullets to determine if all performed similarly or if I'd get any surprises (deep penetration). The bullet I had been using for "indoor social occasions" was no longer available.

 

[SWO Daddy]

This thread is so old it has a driver's license.

 

[lazarus]

This thread is so old it has a driver's license.

Dangit! Well that's what happens when I only notice when the last few posters replied.

 

[trickg]

This thread is so old it has a driver's license.

That's funny - it's literally 16 years old.

On a more sober note, the only person to post to the thread when it was new has since passed on from this plane of existence - he passed in July of 2018.

It still has some good information, albeit a bit late for the OP.

I've been using 50 gr Hornady VMax in my 223 custom build and at 100 I'm getting good accuracy from them, but I think that rifle would shoot just about anything light accurately. Those 50 gr over 25.0 gr Benchmark chrono'd at about 3,250 fps.

It has a 1:12 twist, so at some point I'll give 40 gr bullets a look, just to see what they'll do, and I'm interested in looking at a couple of other bullets too -

Barnes Varmint Grenades
Nosler Balilstic Tip
Speer TNT

The trouble is, I'm cheap - the main reason I went with the Hornady VMax is because I snagged a bunch of them on sale - I think I paid 16¢ or 17¢ a bullet for them, which is cheaper than normal - typically they run about $25/100.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Sierra 50-55 Blitz out of 220 Swift "puff" (have to download the them though)
they work rather nice out of a 223 Rem 788

-Rock

Yep! The Blitz bullet has a velocity limit of 3600fps per Sierra. Not to be confused with the Blitzking bullet, and many do confuse the two because they're (miserably) named so damned similar. Blitzking is the bullet of choice for the high steppers like 22-250 and 220 Swift, or the lighter bullets in other rounds that will exceed that 3600fps cutoff recommendation.

This thread is so old it has a driver's license.

Sure enough is!
It's a good thread though. Shame it didn't get any legs the first time around.

 

[Crosseye Dominant]

This thread is so old there is a shopping mall on the land OP was shooting on.

 

[trickg]

In light of this thread I've been looking around online for what people deem to be their favorite bullet for varmints. There doesn't seem to be a consensus - everyone has their favorite pet load and caliber, although there are a few standouts that show up over and over for 22 caliber pills:

40 gr VMax
50 gr VMax
53 gr Vmax

50 gr TNT
50 gr Blitzking

There are some people who go lighter than 40, but there is a lot of love for 40 and 50 gr varmint bullets for 22 caliber.

 

[4g64loser]

A lot depends on the target. The rest, for me, depends on the case I'm putting them in. Bigger case, I typically go light for the speed. I love me some 40s in a 22-250ai. Things downrange, they don't love them so much.