I just came in from shooting gophers with my Browning 1885 Low Wall in 22 Hornet. I am using Hornady 35 gr V-Max factory loads and find them absolutely devastating, both from the perspective of accuracy and terminal ballistics.

I am perplexed by one thing, however. At ranges less than 60 yards, a hit results in a pretty big hole and instant death. The gopher is still reasonably intact and recognizable. At 60+ yards, and especially when ranges reach 100 yards, destruction is total. The animal absolutely distintegrates, with chunks of gopher spread out 4 to 6 feet down range of where it was standing.

My question is this. Why is this bullet more destructive at longer ranges than shorter ranges? Does the bullet pass right through before it totally disintegrates at the shorter ranges, or does it completely distintegrate inside the animal without exiting?

There are lots of folks on this Board with more varmint experience and I, and I'm sure many of you have seen this before. I am interested in your theories.

Maybe the bullet is going fast enough to pass part way thru before totaly blowing up at close range ??

Never realy thought about it , Dead is Dead.
I also use the Hornady hornet load or reload to the same specs.

Johnch

We have sort of seen the same thing happen here in KS when shooting Jack rabbits with the 17HMR susing the Vmax bullets.

Up close particularly on shoulder shots the bullets pentrate but JUST enough to get into the vitals.Sometimes they come apart so fast only schrapnel gets in.On the surface,the 2,600 FPS of the 17HMR does not seem like much BUT think about the RPMs on the bullets as well.The RPMs on a 17HMR slug are TWICE that of ANY .22mag round when velocity AND twist rate are considered.They expand violently when they hit things..

It is like some of the stories one hears about normal Soft point boat taled bullets in hot calibers like .300 magnums on deer.Up close, the bullets are going TOO fast for the impact velocties on tougher targets like a deer's shoulder.However at longer ranges they have slowed to the point then both expand AND penetrate.

That's what we see on the Jacks.They actually die QUICKER with solid hits at long ranges(all the way out to 200 yards) than they do up close- say inside 50 yards.


About 20 years ago I did a lot of PD shooting with .22 rimfires.I noticed that the 22LR HV rounds would mostly zip right through,yet RWS SUBSONIC HP loads would really ROLL them off the mounds with a solid THUMP..

I chalked it upo to the bullets "dwell time" in the flesh.The RWS slugs were softer and also had more time to open up inside the animal.Maybe it' a combination of things that is happening to your 33g Honet bullets.


BTW,I have owned SEVERAL Browning Low walls in the 22H and loved shooting them all!

I had VERY good luck with the 40g Vamx slugs and found they were MUCH better in terms of fdown range accuracy and wind drift than the short ,stubby 35g slugs.The only problem with the Vmax and BT slugs is the short bearing surface on the 40g bullets-they don't leave much bullet in the neck to to their short shanks.

Sierra's 40 Blitz King bullets are Flat based BT type slugs and should be SUPERB in the Hornet giving all the ballistic advantages of the longer slug with more bullet shank in the case when seated out to touch the lands in a good single shot like the Browning..

V.maxes, thats their nature, explosive, but DEADLY
At long ranges mu .204 40 grain v.maxes penetrate better and explode at an amazing rate .
At short ranges, its like a gaints fist going threw the animal

Interesting peformance item noted. I must say that I've not seen the same phenomena with either the Hornet or the bigger calibers; however, I shoot different bullets.

I can tell you that 50gr. VMAX bullets in the hornet do a fine job on all size prairie dogs to 225 yars with ease. At close range, these bullets are devastating. Now, I know that most people would favor the 40gr. or lighter bullet for the Hornet. That's fine, but you can get the 50gr. to 2700 fps or just under. This approximates the trajectory of a .30-06 out to 200 yards. The benefit to you is more mass on target and thus more destruction. Try it, and you'll see that out to 200 yards or so the light stuff isn't necessarily more destructive. At short range and especially at longer distances.

Favorite .22H powder: AA1680

re5513

I use to shoot the 35gr. V-max, and yes they were very destructive. I stopped using them because they were flay base and often folded my case neck. If what you want is a very destructive load up close as well as out yonder. I can't say enough about the 30gr. bullet from James Calhoon. http://www.jamescalhoon.com
I havent seen anyone on this sight that uses them, and I dont know why? I use small pisol primers with Rem cases 14.2gr. of W296 and the 30gr. Muzzle velocity 3400 with my CZ527 thats with no pressure signs. Close range blow ups on ground squirrels.....as for accuracy im getting around .656 what more do you want.........

Short range