Hello from Scotland~

Just wondering how the likes of 52 gn hp match bullets perform on pests like rabbit, Fox and crows ?

Any experience ? in any .22 cetre fire ?

Regards Englander

Englander, I have used Sierra and Berger match bullets in my 222 Rem on ground squirrels, both are very accurate and highly effective. What part of Scotland? My forebearers (Clan Colquohoun) came here in the 1700's.

Englander,
I've used the Sierra 52 grain match bullet on ground squirrels from my .223. Can't imagine they wouldn't work for what you hunt. On the plus side, they are quite accurate. Lately though I've moved toward the Starke line. They have dedicated match and varmint bullets but I can't seem to tell any difference between them. Both are quite accurate. Haven't used them on animals though.

NoCAL

Hello from Scotland~

We have very daft laws ! For example i can have as many target hollow point bullets and even buy them bulk mail order................. Yet if a bullet is "designed" to expand we are restricted to 200-300 ! And must buy them in person and have them writtern onto our licence even one single bullet!

So if the 52 gn HPBT works well on varmints it will save me alot of hassle !

Do they exit ? on fox ? What sort of exit wound ?

Would be interested to hear..............

Im half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow, not really highlands , not reall lowlands...........

Regards Englander

That is some seriously screwed up laws! In that case, I would use the 52gr HPBT match bullets and not feel bad about it at all!! I've used Hornady 53gr match bullets on prarie dogs with very good success. The jackets on the match bullets are supposed to be a little a little tougher and not as good to use on varmints, but I didn't seem to have a problem. I wasn't even loading max velocities...probably something around 2600fps.

You might also consider the Hornady "A-Max" line. They are "Match" bullets, and are very explosive on varmints... much better than the Sierra 52 HPBT, also, equally as accurate.

CatShooter

I have used many thousands of serria 52gr hp match bullets on varmits. They work just fine. It always amazes me the stupity of some gun laws. All it tells me is that the people writeing them have no clue and are just doing it to make them selfs feel good and to put more restrictions on gun oweres no matter what.

Englander,

I've used 52 and 53gr match HP quite a bit on fox, ferrel cats, prarie dogs, coyote, crow, and the like. Terminal performance is excellent but you'll have various exit wounds on fox. I've had broadside chest shots exit with holes from 2" up to 5". We spot and stalk them in snow which allows us to get a lot of head shots. That saves us from sewing pelts. They'll literally explode cats, rabbits, and crows witht the right hit.

Chris

Englander: I quit using the Sierra 52 grain Match Hollowpoints many years ago. They are simply to dangerous to use in Varmint fields. These bullets are very prone to ricochet when Varmints are missed and did not perform as well (terminal ballistic wise) as much cheaper Varmint style expanding bullets. I highly recommend the 50 grain Sierra Blitz bullets (#1340). They are very accurate and no ricochets will occur with these bullets!
Perhaps other match bullets are more explosive (and therefore less likely to ricochet or pass through the Varmint mostly intact and thereby still remain dangerous "over the rise").
Again my experience in the past only pertains to the Sierra Match bullets and based on that experience I urge you in the name of safety to use another bullet for Varminting.
The Berger 52 grainers I have used are more explosive than the Sierras (in my experience anyway) but they are harder to come by and even more expensive than the Sierras.
Good luck with your search for an accurate and safe Varminting bullet.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have to go along with VarmintGuy on this. I use the Hornady SPSX which is very similar to the bullet he's talking about or the 52 Gr. Speer HP not the match one but the one with the really big HP.

Cheers for the warning varmintguy safety should ALWAYS be number one ! I shall steer clear and go with a soft point of "varmint" hp.

Regards Englander