223 - 50 gr V Max for Springbuck

[treeman]

Springbuck behind the shoulder and head shots, what say yee all?

[driepootx]

Ertjiepit - pisdruppel = 223 bullet.

Who is going to do the shooting?

I reloaded Goodnel 55gr in a friends 223 and it was used to hunt Impala by a friend of his son's. That got them started on their hunting careers. I have personally shot two Impala with my 223 using 53gr TSX. If an experienced shooter is using it then yes, springbuck will go down. I would however suggest a stronger bullet for body shots.

[Ds J]

Head shots, yes. Because it delivers fragmentation.

Body shots, no. Because it delivers fragmentation.

From Hornady's website:

With its combination of proven materials, innovative design and streamlined profile, the Hornady^® V-MAX^® represents the pinnacle of what a specialized varmint bullet can achieve, offering straight-line trajectories, enhanced accuracy, dramatic expansion and explosive fragmentation at a wide range of distances and velocities.

The industry's leading varmint bullet with polymer tip and streamlined design results in flat trajectories. The concentricity of the match grade AMP^® bullet jacket provides maximum accuracy at all ranges as well as explosive expansion, even at velocities as low as 1600 fps.

[treeman]

A Spring buck is small, very small ?
A 100 mm penetration will mean both lungs compromised, one destroyed at least, the other the same I would assume. I am actually expecting a exit wound if rib to rib is shot.

[janfred]

And probably the loss of a lot of meat. Having seen video clips of what these bullets do on animals, I would not use them.

These are the explosive bullets you were thinking of in the Ballistic Tip threads.

[Koebelwagen]

I used 50gr V-Max to shoot a springbok about 4 weeks ago. Head shot at 150M, the left half of the head did not exist anymore. I shudder to think what damage would happen on a behind the shoulder shot, you are going to throw away a lot of meat on a small animal.

[philipjordaan10]

Puts them down HARD, and yes there is meat damage. As long as I stay away from big bones, ie, hit on the ribs, damage has not been overly excessive.

[treeman]

Puts them down HARD, and yes there is meat damage. As long as I stay away from big bones, ie, hit on the ribs, damage has not been overly excessive.

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Yes - thats what I was thinking, proper body shots, low and 3 fingers behind shoulder, all that can be damaged is what you want damaged.
I posted to get a general feeling, I will shoot first one with a VMax and field dress it at my shoot position, do a autopsy. I am curious to know if this bullet will be bang, flop, DRT with massive blood meat or just intended damage.
I know that a shoulder shot, even with out hitting bone will be bad in many aspects

I also have Sierra 65 gr Game Kings and GS Custom 40 gr munition that all shoot within 15 mm of the V Max L/R.

[treeman]

And probably the loss of a lot of meat. Having seen video clips of what these bullets do on animals, I would not use them.

These are the explosive bullets you were thinking of in the Ballistic Tip threads.

**************
Yes this is what I was thinking of.

[Adoons]

Treeman, they will work, but for shots short of 200 m I would suggest taking head shots if the setup is accurate enough. On body shots keep the shots to the low side to have less blood in the backstraps. If you hit the spine you are going to have 2 hind quarters to eat and maybe 4 hoofs with a bit of tail? They will penetrate and kill good enough for ethical hunting. I have used them for varminting from my AR. They have been "explosive." On Springbuck, for the confident and experienced shot, yes. For Impala or Blesbuck - NO!