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Hornady Black 110 v-max.

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9.2K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  M4Guy  
#1 ·
Has anyone else had issues with the Hornady Black 6.8 110 gn v-max not having pass through shots on whitetail?
A little background. The original upper is a Rock River and the original barrel was their 16 Inch Chrome Moly barrel. After shooting several different factory loads i settled on the Federal Fusion 115gn. Very accurate and always had complete pass throughs.
Before the 2020-21 season i upgraded to a ARP 18in 5R 11 1/4 twist barrel and i have to add this thing is GREAT.
During that time trying to find FF 115 was a major pain and crazy expensive if you could find them in stock.
The Hornady Black ammo was around and not to $$$. Academy had it at 29$. It is very accurate in my ARP barrel.
I have harvested 3 deer with the black ammo. Two bucks and one doe but none were pass through shots. I recovered all the deer but i guess my thinking is there is a better blood trail with two holes than just one.
 
#2 ·
What terminal performance were you expecting on deer when shot with a bullet designed for prairie dogs? You did good to get clean kills.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
No haven't tried them on anything yet. Did have one 143gr 6.5 Precision Hunter do it though. Wasted to much meat... Left the S&B slow and heavy Soft Points' magazine at the house, won't make that mistake again. I was expecting a 250 yard + shot and one was bedded and popped up at 80-90 yards.

When I am moving I keep a slow heavy soft point in the gun for that reason, and a fast tipped mag in a inner pocket to keep it warm for accurate mid to longish shots. Left the S&B mag on the bench.
 
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#9 ·
It was originally designed for the .270 Win. And while it does not always fragment as explosively at the lower velocities of the 6.8, it still can come apart.

100, 200 & 300 yard test results by Xman here, along with almost every single other bullet.
6.8 SPC Bullet Performance | 6.8 SPC Forums (68forums.com)

avcmichael, read this thread to help learn about bullet behavior out of the 6.8 at various velocities/energy.
 
#10 ·
If every shot was a broadside standing shot they would be great . On the other extreme is the 120 SST ,it's jacket is very tough behind the groove which usually doesn't let it expand past the groove but the core often slips out and fragments on the far side leaving the jacket intact . Hornady does make an almost perfect whitetail bullet but it's only manufactured for S&B ( ptsp) .

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#13 · (Edited)
Hornady does make an almost perfect whitetail bullet but it's only manufactured for S&B ( ptsp).
Yes indeedy I like them both for White Tail or Mulies in the Creedmoor.

S&B 156 SP (2500+ fps) for out to 250 to 300. Past that I like the 143 ELD-X (2700+ fps) Precision Hunter. Hornady says no problem 0 to 400, but I disagree, it performs best farther out. I keep a mag of it warm for past 250-300.

I only use Hornady in the 224V, PRC and Creed, and the S&B only in the 308, 6.8, 6.5C.

I haven't ever used the 110 PTS that Hornady makes for S&B in the 6.8 SPC, and they don't make it for the Creedmoor. I would be willing to try the 180 in a 308 for Elk. Up high its probably good to 400 if my saddle rifle likes it.
 
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#15 ·
I have shot quite a few whitetail with the original Hornady custom 110vmax. All deer were recovered with the exception of one. My experience was that the Vmax was a bit explosive inside of 100 yards and improved as the shots got longer. I did see lack of exits on larger bucks, but the normally didn’t go far. All that said, I have switched to the S&B 110 PTS as my standard game round, as I feel it offers a bit mor margin for error in shot placement,
 

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#17 ·
Has anyone else had issues with the Hornady Black 6.8 110 gn v-max not having pass through shots on whitetail?
A little background. The original upper is a Rock River and the original barrel was their 16 Inch Chrome Moly barrel. After shooting several different factory loads i settled on the Federal Fusion 115gn. Very accurate and always had complete pass throughs.
Before the 2020-21 season i upgraded to a ARP 18in 5R 11 1/4 twist barrel and i have to add this thing is GREAT.
During that time trying to find FF 115 was a major pain and crazy expensive if you could find them in stock.
The Hornady Black ammo was around and not to $$$. Academy had it at 29$. It is very accurate in my ARP barrel.
I have harvested 3 deer with the black ammo. Two bucks and one doe but none were pass through shots. I recovered all the deer but i guess my thinking is there is a better blood trail with two holes than just one.
We use the Hornady 110gr vmax in one of our Barrett 6.8’s. Very accurate! But we’ve never had a complete pass through regardless of how close the shot is. My oldest daughter harvested her first doe with the Barrett 6.8 using the 110gr vmax bullet. See the picture below!
Image
 
#21 ·
I am not real happy with Hornady right now. Their Commie Totalitarian Shit over the mandate and then their response to the leak being chiefly why.

Not to mention that in my opinion they seem to have appropriated a client's (H) work to create the ARC. (they may be about to do the same again with the 7 PRC) I can't really speak to any underhandness of the situation as I'm not privy to the contracts nor communications. Its more that there where was a lack of any credit or even a professional nod to the innovator whose work their cartridge was based that chaps my ass. It wasn't how they handled the 6.5 Creedmoor where Dave Emery gave credit to Dennis Demille for his Wildcat that eventually became the 6.5 C. It just seems that something has changed at Hornady to me, and not for the better. At least if you feel basic ethics matters.Then there is also the 'Hornady Bulge', what the hell is up with that?

Anyway I am glad at least they can make projos for clients without 'appropriating' them. I don't know about Graf's Carcano, but S&B publicly gives Hornady credit for the design work for the PTS.

Not sure what their agreement is, but wonder if it precludes there being a S&B PTS in Hornady's 6.5 Creedmoor. Which BTW is the only cartridge in the Hornady stable S&B makes.

I like the S&B brass better, and will like the PTS 180 308. Thinking I will, especially if they do better than the ELDs at close range, and still perform at distance. Feeling like they should, at least in the 180s.
 
#23 ·
What I want to know is, when the can we get S&B 110gr PTS again...I've gotten 2600 FPS from their 110gr FMJ for testing / training / plinking and based on XMan's testing of the 110gr PTS, it looks to be a very versatile general purpose load that would likely also provide excellent barrier performance due to the heavy crimp, almost like a 110gr SST that doesn't shed it's jacket.

Although VMax/Black does surprisingly well from Hornady's TAP line testing I've seen, I will admit PTS would be just that much better of my uses.
 
#24 ·
Well, I wasn't expecting any until next year. But maybe there is hope as I see S&B 110 FMJ are plentiful on-line. Otherwise, I'm not sure anyone has a definitive answer.
 
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#26 ·
Alas, you fight (or hunt) with what you have, not with what you wish you had. I honestly can't complain about Black (VMax), SST or MKZ. They are all excellent bullets for their applications and perform considerably better than any 5.56 loads I have or can even get.

Also, does anyone know if Nossler is still making the 110gr Accubonds for 6.8? I haven't seen them on their site or loaded by DHA for a while. Now that DHA has gotten their powders worked out to resolve the cycling issues I and other had, their last 110's I tried were cookin' at 2650.

Maybe once the Black is used up, I may give them another try if they become available again.
 
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