This is a guest post by Andrew Betts
The VMAX Bullet – Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
Sometimes something that looks pretty decent on the surface turns out to be not so great. A .300 AAC loaded with 110 gr VMAX should perform pretty well, theoretically. Sometimes the devil is in the details, though, as became crystal clear in the following test of Freedom Munitions ammo.
While the VMAX bullet is a great choice in this application, it has its limits and an average velocity of 1,570 fps is far too slow for it to do its job. It is too slow to even really be considered a rifle load, in all honesty. There is no reason that this bullet should have been loaded so lightly, either. Velocities in the neighborhood of 2,200 fps from an 8” should be easily accomplished without any worries about pressure.
This is why independent testing is so important. It is true that amateur testing, like the video above, tends to include small sample sizes and sometimes involves haphazard procedures, but they provide data points that would otherwise be unavailable. It is best to choose ammunition that has been extensively tested by professional labs for home defense and your first line gear, but you may be looking to save some money when stacking ammunition deep for a rainy day. If that’s the case, you would be well advised to look for ammunition that has been independently tested to verify it will perform as you think it will.
Andrew Betts served with the Arizona National Guard for over 12 years, including a tour to Afghanistan. Visit his YouTube Channel for more great shooting information.
Speak Your Mind