Varmint bullets

[tangolima]

I don't hunt, varmint or not. Varmint bullets look interesting to me because they are much cheaper.

Compared to other kinds, varmint bullets tend to be lighter, probably for higher speed. They all seem have flat base, so BC is low. Beyond 300yd, they don't do well. Speed drops fast and wind deflection is more. Do I understand it correctly?

I recently tried some dirt cheap 40gr pulled varmint bullets on my AR. They shoot surprisingly well. Sounds like a good and affordable material for practicing.

Thanks for your inputs.

-TL

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[Rimfire5]

You might try 53 gr V-Max. They are boat tails with a BC of .290.
They perform very well for me with a faster powder like N133.

The 40 and 50 gr V-Max are also boat tails, but the BCs are lower.

[totaldla]

There are a number of good 223 bullet sources (55gr, 62gr) that will get them to your for $.12/ea. There are a couple that will hit 8.5-8.8 cents each to your door.

Use ammoseek to find best pricing


https://ammoseek.com/reloading/bullets/.224-diameter/

[FrankenMauser]

I shoot mostly Varmint bullets in calibers where they are readily available.
I consider myself a hunter before everything else. So it's hunting bullets and varmint bullets before target.

Most varmint bullets shoot quite well. But, of course, you'll occasionally find a bullet/barrel/load combination that is sub-par. That being said, most "sub-par" varmint bullet groups are still better than sub-par hunting/target bullet groups.

Just remember to keep your velocity in check, if barrel life is threatened. Backing off a little can make a big difference in barrel life.
And check for velocity limits on the bullets. Some have specific applications and can be pushed too hard, without even trying, in other cartridges.

[Nick_C_S]

I'm no expert. But I understand that varmint bullets tend to be of lighter construction.

For AR's with a high twist rate, it might be a good idea to keep lightweight varmint bullets (55gn and such) velocities down. I'm not going to do the math right now, but I believe a bullet going 3000 f/s through a 1:7 twist, the RPM of the bullet is something the 200K. That might be a bit much for a varmint bullet.

[tangolima]

Thanks for info. It confirms what I have thought.

The bullet is not only for 5.56, but mostly for 6mm, which significantly more expensive. I don't chase speed. Accuracy is the goal, so the loads I work up are usually mid range. I shoot those outdoor up to 300yd to practice wind reading skills. In a way its lower BC may even be a good thing. It makes reading the wind more challenging, a good substitute to actually shooting longer distances.

-TL

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[44 AMP]

I recently tried some dirt cheap 40gr pulled varmint bullets on my AR.

The bullet is not only for 5.56, but mostly for 6mm, which significantly more expensive.

I'm a bit confused, are you shooting a 40gr 6mm bullet or a 40gr .224" bullet?

I've never heard of a 40gr 6mm bullet, before.
There are different .224" 40gr bullets, ranging from those made for the .22Hornet (speeds up to 2900fps or so) to those made for the .220 Swift (nearly 4000fps) and those made for rounds inbetween.

[tangolima]

Oh sorry. Should have been clearer in my posts. Varmint bullet is a general thought, applicable to any caliber, especially the more expensive 6mm. They are good enough, if not better, for target shooting up to 300yd, and they tend to be more affordable.

The 40gr varmint bullet for 5.56 is an particular experiment I did to verified the concept. It is pulled bullet that I bought for real cheap. Never have expected it would shoot any good. But it is surprisingly good.

-TL

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[FrankenMauser]

Nosler used to make 40, 43, and 46(?) gr bullets in .243".
I have a thousand or so MidwayUSA-branded 43 gr SPs and 40 gr HPs that were made by Nosler. They are very stubby and have comically short bearing surfaces, with ogives like the .22 Hornet and .22 WMR V-Max.

In 6mm, I shoot .243 Win and 6x45mm. I currently only have 1:9" twist barrels. In the past, bullets lighter than about 75 gr did not do well in my 10 twist barrel. I have not had any issues with the 9 twists.

My preferred bullets are the Barnes 62 gr Varmint Grenade and 58 gr (discontinued), Nosler 55 gr Varmaggedon, and the Midway "Dogtown" bullets. (The Dogtown offerings for 6mm were chaotic and short lived, but I have, or have had, 6mm bullets from 40 gr to 68 gr under the brand.)

[44 AMP]

Varmint bullet is a general thought, applicable to any caliber,

Yes, and there is a range, for each caliber.

For generations, nearly all .22 caliber bullets were varmint bullets (or match bullets) other then the military ball rounds. Before the advent of the "uber heavy" 70gr+ slugs for .22CF the "game bullet" for .22s was the Sierra 63gr semi spitzer. Everything lighter was for varmints or target shooting.

Moving up in caliber, and keeping in mind its only a general rule and there are/were exceptions, in 6mm bullets up to 70gr were usually for varmints. Heavier bullets were for bigger game.

In 25 cal the classic 87gr slug was the usual break point, but it depended on the round. Lots of deer taken by the 87gr .250/3000 Savage, but we shot the 87gr HP as varmint rounds from our 25-06s.

139gr was the "light" big game bullet in 7mm, and 125s or lighter were .30cal varmint bullets (prior to 7.62x39 being available in the US).

What makes a bullet a varmint bullet is its construction, and the velocity it is fired. Varmint bullets are lightly constructed, for their intended speed so they expand (often violently) on small game.

Accuracy of varmint bullets is generally quite good, after all, they are intended to hit small targets at moderate to long range.

You can "make" a varmint bullet out of some big game and defense bullets by seriously overdriving them in certain cartridges. Take a 125gr .357 JHP and push it 500fps faster than it comes out of a pistol and it "grenades" when it hits something. Same for a .30-30 bullet pushed up into the 3,000fps range.

And one that is most impressive is taking a jacketed .45-70 405gr bullet, intended to expand at the black powder speeds (12-1300fps) and fire it at 2100fps from a .458 Winchester. It literally seems to explode when it hits something. Not good for game though..

So, speed can be a factor, too much will turn a controlled expansion bullet into an "explosive" varmint bullet.

Until the development of heavy bullets and the fast twist rates needed for them, in .22 caliber the usual common twist rates were 1-14" or 1-12".
This worked fine for bullets of 55-60gr and under. Not quite so well for 60gr+.

My Win Model 70 Varmint .22-250 would shoot 3/4" groups with 55gr SPs, sometimes 1/2" with 52/53 gr match bullets, but would only do about 2" with the 63gr "deer bullet".

Nothing wrong with using varmint bullets for practice or for zapping varmints. If you can get them at a good price, enjoy your shooting!

[tangolima]

Yup. I can still get Speer 75gr .243 varmint for 18 cents. Best price. Others go over 25 cents easily.

Did one load for my new 6mm ARC. Per ballistic calculator, it maintains supersonic beyond 550yd. Shoots 0.8" at 100yd. Not bad.

-TL

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[ocharry]

have you thought about seconds??

i got some seconds from midsouth a year or so ago and was really surprised at how well the shot....they were 500 in a bag for about 60 bucks i think...they were 62gr 224 bullets....i went back ang got 3 more bags of them

i think most places sell seconds...midsouth, creedmoore sports, midway, powder valley

give them a try, they are cheap and i think you will be surprised at how good they work

ocharry