55 gr Hornady V-max question

[SSN Vet]

is 25 gr. of H335 too hot for this bullet?

Hodgdon give data up to 25.3 gr for jacketed 55 gr.

I have an old One Caliber book for .223 and it says 22.3 gr. max for the 55 gr. V-max.

I've loaded many, many 55 gr. FMJ-BTs at 25 gr. and never had so much as a smushed primer in my 16" middy.

I've got my brothers 550 all set up and ready to crank... then I started second guessing using 25 gr.

The driving band on the V-max is longer...

I'm looking for good accuracy for the range and laying some of these up as personal defense ammo.

I don't want to spend a week doing load development on this one.

 

[rcmodel]

Hornady says 23.2 Max with the 55 V-Max.
Hodgdon say 25.3 with a Speer Soft Point.
(Different ogive and bearing surface.)

I dont think you will find anyone here on THR that will tell you to just go up over Hornady's data by 1.8 grains as a start load, without working up to it in Your Rifle.

Hopefully?

rc

 

[SSN Vet]

just noticed the other thread that is already beating this question...

just wondering if anyone is loading the VMAX or ZMAX could chime in.

 

[Stripesdude]

I tested 23.5 gr behind that exact bullet last weekend, and it was my most accurate load by far.

 

[X-Rap]

Balistic tips work fine with 25 gr.

 

[matrem]

Several thousand rounds of 55 Blitzkings, Ballistic Tips & v-max at 25.7 & a hundred 60 v-max at exactly 25.3 of H335 through two different ARs.

No pressure signs at all with the 55s, but some slight pressure signs from one of the two with the 60 v-max at 25.3. All of these with CCI 450s.

You're getting close to max so make sure you work up & check as you go.

 

[stavman11]

Have done a few thousand of each V-maz 55gr and Z-max 55gr

I load all my 55gr at 25gr H335... and works great for me.... seems the best for all 4 types of Pills I load... so just keep it at 25gr

 

[grogetr]

23.5 shot best in my ar with 55gn v max. I had some primers flattening at 25 with cci 400

 

[zerobarrier]

I use 23.4 in my ar. I worked up to 25gr during my ladder, but 23.4 had the best groups. I don't remember any significant pressure signs or anything, but that was me working up to 25gr in MY rifle.