New .224-Cal Varmint Bullets From Hornady
We recently had a chance to chat with Dave Emary, Hornady’s Chief Ballistics Scientist. Dave told us that varmint hunters should definitely check out two new .224-caliber bullets from Hornady, the 35gr NTX and the 53gr V-Max. Both bullets offer high-BCs for their weight class, along with excellent terminal performance.
New Lead-Free NTX “California-Legal” Bullet
First is the new 35gr NTX® BT plastic-tipped bullet. This is a lead-free California-compliant design. Designed with a boat-tail and extended ogive, the new 35gr NTX has better ballistics than most other bullets in its weight class. This bullet can be pushed to very high velocities by a standard .223 Remington cartridge. As you can see from the factory illustrations below, the new 35gr NTX bullet is far more streamlined that the previous 35gr flat-base V-MAX, and the NTX’s BC is much higher. So the NTX gives you a lead-free alternative, that has better ballistics to boot.
New High-BC, 53gr V-Max May Be a “Game-Changer” for .223 Rem Shooters
The second recently-released bullet is a new, High-BC, 53gr V-Max with a field-tested 0.290 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. That’s a very high BC for a .224-caliber bullet in this weight class. To demonstrate that point, the Berger 55gr BTHP Varmint bullet has a .210 G1 BC, while the Sierra 53gr FB MatchKing has a .224 G1 BC (above 2800 fps). How did Hornady achieve the higher BC? Emary tells us that this new bullet was designed with an extended ogive (nose section) to provide significantly better ballistics than other bullets in its weight class. Emary added: “With this .290 BC bullet and the higher velocities we get with the SuperFormance powder blends, the .223 Remington runs pretty darn close to a .22-250 with standard loads — you can run the ballistics numbers yourself.”
Taking Up Emary’s Challenge — Running the Balllistics
Given Dave’s challenge to “run the numbers” — we did just that. Hornady claims 3465 fps from its new SuperFormance .223 Rem factory ammo loaded with the 53gr V-Max. At 400 yards, this load will drop 20.8 inches from a 100-yard zero, and drift 15.6 inches in a 10 mph crosswind. (Figures calculated with JBM Ballistics, for 500′ altitude, 70° F.) To compare, Hodgdon’s Reloading Data Center says a .22-250 can deliver 3713 fps with a 55-grainer pushed by a max load of IMR 4064. So, for the .22-250, assuming a .220 BC for the 55gr bullet, the drop at 400 yards (from 100-yard zero) is 20.4 inches, while the 10 mph wind drift is 20.2 inches (again according to JBM). So, it looks like Emary is right, assuming his .223 Rem velocities are real. At 400 yards, the .223 Rem with the 53-grainer has nearly identical drop and much less wind drift than a .22-250 shooting a conventional 55-grainer. Here are the numbers:
Cartridge | Muzzle Vel | Bullet BC | Drop at 400 yds | Drift at 400 yds |
.223 Rem | 3465 fps | 0.290 BC (53gr) | 20.8 inches | 15.6 inches |
.22-250 | 3713 fps | 0.220 BC (55gr) | 20.4 inches | 20.2 inches |
We asked Emary how the new 53-grainers hold up when driven at high velocities. Emary replied: “The 53-grainer has the tough V-Max jacket. You should be able to push it up to 4000 fps with no problems”.
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Tags: California, Emary, Hornady, JBM Ballistics, NTX, V-Max
Imagine running the 53gr Vmax in the 22-250 with the soon to be released Superformance powder. Get Some!
Ok, here is the deal. It would be an awesome round given we could find it. These are going to be harder to find than Hens teeth. Adam
Looks pretty long for 53gr, so I wonder about recommended twist rate.
The 35gr NTX sounds like it will be one heck of a bullet for popping little critters. I am curious to see if they will hold up when driven from the 22-6mmAI I have in the works, and if they do, what kind of velocity will be attainable.
The 53gr V-Max looks good as well, but as has been stated already, with it’s length, what will the recommended twist rate be? It would be another good candidate for the 22-6mmAI if it will stabilize from the 1-14″ twist.
the new 53 v-max is very good out of my savage 22-250 with 1 in 12 twist factory bbl. .455″ 5 shot groups at 100 yds at 3700fps
I have a 28 inch barrelled .226mm AI. Haven’t tried the 35 grainers yet. They should be VERY explosive.