would you hunt medium game with Zmax?

T

tahunua001

New member
hello all,
this is kindof theoretical right now since Zmax is temporarily discontinued but I was wondering if you would hunt with a hornady Zmax bullet? I often ask just what they are designed to do besides rope in the zombie hunter crowd, but I never get a direct answer as to whether they're a varmint round, medium game, strictly for blowing up decomposing flesh, or if they are just a cheap, plastic tip stuffed into a hollow point to make them look cool. so if you have hunted with them, what was your experience, if you wouldn't hunt with them, what is your reasoning for such?
 
IIRC, the "Z-Max" is simply a "V-Max" with a pretty green plastic tip. If so, I wouldn't recommend it's use on "medium game" since it's designed to be a varmint bullet.
I haven't tested the Z-Max so can't say how it expands but all the V-Max I've tried expand far too quickly to be ethically used on game.
 
I'm not sure if that's truly the case or not. according to midway, the sectional density of a 50 grain zmax is .142 and the ballistic coefficient is .242. the sectional density and ballistic coefficient for the Vmax is identical, but the vmax is listed under varmint(obviously) and the zmax is listed under target/max bullets. the hornady Amax in 52gr is also listed as match and has the same sectional density but slightly different BC of .247(possibly due to the 2gr difference in weight?).
 
The Z max bullet came out when Hornaday was marketing their Zombie line of nonsense. All any of the Zombie bullets were was repackaged-remarketed existing bullets.
 
It has been quite a while since I saw it but IIRC zmax is repackaged Amax target ammo. Not good for anything but paper.....with squares, circles or....zombie pictures.
 
alright, it seems hornady has sensed some confusion about the Zmax as they've changed their website to reflect that they are, in fact, a varmint load. i'm not thinking that they are just reboxed preexisting lines, they are much cheaper and obviously they'd have to change the tip colors. I think they are purpose built. as they are much cheaper than actual Vmaxes, I'm thinking they are Vmax but built with a lower QC standard to make them cheaper and easier to manufacture bulk.
 
If I had some Z-max ammo I would treat it exactly the same as I would V-max's or even Ballistic Tips, made for paper and varmits, wouldn't hesitate a moment for using them for that purpose. Of course I wouldn't hesitate to shoot paper, cans, rocks, zombies with it either.
 
I would think the Zmax would be very effective on any size game as long as it is used on animals in the second stage or more of Zombie-ism. Otherwise I would just use it as it was intended, for the shooting of zombies printed on target stock paper.
 
Depends. If I limited myself to neck shots or perfectly-perpendicular broadside shots, then yes. That doesn't limit you TOO much, because neck shots can be taken from any angle. It does limit you somewhat .... it could include short distances to about 100 yards from any angle (neck), AND any/long distances from perfect broadside only (vitals). That covers most scenarios, but that quartering toward or away at 125 yards or more DOES happen sometimes, and you'd have to pass on the chance..... unless you're good enough to be comfortable with a neck shot at that range. I'm not. More time for the game to move its neck (while the bullet is in flight), and that's a really smaller target for the field to begin with at 125+.

You mean whitetail/ blacktail/ pronghorn right? For mulies, probably the same answer as long as the chambering/ caliber were sufficiently large.
 
No. It's a varmint round, and should be used as such. Unless it's all you have, in which case you should go for neck shots. Otherwise, get the proper ammo for the job.
 
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