223 Rem – 50 gr V-MAX – Black Hills (D223N7) – 500 Rounds

Prairie dog towns and groundhog fields burn through ammunition fast, so varmint hunters need a load that is accurate, explosive on impact, and available in quantity. This listing is Black Hills 223 Remington 50 grain Hornady V-Max ammo, MPN D223N7, sold as a 500 round case for varmint shooting.

Black Hills lists this load at 3,300 fps with 1,209 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The V-Max is a thin-jacketed bullet with a polymer tip that fragments violently on small animals, which reduces the risk of ricochet compared with tougher bullets. The light 50 grain weight shoots flat, helping you hit small targets without much holdover at typical varmint distances. This is a varmint bullet designed for prairie dogs, ground squirrels, crows, and similar small game. It is not appropriate for deer or larger animals.

This ammunition fits rifles chambered in 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO, including varmint-style AR-15s, the Remington 700 VTR, Savage 12 Varmint, Ruger American Predator, Tikka T3x Varmint, and CZ 600 Trail. A common question is whether a 50 grain V-Max will shoot accurately in a fast 1:7 twist barrel. It often does, though some light, thin-jacketed bullets can come apart in flight in fast twist barrels at high velocity, so test before a big trip. Another common question is how hot a barrel can get during prairie dog shooting. Let the barrel cool between strings to protect accuracy and barrel life.

Black Hills D223N7 is new production ammunition, not reloads, made in Rapid City, South Dakota. Each round uses a reloadable brass case with a boxer primer and non-corrosive priming. This case ships as 10 boxes of 50 rounds for a total of 500 rounds from one lot, enough for a full day or two on a productive prairie dog town. The 50 round boxes make it easy to track how much you have fired and when to rotate rifles.