826 mule deer and 850 elk, CO.

[Len Backus]

Nice going Jim and Matt.

[Coyboy]

Thanks guys,
The pics are on a crappy throw away camera that has not been developed yet, I will have them put on a disc and get them up in a couple weeks. After a 10 day trip, I have lots to catch up with and this is my busy time of year.

[BH Hunter]

What are your comments on the performance of the VLD?

[Coyboy]

BH, Matt was quite vocal as we turned this deer into table fare. His impression was not good. And after his elk kill he even pointed out the pass thru with the AB.

The comparison was not even close.

I on the other hand have seen deer shot in the scapula nuckle, and have had the misfortune of hitting a couple in that spot as well. I must say there are bullets that can make it thru but not many. Failsafe with it's steel cup, Yes. Barnes coper bullets, most. Many lead core bonded bullets may-be a few. Thin jacketed bullets, if there lucky. (unless were talking mass, large cal. ect)
Now I'm not talking about 100 lb animals but those deer that are double that size. The bone is very heavy and the 180 grain berger at 826 yards absolutly detonated on that bone, I have had a-maxes do the same thing and even witnessed this on a whitail with a 180 corlok out of a 30-06. All of these deer were sucsessfully harvested, and part of that is the resulting bone fragments that get punched into the chest cavity. But of the 3 I disected, bullet frags were in the 5 grains or less range.

I can not falt the bullet for coming apart, I'm the one who put it there and I am fully aware of the results. I would have expected nearly the same from a 160 AB. Some may not agree with that but when you see the mass of that nuckle and the complete destruction of it from a centered hit they may think different.

When looking at the performance of the second berger I put on that deer, it acted completly different, why? only because it didn't encounter a bone that was as dense or thick. That 2nd bullet actually penetrated the exact same bone but went thru the upper third. It penciled thru the "fan" and expanded thru the spinal colum and did leave a bit of jacket frags in the offside shoulder. Yet it's mass continued on and exited. That bullet on it's own would have made one proclaim "near Perfect" performance.

Am I selling all my bergers? no, this is why we carry more than one cartrige into the field.

[Guy M]

Nice summary of the bullet performance Jim.

I'm only on my second mule deer buck with the Berger VLD bullets. Am using the 115 VLD from a .25-06 and have had two very quick kills. No complaints so far. My kills were at much shorter range, about 240 yards last season, and about 175 yards this year.

Again, congrats of a very successful hunt!

Regards, Guy

[Chopaka81]

I have to ditto what Jim said about the AMAX, I shoot a 300 Rummy and like the BC of the 30 cal 208gr AMAX. However, the stew pot 2x3 buck was well prepared for his destination.
I am real curious about the 200gr AB and how it proves out.

[BH Hunter]

I just have a 185 VLD worked up for my 300 RUM, thank you for your insight. BD