Berger bullets

[FergusBailey]

Hi guys. Long time - no post.

Cant recall the last time I posted here and have been busy as hell the last few years. But, I have a hunt coming up and am interested to hear your comments on the performance of Berger bullets on game. I am planning a trip to Namibia and will be taking my 308 Baer. I expect the majority of shots will be between 300 and 400 yards. Right now I am thinking of using 190gn VLDs. Any experience with Bergers on game up to elk size would be of interest.

Thanks

Fergus

[screech]

Igot a buddy that shoots elk with a 300rum and the 185gr. berger and I would use them on elk. At 100yrds it went through a shoulder blade and ended up in the off side but cheeck. It did lots of damage though. But it still penetrated plenty deep.

[davewilson]

if you're only shooting out to 400 go with the Accubond, Scirocco, Interbond, TXS, or something that's made to stay together. why take a chance with a match bullet on big game that might be shot at close range?

[FergusBailey]

Screech

Thanks for that info – that’s exactly the information I am after. If it will survive 300 RUM velocity at 100 yards, it will certainly work for my purposes.

[FergusBailey]

Dave

I am asking for the experience of others so that I will get a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of these bullets on game. Since Berger recommend their VLDs for hunting big game, this does not seem unreasonable.

Are you telling me you know for a fact Bergers will fail at close range?

[ceylonc]

This advice may sound like naive advice: CALL Berger and ask them! Tell them that you're plannning the trip of a lifetime and you want to know if their bullets are designed to perform under your intended applications. They're good folks and will tell you whether or not their bullets are a good match.

Best of luck on your hunt! Man am I jealous...

[remingtonman_25_06]

Bergers are great game bullets based on the results from what I've seen with them so far. I've limited experience with them, but so far they have performed well on a couple coyotes and a few muley bucks, the farthest being 618 yards, the closer being 175 yards. I am shooting the 168g VLD out of a 7 Rm at 2950-3000fps. In both cases with both deer, I opted for a shoulder shot and in each instances, I got complete passthroughs with about a 2" exit hole. The internal damage was amazing, something I'd never really seen before. ON the 175 yard muley, it looked like old faithfull was spouting, blood sprayed everywhere on the hillside. Same performance on coyotes.

I've shot the 210g VLD out of a 300 RUM, but never did get a chance to shoot any animals with them, except for a few very very unlucky coyotes. They left 6-8" exits on them...

I have also tested both of them in wet newspaper at 100 yards, and based on that alone, I"m not to sure a Berger is the best close range bullet, but then again there is no perfect bullet. I've found the berger to be a pretty "explosive" type bullet. In each case in the newspaper, they only held at most 35% of there weight, yet they still penetrated every bit as far as conventional bullets. I"m sure the SD helps out quite a bit here. However, I'm not to sure I like a bullet to lose 70% of its weight on elk. However, I believe this year I"ll be using the 168g VLD on elk. I feel it will work very well at about 200 yards and further.

I would almost recomend you to use the 210g VLD for the added insurance it would give you in penetrattion on the close shots. Just something to think about as Berger bullets do not hold there weight. This works out great though when you want to reach out and touch something 1000 yards away, you know the bullets going to open up.